Electric Utilities Are Promoting Electric Cars: Get Plugged in to These Utility Stocks

The electric car industry has a very, very powerful ally behind it, the electric utility industry. Although electric utility revenues have not been booming, utility companies have been looking at a potentially huge source of income, the sale of electricity to electric car owners at recharging stations.

Sempra Energy (SRE) plans to set up over 5,000 electric-car chargers throughout San Diego at places such as apartment buildings and office complexes. However, consumers are upset about the billing surcharges to pay for the charging stations. Sempra trades at 25 times trailing earnings and 22 times forward earnings.

Quarterly earnings for Sempra rose 9.8% year over year on a 1.0% increase in revenues. The company pays a yield of 2.7% and the payout rate was raised earlier this year from 63 cents per share to 66 cents per share, an increase of 4.7%. Dividend payouts of $648.6 million per year is easily covered by the company's operating cash flow of $1.71 billion.

Portland General Electric (POR) is another electric utility that pays a decent yield, giving investors a payout of 3.5%. Dividends were increased this year by one cent per share. The stock has a trailing rice to earnings ratio of 22.9 and forward PE of 14.7. Revenues rose 5.0% for the latest quarter.

NRG Energy Inc. (NRG) has re-charging stations at various stores in California, Texas and Washington, D.C. The stock yields 1.8% with a forward PE of 18.

For a free list of electric utilities, which includes information on the PE, the forward PE, the PEG, and the yield, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Maybe some of these stocks can charge up your portfolio.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Electric Utilities Can Provide High Income and Growth

Do you realize that electric utility stocks were up over 24% for the last year? As a matter of fact, utilities were up 15.6% year-to-date, and have had positive returns for the last month, the last three months, the last three years and the last five years. Not bad for a conservative industry.

So why is this happening?  The primary reason is the extremely low interest rates. Investors want a return greater than 0.88% from a one year certificate of deposit. Utilities can provide a decent income along with growth potential. There are many electric utilities with yields ranging from 3% to 5%, according to the free list of electric utilities at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

For example, Avista Corporation (AVA) is a distributor of electricity and natural gas in the state of Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. 45% of the electrical generation comes from hydro power, 16% coal, 13% gas, and 2% comes from wood waste. The stock trades at 17 times trailing earnings, and 16.8 times forward earnings. Latest quarter's earnings were up 14.5% on a 1.7% increase in revenues. The stock sports a yield 3.9%.

Ameren Corporation (AEE) sports a dividend yield of 4.0%. The company serves customers in Missouri and Illinois, with both electricity and natural gas. The stock has a price to earnings ratio of 19, and a forward P/E of 16. Revenues rose 9% for the latest quarter.

Otter Tail Power (OTTR) has had a stagnating price for a few years, then in the middle of 2012, it started to move up.  The stock has a price to earnings ratio of 19, and a forward P/E of 17.  The stock yields 4.1%.

For a free list of electric utility stocks, which has the PE, the forward PE, the PEG, and the yield, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author doesn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Oklahoma Utilities Charging Fees for Solar: What's Up With Utility Stocks?

A solar surcharge bill was just signed by the governor of Oklahoma, which would charge a fee for people who install solar panels on their roofs, and are still attached to the grid. Apparently, utilities in that state feel threatened by the free energy from the sun, and maybe they are afraid that the entire state will turn to solar.

OGE Energy Corp. (OGE), which receives 88% of its revenues from Oklahoma, is one of the lowest yielding utility stocks, according to the free list of electric utilities at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The stock pays only 2.5% versus an industry average of 4%. The stock trades at 19 times trailing earnings, and 17 times forward earnings. Quarterly revenues dropped by41% for the latest reported quarter. The company reports on My 1.

If you are looking for an electric utility with a higher yield, Ameren Corporation (AEE) has a dividend rate of 4.0%. The company serves customers in Missouri and Illinois, with both electricity and natural gas. Last month, AEE received a natural gas rate increase, with plans for a rate increase in July in Missouri. The stock has a price to earnings ratio of 34, and a forward P/E of 15. Revenues rose 4.9% for the latest quarter, with the next earnings announcement on May 8.

