DTE Energy
With the potential for very warm summer weather, this company may look to extend gains into the second half of 2022. DTE Energy Co. (NYSE: DTE) is the largest utility in Michigan. Its largest operating units are DTE Electric, an electric utility serving 2.2 million customers in southeastern Michigan, and DTE Gas, a natural gas utility serving 1.3 million customers in the state. DTE Energy also has non-utility energy businesses that focus on power and industrial projects, natural gas midstream and energy trading.
The company’s Gas segment purchases, stores, transports, distributes and sells natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial customers throughout Michigan, and it sells storage and transportation capacity. This segment has approximately 19,800 miles of distribution mains, 1,305,000 service pipelines and 1,273,000 active meters, as well as approximately 2,000 miles of transmission pipelines.
Its Gas Storage and Pipelines segment owns natural gas storage fields, lateral and gathering pipeline systems and compression and surface facilities. It also has ownership interests in interstate pipelines serving the Midwest, Ontario and northeast markets.
The company’s Power and Industrial Projects segment offers metallurgical coke; pulverized coal and petroleum coke to the steel, pulp and paper, and other industries; and power, steam and chilled water production, and wastewater treatment services, as well as supplies compressed air to industrial customers.
Shareholders receive a 2.63% dividend. The DTE Energy stock target price at Goldman Sachs is $138. That compares with the $137.63 consensus and Thursday’s closing price of $135.52 a share
Merck
This remains a leading health care stock for conservative investors. Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) offers therapeutic and preventive agents to treat cardiovascular issues, type 2 diabetes, asthma, nasal allergy symptoms, allergic rhinitis, chronic hepatitis C virus, HIV-1 infection, fungal infections, intra-abdominal infections, hypertension, arthritis and pain, inflammatory, osteoporosis, male pattern hair loss and fertility diseases.
The company also provides neuromuscular blocking agents for use in surgery, anti-bacterial products for skin and skin structure infections, cholesterol modifying medicines, non-sedating antihistamine and vaginal contraceptive products.
Investors receive a 3.23% dividend. Goldman Sachs has a $101 target price on Merck stock. The consensus target is $92.58. Thursday’s closing print of $88.58 was up 5% for the day.
NRG Energy
This stock has made a nice run off the lows and is another solid idea for investors who are more conservative. NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE: NRG) operates as an integrated power company in the United States that produces, sells and delivers electricity and related products and services to 3.6 million residential, industrial and commercial consumers.
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