Fortis plans more dividend hikes

Article Excerpt

FORTIS INC. $61 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative & Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 495.2 million; Market cap: $30.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.7; Dividend yield: 4.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.fortisinc.com) is the main supplier of electrical power in Newfoundland and PEI. It also owns electrical and gas utilities across North America. Between 2025 and 2029, Fortis plans to spend $26.0 billion on new projects and upgrades to its existing operations. That’s $1.0 billion higher than its previous plan. Thanks to those new assets, Fortis will increase your quarterly dividend by 4.2% with the December 2024 payment. The new annual rate of $2.46 a share yields a solid 4.0%. The company also plans to increase the annual dividend rate between 4% and 6% each year through 2029. Fortis is a buy. buy…