Avista Corporation (AVA) is a distributor of electricity and natural gas in the state of Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. 45% of the electrical generation comes from hydro power, 16% coal, 13% gas, and 2% from wood waster. The stock trades at 16.5 times trailing earnings, and 15 times forward earnings. The yield is 4.2%.

For a free list of electric utility stocks, which has the PE, the forward PE, the PEG, and the yield, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author doesn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Top Electric Utilities: Lower Fuel Prices Higher Stock Prices?

One of the major expenses of electric utility stocks is the cost of fuel to run the generators.  When fuel prices drop, assuming utilities are not lock in to long term agreements, earnings can increase. The price of oil is now at its lowest point since the beginning of December. Natural gas has been in a fairly low range since 2009.

Investors want alternatives to low interest bonds and bank accounts. Electric utility stocks are an alternative which can provide income and price growth potential. 

Buying opportunities abound for income investors for income. There are many of electric utilities to choose from with over over a dozen providing yields of 4% or more, according to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

TECO Energy, Inc. (TE) uses oil, natural gas, and coal to run their generators, along with a  a small cogeneration facility. The stock pays a yield of 5.1%. This electric and gas utility holding company provides electricity to West Central Florida. The stock trades at 18 times trailing earnings and 15.5 times forward earnings. The company has raised its dividend every year since 2006.

Black Hills Corporation (BKH) provides electricity to customers in South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana. It trades at 18.7 times earnings with a forward P/E of  20.9. The stock pays a yield of 2.8%.

Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (TEG) serves the Wisconsin, Michigan, and Chicago areas. It has a P/E ratio of 14.8, a forward P/E ratio of 14.7, and offers a very generous yield of 5%.

To see a list of dozens of high yield electric utilities, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.  The list has the PE. the forward PE, the PEG, and the yield for these stocks.

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

By Stockerblog.com

3 Top Yielding Electric Utility Stocks

Investors looking for income and capital appreciation potential for the long term may want to consider electric utility stocks. If you look at the Dow Jones Utility Average over the last twelve months, you would see that utility stocks have dropped by 1.28%, partially due to fears of rising interest rates, partially due to the concern about competition from solar roof panels, and partially due to the fears about the reduction in electrical usage from fluorescent and LED light bulbs.

This may be a buying opportunity for contrarian income investors looking to get into  utilities. There are dozens of electric utilities to choose from with over 20 providing yields of 4% or more, according to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

For example, TECO Energy, Inc. (TE) sports a yield of 5.3%. This electric and gas utility holding company provides electricity to West Central Florida. The stock trades at 20 times trailing earnings and 15.4 times forward earnings.The company has raised its dividend every year since 2006.

Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (TEG) serves the Wisconsin, Michigan, and Chicago areas. It has a P/E ratio of 14.3, a forward P/E ratio of 15.7, and offers a generous yield of 4.9%.

Black Hills Corporation (BKH) provides electricity to customers in South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana. It trades at 15.5 times earnings with a forward P/E of  19.7. The stock pays a yield of 3.1.

To see a list of dozens of high yield electric utilities, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.  The list has the PE. the forward PE, the PEG, and the yield for these stocks.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Utility Stocks are On the Move

Did you know that utility stocks are up 7.7% for the last three months, based on the Dow Jones Utility Average? Not bad for income producing investments. Electric utilities are often considered a conservative play on the recession recovery. Businesses expand, use more electricity. New housing developments create new power customers.

And of course the best feature for income investors, is of course the income. There are over 20 high yield electric utilities with dividend payout rates of 4% or more, according to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. As an example, Integrys Energy Group (TEG) an energy holding company, markets natural gas and electricity to customers in Chicago, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. The company posted a 78% increase in quarterly earnings on flat revenues. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 16 and a yield of 4.8%. The company reports earnings on February 28.

Southern Company (SO) is another high yielder based in Atlanta, Georgia. Earnings were up 46.7% for the latest quarter, on a 0.2% rise in revenues. The stock trades at 15 times forward earnings, and pay a generous yield of 4.4%.

TECO Energy (TE) provides electric energy to the growing economy of Florida. The stock pays a generous yield of 5.2%, with payments made quarterly. Unfortunately, earnings for the latest quarter were down 15% on an 8% drop in revenues.

For a free list of high yield electric utilities, that hows stock ticker symbols, price to earnings ratios, and yields, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

The Two Top Utility Stocks by Analyst Ratings

Some income investors chase yield; some income investors chase yield increasers; and some chase earnings increasers. Many investors look for some combination of these features or they have their own set of criteria. One other way is to see if there is a consensus among the analysts.

I checked the list of electric utilities against what the research analysts think about them. I looked at the S&P Capital IQ STARS with four or five stars, TheStreet Buy recommendations, the Buy recommendations of First Call Consensus, the Jaywalk Consensus of either Strong Buy, Buy, or Hold, the Market Edge Longs, Ford Buy or Holds, the ResearchTeam™ Current Rating of Buy or Hold, and Credit Suisse Outperform or Neutral. After running all stocks through my screen, I only came up with two electric utility stocks that met all that criteria.

NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) is one of those two utilities. The company generates and markets electric energy in the United States and Canada, with about 4.6 million customers in Florida. The electrical generation comes from wind, solar, natural gas, nuclear, oil, coal, and hydro power plants. The stock trades at 14 times forward earnings and provides investors with a decent yield 3.4%. The company has increased dividends every year since 1994. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 2.0% on a 12.3% drop in revenues.

The other electric utility that came out of the filter is ITC Holdings Corp. (ITC), a Novi, Michigan utility involved in the transmission of electricity. Its customers include investor-owned utilities, municipalities, cooperatives, power marketers, and alternative energy suppliers. The stock trades at 15.5 times forward earnings and yields 1.9%. The company, which has increased dividends every year since 2005, raised the dividend earlier this year by 7%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 16.5% on a 12.5% boost in revenues.

To access a free list of high yielding electric utilities, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

By Stockerblog.com

Looking for 4% Yields on Your Money? How about Electric Utilities?

Income investors have very few choices in the extremely low interest rate environment. Money market funds pay virtually nothing, certificates of deposit pay less than one percent unless you want to tie up your money for many years.

There is one investment you can turn to, electric utility stocks. They provide income, They provide the potential of rising dividends, and they provide the potential of the growth or your capital investment. The yields on these utilities are as high as 7.0%, according to the updated free list of electric utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. There are over 30 utilities with yields of 3% or more.

One example is Hawaiian Electric Industries (HE), which is one of the leading utilities involved in the use of renewable energy sources for the generation of electricity. The fuel sources include sugarcane waste, wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, municipal waste, and other biofuels. The stock trades at 15.4 times earnings and has a 4.9% yield.

Another high yield electric utility is Ameren Corporation (AEE), which serves customers in Missouri and Illinois. The stock trades at 35 times earnings and pays a nice yield of 5.3%. This St. Louis based company generates its electricity from coal, nuclear, gas, and hydroelectric sources.


Consolidated Edison (ED), which serves New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, pays a 4.3% yield and trades at 14.8 times earnings. This New York based company serves 3.3 million customers in New York City and Westchester County.
For a free list of over thirty high yield electric utility stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

 By Stockerblog.com

Top High Yield Electric Utilities

If you are looking to invest your money for income, where do you look? T-Bills? No. Savings accounts? No. Certificates of deposit? No. I was recently at my bank and noticed a big sign that said 'Earn 1.5%' in large letters with with small letters underneath that said 'With a 10 year CD." Yes, that's right, you have to tie up your money for ten years.

One alternative is electric utility stocks. Not only are the yields higher, but investors have the potential of increasing dividends. The yields on these utilities range from 3.0% to above 7.0%, according to the latest free list of electric utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. There are over 30 utilities with yields of 3% or more.

One utility with a wide variety of fuel sources used to run its generators is Hawaiian Electric Industries (HE), which is one of the leading utilities involved in the use of renewable energy sources for the generation of electricity. The fuel sources include sugarcane waste, wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, municipal waste, and other biofuels. Earnings for the latest quarter ending June 30 were up an amazing 43% on a 7.5% increase in revenues. The stock trades at 15.7 times forward earnings and has a 4.6% yield.

