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Fortis Inc (TSE:FTS)
TSX:FTS

Fortis (FTS) AI Stock Analysis

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TSE:FTS

Fortis

(TSX:FTS)

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Neutral 67 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:67Neutral
Price Target:
C$87.00
â–²(8.86% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:03/14/26
The score is driven primarily by resilient regulated-utility fundamentals but weighed down by persistently negative free cash flow and elevated leverage. Technicals are a clear positive with a strong uptrend across moving averages and positive momentum. Valuation is reasonable for the profile, supported by a ~3.1% dividend yield but not especially cheap at ~20x earnings.
Positive Factors
Regulated utility business model
A regulated-rate business provides durable, predictable cash flows because utilities recover prudently incurred costs plus an authorized return on invested capital. This structure reduces earnings cyclicality and ties long-term growth to rate-base expansion supported by approved capital programs.
Consistent multi-year revenue and profit growth
Steady top-line and net income gains across years indicate expanding scale and sustained demand for regulated services. For a utility, multi-year revenue and profit growth reflect successful execution of capital programs and rate cases that embed higher allowed returns into future earnings.
Improving operating cash flow
Rising operating cash flow underpins the company's ability to run operations and support capital programs without immediate operational distress. Strong OCF improves coverage of interest and working capital needs and supports the utility's case in regulatory filings despite negative free cash flow.
Negative Factors
Persistently negative free cash flow
Chronically negative FCF means the company must continually access external financing to fund capex and dividends. Over a multi-month to multi-year horizon, this raises refinancing and funding-cost risk, constrains flexibility, and can pressure credit metrics if market rates or funding conditions worsen.
Elevated and rising leverage
A growing debt base with consistently elevated leverage reduces financial cushion and increases sensitivity to higher interest rates. For a capital-intensive utility, rising borrowings narrow strategic flexibility, elevate refinancing risk, and can limit the firm's ability to absorb adverse regulatory or operational shocks.
Earnings dependent on regulatory outcomes
Fortis's ability to convert investment into allowed earnings depends on regulators approving cost recovery and authorized returns. Regulatory delays, lower allowed returns, or disallowed costs across jurisdictions can materially and persistently reduce expected returns on invested capital.

Fortis (FTS) vs. iShares MSCI Canada ETF (EWC)

Fortis Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionFortis Inc. operates as an electric and gas utility company in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean countries. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 438,000 retail customers in southeastern Arizona; and 100,000 retail customers in Arizona's Mohave and Santa Cruz counties with an aggregate capacity of 3,485 megawatts (MW), including 53 MW of solar capacity and 252 MV of wind capacity. The company also sells wholesale electricity to other entities in the western United States; owns gas-fired and hydroelectric generating capacity totaling 65 MW; and distributes natural gas to approximately 1,065,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in British Columbia, Canada. In addition, it owns and operates the electricity distribution system that serves approximately 577,000 customers in southern and central Alberta; owns 4 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 225 MW; and provides operation, maintenance, and management services to five hydroelectric generating facilities. Further, the company distributes electricity in the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador with an installed generating capacity of 143 MW; and on Prince Edward Island with a generating capacity of 130 MW. Additionally, it provides integrated electric utility service to approximately 68,000 customers in Ontario; approximately 272,000 customers in Newfoundland and Labrador; approximately 32,000 customers on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and approximately 16,000 customers on certain islands in Turks and Caicos. The company also holds long-term contracted generation assets in Belize consisting of 3 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 51 MW; and the Aitken Creek natural gas storage facility. It also owns and operates approximately 90,200 circuit Kilometers (km) of distribution lines; and approximately 50,500 km of natural gas pipelines. Fortis Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in St. John's, Canada.
How the Company Makes MoneyFortis primarily makes money by earning regulated returns on the utility infrastructure it owns and operates. Most revenue is generated by charging customers (and, in some cases, other market participants) regulated rates for electricity delivery (distribution and transmission) and for natural gas distribution. These rates are set through regulatory processes and are designed to allow recovery of prudently incurred operating costs (e.g., maintenance, labor, fuel/purchased power where applicable, and administrative costs) plus an authorized return on the company’s regulated rate base (its invested capital in utility plant such as lines, substations, meters, pipelines, and related equipment). A key driver of earnings is growth in rate base from capital investment programs—when new infrastructure is placed into service and included in rate base, it can increase the allowed earnings over time, subject to regulatory approval. Fortis also earns revenue from service fees and other regulated charges approved in tariffs (such as connection fees, demand charges, and customer service charges), and may have limited other income depending on individual utility jurisdictions; if specific non-regulated revenue streams or material partnership-driven revenues exist, they are not available here and are therefore null.

