What happened
Shares of yieldco NextEra Energy Partners (NEP 2.99%) jumped 11.4% in July according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence after the company reported earnings for the second quarter. And it didn't hurt that renewable energy projects overall are a hot commodity on the market.
So what
Quarterly revenue jumped from $188 million to $204 million and net income increased from $8 million to $13 million. But what investors were more interested in is the company's cash available for distribution: $146 million before debt service and $84 million after debt. Management also said they expect fourth quarter 2017 distribution to be at an annualized rate of $1.58 to $1.62 per share, and the dividend to grow 12% to 15% annually between now and 2022.
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The other thing affecting yieldcos is the word that project prices are rising on the open market. First Solar and SunPower both said recently that project values are higher than they expected and that means what NextEra Energy Partners holds on its balance sheet is more valuable.
Now what
NextEra Energy Partners is in an enviable position, sporting one of the lowest dividend yields in the yieldco sector and being backed by a major utility. It can issue equity at a lower cost of capital than its peers, which means it is easier to buy projects with rates of return higher than the dividend. And with project values rising this could be one of the more aggressive buyers in the market, solidifying long-term dividend growth.
