Tag Archives: National Grid

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Construction worker in upstate New York crushed by 1,700-pound pipe

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A construction worker has died after being crushed by a 1,700-pound pipe at an upstate New York construction site.

New York State Police say Gary Feeney of Dorchester, Massachusetts was pinned Saturday morning after the 40-foot pipe became dislodged while being unloaded from a flatbed tractor trailer.

Police say the pipe fell eight feet, crushing the 24-year-old who was holding a guide rope as the pipe was lifted by an excavator with steel cables and hooks.

The accident occurred at a National Grid construction site just outside of Saratoga Springs.

Police say an ambulance transported Feeney to a nearby hospital. He was pronounced dead at 11:20 a.m.

Police, the National Grid Internal Audit Team, Public Service Commission and OSHA are investigating.

Saratoga Springs is about 35 miles north of Albany.zzz

From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/jkC9xgo62O4/

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

The Utility Stocks That Margaret Thatcher Gave Us

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By Tony Reading, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — Baroness Thatcher will be remembered for many reforms, but one enduring legacy for investors is that she gave us the stock market we know today.

Privatization became a key plank of economic policy, and nine of the firms in the FTSE 100 are the direct descendants of state-owned companies privatized during her time as prime minister.

Thirty-five years ago, the precursors to BG , Centrica , Severn Trent , United Utilities , BP, BAE, International Consolidated Airlines, BT, and Rolls-Royce were all state-owned enterprises (in a companion piece, I have covered the five industrial and service companies). Today, they are successful blue-chip firms with a combined market capitalization of more than 200 billion.

The gas industry
British Gas, the U.K.’s monopolistic gas utility, was privatized in 1986 in the famous “Tell Sid” campaign to attract private investors.

The downstream operations were spun off as Centrica in 1997. The gas-distribution assets were demerged as Lattice Group and subsequently became part of National Grid in 2002. The remainder, British Gas‘ upstream activities, became BG Group.

Neither Centrica nor BG stuck to its existing business. Centrica has expanded upstream, and it is now the largest investor in the Cygnus North Sea gas field. A dominant market position in gas distribution has secured good returns for shareholders, and the country’s dependence on gas should boost opportunities in the future.

BG moved into, and then back out of, downstream distribution overseas. The retreat was partly to finance development of its massive discoveries in Brazil’s Santos Basin, and a significant part of the company’s value now rides on how soon and successfully it can start production. It also built a solid and successful international liquefied-natural-gas business.

The water industry
Britain’s regional water companies were privatized in 1989. (The electricity-distribution companies followed a year later, just falling outside Margaret Thatcher‘s premiership.)

Several companies have been snapped up by foreign investors keen to tap into a secure and profitable income stream. Just three listed companies remain: United Utilities in the North West, Severn Trent in the Midlands, and the FTSE 250 company Pennon.

The water companies’ fortunes ebb and flow with five-year regulatory reviews, the next of which begins in 2015 and is now being negotiated. Severn Trent has an almost unblemished dividend record; United Utilities less so.

Margaret Thatcher believed individuals should take responsibility for their own well-being. There’s no question that’s even more important today, especially when it comes to saving for retirement. That’s why The Motley Fool has created a brand-new report: “Five Shares To Retire On.” It describes five companies with healthy balance sheets, dominant market shares, and robust cash flows that could form the core of any portfolio, whether you’re saving for retirement or shorter-term goals. You can download it by clicking here — it’s free.

The article The Utility Stocks That Margaret Thatcher Gave Us originally appeared on Fool.com.

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From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/11/the-utility-stocks-that-margaret-thatcher-gave-us/

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

A Blue-Chip Starter Portfolio: BHP Billiton, HSBC Holdings, and Royal Dutch Shell

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By G. A. Chester, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — Every quarter, I take a look at the largest FTSE 100 companies in each of the index’s 10 industries to see how they shape up as a potential “starter” portfolio.

The table below shows the 10 industry heavyweights and their current valuations based on forecast 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios and dividend yields.

Company

Industry

Recent Share Price (pence)

P/E

Yield (%)

ARM Holdings

Technology

921

44.9

0.6

BHP Billiton 

Basic materials

1,915

10.1

4.1

British American Tobacco

Consumer goods

3,527

15.0

4.3

GlaxoSmithKline

Health care

1,539

13.0

5.1

HSBC Holdings 

Financials

703

10.7

4.8

National Grid

Utilities

765

14.0

5.5

Rolls-Royce

Industrials

1,130

16.9

2.0

Royal Dutch Shell 

Oil and gas

2,185

8.0

5.4

Tesco

Consumer services

382

11.6

4.1

Vodafone

Telecommunications

187

11.4

5.9

Excluding tech share ARM Holdings, the companies have an average P/E ratio of 12.3 and an average dividend yield of 4.6%. The table below shows how the current ratings compare with those of the past.

Month 

P/E

Yield (%)

April 2013

12.3

4.6

January 2013

11.4

4.9

October 2012

11.1

5.0

July 2012

10.7

5.0

October 2011

9.8

5.2

As you can see, the group of nine industry heavyweights is rated more highly today than at any time in the past couple of years.

My rule of thumb for this group is that an average P/E below 10 is firmly in “good value” territory, while a P/E above 14 starts to move toward expensive. On this spectrum, the group as a whole is neither cheap nor expensive. As such, I think the market currently offers a fair opportunity for long-term investors to buy a blue-chip bedrock of industry heavyweights for a U.K. equity portfolio.

