
TSE:H
In the near term, this is going to be driven by interest rates. It had a great rally because interest rates were going to be lower for longer, and it has a very stable revenue stream which dividend investors like. All utility stocks have fallen, and the question is, have they fallen too far. He finds this doesn’t have as high yield as he can find elsewhere. It is hard to see a lot of growth on a go forward basis.
From the point of view of safety and dividend, this company fits that bill very well. It is not cheap, but none of the utility stocks are. In a rising interest rate environment, they are going to be a little bit more at risk, which probably accounts for some of the weakness in the stock. It has an effective monopoly.
Another one of the stocks that has been caught up in the interest rate trade. The biggest companies that are going to be tied to interest rates are utilities, telecommunications and real estate companies. On the positive side, banks and lifeco shares have really appreciated. This is the inverse trading that is happening as people try to position themselves for a world with Donald Trump as president. All the positioning is probably way premature, but that is what markets do.
Probably a great widows and orphans stock. A great one to put in your RRSP and just sit on it. Pays a nice dividend and will probably go up over time. He views it as being a bit expensive right now. A very “steady Eddie” type of business. A good solid investment. The province of Ontario will probably put more stock into the market, and that would be the opportunity.
He doesn’t want to participate in the least efficient and most expensive hydro supplier in Canada. They have a lot of stranded assets. Solar power is going to increasingly become a major competitive threat. If you want to own this, wait until the province of Ontario sells more of it. The dividend is greater than what it should be. He would prefer Altagas (ALA-T) which yields about 6.5%.