Roger S. Conrad

Sempra Energy's takeover offer for Energy Future Holdings--the fourth bid that brought before the Public Utility Commission of Texas--has a good chance of securing approval, though some adjustments may be necessary.

Roger Conrad will host an exclusive Live Chat for Conrad's Utility Investor subscribers on Sept. 14, 2017, at 2 p.m. ET.

With the bull market in its ninth year and equity valuations at historically elevated levels, investors’ growing preference for passive and quantitative strategies seems risky at a time in the cycle when selectivity is critical to success. Giving up this control for lower fees strikes us as a heavy price to pay. Although our favorite utilities proved their worth by maintaining or growing their dividends throughout the Great Recession, these stocks weren’t immune to the gut-wrenching volatility that roiled the market. Weathering the inevitable storms is much easier if you took a little profit off the table when valuations reached unsustainably high levels—a practice we’ve advocated throughout the year. Investors should also remain opportunistic and snap up shares of high-quality companies that temporarily fall out of favor. To this end, we highlight some of our best ideas in the current market. Don’t forget to check out the Utility Report Card for our in-depth analyses of second-quarter results, as well as updated ratings and Quality Grades.

Accelerating adoption of the internet of things creates compelling opportunities for some of the companies covered in our Utility Report Card.

Even in this late-stage bull market, savvy investors can still find bargains without making too many concessions to quality. You just need to know where to look.

This telecom giant posted impressive second-quarter results, but its stock still trades at a discount valuation that fails to reflect its future prospects for earnings and dividend growth.

Looking for value in the utility sector? Look no further.

Three of the four companies in our coverage universe that announced payout cuts this quarter were on our Endangered Dividends List.

AT&T and Verizon Communications' second-quarter subscriber additions surprised to the upside, catalyzing a sharp rally in these telecom titans' stock prices. We explain the value of taking a longer view on these names.

Mergers and acquisitions continue apace in the utility sector, but regulators have grown more assertive about ensuring that these deals happen on their terms.