At the individual company level, there are three stocks whose ratings compare favorably with their level three months ago. So, let’s have a look at them.

BHP Billiton
After strong rises in equity markets since the start of the year, the share prices of eight of the U.K.’s 10 industry giants are higher today than when I last looked at them in January. Global mining titan BHP Billiton is the bigger underperformer of the two exceptions: The company’s shares are trading at 1,915 pence compared with 2,145 pence last time.

BHP Billiton’s drop in share price and some upgrades to forecast earnings and dividends bring the P/E down to an attractive-looking 10.1 from 12.8, while the yield rises to an industry-leading 4.1% from 3.6%.

Royal Dutch Shell
Oil supermajor Royal Dutch Shell is the other company whose shares are lower today than three months ago — but by very little: 2,185 pence compared with 2,197 pence.

Shell’s P/E remains firmly in “value” territory at a mere eight (the same as last time), making the company the only one of our industry giants with an earnings multiple in single digits at the present time. Meanwhile, the dividend yield has edged up from 5.1% to an even-juicier 5.4%.

HSBC
Banking behemoth HSBC, in contrast to BHP Billiton and Shell, has seen its shares rise since January: by 8% to 703 pence from 651 pence.

Nevertheless, as a result of the City’s more optimistic earnings and dividend outlook, HSBC‘s P/E today is only fractionally higher than last time: 10.7 compared with 10.6. The company’s sector-leading dividend yield has nudged up to 4.8% from 4.6%.

Finally, if you already have BHP Billiton, Shell, and HSBC tucked away in your …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

A Blue-Chip Starter Portfolio: BHP Billitonc, HSBC Holdings and Royal Dutch Shell

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By G. A. Chester, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — Every quarter, I take a look at the largest FTSE 100 companies in each of the index’s 10 industries to see how they shape up as a potential “starter” portfolio.

The table below shows the 10 industry heavyweights and their current valuations based on forecast 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios and dividend yields.

Company Industry Recent Share Price (in pence) P/E Yield (%)
ARM Holdings Technology 921 44.9 0.6
BHP Billiton  Basic Materials 1,915 10.1 4.1
British American Tobacco Consumer Goods 3,527 15.0 4.3
GlaxoSmithKline Health Care 1,539 13.0 5.1
HSBC Holdings  Financials 703 10.7 4.8
National Grid Utilities 765 14.0 5.5
Rolls-Royce Industrials 1,130 16.9 2.0
Royal Dutch Shell  Oil & Gas 2,185 8.0 5.4
Tesco Consumer Services 382 11.6 4.1
Vodafone Telecommunications 187 11.4 5.9

Excluding tech share ARM Holdings, the companies have an average price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 12.3 and an average dividend yield of 4.6%. The table below shows how the current ratings compare with those of the past.

  P/E Yield (%)
April 2013 12.3 4.6
January 2013 11.4 4.9
October 2012 11.1 5.0
July 2012 10.7 5.0
October 2011 9.8 5.2

As you can see, the group of nine industry heavyweights is rated more highly today than at any time in the past couple of years.

My rule of thumb for this group is that an average P/E below 10 is firmly in “good value” territory, while a P/E above 14 starts to move toward expensive. On this spectrum the group as a whole is neither cheap nor expensive. As such, I think the market currently offers a fair opportunity for long-term investors to buy a blue-chip bedrock of industry heavyweights for a U.K. equity portfolio.

At the individual company level, there are three stocks whose ratings compare favorably with their level three months ago. So, let’s have a look at them.

BHP Billiton
After strong rises in equity markets since the start of the year, the share prices of eight of the U.K.’s 10 industry giants are higher today than when I last looked at them in January. Global mining titan BHP Billiton is the bigger underperformer of the two exceptions: The company’s shares are trading at 1,915 pence compared with 2,145 pence last time.

BHP Billiton’s drop in share price, and some upgrades to forecast earnings and dividends, bring the P/E down to an attractive-looking 10.1 from 12.8, while the yield rises to an industry-leading 4.1% from 3.6%.

Royal Dutch Shell
Oil super-major Royal Dutch Shell is the other company whose shares are lower today than three months ago — but by very little: 2,185 pence compared with 2,197 pence.

Shell’s P/E remains firmly in “value” territory at a mere eight (the same as last time), making the company the only one of our industry giants with an earnings multiple in the single digits at the present time. Meanwhile, the dividend yield has edged up from 5.1% to an even-juicier 5.4%.

HSBC
Banking behemoth HSBC, in contrast to BHP Billiton and Shell, has seen its shares rise since January: by 8% to 703 pence from 651 pence.

Nevertheless, as a result of the City’s more optimistic earnings and dividend outlook, HSBC‘s P/E today is only fractionally higher than last time: 10.7 compared with 10.6. The company’s sector-leading dividend yield has nudged up to 4.8% from 4.6%.

Finally, if you already have BHP Billiton, Shell, and HSBC tucked away in your portfolio and are …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

National Grid May Still Yield 5.6% After Revealing New Dividend Policy

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By Maynard Paton, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The shares of National Grid  climbed 8 pence to 759 pence during early London trade this morning after the FTSE 100 member revealed its new dividend policy.

National Grid, which operates the country’s electricity transmission system, said its annual payout from 2014 onwards would rise at least in line with the Retail Prices Index measure of inflation.

