Utility Roundup

Chronic share underperformance, weak Q2 operating results and still-heavy debt raise the question - is it time to sell AT&T (NYSE: T)?

If you own shares of Conservative Holding Brookfield Renewable Partners (TSX: BEP-U, NYSE: BEP), you’ll soon notice they currently trade in the low 40s, versus a low 50s price just a few days ago. Don’t despair. The price change is the result of a uniquely structured 5-to-4 stock split. The overall value of your Brookfield position has not changed.

Elections have consequences, especially for highly regulated industries like electric utilities. And a prospective Biden Administration could actually get most of the way to its  energy goals because utilities are already quickly moving in this direction.

It’s been a little more than 141 years since Thomas Edison threw the first switch on his famous light bulb. What at one time were literally thousands of electric operating companies have merged into just a few dozen of consequence. And not one deal failed to create a financially stronger utility, a record no other industry can match.

In March 2008, Southern Company (NYSE: SO) became the eighth US electric company within a year to announce construction of new nuclear reactors. A dozen years later, Southern’s pair of 1.1 gigawatt capacity reactors at the Vogtle site in Georgia are the only AP1000s under construction in America. 

It’s no surprise that both the US and China’s political rhetoric is ratcheting up as the US approaches November elections. COVID-19 recriminations are just the latest catalyst for worsening what were already tense relations. Nonetheless, I’m staying with three Chinese essential service stocks.

In 2017, financially recovering Kinder Morgan Inc (NYSE: KMI) promised investors three dividend increases. This week, for the third increase it offered up a 5 percent lift for 2020, just 20 percent of what was promised. Under normal conditions, I’d view a shortfall like this as a potential warning of underlying business weakness. In Kinder's case, here's why it's not.

With the virus still spreading and shutdowns continuing, forecasting COVID-19’s eventual damage to human health and the global economy is still a matter of conjecture, making it difficult for management teams to set guidance for the rest of 2020.

However, Q1 numbers and guidance, to be released over the next several weeks, will be absolutely critical to making good decisions, particularly where dividend safety is concerned.

It’s still early days for US COVID-19 fallout. And most electric companies have yet to issue guidance. But so far, the US power industry is showing typical resilience in tough times.

That means future selloffs in the ongoing bear market are buying opportunities for best in class electric utilities, not a reason to sell.

I typically update advice in the Conrad’s Utility Investor website tables with the regular monthly issues. For urgent advice I send Alerts. If there’s a theme to expand on, I post an Income Insights or Utility Roundup.

These “interesting times,” however, require an update for the five tables under the Portfolios tab.