Utilities

The Utilities SPDR (ETF) (NYSE: XLU) is the only one of the sector SPDR exchange-traded funds higher on a year-to-date basis, but the Consumer Staples Select Sect. SPDR (ETF) (NYSE: XLP) is not far behind with a barely noticeable 2016. The last couple of days of market action aside, leadership from...

Leading up to the Federal Reserve raising interest rates last month, the first such move by the U.S. central bank in nearly a decade, utilities stocks and exchange-traded funds were widely seen as vulnerable to higher U.S. borrowing costs. Historical data confirms that utilities stocks are the most...

Utilities stocks and exchange-traded funds faced plenty of challenges last year as the Federal Reserve set the stage for its first interest rate increase in nearly a decade. With the central bank poised to raise borrowing costs several times this year, investors should approach the utilities sector...

The possibility of an imminent Fed rate hike has utility investors looking for defensive trading strategies. A.B. Bernstein believes that U.S.10-year Treasury rates will not climb as steeply as the market expects over the next year. The firm believes that certain utility stock earnings will...

Really, it is a simple story. Speculation increases about the Federal Reserve raising interest rates and utilities stocks and the relevant exchange-traded funds suffer. September rolls around, and the Fed eschews a rate hike, leaving bond traders to surmise that the central bank could delay higher...

For as much as financial services exchange-traded funds want the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates, utilities want the Fed to continue its near zero interest rate policy for as long as possible. The reasoning is simple. Few sectors are as rate-sensitive as utilities. Recent showings by...

Credit Suisse's U.S. equity research team, led by Lori Calvasina, released a report titled "August's Sell-Off in a Nutshell." The analysts began the report by noting that the "rout" in equities over the past few days "should not be surprising" as institutional investors and traders developed...

The utility sector has cooled significantly this year as rising U.S. Treasury yields threaten to sink share prices even lower. The Utility Select Sector SPDR (Utilities SPDR (ETF) (NYSE: XLU)) is the largest fund in this space, with over $6.3 billion in total assets. A Closer Look At XLU XLU...

Analysts at Bank of America released a list on Friday detailing their top 10 favorite stocks across 10 sectors for 2015. The full list includes: Consumer Discretionary: General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) due to its healthy yield with a potential to grow dividends. Consumer Staples: Wal-...

The Environmental Protection Agency is considering a review of its 1977 rule that limits the amount of whole-body radiation that any member of the public can be exposed to as a result of the uranium fuel cycle. While they have not made any immediate determination to change the current level of...