Financial Performance - 4Q '16 Net Income was $207 million ($0.67/share), while Full Year '16 Net Income reached $630 million ($2.04/share)[9] - Full Year '16 Net Income increased by 136% compared to FY '15, rising from $267 million to $630 million[11, 38] - Full Year '16 Adjusted Net Income increased by 23%, from $521 million to $641 million[17, 38] - Capital investments increased by 64% to $1.9 billion in '16[9, 20] Dividends and Payout - Quarterly dividend of $0.432/share was paid in '16[9, 24] - The company plans to increase the dividend beginning in '18, targeting a payout of 65%-75%[9, 25, 27] 2017 Outlook - AVANGRID projects an Adjusted EPS of $2.10 - $2.35 for 2017[33] - The Networks business is expected to contribute $1.66 - $1.74 to the Adjusted EPS in 2017[33] - Renewables are projected to contribute $0.50 - $0.65 to the Adjusted EPS in 2017[33] Renewables Highlights - Completion of 208 MW Amazon Wind Farm U S East & additional 536 MW of wind in construction[32] - Wind production increased by 5% in FY '16, with a total of 14,420 GWh[78]

Financial Performance - 2017 Results - FY 2017 net income was $381 million, or $1.23 per share[10], while adjusted net income was $682 million, or $2.20 per share[10] - In Q4 2017, net income was $77 million, or $(0.25) per share[10], compared to adjusted net income of $188 million, or $0.61 per share[10] - Capital investments increased by 18% to $2.3 billion in 2017[12] - AVANGRID is planning to increase dividend in 2018 consistent with 65%-75% payout target[12] Business Segment Performance - Networks FY 2017 net income was $496 million, and adjusted net income was $507 million, a 5% increase year-over-year[41] - Renewables FY 2017 net income was $333 million, and adjusted net income was $120 million, a 19% increase year-over-year[45] - Corporate FY 2017 net income was $60 million, and adjusted net income was $55 million[48] Renewables Operational Data - Installed renewables capacity increased to 6,495 MW, with 411 MW under construction[51] - The average load factor for renewables decreased by 3% to 29% in both 4Q 2017 and FY 2017[55] - Wind production increased by 5% to 3,881 GWh in 4Q 2017 and by 2% to 14,708 GWh in FY 2017[104] Financial Position - Net debt was $6.321 billion[72, 93] - FFO/Net Debt was 29.1%[72, 95] 2018 Outlook - AVANGRID EPS guidance is $2.16 - $2.46, and adjusted EPS guidance is $2.22 - $2.50[29]

Core Insights - The price-to-sales (P/S) ratio is a valuable metric for assessing companies, especially those that are unprofitable or in early growth stages, as it provides a clearer picture of value when earnings are minimal or non-existent [9][26] - A lower price-to-sales ratio indicates a better investment opportunity, as it reflects how much investors pay for each dollar of revenue generated by a company [19][18] - Companies with a high debt level and low price-to-sales ratio are not ideal investments, as high debt must eventually be addressed, potentially leading to share dilution and increased market cap [2] Company Summaries - **Avangrid**: The third-largest solar and wind generator in the U.S. with $44 billion in assets, formed from the merger of Iberdrola U.S.A. and UIL Holdings Corporation. The company focuses on organic growth through regulated and contracted investments to ensure steady earnings growth [5] - **Fidelis Insurance Holdings Limited (FIHL)**: An insurance holding company with operations in Bermuda, Ireland, and the U.K. It emphasizes optimizing its investment portfolio for superior risk-adjusted returns and capital management [6] - **JAKKS Pacific**: A multi-brand company that designs and markets toys and consumer products, benefiting from acquisitions and a strong international presence. The company is focused on innovation and collaborations, enhancing its diversified product offerings [13][29] - **PCB Bancorp**: A holding company for PCB Bank, providing a range of banking products and services tailored to small and medium-sized businesses in Southern California. The company is positioned for sustained growth through strategic expansion and branch network optimization [14][30] - **Greenbrier**: A leading supplier of equipment and services to global freight transportation markets, with a strong product lineup and customer relationships that support its profitable leasing business [15][31] Investment Metrics - A stock with a price-to-sales ratio below 1 is considered a good bargain, as it indicates that investors are paying less than a dollar for each dollar of revenue [10] - Companies with a Value Score of A or B, combined with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2, present the best opportunities in value investing [4][28] - The price-to-book ratio should be less than the median for its industry to ensure the value feature of a stock [3][27]

Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is Avangrid (AGR) one of those stocks right now? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Utilities peers, we might be able to answer that question.Avangrid is one of 105 companies in the Utilities group. The Utilities group currently sits at #8 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from be ...

