Endangered Dividends

Regulated utilities aren’t immune from stumbles. And Algonquin Power & Utilities (TSX: AQN, NYSE: AQN) negatively surprised me in early August, with its second dividend cut in 18 months. When a company reduces guidance multiple times in succession, it’s clear management did not fully anticipate business headwinds. And usually the best course for investors is to move on.

Dominion Energy (NYSE: D) will drive down its payout ratio by holding dividends level the next few years. And other companies will do the same by sharply reducing the size of increases—and holding in more cash to self-fund growth. So far in 2024, however, just two companies have announced dividend cuts versus several dozen increases. The first was Orsted A/S (Denmark: ORSTED, OTC: DNNGY), a widely expected move brought on by vast cost overruns from building offshore wind projects. Since then, however, Orsted received a much needed shot in the arm, as its Sunrise Wind project won a new contract with New York state. The stock’s a buy up to 25 for patient, aggressive investors who don’t need the income.

So far in 2024, some two-dozen Utility Report Card coverage universe companies have raised dividends. And as this month’s comments indicate, that number could well treble over the next month, as more release Q4 numbers and update guidance. In contrast just one company, Orsted A/S (Denmark: ORSTED, OTC: DNNGY), has announced a dividend cut so far this year. The company wasn’t on the Endangered Dividends List. But neither was the move a real surprise and it was clearly strategic, demonstrated by the stock’s stable performance since last week’s announcement.

Six companies in the Utility Report Card coverage universe cut dividends in 2023. That’s been about the average count for most years since the mid-1980s, when I began tracking utilities and essential services stocks. But having so few last year was quite a demonstration of sector resilience.

UK electric utility SSE Plc (London: SSE, OTC: SSEZY) has “rebased” its twice-annual dividend to a new rate of 60 pence, starting with the March 2024 payment. That’s roughly -38 percent less than the previous annualized rate of 96.7 pence. As noted in my Utility Report Card comments, management stuck to its previous full-year FY2024 (end March 31) earnings guidance range, with a mid-point of GBP1.50 per share. That was despite what appeared to be disappointing results for the first half (end September 30), as adjusted EPS sank by roughly -11 percent.