Image Source: PixabayCompany Description: Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ED) is an electric and gas utility holding company serves parts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:

1. Avg. High Yield Price
2. 20-Year DCF Price
3. Avg. P/E Price
4. Graham Number

ED is trading at a discount to only 3.) above. When also considering the NPV MMA Differential, the stock is trading at a 24.7% premium to its calculated fair value of $72.23. ED did not earn any Stars in this section.

Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:

1. Free Cash Flow Payout
2. Debt To Total Capital
3. Key Metrics
4. Dividend Growth Rate
5. Years of Div. Growth
6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15%

ED earned one Star in this section for 3.) above. ED earned a Star for having an acceptable score in at least two of the four Key Metrics measured. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1885 and has increased its dividend payments for 50 consecutive years.

Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:

1. NPV MMA Diff.
2. Years to > MMA

The NPV MMA Diff. of the $165 is below the $500 target I look for in a stock that has increased dividends as long as ED has. If ED grows its dividend at 2.2% per year, it will take 3 years to equal a MMA yielding an estimated 20-year average rate of 3.75%. ED earned a check for the Key Metric ‘Years to >MMA’ since its 3 years is less than the 5 year target.

Peers: The company’s peer group includes: The American Electric Power Company (AEP) with a 4.5% yield, PG&E Corp (PCG) with a 3.9% yield and Xcel Energy (XEL) with a 3.5% yield.

Conclusion: ED did not earn any Stars in the Fair Value section, earned one Star in the Dividend Analytical Data section and did not earn any Stars in the Dividend Income vs. MMA section for a total of one Star. This quantitatively ranks ED as a 1-Star Very Weak stock.

Using my D4L-PreScreen.xls model, I determined the share price would need to decrease to $72.43 before ED’s NPV MMA Differential increased to the $500 minimum that I look for in a stock with 50 years of consecutive dividend increases. At that price the stock would yield 4.5%.

Resetting the D4L-PreScreen.xls model and solving for the dividend growth rate needed to generate the target $500 NPV MMA Differential, the calculated rate is 4.5%. This dividend growth rate is above the 2.2% used in this analysis, thus providing no margin of safety. ED has a risk rating of 1.75 which classifies it as a Medium risk stock.

As a regulated electric and gas utility with a focus on power transmission and delivery, ED produces strong and stable earnings and cash flows. New York’s need for significant infrastructure should provide growth opportunities for ED, thus supporting long-term earnings and dividend growth. The stock is currently trading above my calculated fair value price of $72.23. ED’s free cash flow payout is negative and is debt to total capital is above my desired maximum, these metrics will keep me from adding to my position in the near-term.More By This Author:Kimberly-Clark Co. Dividend Stock AnalysisJohnson & Johnson Dividend Stock AnalysisColgate-Palmolive Dividend Stock Analysis