Roger S. Conrad

Winter 2013-14 was one of the coldest on record in North America. Americans used massive amounts of natural gas, drawing down an historic glut in storage. And supplies are still shrinking with US consumption running 19 percent ahead of last year.

Conrad's Utility Investor has three actively managed portfolios--Aggressive Income, Conservative Income and Top 10 Drips--each of which is tailored to a specific investment style and risk tolerance. We review each model portfolio's objective, book a 60 percent gain on one of our winners and shift one of our Conservative Income Portfolio holdings to the Aggressive Income Portfolio.

The newest member of the Conservative Income Portfolio operates regulated and unregulated utility businesses and is poised for impressive distribution growth.

This Aggressive Portfolio holding remains one of our favorite turnaround stories.

TransAlta Corp (TSX: TA, NYSE: TAC) has cut its quarterly dividend by 37.9 percent to 18 cents Canadian, starting with the April 1 payment. The new level is low enough to maintain at least the next couple years. As a result, I’m removing the company from the Endangered Dividends List.

After two consecutive winning months, it’s hard to believe utility stocks had so many detractors to start 2014. And it’s even more difficult to find anyone who will own up to being bearish then or now.

The Bull Market turns 5 years old this weekend. That’s the average age most rallies have come apart, including the previous decade’s run that ended with the 2008 crash.

Happily, there’s plenty of differences between now and then. Consumers, businesses and even governments are far less leveraged. The global economy isn’t close to overheating. The US dollar is the hot commodity. And there’s still a wall of worry to climb, judging from the popularity of bear arguments on almost any subject.

It's undeniable, however, that real values are harder to come by. That's especially true for dividend-paying stocks. And though still nowhere close to 2007 levels, investors’ appetite for risk has grown. That includes piling into popular fare that have already scored big gains, as well as piling on with short sales of battered stocks.

In recent months, we’ve scored hefty profits in several unloved Aggressive Income Portfolio holdings that squeezed heavy short interest by posting better-than-expected results. That includes ENEL SPA (Italy: ENEL, OTC: ENLAY), which I’m taking a roughly 60 percent profit on in 7 months.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (NYSE: KMP) doesn't understate the maintenance capital expenditures in its natural-gas pipeline segment.

Only two Portfolio holdings have yet to turn in earnings this reporting season. Aggressive Holding ENEL SPA (Italy: ENEL, OTC: ENLAY) will unveil its fourth quarter 2013 numbers on March 11. Conservative Holding Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) releases its first quarter fiscal 2014 results on March 7.

The massive loss T-Mobile USA (NSDQ: TMUS) reported this week hasn’t slowed the hyperactive tweeting of its CEO John Legere. Nor apparently has the news scared off his groupies on Wall Street, though that may have more to do with continuing takeover speculation.