Earlier this month, the Office of National Statistics revealed RPI inflation was running at 3.2%. The new dividend policy replaces National Grid‘s existing strategy of lifting the payout by 4% a year.

Steve Holliday, National Grid‘s chief executive, said: “I am pleased to confirm a new dividend policy that supports our long-term ambition to target a secure dividend in real terms for our shareholders while enabling the Group to sustain the strong balance sheet needed to fund the business.”

Holliday also said funding for further business growth would be sourced from retained profits and additional net debt.

In addition, he claimed any dividend increases above inflation would be supported by “sustained outperformance” and would have no impact on the group’s long-term credit ratings.

National Grid confirmed its final dividend for the year to March 2013 would reflect the existing 4% growth policy, which indicates a forthcoming final payout of 26.36 pence per share, a full-year dividend of 40.85 pence per share and a potential 5.4% income from the shares.

However, assuming RPI inflation stays at 3.2%, National Grid‘s dividend for the year to March 2014 should rise to 42.16 pence per share, which would push the share’s potential yield to 5.6%

Of course, whether the new dividend policy, a possible 5.6% income and the general prospects for the regulated electricity sector all combine to make National Grid a buy right now is something only you can decide.

But if you already own National Grid shares and are looking for alternative FTSE 100 buying opportunities, this exclusive wealth report profiles five particularly attractive possibilities.

Indeed, all five blue chips offer a mix of robust prospects, illustrious histories and dependable dividends, and have just been declared by the Motley Fool as “5 Shares You Can Retire On”!

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The article National Grid May Still Yield 5.6% After Revealing New Dividend Policy originally appeared on Fool.com.


Maynard Paton has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends National Grid plc (ADR). Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why National Grid, Tate &amp; Lyle and Lonrho Should Beat the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — After again closing below 6,400 points yesterday, the FTSE 100 has nosed above that level today, up 0.92% to 6,447. Although banks in Cyprus are open again (albeit with strict controls), sentiment across Europe is still shaky, as nobody yet knows the full suffering to be faced by uninsured savers in the island’s banks.

But plenty of constituents of the FTSE indexes are doing well in their own right. Here are three on the up today.

National Grid
National Grid released details of its new dividend policy this morning, sending its shares up 2.5% to 770 pence. The intention now is for the utilities supplier to grow its dividend at least in line with retail price inflation, with chief executive Steve Holliday telling us the policy “supports our long-term ambition to target a secure dividend in real terms for our shareholders while enabling the Group to sustain the strong balance sheet needed to fund the business.”

The firm also told us that trading is going well, and performance for the year to March 31 will be “modestly ahead” of previous guidance.

Tate & Lyle
Tate & Lyle shares picked up 2.3% to reach 844 pence after the firm told us in an update ahead of full-year results that it expects to make modest progress for the year. With volume growth for the second half ahead of the first, the company’s speciality food ingredients division should achieve “solid sales growth.” Net debt, though, will be higher than it was last year.

Prior to today, analysts were forecasting a modest fall in earnings per share and a 3% dividend yield, with a return to earnings growth expected in 2014. Results are due on May 30.

Lonrho
It’s about time something good happened for Lonrho shareholders after the share price has been on such a long slide. And today they’re being treated to a 32% price rise to 6.6 pence after the Africa-based oil and gas support and agriculture company released full-year results.

Revenue for the fourth quarter rose by 32%, with full-year revenue up 22% to 186.3 million pounds. The firm still made an operating loss of 3.4 million pounds, but that was well within the expected range of 3 million pounds to 5 million pounds.

If you’re looking for investments that should take you all the way to a comfortable retirement, I recommend the Fool’s special new report detailing five blue-chip shares. They’ll be familiar names to many, and they’ve already provided investors with decades of profits. But the report will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your hands on these great ideas — they could set you on the road to long-term riches.

The article Why National Grid, Tate & Lyle and Lonrho Should Beat the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Should I Buy National Grid for My ISA?

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By Malcolm Wheatley, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — I’ve long been a fan of Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) as tax-efficient wrappers for equity holdings. Quite simply, if you’re going to buy and sell shares — especially as a long-term investor — then it makes sense to do so inside an ISA.

There’s no further income tax to pay on dividends; no capital gains tax to pay at all; and total freedom from the burden of reporting both income and capital gains to the taxman. Want to know more? Start here.

And simply put, from both the capital gains and income perspectives, I reckon National Grid makes an ideal ISA share. Why? Let’s take a look.

Decent yield
Trading today on a forecast yield of 5.5%, an investor making full use of his or her £11,280 annual ISA allowance for 2012-2013 to buy National Grid could earn £620 in dividends next year — without having to pay a penny more in income tax. Which is especially useful if you’re a higher-rate taxpayer, of course.

Better still, National Grid is a cash cow with a long-term track record of throwing off juicy dividends — and juicy dividend growth — year after year. Which is why, of course, it’s long been a share that’s popular with income investors.

And just look at what that growth has delivered. Back in 2008 — the start of the worst recession in 60 years, you’ll remember — National Grid investors were rewarded with an annual dividend of 29.67 pence per share. For 2012, the dividend was 39.28 pence per share.

Over the period 2008-2012, that’s an annual growth rate of 7.3% — comfortably ahead of the rate of inflation over the period, and a decent return from a dull, boring utility.

And as a utility, what’s more, National Grid is also a strongly defensive share. Owning and operating networks that deliver electricity and gas across the U.K., the business also has millions of customers in the northeastern Unites States, with revenues split roughly 50-50 between the U.K. and the United States.

