Roger S. Conrad

There are only a few weeks left in first quarter 2019. And still a handful of Utility Report Card coverage universe companies haven’t reported calendar fourth quarter numbers and guidance.

Unfortunately, tardy filings are par for the course this time of year, when most companies make full-on annual reports rather than quarterly updates. But there’s already been plenty revealed that has critical implications for investors during the rest of 2019.

This month’s Report Card has the particulars for almost all of the companies that didn’t report in time for the February issue. Putting together everything we’ve learned so far, the most important takeaway is, to a company, our Portfolio recommendations didn’t disappoint.

In fact, Aggressive Holding Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital (NYSE: HASI) justified our faith holding onto it over the past year by returning to dividend growth. That news pushed its shares to a new all-time high this month. And as the “Portfolio Holdings Trading Above Target” table in the Portfolio Article shows, it’s hardly alone in making a run.

It’s been nearly a dozen years since Italy’s Enel SpA (Italy: ENEL, OTC: ENLAY) acquired a majority stake in Spain’s Endesa SA (Spain: ELE)—and immediately became the largest holder of electricity assets in South America as well. That was thanks to a much earlier merger between Endesa and the former Enersis of Chile, which had built a collection of assets across several countries most importantly Brazil.

TransCanada Corp (TSX: TRP, NYSE: TRP) has long been synonymous with the delayed north leg of the Keystone XL pipeline. Earlier this decade, the project to deliver Alberta oil to the US Gulf Coast seemed a sure thing. Then it became the one pipeline the Obama Administration rejected, only to be revived by the Trump Administration.

These are complex and volatile times for the stock market. But we still find a simple approach best for running the Conrad’s Utility Investor model portfolios.

Sweet yields can bring sour consequences. That’s a lesson I learned once again, after recommending high yielding CenturyLink Inc (NYSE: CTL) in last month’s Feature article. The company was on the Endangered Dividends List for shrinking revenue. Nonetheless, hefty free cash flow and attractive broadband assets convinced me the dividend could be maintained.

Talk about getting egg on your face: Not one but two of the high yielding companies from last month’s Feature article announced dividend cuts in the past month. The good news is both were already on the Endangered Dividends List and had priced in cuts, so additional downside has been limited.

The result of a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia this week puts two proposed long haul natural gas transportation projects in peril.

Despite a not-quite-ready-for-prime-time roll-out, the so-called "Green New Deal"' key goal of de-carbonization is gaining ground on both sides of the aisle in Congress, and more importantly with industry.

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) has struggled in building America’s first new nuclear power plant since the 1980s. But CEO Tom Fanning is more confident than ever.