Fortis Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Nov 04, 2025
(Q3-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 06, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The earnings call presented a positive outlook with significant capital investments, growth in adjusted earnings, and a robust capital plan. Dividend increases and successful asset sales further strengthened the financial position. However, challenges such as regulatory lag at UNS and higher finance costs were noted.
Q3-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Strong Capital Investment
Utilities invested $4.2 billion through September, with a full-year investment expectation of $5.6 billion.
Adjusted Earnings Growth
Adjusted EPS for Q3 was $0.87, up $0.02 from the previous year, with year-to-date adjusted EPS at $2.63, up $0.18.
Increase in Capital Plan
5-year capital plan increased by $2.8 billion to $28.8 billion, supporting 7% rate base growth.
Dividend Increase
Board declared a fourth quarter dividend increase of approximately 4%, marking 52 consecutive years of increases.
ITC Growth
ITC's capital plan of $9.8 billion is the largest in its history, supporting 8% rate base growth.
Successful Asset Dispositions
Completed the sale of FortisTCI and investments in Belize, strengthening the balance sheet.
Funding Flexibility
Over $2 billion of debt raised, including a $750 million hybrid issuance at 5.1%, providing funding flexibility.
Negative Updates
Regulatory Lag at UNS
Earnings at UNS tempered by regulatory lag, with over $700 million of rate base not reflected in rates.
Higher Finance Costs
Higher holding company finance costs impacted EPS, particularly at the Corporate and Other segment.
Dilutive Impact of Asset Sales
Sale of FortisTCI expected to have a $0.02 impact on adjusted EPS for the full year.
Company Guidance
During Fortis Inc.'s third quarter 2025 earnings call, the company unveiled a new 5-year capital plan, which amounts to $28.8 billion, marking an increase of $2.8 billion compared to the prior plan. This plan is projected to support a 7% rate base growth and an annual dividend growth guidance of 4% to 6% through 2030. Fortis expects to invest approximately $5.6 billion for the full year 2025, having already invested $4.2 billion by September. The company highlighted significant growth driven by higher transmission investments, with ITC's capital plan reaching $9.8 billion, supporting an 8% rate base growth. UNS Energy's plan of $5.6 billion supports a 7% growth rate, and FortisBC's plan is set at $4.9 billion. Additionally, Fortis announced a 4.1% increase in their fourth-quarter dividend, continuing their 52-year streak of increases. Fortis maintains a solid financial position, with recent debt raising exceeding $2 billion and a strong cash flow to debt ratio projected to average 12.4% over the next five years.

Fortis Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Income statement strength (74) shows steady multi-year revenue and profit growth with stable utility-like margins, supported by predictable regulated segments. This is tempered by a more leveraged balance sheet (62) with rising debt and constrained flexibility, and a weak cash flow profile (48) where free cash flow is persistently negative, implying ongoing reliance on external funding despite improving operating cash flow.
Income Statement
74
Positive
Revenue has grown steadily over the period (from ~8.9B in 2020 to ~12.2B in 2025), with profits rising alongside it (net income ~1.27B to ~1.80B). Profitability looks solid and fairly stable for a regulated utility, with net margin in the mid-teens in recent years (about 13–15% in 2021–2024). The main weakness is that top-line growth has been uneven at times (roughly flat in 2024 after a stronger 2022–2023), which can limit earnings momentum.
Balance Sheet
62
Positive
The balance sheet reflects a typical utility capital structure: large asset base (~74.8B in 2025) supported by meaningful leverage. Debt has increased over time (~24.9B in 2020 to ~34.7B in 2025), and leverage is consistently elevated (debt-to-equity around 1.3–1.4 in 2020–2024). Equity has grown, but not fast enough to offset rising borrowings, which keeps financial flexibility more constrained and raises sensitivity to funding costs.
Cash Flow
48
Neutral
Operating cash flow is consistently positive and improving (about 2.7B in 2020 to ~4.1B in 2025), which supports the stability of the business. However, free cash flow is negative every year shown (including about -2.17B in 2025 and -1.34B in 2024), indicating heavy investment needs and/or funding of growth that likely requires ongoing external financing. This persistent cash shortfall is the key risk factor in the cash flow profile.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue12.17B11.51B11.52B11.04B9.45B
Gross Profit8.80B5.22B4.86B4.41B3.97B
EBITDA5.89B5.29B4.92B4.50B4.02B
Net Income1.80B1.68B1.57B1.39B1.29B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets74.83B75.06B67.41B65.87B59.01B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments367.00M220.00M625.00M209.00M131.00M
Total Debt34.67B33.70B30.03B29.04B25.95B
Total Liabilities48.96B49.21B44.08B43.03B38.10B
Stockholders Equity23.81B23.81B21.50B21.03B19.29B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-2.17B-1.34B-624.00M-791.00M-479.00M
Operating Cash Flow4.06B3.88B3.54B3.07B2.91B
Investing Cash Flow-5.36B-5.39B-3.74B-4.06B-3.49B
Financing Cash Flow1.46B1.06B613.00M1.03B451.00M

Fortis Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price79.92
Price Trends
50DMA
74.22
Positive
100DMA
72.50
Positive
200DMA
69.27
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
1.27
Positive
RSI
67.64
Neutral
STOCH
61.19
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For TSE:FTS, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 79.92 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 77.87, above the 50-day MA of 74.22, and above the 200-day MA of 69.27, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 1.27 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 67.64 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 61.19 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for TSE:FTS.

Fortis Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (66)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
67
Neutral
$40.55B19.977.51%3.50%5.21%4.27%
67
Neutral
C$36.04B24.4710.58%2.43%5.98%14.79%
66
Neutral
$17.65B18.105.60%3.62%6.62%11.55%
65
Neutral
C$22.25B18.588.83%4.33%14.10%65.76%
58
Neutral
C$13.29B97.608.84%4.33%-0.94%25.64%
54
Neutral
C$6.76B42.213.20%3.62%7.75%11.25%
50
Neutral
C$6.69B25.553.88%4.32%-4.72%96.98%
* Utilities Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
TSE:FTS
Fortis
79.92
17.65
28.34%
TSE:ACO.X
ATCO Ltd Cl I NV
67.00
20.76
44.90%
TSE:CU
Canadian Utilities A
48.83
15.18
45.09%
TSE:H
Hydro One
60.09
13.54
29.07%
TSE:AQN
Algonquin Power & Utilities
8.70
1.67
23.76%
TSE:EMA
Emera
73.43
16.86
29.81%
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Mar 14, 2026