Another high yield electric utility is Ameren Corporation (AEE), which serves customers in Missouri and Illinois. The stock trades at 16.7 times forward earnings and pays a nice yield of 4.9%. This St. Louis based company generates its electricity from coal, nuclear, gas, and hydroelectric sources. Earnings rose by an incredible 52% for the latest quarter, on a 7% drop in revenues.


Consolidated Edison (ED), which serves New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, pays a 4.1% yield and trades at 15.3 times forward earnings. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 29.7%, however revenues were down 7.4%. This Richmond, Virginia based company provides electricity to customers in Virginia and North Carolina.
For a free list of over thirty high yield electric utility stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

 By Stockerblog.com

Utility Stock Dividends Being Raised

The dividends of electric utilities are moving up. For example, Cleco Corporation (CNL), a utility holding company operating in Louisiana, just made a dividend payment which reflected an increase in the quarterly dividend from $0.3125 per share to $0.3375 per share. Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQUNF), based in Ontario, Canada, announced last week that it had raised its dividend by 11%.

MGE Energy, Inc. (MGEE) just announced that it increased the regular quarterly dividend to $0.3951 per share. This represents the 37th consecutive annual dividend increase. All three of these companies have dividend yields in excess of 3% according to the free list of high yield electric utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

There are many other high dividend utility stocks to choose from. For example, in one area of the United States where real estate seems to have bottomed out, Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) owns Arizona Public Service Company, which provides electric services throughout the state. It trades at 15 times trailing earnings and forward earnings, and pays a CD beating yield of 3.9%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up an incredible 41% on a 9.8% boost in revenues.

Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ED), which provides electricity to New York City and Westchester County, has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 17, and a forward PE of 16. The company pays a 3.8% yield to its shareholders. Latest quarterly earnings growth was 29.7% on a 7.4% drop in sales.

To access a free list of top yielding electric utility stocks, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Oil Has Dropped, Utilities Should Benefit

Fossil fuels supply about 70 percent of the electrical generation, according to the U. S. Energy Information Administration. The price of crude oil has dropped steadily, from almost $110 per barrel just three months ago, now less than $79.50 today. Even natural gas is selling for a little over half of what it was trading for a year ago.

Investors could benefit from investing in utility stocks that use oil and gas to generate electricity, since the cost savings for these companies should pass through to the bottom line. According to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over 20 electric utilities with yields above 4%. Many of these companies use fossil fuels as a significant source of fuel to generate electricity, and could be the recipient of these lower prices.

For example, Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (PNW) has some fossil fuel exposures, with approximately 21% of its non-purchased electric energy coming from oil and natural gas, with the balance from coal and nuclear. This Phoenix, Arizona based electric utility trades at 16 times earnings and provides a generous yield of 4.1%. The company reports its latest earnings on August 1.

Southern Company (SO) is another utility that generates electricity from oil and gas, along with coal, nuclear, and hydro. Southern has a price to earnings ratio of 19 and pays a very decent yield of 4.2%. The company reports earnings on July 24.

For a free list of utility stocks, which you can download, update and sort, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Electrify Your Portfolio with High Yield Electric Utilities

Did you know that electricity was originally 'discovered' through electric fish back in 2750 BC in Egypt? The word 'electricus' was coined by William Gilbert at the beginning of the 17th century, a British scientist who analyzed the attraction of two objects when rubbed together. The inventor of the incandescent light bulb was not Thomas Edison, but Sir Humphry Davy, who used a platinum filament.

A great way to invest in electricity is through electric utilities. The yields on these utilities range from 3.0% to above 7.0%, based on the free list of electric utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. There are over 30 different stocks that are available for investing.

One of the most diverse utilities, in terms of energy sources is Hawaiian Electric Industries (HE). This is one of the leading utilities involved in the utilization of renewable energy sources for the generation of electricity; the company even uses sugarcane waste to generate electricity. The other sources include wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, municipal waste, and other biofuels. The latest reported quarterly earnings ending March 31 were up over 34.6% on a 14.7% increase in revenues. The stock has a 4.5% yield and trades at 16 times forward earnings.

Dominion Resources (D) yields 4.1% and trades at 15 times earnings. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 3%, however revenues were down almost 14%. This Richmond, Virginia based company provides electricity to customers in Virginia and North Carolina.

