Eversource Energy Boosts Shareholder Value With 5.2% Dividend Hike

Eversource Energy ES announced that its board of directors has increased dividends by 5.2%. Following the board's approval, the share price rose 2.1% from Jan. 29, 2025. The new quarterly dividend will be 75.25 cents per share compared with the previous quarter’s 71.5 cents. The new dividend will be payable on March 31, 2025, to stockholders of record as of March 4, 2025.The increased dividend rate resulted in an annualized dividend of $3.01 per share compared with the previous level of $2.86. The current dividend yield is 4.89%, higher than the Zacks S&P 500 composite's average of 1.19%.Can ES Stock Sustain Dividend Hikes?Eversource Energy operates a capital-intensive business with relatively steady revenue streams. It is currently focused on upgrading its electric distribution and transmission infrastructure. The company expects a capital investment of $23.7 billion through 2028, out of which it plans to invest nearly $15.5 billion in electric and natural gas distribution networks and $5.4 billion in the electric transmission segment.Recently, ES announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Aquarion Water Company to the Aquarion Water Authority. By effectively reinvesting resources into its core electric and natural gas operations, Eversource Energy will be able to pay down parent company debt with the proceeds of the sale. This should strengthen its financial position and allow for greater investments in customer reliability.Eversource Energy also sold its South Fork and Revolution Wind projects to Global Infrastructure Partners in September 2024. The divestiture of the assets resulted in Eversource Energy’s exit from the offshore wind business. The company now concentrates on its resources to become a pure-play regulated utility. These assets should deliver low-risk regulated growth opportunities and enable ES to provide clean energy transition benefits to its customers.Eversource Energy’s growth prospects and ability to further enhance its performance indicate that management will have enough funds to sustain its shareholder-friendly initiatives in the future.Utilities’ Legacy of Dividend PaymentCompanies involved in utility services generally have stable operations and earnings. Consistent performance, regulated returns and the ability to generate cash flows allow utilities to reward shareholders with regular dividends.Recently, Unitil Corporation UTL, NiSource NI and ONE Gas OGS have raised their quarterly dividend rate by 5.9%, 5.7% and 1%, respectively.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Unitil’s 2025 earnings per share (EPS) implies an improvement of 5.8% year over year. UTL’s current dividend yield is 3.14%.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NiSource’s 2025 EPS implies an improvement of 8.7% year over year. NI’s current dividend yield is 2.82%.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ONE Gas’ 2025 EPS implies an improvement of 9.7% year over year. OGS’ current dividend yield is 3.73%.ES’ Stock Price PerformanceIn the past month, shares of the company have risen 4.1% compared with the industry’s growth of 1.5%.  Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchES’ Zacks RankThe company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double"From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NiSource, Inc (NI): Free Stock Analysis Report Unitil Corporation (UTL): Free Stock Analysis Report Eversource Energy (ES): Free Stock Analysis Report ONE Gas, Inc. (OGS): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks