Utilities

After starting the year as one of the premier destinations for income investors, high-yield dividend stocks have recently been under pressure. Once beloved income-generating sectors, namely consumer staples and utilities, fell out of favor as financial markets priced in increasing chances of the...

It seems like only yesterday that utilities stocks and exchange-traded funds, such as the Utilities SPDR (ETF) (NYSE: XLU), were setting the market ablaze. Sure, XLU, the largest utilities ETF by assets, is still up 14.5 percent year-to-date, good for one of the better performances among the sector...

After starting this year in fine form and leading the market higher through the first half of 2016, defensive sectors, such as consumer staples and utilities, have been taking drubbings over the past couple of months. Defensive Sectors: Recent Performance And Valuation Concerns From their most...

SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ: SPWR) charged higher Wednesday up nearly 6 percent as Deutsche Bank weighed in on some frequently asked questions on the clean energy technology company. Despite the jump in share price, an increasingly competitive pricing environment surrounding clean energy...

An Argus Research analyst reiterated a Hold rating for El Paso Electric Company (NYSE: EE), citing regulatory concerns as the main reason for the reiteration. The firm maintains a long-term Buy rating for El Paso, however, citing the company’s financial strength, limited risk profile, forward...

Argus maintains its Buy rating on Great Plains Energy Incorporated (NYSE: GXP) on "clearer earnings visibility, an improving economy in the company's service area, continuing efforts to manage costs, constructive rate regulation and gradual improvement in the allowed return on equity." Further, the...

Macquarie said DTE Energy Co (NYSE: DTE) remains its top pick of SMID cap regulated utilities after the company announced plans to acquire midstream assets in Pennsylvania and West Virginia for US$1.3 billion and increased its FY16 outlook. The brokerage also reiterated its Outperform rating and...

A common knock on low volatility exchange-traded funds is that these products are often heavily allocated to the consumer staples or utilities sectors or both. A common knock on those sectors, aside from criticisms regarding frothy valuations, is that those groups are inversely correlated to rising...

Following 8Point3 Energy Partners LP (NASDAQ: CAFD)'s third-quarter results — an outperformance and upward revision of guidance — Baird reiterated its Outperform rating on the shares of the company. The price target was reiterated at $20. Analyst Ben Kallo noted that the company's...

After spending a good part of this year as the best performing sector, utilities have been sapped by concerns that the Federal Reserve is finally nearing its first interest rate hike of 2016 and that defensive stocks are richly valued. Many good things come to an end, and while it is still in the...

Jefferies took different opinions on PNM Resources Inc (NYSE: PNM) and American Electric Power Company Inc (NYSE: AEP). Analysts Anthony Crowdell and Benjamin Budish believe PNM merits upgrading from Hold to a Buy rating on the expectation that a state regulator's rate decision would be more...

Argus on Tuesday lowered its price target on the shares of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (NYSE: PEG) due to a decline in industry-wide P/E multiples and the looming risk of an imminent Fed rate hike. Even amid the rate risk, Argus feels Public Service is better positioned than its utility...

Hilliard Lyons maintains its Underperform rating on Aqua America Inc (NYSE: WTR) and cut the price target to $27 after shares recently traded above its prior target of $30. "At $27, WTR would trade ~20x our 2017E EPS which we view as fair value given peer multiples, and more importantly, just...

Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE: ED) shares are currently trading at a group average multiple, although the stock has historically traded at a 5–15 percent premium to its regulate utility peers. Jefferies’ Anthony C. Crowdell upgraded the rating on the company from Hold to Buy, while...

Morgan Stanley’s Stephen C. Byrd believes that while South Jersey Industries Inc (NYSE: SJI)'s recent stock outperformance, risks associated with its non-utility businesses and a major project have led to a balanced risk-reward. Byrd initiated coverage of the company with an Equal-Weight...