1 Cash-Rich Utility Retirees Can Count On to Protect Their Future Financial Plans

1 hour ago 5

Alex Sirois

Sat, June 27, 2026 astatine 7:59 AM CDT 3 min read

Quick Read

  • Con Ed (ED) extended its Dividend King streak to 52 years with a 4.4% raise, backed by a blimpish 58% guardant payout ratio.

  • A Moody's antagonistic outlook and $6.6 cardinal capex program requiring $1.1 cardinal successful caller equity awesome meaningful dilution hazard if involvement rates enactment elevated.

  • Act now: the expert who called NVIDIA successful 2010 conscionable named his apical 10 AI stocks — and Consolidated Edison didn't marque the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Few stocks gain their spot successful a retiree's portfolio the mode Consolidated Edison (NYSE:ED) has. The New York inferior delivers electricity, gas, and steam to astir 3.7 cardinal electrical customers crossed the country's busiest commercialized territory and conscionable notched its 52nd consecutive twelvemonth of dividend increases. Is that streak built to past different decade?

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Dividend Snapshot

Payout Ratios Leave Room, but Free Cash Flow Is the Catch

Con Ed paid $1.166 cardinal successful dividends successful 2025 against $4.8 cardinal successful operating currency flow, an OCF payout ratio of conscionable 24.3%. On an net basis, the $5.93 trailing EPS easy covers the $3.55 payout, and management's 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $6.00 to $6.20 drops the guardant net payout ratio adjacent 58%.

The catch: capex deed $4.764 cardinal successful 2025, leaving escaped currency travel level and historically negative. Like each regulated utility, Con Ed funds maturation with caller indebtedness and equity, which is wherefore the FCF payout ratio is not a cleanable awesome here.

Act now: the expert who called NVIDIA successful 2010 conscionable named his apical 10 AI stocks — and Consolidated Edison didn't marque the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Leverage Is Elevated and Moody's Is Watching

Con Ed is backing its $6.6 cardinal 2026 capex program with up to $1.1B successful communal equity and $3.2B successful semipermanent debt. That dilution is the terms retirees wage for grid investment.

The Streak: 52 Years and Counting

The 5-year CAGR sits adjacent 3%, hardly up of the caller CPI tally rate. The 2026 hike of 4.4% is the largest successful years.

Management Sounds Confident connected the Investment Cycle

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