So investors can be reasonably assured that the revenues, earnings and dividend growth the share has delivered in the past, will continue into the future.

Capital upside
Now, the principal charm of safe and boring utilities is clearly for income investors, via the sector’s safe and predictable earnings.

But National Grid is a utility with a difference: here in the U.K., it leaves others to sell directly to consumers, restricting its own offerings to operating the networks through which gas and electricity flow. Which in terms of regulatory supervision, gives it a little more wiggle room, and scope for capital growth.

In the last week, for instance, National Grid‘s shares have hit a 52-week high, on the back of its announcement that it has agreed price controls with Ofgem for the next eight years, helping to pave the way for the company to decide on its future dividend policy.

In short, while the upside in National Grid‘s share price is never going to …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why TUI Travel, EnQuest, and Speedy Hire Should Beat the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The FTSE 100 is suffering from further discontent spreading across the eurozone after the Cyprus bailout crisis helped depress Italy‘s latest bond auction. With banks in Cyprus still not open and the punishment to be meted out to savers still undecided, the island’s offshore-banking status is looking very much like a Norwegian blue parrot.

As of 10:30 a.m. EDT, the U.K.’s major index is down 0.34% to 6,377 points, and that should be easy to beat today, shouldn’t it? Here are three companies likely to do just that.

TUI Travel
“Strong trading continues,” said today’s pre-close update from TUI Travel, as the share price climbed 3.8%. The key winter period has gone well, with selling prices improving and margins strengthening, and that momentum has continued into the 2013 summer season. Chief executive Peter Long now says full-year performance should be “toward the upper end of our growth targets.”

That suggests full-year profit could be around up 10%, putting the shares on a forward P/E of only about 11.

EnQuest
EnQuest shares are up 2.1% after the oil and gas producer released full-year results telling us that things are going well. Enquest’s production hit the upper half of its earlier guidance, reaching 22,802 barrels of oil equivalent per day, with the firm’s major projects progressing on schedule. And at the bottom line, profit after tax almost doubled to $259.7 million.

Speedy Hire
Equipment rental firm Speedy Hire has seen its shares climb 5.6% today after announcing a new contract with National Grid . The managed-services agreement will see Speedy Hire providing National Grid with plant and equipment for an initial three-year period and will be worth up to 6 million pounds per year.

Dave Angell of National Grid said, “The contract with Speedy will help National Grid drive further efficiencies across our U.K. business as we implement sustainable, innovative and affordable energy solutions for the future.”

If you’re looking for investments that should take you all the way to a comfortable retirement, I recommend the Fool’s special new report detailing five blue-chip shares. They’ll be familiar names to many, and they’ve already provided investors with decades of profits. But the report will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your hands on these great ideas — they could set you on the road to long-term riches.

The article Why TUI Travel, EnQuest, and Speedy Hire Should Beat the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends National Grid (ADR). Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a target=_blank …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Should I Borrow to Invest in AstraZeneca, National Grid, and Vodafone Group?

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By Harvey Jones, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — Crazy days! Interest rates have been stuck at all-time lows for more than four years, and the first rate hike could be another four years away. This has led to some crazy anomalies.

You can now get a five-year fixed-rate mortgage charging just 2.74%, up to 60% loan-to-value (LTV), or a 10-year deal at 3.99%, up to 75% LTV (subject to status, as they say).

At the same time, you can earn a yield of 5% and 6% by investing in solid FTSE 100 favorites, plus the prospect of capital growth if QE-fuelled markets keep rising.

I wouldn’t normally urge you to borrow to invest in shares, because gearing adds an extra layer of risk. But does it make sense today?

Borrow and buy
Do you expect your portfolio to deliver a total return of more than 4% a year over the next decade? I certainly do. If so, and if you’ve got enough spare equity in your home to access a best-buy home loan, then, maybe, just maybe, you should be in less of a hurry to pay down that mortgage.

If you’re tempted, I would suggest taking out a long-term fixed-rate loan, preferably for 10 years, so your plans aren’t scuppered by a sudden upward lurch in interest rates.

To add an extra layer of security, you could then invest into a fat FTSE high-yielder or three. Dividend income is taxable, so, if you’re bold enough to follow this controversial course, use your ISA allowance.

I’ll leave you to find out the cheapest way to borrow money, but here are three stocks you might consider investing in.

AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca  currently yields a base-rate-busting 6.1%. Pharmaceutical stocks are supposed to be defensive, but it is some years since this one has appeared solid at the back. AstraZeneca scored an embarrassing own goal with its $15.6 billion acquisition of Medimmune in 2007, while sales and revenues have plunged lately, as lucrative drug patents expire, and the pipeline of new products remains blocked. New chief executive Pascal Soriot has just announced a major reorganization, axing 1,600 jobs, and investing in new research and development (R&D) centres in the U.S., U.K. and Sweden, in a bid to “put science at the heart of everything we do” and improve R&D productivity. The overhaul will last for three uncertain years.

These disappointments have knocked AstraZeneca’s valuation, which trades on a mere seven times earnings, roughly half the FTSE 100 average. Given its forecast earnings per share (EPS) growth of -19% in 2013, and -3% in 2014, that lowly valuation looks richly deserved. But it does give the share price plenty of scope to recover, if Soriot gets his strategy right. Despite its recent troubles, AstraZeneca is up 7% over the past 12 months, giving a total return of 13%. AstraZeneca is also the biggest single holding in dividend dangerman Neil Woodford‘s Invesco-Perpetual High Income fund, at 8.53%, and he tends to get these things right in the longer …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Should You Buy SSE?

