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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

01/22/14: So Much Depends on Just Energy’s Fiscal Third Quarter

By Roger S. Conrad on Jan. 22, 2014

Shares of Just Energy Group plunged 7.6 percent today after the firm announced plans to issue up to US$150 million in convertible bonds.

01/22/14: Verizon Communications: The Financial Media Still Doesn’t Get It

By Roger S. Conrad on Jan. 22, 2014

Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) posted solid fourth-quarter earnings yesterday, demonstrating once again why the stock is a foundational holding for income-seeking investors.

The Smarter Bet On Solar

By Roger S. Conrad on Jan. 18, 2014

Count me a “distech” skeptic. So-called disruptive technologies never fail to grab headlines. Those who bet on them, however, usually wind up with empty wallets.

01/17/14: Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP’s Fourth Quarter

By Roger S. Conrad on Jan. 17, 2014

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (NYSE: KMP) has come under fire for its tight distribution coverage and concerns that the blue-chip MLP’s size makes it difficult to grow cash flow. The burdensome incentive distribution rights that the partnership pays to its general partner, Kinder Morgan Inc. are another cause for concern.

5 Forecasts for Income Investors

By Roger S. Conrad on Jan. 10, 2014

Wall Street’s January ritual is to roll out “new” investment strategies. This year, fund manager Bill Gross has proclaimed the end of a 30-year bull market for bonds. So it’s no great surprise income advisors further down the food chain are pushing investors to adjust portfolios for higher interest rates.

Dividends in Danger

By Roger S. Conrad on Jan. 10, 2014

Nothing destroys shareholder value like a dividend cut. Investors should steer clear of these names.

Optimism and Vigilance

By Roger S. Conrad on Jan. 10, 2014

Where January leads, the rest of the year follows: That Wall Street adage has generally held up for most stocks over the years.

But it definitely has not for utilities—they’ve received a false signal 10 times in the past 30 years.

The keys to 2014 are ensuring the health and growth of the stocks you own, and buying selected bargains. These appear when investors let emotions get the better of them, or follow strategies based on false premises.

The most deadly conventional wisdom last year is still very much in play now: Selling utilities and other dividend-paying stocks for fear of rising interest rates.

As it turned out, rates did rise a lot in 2013, with the 10-year US Treasury note yield soaring more than 70 percent. But the Dow Jones Utility Average, Alerian MLP Index and S&P Telecom Service Index all finished 2013 with double-digit total returns.

That’s exactly what they did in 2009, the last time the 10-year Treasury note yield rose by better than 70 percent. In fact, the trio’s worst year by far since 1984 was 2008, a year of sharply falling interest rates.

NRG Energy: Winning in a Weak Market

By Roger S. Conrad on Jan. 10, 2014

Long-term contracts with creditworthy customers, strong finances and scale: Aggressive Holding NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) features all of them. That’s why the unregulated power company continues to thrive, even as rivals flounder.

ONE Gas and ONEOK: Dividing to Conquer

By Roger S. Conrad on Jan. 10, 2014

Oklahoma Natural Gas Company has provided regulated gas distribution service to Tulsa, Oklahoma since 1906. Today, successor company ONEOK (NYSE: OKE) serves 2.1 million customers as the largest gas utility in Kansas and Oklahoma, and third biggest in Texas.

Portfolio: Sticking To Sound Principles

By Roger S. Conrad on Jan. 10, 2014

Seek stocks of healthy and growing companies whose prospects exceed investor expectations. Then build a diversified and balanced mix you can hold long-term, to enjoy the rising cash flow and share price appreciation that growing dividends provide over time.

MODEL PORTFOLIOS & RATINGS

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