Stock price when the opinion was issued
Utilities are her largest sector weight. Defensive, regulated earnings. Secular trend as we transition off fossil fuels. Long-term growth opportunities. Biggest asset is in Florida, a good jurisdiction. Stock came off due to hurricanes. Yield is 5.5%, grows at a small rate.
Bumps along the road, but the price has appreciated. Utilities are always levered, so as rates go up, there's more interest expense on the balance sheet and less profit hits the bottom line. Rates coming down have helped EMA's profit. Over time, expectation is that it will be the better choice. Yield is north of 5%.
A boring, stable utility. Pretty much discarded last year with people chasing the AI trend. Big move since January with the flight to safety. Outlook was upgraded from Negative to Stable. Good job reducing leverage. Florida just approved storm reparation costs from 2 hurricanes in 2024.
Return on capital predictable, but replacement cost of assets very high. Good for defensive investors, but not going to appreciate capital at high rate. Lots of capital required to grow business creates situation of low returns. Politicians and consumers putting pressure on margins of business. Falling interest rates good for the business (high debt load in business). Overall, better options for investors out there.