For the most part, 2020 was a year when winning stocks kept moving higher. Underperformers remained stuck in neutral or worse.
Renewable energy companies’ abrupt conversion from value to momentum stocks was by far the most positive story in the Conrad’s Utility Investor coverage universe in 2020. Nine of the top ten performers owned their gains to a sharp uptick in investor enthusiasm for wind, solar, battery storage and electric vehicles.
Conversely, many other essential services companies I track are still one-third or more off their highs of last February. And the result was the largest performance gap in the history of this advisory, some 843 percentage points between the biggest winner and loser.
Next Issue : Feb. 8, 2021View Past Issues 
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Investment Strategy
MDU Resources: Low Risk Bet on an Infrastructure Boom
At first glance, MDU Resources (NYSE:MDU) shows a fairly discouraging investment profile. But there are three very good reasons to expect much better in the next 12 months.
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News and Analysis
Algonquin Power: An Up and Coming NextEra at a Better Price
Strong regulated utilities combined with long-term contracted renewable energy generation: That’s the NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE) business model. And not only does the formula work well, it’s become quite popular with investors.
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News and Analysis
Utility Bonds: High Green Yields in a Zero Rate Environment
Now more than ever, it’s a seller’s market for bonds of regulated electric, gas and water utilities. But our list of Fixed income picks features four bonds that trade below our recommended buy prices and meet my cardinal rule for buying any bond or preferred stock.
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News and Analysis
Resilient Renewables: Powering Utilities' Q3 Growth
The first three Portfolio electric utilities have announced Q3 results and delivered guidance, and the common thread for all three companies is they ignited robust underlying earnings growth by deploying new renewable energy generating capacity, despite pandemic-related pressures
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News and Analysis
Time to Pull the Plug on AT&T?
Chronic share underperformance, weak Q2 operating results and still-heavy debt raise the question - is it time to sell AT&T (NYSE: T)?
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Income Insights
High Quality Gas Utilities Are Cheap Again
Gas companies strengthened their case during pandemic-wracked 2020 by demonstrating extremely stable economics, paying generous dividends backed by ultra-secure and growing cash flows, and still remaining small enough to have perennial takeover appeal. Those strengths promise to make natural gas distribution a hot commodity again in 2021.
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Income Insights
Seeking the Next Alaska Communications: What’s Ahead for Broadband M&A
What’s a well-run fiber broadband network worth these days?
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Income Insights
California Utilities Clear a Big Hurdle
From all indications, 2020 has been the worst wildfire season in California’s history. And the state is hardly alone in its misery, as an unprecedented combination of wind gusts and dry conditions have also inflicted record damages throughout the West and Rocky Mountain states.
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Income Insights
AT&T, Verizon and the Burden of Low Expectations
The top two companies that dominate this essential service industry have combined market capitalization of $440 billion and annual revenue of $300 billion plus, but still trade for an average of just 10 times expected 2020 earnings. They clearly suffer from the burden of low expectations.
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Income Insights
Where this Election Will (And Won’t) Matter for Utilities
Elections always have consequences. They’re just rarely what investors think they will be—and almost never what’s declared beforehand in popular investment media.
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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