Is UGI Stock a Prudent Choice for Your Portfolio Right Now?

UGI Corporation UGI continues to benefit from strategic investments in infrastructure modernization, disciplined capital allocation and a focus on operational improvements. Given its growth opportunities and strong return on equity (ROE), UGI makes for a solid investment option in the utility sector.Let’s focus on the factors that make this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company a strong investment pick at the moment.Growth Projections & Surprise History of UGIThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 earnings per share (EPS) has moved up 2.3% in the past 90 days to $3.13. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 sales is pinned at $7.81 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of 8.4%.  UGI’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 5.2%. The company delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 75.7%.UGI’s ROE Better Than Its IndustryROE indicates how efficiently a company has been utilizing the funds to generate higher returns. Currently, UGI’s ROE is 16.21%, higher than the industry’s average of 9.24%. This indicates that the company has been utilizing the funds more constructively than its peers in the utility gas distribution industry.UGI’s LiquidityThe company’s current ratio of 1.23 is better than the industry’s average of 0.63. A current ratio greater than one indicates that the company has enough short-term assets to liquidate to cover all short-term liabilities, if necessary.UGI’s Debt PositionCurrently, UGI’s total debt to capital is 58.34%, better than the sector’s average of 60.33%. The time-to-interest earned ratio at the end of the fiscal second quarter of 2025 was 2.5. The ratio, being greater than one, reflects the company’s ability to meet future interest obligations without difficulties.The Perks of Strategic Investments for UGIUGI makes strategic investments to handle numerous capital projects, improve the safety and reliability of facilities used for natural gas production and storage, and update the system by replacing outdated infrastructure. These additions and upgrades enable it to serve the expanding customer base efficiently.UGI invested $160 million in the fiscal second quarter to further strengthen its operations, with 79% invested in the natural gas businesses. It plans to invest $800-$900 million in fiscal 2025 to strengthen its operations, and $3.7-$4.1 billion through fiscal 2027.UGI’s Dividend HistoryThe consistently strong performance of the company has enabled it to reward its shareholders through annual dividend rate hikes. UGI has been paying dividends for the past 141 years. The CAGR for UGI’s 10-year dividend is 6% for fiscal 2014-2024. The company’s current dividend yield of 4.17% is better than the Zacks S&P 500 composite’s 1.19%.UGI’s Share Price PerformanceIn the past three months, shares of the company have risen 8.5% compared with the industry’s 1.9% growth. Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchOther Stocks to ConsiderA few other top-ranked stocks from the same industry are Atmos Energy ATO, MDU Resources Group MDU and ONE Gas OGS, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.ATO’s long-term earnings growth rate is 7.19%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 EPS indicates a year-over-year increase of 5.9%.MDU’s long-term earnings growth rate is 6.46%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS indicates year-over-year growth of 5.6%. OGS’ long-term earnings growth rate is 5.56%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS implies year-over-year growth of 9.7%.  Zacks' Research Chief Picks Stock Most Likely to "At Least Double"Our experts have revealed their Top 5 recommendations with money-doubling potential – and Director of Research Sheraz Mian believes one is superior to the others. Of course, all our picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier recommendations like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.See Our Top Stock to Double (Plus 4 Runners Up) >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO): Free Stock Analysis Report UGI Corporation (UGI): Free Stock Analysis Report MDU Resources Group, Inc. (MDU): Free Stock Analysis Report ONE Gas, Inc. (OGS): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks