Investing Topics: Nuclear energy

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) has struggled in building America’s first new nuclear power plant since the 1980s. But CEO Tom Fanning is more confident than ever.

Four more Portfolio holdings report, plus we take a look at the Kinder Morgan Mega-Deal and SCANA Corp's negotiations with South Carolina regulators.

Few companies attract as much attention when they report quarterly earnings as Telecom’s Big Two: AT&T Inc (NYSE: T) and arch rival Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ). And the past week has been no exception.

US electric utilities have enthusiastically embraced renewable energy the past few years. That includes companies that have traditionally relied heavily on fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

Fear of rising interest rates again appears to be triggering selling of utility stocks. I’ve shown over and again that the sector’s so-called interest rate sensitivity is a false relationship over any recent period longer than a few weeks. Consequently, lower prices should be viewed as a buying opportunity for recommended stocks.

Capital spending plus regulatory support equals rising earnings, dividends and share prices: That’s the formula for superior total returns in utility stocks. And it’s what new Conservative Income Portfolio recommendation SCANA Corp (NYSE: SCG) is locked in to deliver at least to the end of the decade.

I had a chance to sit down with Conrad’s Utility Investor Managing Editor Gregg Early and we had a wide-ranging conversation about some of the big issues in the essential services industry today as well some of the hot topics of the day.