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By Royston Wild, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — I think SSE  is a great bet for stock pickers looking to boost their investment income.

In a bid to lure custom away from its competitors, the firm spelled out its new five-point Customer Service Guarantee last month, which will see it refund £20 to clients unhappy with the service provided. 

SSE has a solid history of providing industry-leading customer experience, and I believe the electricity supplier should continue to report solid earnings growth as demand for power rises.

An electrifying dividend pick
SSE‘s role as a major utilities operator makes it a perfect pick for income investors, as one would usually expect. A dividend of 84.4 pence has been penciled in by analysts for the year ending March 2013, up from 80.1 pence last year. And the payment is expected to rise to 88 pence per share in 2014 and 92 pence per share in 2015.

The firm’s generous dividend policy is expected to keep the yield well north of the 3.5% FTSE 100 average, with an income of 5.8% for this year projected to rise to 6% and 6.3% during 2014 and 2015 respectively.

SSE does not offer the sturdiest of dividend cover, with coverage of around 1.3 times predicted until the end of 2015. However, coverage some way off the traditional watermark of 2 times is not unusual for utilities, where defensive qualities help to ensure steady earnings growth and thus copper-bottomed shareholder payouts.

Earnings growth expected to ascend
City brokers expect earnings per share to edge 1% higher to 114 pence in 2013, before accelerating 3% next year to 117 pence and 8% in 2015 to 126 pence.

The electricity provider currently changes hands on a P/E ratio of 12.9 for 2013, which is expected to slide to 12.6 and 11.7 this year and next.

In my opinion, these ratings represent great value for money given SSE‘s steady earnings growth and record of building dividends. As well, the share seems better value than sector cousin National Grid, whose earnings multiples for 2013 and 2014 are projected at of 13.9 and 13.6 and whose dividend yield comes in below that of SSE.

Zone in on other sterling stocks
Whether or not you already hold shares in SSE, check out this newly updated special reportthat highlights a host of other FTSE winners identified by ace fund manager Neil Woodford.

Woodford — head of U.K. Equities at Invesco Perpetual — has more than 30 years’ experience in the industry, and boasts an exceptional track record when it comes to selecting stock market stars.

The report, compiled by The Motley Fool’s crack team of analysts, is totally free and comes with no further obligation. Click here now to download your copy.

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The article Should You Buy SSE? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Royston Wild has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Coeur Appoints Linda L. Adamany to Board of Directors; Kevin S. Crutchfield Nominated for Election t

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Coeur Appoints Linda L. Adamany to Board of Directors; Kevin S. Crutchfield Nominated for Election to the Board

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Coeur d’Alene Mines Corporation (the “Company” or “Coeur”) (NYS: CDE) (TSX: CDM) today announced that Linda L. Adamany has been appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors as well as the Audit Committee and the Environmental, Health, Safety and Social Responsibility (EHSSR) Committee of the Board, effective March 11, 2013. In addition, Kevin S. Crutchfield has been nominated for election to the Board at the Company’s 2013 annual meeting of shareholders to be held May 14, 2013. Upon his election, Mr. Crutchfield is expected to be appointed to the Compensation Committee and the EHSSR Committee.

Ms. Adamany is a member of the Board of Directors of AMEC plc, a multinational company that provides design, consulting and project management services for the natural resources, nuclear, clean energy, water and environmental sectors.

“We are pleased to have Linda join Coeur’s Board of Directors,” said Robert E. Mellor, Coeur’s Chairman of the Board. “With her 35 years’ experience in global industries, including as an executive and a director, Ms. Adamany brings to the Board leadership, financial and accounting expertise, familiarity with both business line and functional support areas and public company board experience.”

Mr. Crutchfield is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Natural Resources, Inc., a global coal company and the world’s third largest metallurgical coal supplier.

“Kevin brings 25 years of mining industry experience to the Board and we feel fortunate to have him join us,” Mellor said. “Kevin brings to the board significant experience in corporate leadership, financial and operational management, government and regulatory oversight, health and safety management, and industry expertise through his various executive roles in global natural resource businesses, in addition to experience in public company board leadership.”

Additional Information on Linda L. Adamany

Ms. Adamany is a member of the board of directors of AMEC plc, an engineering, project management and consultancy company, since October 2012; member of the board of directors of National Grid plc, an electricity and gas generation, transmission and distribution company, from November 2006 to November 2012. Ms. Adamany served at BP plc in several capacities from July 1980 until her retirement in August 2007, most recently from April 2005 to August 2007 as a member of the five-person Refining & Marketing Executive Committee responsible for overseeing …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

The World's Best Dividend Portfolio

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By James Royal, The Motley Fool

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In June 2011 I invested my money equally in a selection of 10 high-yield dividend stocks. With a year of success behind me, in July 2012, I added even more money to the portfolio. Those names offer triple the yield of the average S&P 500 stock. You can read all the details here. Now let’s check out the results so far.

