New assets will fuel Fortis’s dividend

Article Excerpt

Fortis has a nearly 50-year record of annual dividend increases. That’s mainly because its regulated power utilities provide it with plenty of cash flow to service its debt, invest in new projects and reward investors. The company expects its new spending plan will let it raise your annual payment by between 4% and 6% each year through 2027. Moreover, the stock is attractive in relation to its projected earnings. FORTIS INC. $58 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol FTS; Income-Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 484.5 million; Market cap: $28.1 billion; Dividend yield: 3.9%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Highest; www.fortisinc.com) began supplying electricity to St. John’s, Newfoundland, in 1885. It is now the main power utility in that province and PEI. The company last raised your quarterly dividend with the December 2022 payment to $0.565 a share, up 5.6% from $0.535. Fortis’s new annual rate of $2.26 yields a solid 3.9%. The company has now increased its annual payout for 49 consecutive years. Over the past 20 years,…