Investing Topics: Utility Stocks

The District of Columbia's Public Service Commission looks set to approve Exelon Corp's proposed takeover Pepco Holdings, if the acquirer agrees to additional terms. Investors can expect more deals to come in the utility sector--and long delays for regulatory approval.

Dominion Resources (NYSE: D) announced the utility sector’s first major takeover for this year, reaching an agreement to acquire Utah-based Questar Corp (NYSE: STR) for $25 per share, or about $4.4 billion.

For the 39th time since 1969, the Dow Jones Utilities Average rallied in the fourth quarter. But this upside didn’t prevent the benchmark from finishing the year with a 3.1 percent loss, the index’s first negative return after a positive January since 1987. Fortunately, the primary catalyst for the loss—uncertainty about when the Federal Reserve would start raising interest rates—no longer exists. And just like the beginning of the 2004-06 tightening cycle, utility stocks have gained ground despite weakness in the broader market. But last year’s challenges remain in play for 2016. Energy prices have yet to find a bottom. Non-investment grade debt has become crushingly expensive to refinance, tightening capital markets for all but the strongest companies. Emerging markets continue to struggle. And any international currency not pegged to the US dollar find itself under pressure. The Quality Grades for the 214 essential-service companies tracked in our Utility Report Card provide insight into the spectrum of risk and help investors to avoid the riskiest names.

By most measures, last year was a difficult time for income-seeking investors, as anticipation of the Federal Reserve’s first rate hike since 2006 weighed on sentiment toward dividend-paying stocks. Here’s our strategy for 2016.

We highlight some of the key investment themes that stood out after three days of presentations and talking to management teams at the Edison Electric Institute's annual financial conference.

Having confidence in your holdings’ underlying businesses makes it easier to endure a volatile market without losing too much sleep.

Narrowing market leadership and other technical indicators suggest the risk of US equities sliding into a bear market next year has increased. We highlight some of the best opportunities in our coverage universe so that you know where to pounce when the time comes.

In this new YouTube video series “#AskRoger Utilities & Income,” Roger Conrad answers readers’ questions about utilities, income investing, dividends and more! If your question wasn’t answered this time, submit your comments on Twitter using the hashtag #AskRoger.

Investors should take advantage of market volatility and fears of rising interest rates to establish or add to positions in high-quality utility stocks.  

Investors should focus on buying best-in-class utility stocks at reasonable valuations, instead of fretting over what the Federal Reserve may or may not do.