Roger S. Conrad

The lowest US unemployment rate in seven years has sparked speculation that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates sooner than expected, giving traders a convenient excuse to sell dividend-paying stocks. Arguments can be made for and against the Fed raising interest rates. On one hand, the federal funds rate continues to hover near zero, and the central bank has long cited 5.5 percent unemployment as a prerequisite for gradually normalizing monetary policy after a period of extraordinary accommodations. On the other hand, inflationary pressure remains negligible. Hiking interest rates would also propel the Uncle Buck even higher, undermining the nascent revival of US manufacturing and the finances of many developing-world economies. Misjudging which course of action the Federal Reserve will take won’t ruin your portfolio. However, rashly selling your dividend-paying stocks doesn’t make a lot of sense; future returns for utility stocks, master limited partnerships and telecom stocks won’t depend on the US central bank’s next move.

The pullback in utility stocks gives investors another chance to buy high-quality names.

Lower energy prices keep several dividend cutters in danger of further reductions to their payouts.

The market’s attention has turned to the Federal Reserve once again. But savvy investors will focus on industry- and company-specific drivers to identify outperformers. We explore several key trends for essential-services investors.

The newest addition to our Aggressive Income Portfolio represents a recently announced deal involving this longtime underperformer will create long-term value for shareholders.

Fears of rising interest rates have given traders an excuse to take profits on utility stocks after last fall’s big run-up. Investors with a longer time horizon have ample opportunity buy the high-quality names in our 10 Percent Club, a distinguished group of essential-services stocks that offer a compelling combination of current yield and potential dividend growth.

Roger Conrad will host an exclusive Live Chat for Conrad's Utility Investor subscribers on March 10, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. ET.

First Solar and SunPower Corp announced a yieldco earlier this week. Should you believe the hype?

Utility stocks have pulled back from their all-time high reached in January, but our Portfolio holdings continue to deliver solid fourth-quarter results.

Oil and gas producers worldwide have felt the sting from lower energy prices. Although much of the media attention has focused on the US companies spearheading the shale revolution, their counterparts north of the border arguably have taken a harder hit.