Sempra Energy: Powered for the Turnaround

As the economy begins its comeback, the utilities companies that will benefit the most are the ones whose stock prices have suffered for being located in poor housing markets and those with significant counter-party risk. These companies lack the stability an investor looks for in utilities companies during a time of economic hardship. However, as the economy begins its turn around, these investments will once again become attractive.

A company that fits the aforementioned profile is Sempra Energy (SRE), a diversified gas utility company based in Southern California. Sempra has two core utility subsidiaries in Southern California Gas (SoCalGas), the largest gas utility in the United States and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), which serves 3.4 million customers in the San Diego area. Combined, these two entities comprise 60% of Sempra’s revenue stream. The remaining 40% comes from its natural gas infrastructure businesses, which includes Sempra Generation and Sempra Commodities.