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Utility Stocks Are Getting Interesting…
Utility stocks have always been a dependable source of dividend income.
These are essential businesses offering basic services like running water and electricity. And they typically maintain a geographical monopoly where competition is illegal.
Additionally, utility companies collect recurring revenue by billing customers at the end of each month.
However, Wall Street is abandoning the utility sector in favor of high-yield bonds and treasury bills. Meaning many quality utility stocks are now trading at their multi-year lows.
Here are three cheap and interesting utility companies that should provide investors with a lifetime of passive, dividend income…
1. Eversource Energy ($ES)
Many utilities focus on one or two services. They provide electricity. Or they distribute water. But it’s rare for one company to do everything.
Which makes Eversource Energy unique.
This is a diversified utility company that serves 3.29 million customers with electricity, 890,000 with natural gas, and 237,000 with water. The firm operates in New England, serving Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
Like many utilities, Eversource Energy has seen its shares sell-off this year.
The company is down -25.14% year-to-date. And is now trading at a reasonable price to earnings ratio of 14.43.
Eversource Energy is currently offering a starting dividend yield of 4.16%.
And, the stock sits at a safe dividend payout ratio of 62%.
Eversource Energy also has a 5-year compound annual dividend growth rate of 6.02%. Meaning its payouts consistently beat inflation.
This is an interesting business with a large customer base across a variety of utility sectors. And, Eversource offers a high starting yield with inflation-beating dividend growth.