Group 1: Inflation and Economic Outlook - Inflation showed signs of cooling but unexpectedly jumped in November, with the consumer price index (CPI) rising 0.3%, marking the largest gain since April, and a year-over-year increase of 2.7% [1][4] - Core CPI, excluding food and energy, also increased by 0.3% month-over-month and 3.3% year-over-year, aligning with expectations and raising hopes for another Federal Reserve rate cut [4][5] Group 2: Investment Recommendations - It is advisable to invest in defensive stocks such as Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO), Avangrid, Inc. (AGR), Middlesex Water Company (MSEX), Ingredion Incorporated (INGR), and Tyson Foods (TSN), all of which have a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) [2] - These stocks are categorized as low-beta stocks, with betas greater than 0 but less than 1, making them suitable for investors seeking stability [3] Group 3: Company Profiles - **Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO)**: Engaged in regulated natural gas distribution, serving approximately 3.3 million customers across eight states, with an expected earnings growth rate of 5% and a current dividend yield of 2.247% [8][9] - **Avangrid, Inc. (AGR)**: The third-largest solar and wind generator in the U.S. with $44 billion in assets, expected earnings growth rate of 12%, and a current dividend yield of 4.95% [10] - **Middlesex Water Company (MSEX)**: Provides water treatment and distribution services, with an expected earnings growth rate of 33% and a current dividend yield of 2.22% [12] - **Ingredion Incorporated (INGR)**: Specializes in nature-based ingredients, with an expected earnings growth rate of 12.4% and a current dividend yield of 2.22% [13][14] - **Tyson Foods (TSN)**: The largest U.S. chicken company, with an expected earnings growth rate of 13.2% and a current dividend yield of 3.21% [15][16]

Group 1 - The article discusses the top 100 sustainable companies identified by Calvert Research and Management based on an annual review of over 230 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance indicators [1] - Key ESG performance indicators include workplace diversity, data security, and greenhouse-gas emissions [1] Group 2 - The article promotes a live video series on Facebook called the Underdog Daily Dividend Show, which highlights potential portfolio candidates for investment [2] - The show encourages audience engagement by inviting comments on favorite or least favorite stock tickers for future reports [2]

Avangrid Inc. (AGR) and Portland General Electric (POR) have signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for Tower Solar, a new 120 MWac (166 MWdc) solar energy project now under construction in Morrow County, OR, in collaboration with QTS and Meta.Tower Solar will be situated across around 900 acres of Port of Morrow-owned industrially zoned land next to the Boardman Airport, west of Boardman. Over 200,000 solar panels will be used in the project.The facility will deliver clean, renewable energy to POR’s grid ...

Avangrid Inc.’s (AGR) strategic capital expenditure plans should further assist in upgrading its infrastructure and facilities. The company is expanding its clean energy generation capacity, which should boost its performance. Given its growth opportunities, AGR makes for a solid investment option in the utility sector.Let’s focus on the factors that make this currently Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company a strong investment pick at the moment.AGR’s Growth Projections & Surprise HistoryThe Zacks Consensus Estimate ...

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Avangrid (AGR) . Shares have added about 0.8% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Avangrid due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers. Avangrid Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Increase Y/Y ...

Investors are typically fixated on the price-to-earnings (P/E) strategy while seeking stocks trading at attractive prices. This straightforward, easy-to-calculate ratio is the most preferred among all the valuation metrics in the investment toolkit for working out the fair market value of a stock. But even this ubiquitously used valuation metric is not without its pitfalls.While P/E is by far the most popular equity valuation ratio, a more complicated metric called EV-to-EBITDA does a better job of valuing ...