These four utilities are still better than bonds

Article Excerpt

While rising interest rates have spurred income-seeking investors to buy bonds, we still prefer high-quality utilities like these four. Their regulated businesses cut your risk and give them lots of cash flow for dividends. Canadian investors also benefit from the dividend tax credit. ENBRIDGE INC. $53 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol ENB; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 2.0 billion; Market cap: $106.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.0; Dividend yield: 6.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.enbridge.com) operates pipelines that pump oil and natural gas from Western Canada eastward as well as to the U.S. Its network transports 30% of the crude oil produced in North America and 20% of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. The company also distributes gas to 3.8 million customers in Ontario and Quebec. In the quarter ended December 31, 2022, Enbridge’s revenue rose 23.9%, to $15.10 billion from $12.19 billion a year earlier. The jump is because of the start-up of new pipelines and other…