Company

Cost Basis

Shares

Yield

Total Value

Return

Southern

$39.71

25.0818

4.3%

$1,138.46

14.3%

Exelon

$41.36

28.818

6.6%

$916.99

(23.1%)

National Grid

$48.90

20.3693

5.7%

$1,123.98

12.8%

Philip Morris International

$68.49

14.5429

3.7%

$1,335.18

34%

Annaly Capital

$17.79

72.5

13.4%

$1,109.98

(13.9%)

Frontier Communications

$7.88

126.4243

9.9%

$517.08

(48.1%)

Plum Creek Timber

$38.42

26

3.4%

$1,274.52

27.6%

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners

$26.12

38.2825

4.4%

$1,491.87

49.2%

Vodafone

$26.52

37.5566

6%

$1,012.90

1.7%

Seaspan

$15.24

95

0.8%

$1,900.00

31.3%

AT&T

$35.20

28.4

5%

$1,033.48

3.4%

Retail Opportunity Investments

$12.20

81.95

4.5%

$1,071.09

7.1%

Annaly Preferred C

$25.98

38.5

7.5%

$980.60

(1.7%)

Cash

      

$234.66

  

Dividends Receivable

      

$47.45

  

Original Investment

      

$12,983.97

  

Total Portfolio

      

$15,188.22

17%

Investment in SPY (Including Dividends)

        

18.7%

Relative Performance (Percentage Points)

        

(1.7)

Source: Capital IQ, a division of Standard & Poor’s.

The portfolio is up 17%, since we began this experiment, and we’re trailing the S&P by 1.7 percentage points. That might not be surprising given the massive run the market‘s been on over the past few months. Remember, we expect to outperform in down markets and underperform in up markets. We have a load of new cash in our pocket, which we could deploy soon, and several other significant portfolio changes to make.

I’m selling my stake in Frontier. The company continues to see shrinking free cash flow — now projected at $875 million (midpoint) for 2013. While that solidly covers the dividend, free cash flow just continues to shrink. I’ll be rolling over those proceeds into Vodafone. The rumors continue to swirl that Verizon wants Vodafone’s 45% stake in their joint venture, Verizon Wireless. Estimates I’ve seen of the value of that stake equal nearly all of Vodafone’s market cap today. And with …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Infrastructure Stocks Poised to Grow and Deliver Dividends

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By Selena Maranjian, The Motley Fool

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Exchange-traded funds offer a convenient way to invest in sectors or niches that interest you. If you’d like to add some global infrastructure stocks to your portfolio, the SPDR FTSE/Macquarie Global Infrastructure 100 ETF could save you a lot of trouble. Instead of trying to figure out which companies will perform best, you can use this ETF to invest in lots of them simultaneously.

The basics
ETFs often sport lower expense ratios than their mutual fund cousins. The SPDR ETF‘s expense ratio — its annual fee — is 0.59%, and it recently yielded 3.2%. The fund is fairly small, too, so if you’re thinking of buying, beware of possibly large spreads between its bid and ask prices. Consider using a limit order if you want to buy in.

This ETF has underperformed in recent years, lagging the world market over the past three and five years. As with most investments, of course, we can’t expect outstanding performances in every quarter or year. Investors with conviction need to wait for their holdings to deliver.

With a low turnover rate of 10%, this fund isn’t frantically and frequently rejiggering its holdings, as many funds do.

Why global infrastructure?
Our global economic slump won’t last forever, and there are already signs of life here and there. Thus, companies specializing in materials and utilities are poised to prosper as construction and infrastructure projects get under way and manufacturing kicks into a higher gear.

More than a handful of global infrastructure companies had strong performances over the past year. Utility company PPL , for example, advanced 16%. Yielding 4.8%, it recently hit a 52-week high, but its debt has been growing, too, along with capital spending. The company has been focusing more on regulated generation, which tends to be less risky. Bulls like its adoption of greener smart grid technology, and management is optimistic about 2013.

National Grid gained 15%, and offers a hefty yield. With extensive operations in the U.S. and the U.K., it’s investing in clean energies, which is promising, but its growth has stalled in recent years, and some fear a dividend cut. Others have been dismayed by the company buying back shares at relatively rich values.

Other companies didn’t do as well last year, but could see their fortunes change in the coming years. Natural gas specialist Spectra Energy shed 3%, and yields 4.2%. Growth initiatives have included opening a new natural-gas processing plant in British Columbia, and expanding its pipeline to deliver more natural-gas capacity to the New York-New Jersey region. It’s also been inking some promising partnerships. Its fourth-quarter earnings were pressured by lower commodity prices.

Exelon , the nation’s largest nuclear-power company, lost 12%, and recently slashed its dividend by 41%. The company has been hurt by the relatively high cost of nuclear energy in an environment of very low gas prices, but the current situation won’t last forever, and Exelon is …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

National Grid and CBS Radio Team-up with Bruins Defenseman Andrew Ference to Promote Energy Efficien

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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National Grid and CBS Radio Team-up with Bruins Defenseman Andrew Ference to Promote Energy Efficiency

Tickets to home games, energy efficiency grants and meet and greets with Andrew Ference among prizes to be won

WALTHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Bruins Defenseman Andrew Ference may be all about the black and gold when he’s on the ice, but off the ice he is all about living a green life. That’s why he is partnering with National Grid and CBS Radio to promote energy efficiency to residents and schools in Massachusetts and Rhode Island through an interactive contest. National Grid residential customers will have the opportunity to win tickets to a home game and/or be awarded energy efficiency grants to use toward making their home more energy efficient. In addition, grammar and middle schools in National Grid‘s service area can enter to win grants toward making their school more energy efficient, as well as a grand prize that includes a visit to their school by Andrew Ference.

