2 Electric Utility Dividends to Buy and 1 to Avoid

The attraction to the electric utility sector is the plethora of delectable dividends. You can pretty safely invest in this sector and land a stable dividend. However, there are two companies in this sector that stand out above their peers and also one that I feel fails to make the cut. Southern Co. (NYSE: SO) -- trust itOne aspect you need to understand about electric utilities is you won't get any barn-burning growth, and Southern is evidence of this. The company's five-year projected growth rate of 5.5% might put most investors to sleep, but a 4% compounded annual growth rate in the company's dividend over the past five years is nothing to sneeze at. Aside from a special dividend in 2001, the company hasn't lowered its quarterly distribution in the past 29 years -- that's consistency.... Read more