Stock market investing offers limitless opportunities for those willing to find and align with a strategy that meets their financial goals. For those with a lower risk tolerance and plenty of patience, a defensive approach to investing can be a great way to make the most of the money you put into the market.
Identifying a dividend stock with a stellar track record for paying regular distributions to shareholders is one thing. Picking one that has the fundamentals to continue paying without fail during harsh economic environments is how you get the real winners in your self-directed investment portfolio.
Against this backdrop, I think that Fortis (TSX:FTS) is the perfect stock to own over a long time frame. If you’re an investor willing to lock in for the long haul for a good mix of defensive growth, value, and dividend income, here’s why you should consider investing in Fortis stock.
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Solid business model
Defensive investments are those that can continue delivering returns to investors during market conditions where most typically falter. Fortis is a $32.25 billion market capitalization utility holdings company that owns and operates several electric and natural gas utility businesses. It offers some of the most essential services to its customers, which makes it a defensive holding.
No matter how bad the economy gets, people looking to cut expenses will never cancel their utility subscriptions. To make things even better, Fortis’s utility businesses operate in Canada, the U.S., and the Caribbean. All three are highly rate-regulated markets, letting Fortis generate predictable cash flows. Due to the long-term contracted nature of most of its assets, Fortis can create consistent cash flows through various market cycles.
Solid returns
Fortis is a company well-loved by investors due to its affinity to provide good value to its loyal investors. Fortis is one of the few publicly traded Canadian companies offering dividends with regular growth that spans over 50 years. Fortis has the kind of cash flow to support growing dividends and continue expanding its presence.
As of this writing, Fortis stock trades for $64.30 per share and pays its investors $0.615 per share each quarter, translating to a 3.82% dividend yield. It has used its stable cash flows to pay investors and keep increasing payouts each year for more than half a century. The best thing is that it looks set to continue its dividend-growth streak for the foreseeable future.
Foolish takeaway
Fortis continues to use the money it’s making to fund dividend hikes and capital programs that will help it further expand its rate base. Providing the kind of services that people cannot let go of, no matter how bad the economy gets, puts it in an excellent position to deliver excellent long-term returns to its investors.
Dividend investors who want to unlock the power of compounding to accelerate wealth growth have this utility giant as a staple in their self-directed investment portfolios. I don’t see a reason why this would not be such a holding for anyone’s portfolio.
