It was a great year for utility stocks with the Dow Jones Utility Average returning 27.3 percent. It was also the best yet for our loaded laggards strategy: Conservative Holdings returned 35.1 percent, Aggressive Holdings 31.2 percent and the Top 10 DRIPs 36.5 percent.
One key catalyst for our outperformance was a spike in investor interest for anything to do with renewable energy. We also mostly eschewed stocks with historically valuations and successfully avoided companies with weakening underlying businesses.
Next Issue : Feb. 10, 2020View Past Issues 
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News and Analysis
Hunting Bond Bargains in a Seller’s Market
About year ago, we pounded the table to buy selected high yield bonds. Since then, each of our recommendations has scored solid capital gains, while providing yields as high as 10 percent.
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News and Analysis
South Jersey Industries To Exit Maryland and More Utility M&A
The flow of mergers of entire utility companies has dried up, relative to the heady pace of a few years ago. But management teams are still finding plenty of assets to buy and sell.
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Utility Roundup
Kinder Delivers in Q3, Other Midstream May Not
What we learn from sector-wide trends is not just key to investing in Kinder Morgan Inc (NYSE: KMI), but to the entire North American energy midstream sector.
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Utility Roundup
Hunting the Hunter: Following Elliott’s Lead
How many companies can one private capital firm successfully take on all at once? Paul Singer’s Elliott Management seems determined to find out.
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News and Analysis
Keeping Global with an American Accent
The strong US dollar, worries about slowing global growth and disruption from uncertain politics and trade policy: That trio of entrenched trends continues to fuel investor appetites to “buy American,” dividend-paying stocks of US-based companies that generate all or mostly all of their sales within our borders.
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Income Insights
Kinder Passes Midstream’s Stress Test, Who's Next?
Recently released Q4 results indicate there's a sector-wide stress test in progress, and it’s not likely to let up at least until the second half of 2020.
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Income Insights
Post-Merger Aqua America: Great Company, High Price
I’ve personally owned Aqua America (NYSE: WTR) since it was Philadelphia Suburban. And thanks to the wealth-compounding power of dividend reinvestment, my Aqua shares are worth almost 14 times what I initially put in.
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Income Insights
Brookfield Buys Cincinnati Bell, Who’s Next?
Trial testimony has concluded in the court challenge of the proposed merger of two US wireless giants and we expect an early 2020 close. The real issue is whether management will be able to deliver on lofty expectations.
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Income Insights
Eversource “Carbon Neutral” by 2030: What it Means for Utilities
New England-based Eversource Energy (NYSE: ES) is the latest US electric utility to target zero carbon dioxide emissions, with a far more aggressive timetable than the 2050 date set by its sector peers.
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Income Insights
What’s Next for PG&E?
California’s wildfire insurance law passed last summer essentially requires Governor Gavin Newsom’s approval for any successful restructuring of PG&E Corp (NYSE: PCG). But the giant utility’s proposal is, in his words, “woefully short.”
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MODEL PORTFOLIOS & RATINGS
Aggressive Income Portfolio
Roger's favorite utilities for investors seeking superior price appreciation by taking calculated risks.
Conservative Income Portfolio
Harness the tried and true wealth-building power of rising dividends.
Top 10 DRIPs
Nothing compounds wealth like reinvesting a rising stream of dividends.
Endangered Dividends List
Warning: Falling Dividends.
Utility Report Card
Roger's current take and vital statistics on more than 200 essential-services stocks.
Conrad's Utility Investor
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