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  • Roger S. Conrad

Roger S. Conrad needs no introduction to individual and professional investors, many of whom have profited from his decades of experience uncovering the best dividend-paying stocks for accumulating sustainable wealth.

Roger built his reputation with Utility Forecaster, a publication he founded more than 20 years ago that The Hulbert Financial Digest routinely ranked as one of the best investment newsletters. He’s also a sought-after expert on master limited partnerships (MLP) and former Canadian royalty trusts.

In April 2013, Roger reunited with his long-time friend and colleague, Elliott Gue, becoming co-editor of Energy & Income Advisor, a semimonthly online newsletter that’s dedicated to uncovering the most profitable opportunities in the energy sector.

Although the masthead may have changed, readers can count on Roger to deliver the same high-quality analysis and rational assessment of the best dividend-paying utilities, MLPs and dividend-paying Canadian energy names.

Articles

Roger Conrad’s Utility Investor — Live Chat

By Roger S. Conrad on Aug. 3, 2015
Roger Conrad will host an exclusive Live Chat for Conrad's Utility Investor subscribers on Aug. 31, 2015, at 2:00 p.m.

TECO Energy Puts Itself Up for Sale: More Deals Coming?

By Roger S. Conrad on Jul. 27, 2015
Reports circulated earlier this month that Florida-based TECO Energy had put itself up for sale, prompting the utility to confirm that the firm had engaged Morgan Stanley to “explore strategic alternatives.” This news triggered a record single-day gain in TECO Energy’s shares and provides yet another sign of accelerating mergers and acquisitions activity.

Top 5 Utility Takeover Plays

By Roger S. Conrad on Jul. 24, 2015
Reports that Teco Energy has put itself up for sale have sparked speculation about the next takeover targets in the utility sector. We highlight five of our favorites.

07/20/15: No Surprises

By Roger S. Conrad on Jul. 20, 2015
This controversial energy company posted solid second-quarter results and continues to pivot toward the few growth areas in the US energy patch.

Dishing the Dirt on the Utility Sector’s Spin Cycle

By Roger S. Conrad on Jul. 14, 2015
Utilities have announced a number of spin-offs over the past 12 months. Some are worth your while; some are not.

07/13/15: Sell ONE Gas for a 36 Percent Gain

By Roger S. Conrad on Jul. 13, 2015
ONE Gas (NYSE: OGS) has generated a total return of 36.8 percent since joining the Conservative Income Portfolio and has traded above our buy target for much of this year. It's time to cash out.

Focused on the Long Term, Opportunistic in the Near Term

By Roger S. Conrad on Jul. 12, 2015
The bull market’s seventh year is off to a less-than-rousing start for income investors, with the Alerian MLP Index down 11.5 percent and the Dow Jones Utilities Average down 6.5 percent. Even shares of American Water Works (NYSE: AWK), the largest US water utility, have given up 4.7 percent of their value in 2015. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 has gained only 0.7 percent this year. In our coverage universe, the S&P Telecommunication Services Index has emerged as the big winner, eking out a 2.3 percent total return. This weakness in US equities reflects an uncertain macroeconomic environment that’s clouded by China’s slowing growth and the Greek sovereign-debt crisis. A muddy outlook for US economic growth hasn’t helped matters. Speculation about when and to what extent the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates has heightened volatility in the stock market. Meanwhile, oil prices appear poised for another downdraft, now that we’ve passed the peak of the summer driving season. Over the past six years, best-in-class utility stocks have followed market corrections with big-time gains. We expect more of the same once the market settles down, especially if our favorites post solid second-quarter results. Nevertheless, investors have ample cause for caution. The Dow Jones Utilities Average’s performance this year bears an eerie resemblance to 1987, the last time the sector faltered badly after a winning January. And another breakdown in oil prices, an interest rate hike and/or more weakness in China could roil equity markets further. My midyear strategy balances a long-term focus on quality and value with short-term opportunism: By cashing out of outperformers with limited upside, we can stockpile some dry powder to deploy in a correction. We’ve sold about half a dozen Portfolio holdings since mid-2014, booking sizable gains on most. This month, we’re liquidating our position in Conservative Income Portfolio holding ONE Gas (NYSE: OGS) for a 38.1 percent profit. Although the gas utility boasts a solid dividend, the stock trades at 21 times earnings—a lofty valuation that doesn’t reflect emerging questions about future growth.

Key Themes for the Second Half of 2015

By Roger S. Conrad on Jul. 12, 2015
The utility sector is a mixed bag right now: Some stocks remain at elevated valuations and look ripe for profit-taking; others look like good buys for opportunistic investors.

Strategy Review

By Roger S. Conrad on Jul. 12, 2015
Heading into earnings season, we expect most of our Portfolio holdings to post solid second-quarter results. Nevertheless, the macro backdrop suggests that investors should take some profits off the table in their big winners and take advantage of any pullbacks to buy high-quality names.

A Break in the Storm

By Roger S. Conrad on Jul. 10, 2015
For the second consecutive month, none of the more than 200 essential-services companies covered in our Utility Report Card announced a dividend cut. However, companies with heavy exposure to energy prices—especially crude oil and natural gas liquids (NGL)—remain under pressure and could be at risk of reducing their payouts.

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ABOUT ROGER CONRAD

Roger S. Conrad needs no introduction to individual and professional investors, many of whom have profited from his decades of experience uncovering the best dividend-paying stocks for accumulating sustainable wealth. Roger b