4 Top Yielding Gas Utility Stocks

Income investors looking for income may have a portfolio that is filled with electric utility stocks, since that is the first type of stock that most investors think of when they hear "high income stock." However, investors may want to consider the natural gas utilities for additional diversification.

According to the free list of gas utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are two dozen natural gas utilities, with over ten having yields of 4% or more.

As an example, WGL Holdings (WGL) pays investors a yield of 4%. Dividends, which are paid quarterly, were increased by 5% earlier this year. The company distributes natural gas to customers in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. The stock trades at 15.6 times trailing earnings and 15.9 times forward earnings. 

Atmos Energy Corp (ATO) is a Dallas, Texas based company that has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 15.8 and a forward P/E ratio of 15.5. It pays a decent yield of 3.4%.

N J Resources (NJR) is a Wall, New Jersey based distributor of natural gas. The P/E is 14.4 and the forward P/E is 15.4. The stock has a yield of 3.9%.

Amerigas Partners (APU) isn't actually a natural gas distributor, it's a distributor of propane gas, and propane accessories. The company is structured as a limited partnership, so caution is in order if you are considering putting this in a retirement plan. The current P/E is 23.1, with a forward P/E of 15.6. It pays a very generous yield of 7.8%.

If you are looking for additional income diversification, you may want to check out the gas utility stocks list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The list includes the PE, the forward PE, the PEG ratio, and the yield.

Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com