Trimming their payouts have cut your risk

Article Excerpt

These green energy producers are cutting your dividends as they focus on their more-profitable operations. Those moves, however, should stabilize their long-term cash flows and make their current payments more sustainable. ALGONQUIN POWER & UTILITIES CORP. $7.13 is a buy for long-term gains. The company (Toronto symbol AQN; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares o/s: 689.6 million; Market cap: $4.9 billion; Dividend yield: 4.9%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.algonquinpower.com) has agreed to sell most of its non-regulated renewable power assets to LS Power. Algonquin will receive $2.28 billion when it completes the transaction in late 2024 or early 2025 (all amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars). It could receive an additional $220 million depending on the future performance of those assets. The company is also selling its 42.2% stake in Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure plc (Nasdaq symbol AY) for $1.08 billion. The sales will let Algonquin focus entirely on its regulated utilities, which supply electricity, gas, water distribution and wastewater collection services to…