Another high yield electric utility is Ameren Corporation (AEE), which serves customers in Missouri and Illinois. The stock trades at 17 times forward earnings and pays a nice yield of 5.0%. This St. Louis based company generates its electricity from coal, nuclear, gas, and hydroelectric sources.

For a list of over 30 high yield electric utility stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

 By Stockerblog.com

Top Yielding Electric Utilities

With the volatility of the stock market recently, many investors have decided to stick with the tried and true income generating investments called utilities. Investors like the steady income and relative stability of electric utility stocks, which pay quarterly dividends. Some income investors use a 'laddering' technique, whereby they purchase three utilities with dividend payout days in different months, in order to achieve income coming in every month of the year.

The yields on these stock range from 3.0% to above 7.0%, according to the free list of electric utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. There are over 30 different utilities to choose from.

An interesting utility is Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. (HE). This is one of the leading utilities involved in the utilization of renewable energy sources for the generation of electricity. The sources include wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, sugarcane waste, municipal waste, and other biofuels. There must be something to this as the latest reported quarterly earnings ending December 31 were up over 38% on a 22% increase in revenues. With a 4.7% yield and trading at 17 times forward earnings, this stock might be worth a closer look. On May 8, the company reports earnings for the quarter ending March 31.

 Duke Energy (DUK) also pays 4.7%, as does Westar Energy (WR). They also both happen to have forward price to earnings ratios of 14.

Another high yield example is Ameren Corporation (AEE), which operates as a public utility holding company which serves customers in Missouri and Illinois. The stock trades at 17 times forward earnings and pays a nice yield of 5.0%. This St. Louis based company generates its electricity from coal, nuclear, gas, and hydroelectric sources. The company reports earnings on May 4.

For a list of over 30 high yield electric utility stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

 By Stockerblog.com

Electric Utility Dividend Increasers

Some of the electric utilities have been declaring dividend increases this month. A couple examples are Oklahoma City based OGE Energy Corp. (OGE) boosted its annual dividend by 4.7% and Edison International (EIX), which serves southern California, recently bumped up its quarterly dividend by 1.56%

OGE provides electrical generation to Oklahoma and western Arkansas. It also owns over 5,900 miles of intrastate natural gas gathering pipelines. The stock trades at 16 times current earnings and 15 times future earnings, and provides a yield of 3.0% based on its increased payout. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 9.6% on a 7.7% increase in revenues. The company is currently subject to a proposed rate increase hearing by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission's Public Utility Division. The company is asking to raise its rates by about $73 million.

Edison International has a price to earnings ratio of 13 and a forward PE of 15. Based in the dividend increase, the stock yields 3.3%. Revenues grew by 5.1% for the latest quarter, however earnings dropped 16.5%. In September of this year, FBR Capital initiated coverage of the company giving it and Outperform rating and Wunderlich upgraded the stock from a Hold to a Buy. This Rosemead, California company has 700 distribution substations located throughout California. It has four wind projects under construction totaling 480 megawatts of net generating capacity.

Top features of electric utilities include the fact that they can generally provide relative security, safety, and stability compared to stocks in many other sectors, due to the payment of fairly high dividends. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com just updated its free list of electric utility stocks and there are more than 20 with yields greater than 3%.

Disclosure: Author did not not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Electric Utilities with the Highest Yields

Can you guess what the oldest electric utility company in the United States is? Can you even guess what state has the oldest electric utility? According to BusinessHistory and EnergyOnline, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PCG) can trace its sources back to 1852, making it the oldest American utility. In the mid 1800's, the San Francisco Gas Company was founded. It later merged with the California Electric Light Co., which was founded in 1879 in San Francisco. This was the first electric power company with a central generating station to distribute electricity to multiple individual and business customers.

PG&E trades at 15 times current earnings and 11 times forward earnings, and pays a decent yield of 4.4%. Dividends are paid quarterly. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 8.7% year-over-year on a 14% increase in revenues.

Some of the great features of electric utilities are that they can generally provide relative security, safety, and stability compared to stocks in many other sectors, from the payment of fairly high dividends. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com just updated its list of electric utility stocks and there are more than a couple dozen with yields greater than 3%.

Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) has a price to earnings ratio of 12, a forward P/E ratio of 13, and sports a yield of 5.3%. This Charlotte, North Carolina based company had a 7.7% increase in quarterly revenues, and just increased its dividend slightly. The company reports earnings on October 24.

Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (TEG), based in Chicago, operates in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Canada. The stock trades at 16 times earnings and 14 times forward earnings. The stock pays a yield of 5.7%. Unfortunately, earnings for the latest quarter were down 63% on flat revenues.

If you want a free list of top yielding utilities, you can access a downloadable database of high yield electric utility stocks at WSNN.com, including a couple which yield more than 6%.

Disclosure: Author did not not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Rate Increases for High Yield Electric Utilities

The number one choice of income investors is utility stocks, especially electric utilities. What electric stocks might give you the biggest charge for your portfolio? One area that investors should look at are the companies that are receiving rate increases, such as the 2.2 percent rate hike for Hawaiian Electric (HE) and the $172 million a year that Ameren (AEE) will receive through its Ameren Missouri division.

WallStreetNewsNetwork.com just updated its list of electric utility stocks and there are over 25 with yields in excess of 3%. Hawaiian Electric and Ameren made the list of the top ten, in terms of yield. These stocks can usually provide relative security, safety, and stability compared to stocks in many other sectors, through the payment of fairly high dividends.

Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. (HE), the largest supplier of electricity in the state of Hawaii, is one of my favorite utilities (although I still don't own any shares). I like the fact that it generates electricity from very diverse sources of fuel: oil, coal, hydro, bagasse, recycled oil, wind, geothermal, waste-to-energy, and solar. In case you are wondering what bagasse is, it is sugarcane waste.

One of the nice features about Hawaiian Electric is that about 20,000 Hawaii residents are shareholders of the company. This can make it a little easier for the company to get rate increases as the shareholding residents may not like their electric rates going up but they understand that the company needs to make money and keep paying out those high dividends. The company is also involved in developing an electric vehicle industry in the state.

Hawaiian Electric trades at 14 times forward earnings and sports a generous yield of 5%. Dividend payouts of $115 million are easily covered by the operating cash flow of $317 million. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 4.9% on a 14.8% increase in revenues. The company reports August 3.

Ameren Corporation (AEE) is an electric utility holding company that serves 2.4 million electric, and 900,000 natural gas customers in Missouri and Illinois. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 14 and provides a fairly high yield of 5.2%. Unfortunately, earnings were down substantially for the latest quarter, dropping more than 30% on a slight reduction in revenues. Fortunately, dividend payouts of $371 million are significantly covered by operating cash flow of $2 billion. The company reports earnings on August 4.

For more top yielding utilities, you can access a free downloadable database of high yield electric utility stocks including one which yields more than 6%, which you can update, change, and sort, at WSNN.com.

Disclosure: Author did not not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

High Yield Electric Utilities: Check Out the Dividend Increasers

If dividend increases are indicative of a strong industry, then electric utilities are in great shape. Portland General Electric Company (POR) recently announced a 2 percent increase in its quarterly common stock dividend to 26.5 cents per share, up from 26.0 cents per share for the previous quarter. DTE Energy (DTE) also declared a 5% increase in its dividend payout. In addition, Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (CPK) raised its quarterly cash dividend by 4.6%.

Summer is approaching, which means more electricity to run air conditioners, and more electricity may be consumed. What electric stocks should you plug into? WallStreetNewsNetwork.com just updated its list of electricity stocks and there are more than 30 with yields above 3%. In addition, these companies can provide relative safety, security, and stability compared to stocks in many other sectors. In the past, utilities have paid favorable dividends for many years with low volatility.

Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) distributes electricity in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. The stock pays a yield of 5.3%, has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 17.8, and a forward PE of 13.4.

Westar Energy, Inc. (WR) also pays a decent yield, with a payout of 4.8%. It has a trailing PE of 15, and forward PE of 13.5. The company serves the state of Kansas.

Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (TEG), based in Chicago, Illinois, trades at 13.8 times earnings, 14.4 times forward earnings, paying 5.2%.

For more top yielding utilities, you can access a free downloadable Excel database of high yield electric utility stocks including one which yields more than 6%, which you can update, change, and sort, at WSNN.com.

Disclosure: Author did not not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Utility Stocks that Increased Dividends

Income investors like the dividends they receive from gas and electric utilities, but they love dividend increases. If investors reinvest their dividends, then compounding can be significantly greater when the dividends are rising. In the last couple months, a few of the top yielding utility stocks listed at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com boosted their dividend payouts.

For example, the Arizona based electric utility, UniSource Energy Corporation (UNS), bumped up its quarterly dividend to $0.42 a share, an increase of 7.7%. The stock trades at 13 times forward earnings and has a yield of 4.7%.

WGL Holdings, Inc. (WGL) is an Eastern US natural gas distributor that serves Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia. The company is now paying a quarterly dividend of $0.3875 per share, up 2.6% from its previous payout. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 16 and yields 4.1%.

For investors looking for diversification, the Reaves Utility Income Fund (UTG) is a closed end fund that trades on the NYSE American Stock Exchange. The fund increased its monthly dividend by 8.7% to $0.125 per share, giving a yield of about 5.6%. This is the fifth dividend increase since 2004.

To access a free list of all the top yielding electric and gas utility stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsnetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

High Yield Utilities that can Benefit from Lower Fossil Fuel Prices

According to the U. S. Energy Information Administration, fossil fuels supply about 70 percent of the country's requirements for electricity generation. Currently the dominant fossil fuels used by the industry are coal, petroleum, and natural gas.

Many investors feel that the price of oil has peaked for now and is in a downtrend. Some analysts believe that due to the glut of natural gas and the recent major gas finds, that the price of gas will remain low for a while. The price of coal is much lower than it was in 2008. If this trend continues, investors could benefit from investing in utility stocks that use oil, gas, and/or coal as a major fuel source of electrical generation, since the cost savings for these companies should pass through to the bottom line. According to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are around 30 electric utilities with yields above 4%. Many of these companies use fossil fuels as a significant source of fuel to generate electricity.

For example, Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (PNW) has one of the heaviest exposures, with approximately 31% of its electric energy coming from natural gas and oil. About 38% comes from coal and 27% from nuclear. This Phoenix, Arizona based electric utility trades at 14 times earnings and provides a generous yield of 5%. Earnings for the quarter ending September 30 were up 25%. The company reports its latest earnings February 18.

OGE Energy Corp. (OGE) has 38% of its energy coming from natural gas, with 60% from coal. The company serves the south central United States. The stock has a price to earnings ratio of 15 and a yield of 3.3%. Earnings for the quarter ending September 30 were up 19%. The company reports its latest earnings February 17.

Westar Energy Inc. (WR) generates about 7% of its energy from natural gas, with 78% from coal and 14% from nuclear. This utility, which serves Kansas, has a PE of 13.8 and a yield of 4.8%.

If you like utility stocks, you can find a free Excel database of utility stocks, which you can download, update and sort, at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Get a Charge Out of High Yield Electric Utilities

There are many factors affecting the revenues and earnings of electric utilities. The sway of the Public Utilities Commissions, the source of fuel to run the generators along with the cost of the fuel, the efficiency of the organization, growth in the area served from both commercial and residential (don't see much of that lately), and many other factors. But if investors want a simple way of finding which electric utility stocks are successful with many of these issues, one way is to check and see if the companies have increased their dividend.

One example is OGE Energy Corp. (OGE), which pays one of the lowest yields of the top 30 electric utilities at 3.3% but has been increasing its dividend over time, providing annual increases since 2006. The company announced this month that it is increasing its annual dividend to $1.50 per share from $1.45 per share, effective the first quarter of 2011. OGE, which provides electricity in Oklahoma and western Arkansas, trades at 15 times forward earnings.

DPL Inc. (DPL) is another utility with a rising track record, increasing the quarterly dividend from $0.3025 to $0.3325 per common share this month, giving the stock a great CD beating yield of 4.6%. Dividends has risen every year since 2003. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 10.8.

Edison International (EIX) also announced an increase in the annual dividend, from $1.26 per share to $1.28 per share. Dividends have been boosted since 2004. The stock trades at 12.8 times forward earnings and pays a yield of 3.3%.

To see a free Excel list of all the top yield electric utility stocks which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com