When investors think of lower-risk investments, the best utility stocks typically spring to mind for many of us. That's because electricity is a modern necessity right alongside food and water. Consumers will cut back on just about every discretionary category before they stop heating their homes or turning on lights in the evening.
However, utility stocks often are more stable than companies in other sectors, and have reliable revenue streams that often support generous and sustainable dividends over the long term. So if you're looking for income or looking for a bit less uncertainty, here are nine of the best utility stocks to buy now.
AES is also one of the best dividend stocks. The company has increased its dividend for 10 consecutive years, from just 4 cents per share in 2012 to a projected 66 cents per share in 2023. And on top of that payout, shares have risen about 20% in the last 12 months, showing the growth potential of one of Wall Street's best utility stocks even amid a challenging market environment.
It's important to understand that Brookfield is not a traditional utility provider like your local power company. Rather, it generates the electricity, but then sells the bulk of the power it generates under long-term agreements with third-party utilities or passes the electricity on directly to large corporate buyers. Those multi-year agreements with deep-pocketed customers help provide Brookfield with very stable cash flow, and generous dividends as a result.
What's more, its stable of clean energy and transition power generation like nuclear energy make it a go-to source for corporate customers looking to go green. This is also helpful for other utility companies that find it cheaper in the short-term to buy from BEP rather than build their own wind or solar farms.
If you're looking for the best utility stocks with a rich history of dividends, then look no further than Consolidated Edison (ED, $95.16). This is a dividend stock that boasts an enviable payment history that dates back to the earliest days of stock markets in the U.S., when it was founded in 1823 as the New York Gas Light Company.
That's not just old news, either. In January, ConEd recorded its 49th consecutive annual increase for stockholders -- the longest period of consecutive annual dividend increases of any utility in the S&P 500 Index.
The metro region of NYC is still in very high demand, and like many of the megacities in the world has a resilient economy that is sure to survive the short-term ups and downs of the national economy. That will likely mean many more years of dividends and dividend growth for one of the Street's best utility stocks.
On one hand, Constellation Energy (CEG, $85.33) has one of the most meager dividend yields of all the utility stocks on this list. But on the other, shares have delivered a 60% return over the last 12 months, which is proof that CEG has something to offer.
CEG was listed separately in 2022, after a spinoff from utility giant Exelon (EXC). It is a true utility stock, generating and selling electricity. It boasts 32,400 megawatts of capacity consisting of nuclear, wind, solar, natural gas and hydroelectric assets.
It's always challenging to figure out whether a "new" utility stock like this is a worthy investment. But CEG became a standalone company at a great time, with demand and pricing on the upswing alongside financial independence and streamlined operations following its split from Exelon.
Dominion Energy (D, $62.00) is the largest of the utility stocks on this list and one of the five biggest electricity providers listed on U.S. markets. The company is a powerhouse of the sector, with a portfolio of assets that include roughly 30 gigawatts of electric generating capacity, mostly in Virginia and North Carolina.
Many investors are drawn to big utility stocks because they operate pretty much as legal monopolies in the regions they serve. That means a highly reliable business with a stable revenue model. And when you have the scale and balance sheet of Dominion on top of that, it makes for a nearly bulletproof business model.
It's already redeploying that capital to adapt to long-term sustainability concerns in the utility sector. For instance, Dominion has joined into the Southeast Hydrogen Hub coalition. Additionally, D is among just 33 organizations that have been invited to apply for part of $8 billion in federal matching grants to establish regional hydrogen hubs nationwide.
This utility stock isn't what it was in years past after carving out about $10 billion of its business. But for investors who like where the stock is headed, it could be the perfect time to bet on this sector leader.
If you're looking for a low-risk, income-oriented utility stock then Fluence Energy (FLNC, $22.58) isn't exactly the right choice. But if you're looking for an investment in the future of renewables and a smart energy grid, then consider this growth-oriented company as a unique way to play the utility sector.
You won't get a dividend, as Fluence is operating near breakeven at present as it continues to invest heavily in its plans for the future. But seeing as there aren't a ton of growth stocks in the utility sector, this one certainly stands out as one of the more dynamic names in the space.
Integrated gas power company New Fortress Energy (NFE, $41.05) is a unique utility stock in that it operates in two distinct segments: an energy infrastructure business and a shipping and logistics arm. Its terminals and infrastructure segment engages in the natural gas procurement, liquefaction and natural gas-fired power generation. Its ships segment, on the other hand, offers floating storage and regasification services to third-party customers.
ONE Gas (OGS, $83.90) is a regulated natural gas distribution utility firm. It is the parent company behind Oklahoma Natural Gas, Kansas Gas Service and Texas Gas Service. These entities provide natural gas distribution services that span 2.2 million customers in three states, across about 41,600 miles of distribution mains and 2,400 miles of transmission pipelines.
Founded more than a century ago in Tulsa, ONE Gas is a great example of the kind of slow-and-steady business that investors look for in the utility sector. It has little regional competition, and strong baseline demand from providing fuel to businesses and consumers.
OGS just bumped its quarterly per-share dividend payout to 65 cents from 62 cents. This makes distributions more than double the 30 cents per share it was paying at the end of 2015. This long-term dividend growth is another hallmark of the best utility stocks to buy.
Otter Tail (OTTR, $66.14) is one of the smaller utility stocks on this list. The company has a relatively modest electricity generation business that serves some 135,000 connections at residential, commercial and industrial customers in the Minnesota region.
Interestingly enough, however, OTTR also has a modest manufacturing segment engaged in machining, metal parts stamping, and production of plastic containers, among other services. The whole company posted about $1.2 million in revenues last year, with the electric utility arm of the company representing about 40% of that.
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In this article, we discuss the 16 best utility stocks to buy now. If you prefer to skip our detailed analysis of the utility sector, go directly to the 5 Best Utility Stocks To Buy Now.
The utility sector is one of the largest sectors of the U.S. equity market, boasting a collective market capitalization of $1.52 trillion. This sector primarily consists of electric, natural gas, and water companies. The utility stocks represent 2.88% of the market weight. As a result, the utility sector is attractive to invest in. As we reported in October 2022, utility stocks were on track to strongly outperform the broader market in 2022. By the end of the year, the S&P 500 utility sector was down by just 0.5% for the year, compared to a 19% decline for the S&P 500 index.
The U.S. economy cannot function without the services of utility companies. Apart from supporting almost every critical infrastructure of the economy, the utility sector also employs many people. More than 962,650 people work in the U.S. utility sector.
The future looks promising for utility companies with the growing population and increasing economic activities. The U.S. utility revenue is on track to hit $1.1 trillion by 2025 from $993 billion in 2020.
We scanned Insider Monkey's database of 943 hedge funds' holdings and picked top 16 utility stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors. That means the stocks listed in the article are some of the best utility stocks to buy, according to hedge funds.
Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) is considered a good utility stock to buy as it offers a forward dividend yield of 3.16% with 20 consecutive years of dividend increases and a manageable payout ratio of 57.6%. In addition, XEL has been paying dividends regularly and has enough liquidity to meet its near-term obligations.
Just like Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ:EXC), Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK), and American Water Works Company Inc. (NYSE:AWK), Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) is one of the best utility stocks to buy now.
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