Roger S. Conrad

From potential trade wars to a possible hot war in the Middle East, the stock market has encountered numerous headline risks since early February. Meanwhile, the US economy continues to grow at a solid clip and inflation remains in check—sure-fire fuel for a bull market. Investors should continue to focus on fundamentals, especially the health of the companies represented in their portfolios. Our proprietary Quality Grades rate the more than 200 essential-service companies covered in our Utility Report Card from A (best) to F (worst). We break down the criteria that factor into our grading system and highlight several names on our watch list for potential inclusion in our model portfolios. In recent months, we’ve taken advantage of temporary selloffs in names with high-quality franchises and encouraging growth prospects. Recent portfolio additions Comcast Corp (NSDQ: CMCSA) and Edison International (NYSE: EIX) still offer good value for savvy investors, while recent weakness in Dominion Energy (NYSE: D) strikes us as unwarranted and overdone. Although the Utility Report Cardcontains fewer Sell-rated stocks after the recent pullback in the utility sector, investors should continue to steer clear of the names on our Endangered Dividends List.

Despite a down first quarter, market history is on the Dow Jones Utility Average's side.

Investors hate uncertainty, and the history of tariffs is filled with examples of unexpected collateral damage. Every new White House statement seems to trigger jagged stock market volatility. But before you head for the hills, there are three key points to consider.

We weigh in on fourth-quarter results from the three companies that reported last week and update our throughts on Dominion Energy, FirstEnergy, SCANA, Tesla and Williams Companies.

Unfortunately for CEO Elon Musk and his many followers, there’s plenty of room for more downside for Tesla Inc (NSDQ: TSLA).

Three companies covered in our Utility Report Card reported earnings this week.

This week, the US Federal Reserve raised the Fed Funds rate to a range of 1.5 to 1.75 percent. Does this mean it’s time for income investors to head for the hills? Hardly.

Dominion Energy's share price has come under pressure amid concerns about its ability to meet leverage targets by dropping down assets to Dominion Energy Midstream Partners LP.

The recent pullback finally sent this telecom titan's stock price below our buy target.