New assets should spur all these utilities

Article Excerpt

These high-yielding utility stocks continue to move up, as falling interest rates make them more attractive to income-seeking investors. Lower interest rates will also make it easier for them to fund their new projects and acquisitions. That ultimately makes room for more dividend increases. FORTIS INC. $59 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative & Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 495.2 million; Market cap: $29.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.6; Dividend yield: 4.2%; 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. 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. Of that total, $7.6 billion will go to the company’s ITC Holdings Corp. (80.1%-owned) business, which owns 26,100 kilometres of high-voltage power…