Roger S. Conrad

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.

Momentum-seeking money, which last year helped the utility sector to outperform, has shifted to dividend-paying energy stocks and telecoms since Jan. 28, 2015, when the popular Utilities Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLU) hit its all-time high. In subsequent weeks, the exchange-traded fund has given up more than 7 percent of its value; on the opposite end of the teeter-totter, the S&P 500 Telecommunication Services Index has rallied by roughly the same amount and the Alerian MLP Index has climbed 4.6 percent. These moves represent a reversal of the trend that held sway from the end of September to the end of January, when the S&P 500’s telecom stocks gave up 7 percent of their value and the Alerian MLP Index dropped by more than 17 percent. Over the same period, Utilities Select SPDR generated a total return of almost 20 percent. Don’t panic over this latest shift in momentum. This pullback gives savvy investors an opportunity to buy some our favorite utility stocks at more reasonable prices, though a good chunk still trade above our buy targets.

Let the currency headwinds blow; this Australian utility continues to deliver the goods as a business.

This master limited partnership hasn't skipped a beat since oil price started to plunge.

There’s more to analyzing quarterly earnings than whether a company met Wall Street analysts’ consensus estimates. These regular check-ups provide useful insight into the health of our Portfolio holdings’ underlying businesses and their future growth prospects.

Two companies escape from our Endangered Dividends List this month, while a handful of others join the party.

The Dow Jones Utilities Average has pulled back from its January 2015 high, while, at the opposite end of the teeter-totter, energy stocks have caught a bid. We explain our strategy for investing in this late-stage bull market, kick the tires on recent mergers and acquisitions and analyze the results of the Federal Communication Commission’s recent spectrum auction.

Fourth-quarter earnings season rolls on; thus far, everything is as it should be for our Portfolio holdings.

Canadian real estate investment trusts remain among the cheapest stocks for income-seeking investors.

The Dow Jones Utilities Average generated a positive return in January, a feat that often translates into a strong performance for the full year. High valuations, however, remain a risk. We highlight a few names where investors may want to consider taking profits off the table and dig into the first back of fourth-quarter earnings.