A reader writes to John Heinzl: I am trying to determine the dividend payout ratio for Algonquin Power & Utilities but different sources give different numbers. Can you help?
He responds: Based on analysts’ notes I have read, Algonquin’s estimated payout ratio for 2020 is about 94 per cent. This is calculated as the dividend per share divided by estimated earnings per share adjusted for one-time items. While that may seem high, it’s not a cause for concern in Algonquin’s case. The company’s utility and renewable power businesses deliver secure cash flows, and Algonquin’s US$9.4-billion investment program over the next five years is expected to drive annual growth of 8 to 10 per cent in adjusted earnings. At its investor day in December, Algonquin signalled that it plans to increase the dividend by 10 per cent this year.
Billionaire Warren Buffett encouraged investors to maintain their faith in America’s economy and the businesses his Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate owns in a reassuring letter to his shareholders Saturday. He barely addressed the coronavirus that ravaged many businesses last year, instead focusing on the long-term prospects for the railroad, utility and insurance entities and stocks that Berkshire Hathaway owns.