Falling rates benefit these utilities two ways

Article Excerpt

The Bank of Canada recently cut its benchmark lending rate, from 4.75% to 4.50%, and more cuts seem likely. Lower rates are good news for utilities such as these four, as they reduce their borrowing costs and increase their appeal with bond investors. What’s more, you pay less tax on their dividends compared to bond interest payments. FORTIS INC. $60 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative & Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 495.2 million; Market cap: $29.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.6; Dividend yield: 3.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.fortisinc.com) is the main supplier of electrical power in Newfoundland and P.E.I. It also owns electrical utilities across Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean. In addition, Fortis distributes natural gas in British Columbia, Arizona and New York State. In the quarter ended June 30, 2024, Fortis’s revenue rose 2.9%, to $2.67 billion from $2.59 billion a year earlier. The higher revenue is mainly due to higher rates and warmer weather at its Arizona…