“One of our main priorities at National Grid is to practice and promote environmental responsibility, and that includes working with customers on how they can use energy efficiency programs to save money and help protect our planet,” said Edward White, vice president, Customer and Business Strategy. “Andrew is not only a Stanley Cup Champion, he’s a firm believer in sustainable living and practices what he preaches. Partnering with Andrew to help promote energy efficiency with our customers is a no-brainer and we’re thrilled to have him as part of the team.”

The contest is open to all National Grid electric and gas residential customers – as well as schools (K- 8) in the National Grid service territory in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Multiple levels of participation include:

  • Eight drawings for tickets to a home game. To be entered into the drawings for Bruins tickets, customers should “like” National Grid on Facebook and fill out a short entry form. (www.facebook.com/nationalgridMA or www.facebook.com/nationalgridRI) Winners will be randomly selected beginning March 12, 2013 through the end of the regular season. Ticket winners will also have the opportunity to meet Andrew Ference after the game.
  • Energy Efficiency Grants. Residential customers can enter to win grants to be used toward implementing energy efficiency measures in their homes. To be eligible, customers must schedule a no-cost in-home energy assessment with National Grid between March 6 and April 15, 2013. Seven Massachusetts and …read more
    Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

These Five Income Stocks Will Gain From Sterling Weakness

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By Tony Reading, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — So far this year, the pound has fallen more than 7% against the dollar, and it’s now trading at its lowest level since July 2010.

It looks likely to get worse before it gets better, with fears of a triple-dip recession, the loss of the AAA rating, fudged coalition politics, Mervyn King voting for more QE, and an even more inflation-tolerant Bank of England Governor waiting in the wings.

Dividends
With 70% of FTSE 100 company earnings coming from overseas, a weak pound can be a boost for the index. It should also be good news for dividends.

Brokers Shore Capital estimate that dividend growth in the FTSE 350 could double if sterling continues to fall against the dollar. Some of the big beneficiaries are the miners, which I looked at last week. But they start from a low base yield.

So I’ve trawled the FTSE‘s top 20 highest-yield stocks to screen for those with substantial overseas earnings, especially U.S.-based. With the euro looking at least as vulnerable as the pound, I’ve screened out companies with high European earnings.

These are the five high-income stocks, all with prospective yields of more than 4.5%, which should benefit most from sterling’s woes:

1. BAE Systems
The U.S. is by far the most important market for BAE Systems , accounting for nearly half its revenues. The U.K. contributes a fifth, and my guess is that much of BAE‘s other revenues are dollar denominated.

The imminent impact of sequestration is a threat to BAE‘s U.S. sales, but, ultimately, I don’t believe the U.S. will allow its national defense to be compromised. So I see BAE as a good long-term buy, with a prospective yield of 5.8%.

2. GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline‘s response to the patent cliff — moving into over-the-counter medicines and emerging markets — shows up in its revenue split. Just 6% of sales are in the U.K., with the U.S. contributing a third of the total.

Pharmaceutical shares demonstrated their defensive mettle in the 2007/2008 crash, losing just 15% as the FTSE halved. With a broad spread of revenues, a growing emerging markets franchise, and a yield of 5.3%, GSK is all things to all men. Why wouldn’t you own it?

3. AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca  gets nearly 40% of its revenues from the Americas, with a quarter each from the U.K. and continental Europe. At 6%, it has one of the FTSE‘s highest yields, with fears over the company’s patent cliff weighing on the shares. Already, it’s seeing declining revenues.

New CEO Pascal Soriot should update investors with his strategy this month. That seems aimed at repositioning Astra back to scientific innovation, with maybe some biotech acquisitions or joint ventures. It would be a markedly different strategy from rival GSK.

4. National Grid 
Yielding 5.6%, National Grid  is the monopoly owner of the country’s high-voltage network and high-pressure gas system. But nearly 60% of its revenues come from the U.S., where it’s the largest power producer in New York state and has large gas and electricity distribution …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Are These the Ultimate Retirement Shares?

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By Roland Head, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The last five years have been tough for those in retirement. Portfolio valuations have been hammered and annuity rates have plunged. There’s no sign of things improving anytime soon, either, as the eurozone and the U.K. economy look set to muddle through at best for some years to come.

A great way of protecting yourself from the downturn, however, is by building your retirement fund with shares of large, well-run companies that should grow their earnings steadily over the coming decades. Over time, such investments ought to result in rising dividends and inflation-beating capital growth.

In this series, I’m tracking down the U.K. large caps that have the potential to beat the FTSE 100 over the long term and support a lower-risk income-generating retirement fund (you can see all of the companies I’ve covered so far on this page).

Over the last few weeks, I’ve looked at United Utilities , Eurasian Natural Resources , Intertek Group , InterContinental Hotels Group  and Aberdeen Asset Management .

Let’s take a look at how each of them scored against my five key retirement share criteria:

Criteria

Eurasian Natural
Resources

United Utilities

InterContinental
Hotels Group

Intertek Group

Aberdeen Asset
Management

Longevity

2/5

2/5

3/5

3/5

2/5

Performance vs. FTSE

2/5

3/5

5/5

5/5

5/5

Financial strength

3/5

3/5

4/5

4/5

5/5

EPS growth

3/5

3/5

4/5

5/5

5/5

Dividend growth

1/5

3/5

4/5

4/5

5/5

Total

11/25

14/25

20/25

21/25

22/25

Eurasian Natural Resources
A history of dodgy corporate governance, problematic debt levels, and a looming dividend cut all take the shine off miner ENRC‘s recently improved production figures. To be fair, ENRC does have some decent assets, but its debt-fueled expansion drive has left it looking short of cash and vulnerable to an opportunistic takeover.

