Fortis plans to sell more LNG

Article Excerpt

FORTIS INC. $54 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative & Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 493.0 million; Market cap: $26.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; Dividend yield: 4.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.fortisinc.com) is the main supplier of electrical power in Newfoundland and PEI. 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. The company has receive approval from the federal government for its plan to build a new dock at its Tilbury LNG (liquefied natural gas) facility near Richmond, B.C. This will let Fortis sell more LNG to customers in the Pacific Northwest, as well as ships that are switching to LNG as fuel. The new dock should begin operating in 2026. The shares trade at a reasonable 16.8 times the $3.22 a share that the company should earn in 2024. What’s more, Fortis plans to increase the annual dividend rate between 4% and…