Feature Article

Since the beginning of 2022, the Japanese Yen has dropped by almost -20 percent against the US dollar. That’s shrunk a 29.8 percent year-to-date local market gain in shares of dominant Japanese telecom Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (Tokyo: 9432, OTC: NTTYY) to a return of just 1.3 percent in US dollar terms.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance reports wind and solar power combined produced 10.5 percent of global electricity in 2021. They also accounted for a record 75 percent generating capacity entering service. And output will grow another 8 percent this year to nearly 320 GW, according to the International Energy Agency.

Utilities have been dropping for roughly a month. And despite the sector’s robust long-term outlook, it’s likely we’ll see lower prices still in the coming weeks.

This year is shaping up as a banner one for dividend increases in the Utility Report Card coverage universe. So far, 103 of the 179 companies tracked have raised their payouts at least once. And I count roughly three-dozen more that will almost certainly deliver a boost between now and December 31.

Shares of Aggressive Holding Avangrid Inc (NYSE: AGR) trade basically where they began 2022. That underperformance of the Dow Jones Utility Average is no surprise, with the US arm of 81.65 percent owner Iberdrola SA (Spain: IBE, IBDRY) facing regulatory and operating uncertainty on three fronts. And Wall Street is obviously skeptical, with six “underweight/underperform/sell” recommendations by Bloomberg Intelligence-tracked analysts last month.

The S&P 500 rose roughly 18 percent from a mid-June low to its summer high in mid-August. Since then, it’s given back about two-thirds of those gains—and is showing every sign of setting a new yearly low in the coming weeks.

Since the start of 2022, the US Dollar Index is up about 15 percent to its highest level since 2001. That’s the result of determined inflation-fighting by the US Federal Reserve in the context of a still relatively strong US economy.

You’re not an experienced investor until you’ve seen a real bear market. I define that as a selloff for stocks deep enough to do real damage to wealth, and long lasting enough to change investor behavior.

Companies operating in multiple businesses frequently trade at a “conglomerate discount” to more focused rivals. This month, Aggressive Holding MDU Resources (NYSE: MDU) became the latest utility to simplify—announcing a tax-free spinoff to shareholders of its Knife River construction materials division.