Aggressive Income Feature

Back in January, I added unregulated electricity generator and retailer Vistra Energy (NYSE: VST) to the Aggressive Holdings for three reasons.

First, the company is a cash machine, consistently shaving costs from its business and debt from its balance sheet while gaining market share with acquisitions and “greening” its generation fleet. Second, its shares traded at a major valuation gap I thought would close as the US economy strengthened. And third, there was a growing possibility of a takeover, potentially by private capital.

PPL Corp’s (NYSE: PPL) potential sale of UK operations remains a threat to its dividend several weeks into the strategic review. Nonetheless, we’re adding the stock to the Aggressive Holdings now for three reasons.

Clearway Energy (NYSE: CWEN) rewarded our patience last month by restoring quarterly dividends to a rate of 31.25 cents per share. The move initially pushed the stock to a new high in the upper-20s. But it also apparently convinced some investors the big gains are done, a mistake the sellers will likely regret.

Utilities that diversify too far from regulated essential services usually wind up getting burned. But once in a while, a company with staying power is in the right place at the right time. That’s the case for MDU Resources.

No Dow Jones Utility Average member has seen volatility this year like AES Corp (NYSE: AES). The stock hit a 12-year peak on February 18, then fell more than 60 percent, and has since recouped two-thirds of that loss.

This spring Centerpoint Energy (NYSE: CNP) cut its quarterly dividend in half. That followed a $155 million reduction in distributions from Enable Midstream Partners (NYSE: ENBL), of which the company owns 50 percent of the general partner and 53.7 percent of common units.

Communications traffic is surging while the global economy shrinks. By and large, sector companies didn’t convert that to higher profits or even revenues in Q1. But the emerging trend is faster adoption of 5G, with a resulting earnings liftoff for industry leaders the next few years.

Falling oil prices and economic weakness have historically been bad news for wind and solar power. But this time around, they’re shaping up bullish for global electricity producer Enel SpA (Italy: ENEL, OTC: ENLAY).

It’s been a difficult couple of years for AGL Energy (ASX: AGL, OTC: AGLXY), Australia’s largest power producer and electricity retailer.

First came the National/Liberal Party federal government’s aggressive reaction to rising prices for natural gas and electricity—a trend AGL had correctly bet on that resulted from a dramatic increase in the country’s LNG exports.

Aggressive Holding China Mobile (Hong Kong: 941, NYSE: CHL) was our worst performing stock last year. But China’s largest communications company looks set to deliver much stronger returns going forward.