The company is expected to cut its dividend by 50% this year, leaving ENRC shares with a likely forward yield of just 1.8%, well below the solid 3% or more offered by mega-cap miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. The investment case for ENRC is far more speculative and while investors may end up with a good result, this company simply isn’t suitable for an income-focused, low-maintenance retirement portfolio.

United Utilities
It may be surprising to see a high-yielding utility stock score so badly in this review, but at present, I don’t think United Utilities is a very good example of this type of company. It has lagged the FTSE 100 over the last 10 years, during which it has carried out a confusing mixture of acquisitions and divestments and been forced to raise 1 billion pounds from shareholders in a rights issue.

United’s identity as a regional water and sewage company is now more clearly defined, but like its water peer Severn Trent, United currently trades on a forward price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 17, making it look quite expensive. For retirement investors, I believe electricity utilities currently offer much better value — National Grid currently has a forward P/E of just 13.4 and offers a forecast dividend yield of 5.7%, considerably higher than the prospective 4.8% on offer from United.

InterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental Hotels’ brand-focused business model means that it owns very few hotels, preferring instead to license its brands to third-party hotel operators. The strength of InterContinental’s’ …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

10 Shares Trading Near 52-Week Highs

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By David O’Hara, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — You know it’s a bull market when 46 companies in the FTSE 100 are trading within 3% of their high for the year.

Here are the 10 of those 46.

Company

Price (pence)

P/E (2013 forecast)

Yield (2013 forecast)

Market Cap (millions of pounds)

HSBC

728

10.8

4.5%

134,000

Unilever

2,657

18.9

3.2%

75,266

British American Tobacco

3,508

15.4

4.2%

67,721

SABMiller

3,325

20.8

2%

53,031

Diageo

1,972

19.2

2.4%

49,478

Reckitt Benckiser

4,501

17.3

3%

32,372

Tesco

370

11.6

4%

29,708

National Grid

725

13.4

5.7%

26,376

Prudential

987

12.8

3%

25,222

Centrica

355

12.8

4.9%

18,450

Five stood out in particular.

1. Unilever
Consumer brands companies are prominent in my top 10, and Unilever owns some of the foremost food and domestic brands. The Anglo-Dutch giant is behind Lynx, Domestos, Magnum, and Hellmann’s. These brands and their recognition with consumers means that Unilever products sell in large numbers. This gives Unilever economies of scale, meaning that the company can make a larger percentage profit at the same retail price. Pricing is helped further by the fact that, to many retailers, Unilever’s products are “must stock” items.

Unilever shares are not just at a high for the year; they currently trade at an all-time high.

With 1.77 euros in earnings per share forecast for 2014, Unilever shares trade at a premium to the rest of the market. However, that premium is well justified. I would not be surprised if the shares continued to make new highs in 2013.

2. Diageo
Just like Unilever, Diageo owns brands that shops and bars must stock, e.g., Smirnoff, Guinness, Captain Morgan, Baileys, and Jose Cuervo, to name a few.

Similar to Unilever’s, Diageo shares have also been making new highs recently. In the last year, the shares are up 31.1%. So far in 2013, they have advanced 10.4%. That’s a pretty sharp rise for a 50 billion pound blue chip. The share price movement at Diageo shows that it is possible to make big, quick returns on large caps.

For 2013 and 2014, earnings growth at an average rate of 10.8% a year is forecast. Dividend growth is expected at a similar rate. With the forecast 2013 yield on the shares now down to 2.4%, some investors are worrying that Diageo has become overpriced.

3. SABMiller
There’s not much between SABMiller and Diageo. Like Diageo, SABMiller owns big beer brands: Grolsch, Peroni, Pilsner Urquell, and Miller Genuine Draft are just four.

Like Diageo’s, SABMiller shares trade at an all-time high. The shares are also on a high valuation: The 2014 price-to-earnings ratio is 18.5, with a forecast yield of 2.3%. SABMiller is forecast to grow earnings and dividends faster than Diageo. For the next two years, 13.8% in average annual EPS growth is expected. This is forecast to be met by dividend per share growth of 11.6% per year.

There is little point agonizing between SABMiller and Diageo. If you are happy to pay the premiums that the market is demanding, just buy both.

4. Reckitt Benckiser
Like Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser owns a portfolio of household name brands. Harpic, Calgon, and Dettol are all Reckitt Benckiser products. The company also owns Brasso, Gaviscon, and Mr Sheen.

The strength of RB‘s brands has helped the company to …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

News, Politics, Government

The 2013 Blizzard in Scituate, MA: Notes From the Storm and its Aftermath

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By Peter Kelly-Detwiler, Contributor

The power just came on at 4 PM this afternoon.  I don’t know whom to thank.  I met a crew from Longmont Texas, yelled thanks to one from New Hampshire, and saw a phalanx of trucks from Sumter Utilities (South Carolina) at the local mall, ready for action. There were Alabamans in town as well, and probably another 20 states, all helping the local crews from National Grid.  The Texas crew said this time they were lucky – they slept in a hotel.  For the five days during Hurricane Sandy, their truck was their bed. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest