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

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fifth Week of August

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful.



In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the market capitalization, the ex-dividend date and the yield.



Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (TEG) market cap: $4.1B ex div date: 8/29/2011 yield: 5.2%



Kellogg Company (K) market cap: $20.3B ex div date: 8/30/2011 yield: 3.1%



Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) market cap: $27.6B ex div date: 8/30/2011 yield: 3.8%



Northeast Utilities System (NU) market cap: $6.2B ex div date: 8/30/2011 yield: 3.1%



FutureFuel Corp. (FF) market cap: $499.8M ex div date: 8/30/2011 yield: 3.2%



The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out the high yield utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com.



Dividend definitions:



Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.



Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.



Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks two business days before the record date.



Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.



Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.



Disclosure: Author did 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

What Utility has Increased its Dividend Every Year Over 25 Years (Actually there are 3)

When a company increases its dividend every year for over a quarter of a century, it says a lot about the company's continued strength of earnings, and it also shows dedication to shareholders. There aren't many companies around that can claim that track record, maybe less than fifty. And of that group, only two and a half are utility stocks (I'll explain the half shortly).

One of these classic stocks is the ever popular Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED), a provider of electric, gas, and steam utility services in New York City and Westchester County. In terms of yield, it shows up about halfway down the list of electric utilties at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, at 4.8%. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 14.

The second utility to make this exclusive club is Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (TEG), an electric and gas utility that serves Chicago, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. The stock has a yield that is a bit higher than Con Ed, paying out 5.1%. The company trades at 16 times forward earnings. Operating income of $1.12 billion provides excellent coverage for dividend payouts of $210 million.

Now to the reason I mentioned two and a half companies. The third company isn't technically a utility; it is considered an oil and gas company. It is the Salt Lake City, Utah based Questar Corporation (STR), a producer and explorer of oil and natural gas. But it also provides retail natural gas distribution services so it could be put in the natural gas utility category. The stock yields 3.3% and trades at 15 times forward earnings. Operating cash flow of $1.15 billion is far more than dividend payouts of $98 billion.

If you want to see a free list of all the top yielding electric and gas utility stocks, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com