J.P. Morgan stays defensive on top MLPs to buy in 2015

• A new report from J.P. Morgan’s energy team reminds investors that despite the Q4 meltdown from declining crude oil prices, MLPs still clawed out a 5% total return in 2014, far better than the -8% total return for the overall energy sector.
• Still, the firm is sticking with top blue chip MLPs and defensive natural gas names, tabbing six Outperform-rated stocks that can stand some volatility as part of a growth and income portfolio: EPD, KMI, PAA, BWP, DM, EQM.
• Others are more pessimistic on the group: S&P Capital IQ's Stewart Glickman says there isn't a single E&P MLP that has healthy fundamentals, though some companies such as PAA and RGP are now cheap enough to be potentially good deals.
• Renaissance Capital's Nick Einhorn thinks a better alternative is to invest in funds that own groups of the MLPs.
• ETFs: AMLP, AMJ, MLPL, YMLP, MLPI, MLPA, MLPN, EMLP, MLPG, MLPX, MLPS, MLPY, AMU, YMLI, ZMLP, AMZA, ENFR, ATMP, MLPC, MLPW, IMLP, OSMS, YGRO, MLPO