• Twitter
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Executive Summary

Utilities and the Earnings Collapse That Never Happened

By Roger S. Conrad on Nov. 13, 2023

Will higher for longer interest rates derail utilities’ inflation-beating dividend growth? The Dow Jones Utility Average’s total return is 27 percentage points behind the S&P 500’s so far in 2023, a wider gap than in 1999. So obviously, the Wall Street consensus has been yes. Reality says different. In fact, no fewer than 48 of the 172 companies in my Utility Report Card coverage universe raised their 2023 guidance after releasing Q3 results. A third that many reduced guidance, but none cited higher interest rates as a primary reason. Evergy Inc (NYSE: EVRG) cut the mid-point of its annual target growth range from 7 to 5 percent. But every other company in the coverage universe affirmed previous projections. Several announced meaningful capital spending increases. And Northwestern Corp (NYSE: NWE) increased projected long-term growth following a favorable rate settlement in Montana.

Conrad's Utility Investor

Invest Smarter! Join Conrad’s Utility Investor!

What sets renowned income-investing expert Roger Conrad apart from the pretenders? His more than two decades of covering utility stocks and essential services—a wealth of knowledge and experience that you can’t find anywhere else.   

Smart investing. Taking advantage of real opportunities and not fads (and knowing the difference). Finding the companies and stocks that will deliver for the long haul, so investing lets you live instead of investing turning into your life. Roger Conrad has dedicated his career to these principles—and that’s what Conrad's Utility Investor delivers.

Subscribe today for instant access to a treasure trove of investment insight and knowledge, as well as Roger’s exclusive model Portfolios and ratings of more than 200 essential services.

MODEL PORTFOLIOS & RATINGS

ABOUT ROGER CONRAD

Roger S. Conrad needs no introduction to individual and professional investors, many of whom have profited from his decades of experience uncovering the best dividend-paying stocks for accumulating sustainable wealth. Roger b