Fortis helps stabilize your portfolio

Article Excerpt

Fears of rising inflation and a possible recession continue to hurt stock markets. Despite the current uncertainty, we feel high-quality stocks like Fortis will continue to spur your returns. The company gets most of its revenue from its regulated power and gas businesses, which gives it predictable cash flows for new projects. In fact, those new assets will increase its rate base by roughly 33% over the next five years. Regulators use that metric to calculate a utility’s approved rate of return. The increase will also support Fortis’s plan to raise your dividend by 6% each year through 2025. FORTIS INC. $61 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative & Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 477.1 million; Market cap: $29.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.0; Dividend yield 3.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.fortisinc.com) began supplying electricity to St. John’s, Newfoundland, in 1885. It is now the main power utility in that province as well as PEI. Over the past few years, Fortis has used…