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Friday, May 24, 2:25 PM There's some green on the screen about 90 minutes before the bell with the Dow (DIA, DOG) nosing into positive territory and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq now lower by only a hair. Today's weakest sector is the utilities (XLU -1.1%), continuing a bad month that's seen the once-leading group underperform the S&P by nearly 1000 basis points. YTD, the S&P's now ahead of utilities by about 500 bps. 2 Comments
Thursday, May 23, 12:50 PM The defensive utility sector (XLU -1%) isn’t looking very safe at the moment, as the break below the 50-day moving average suggests further weakness in the days ahead. Technician Ralph Acampora sees the break as a short-term sell for the Dow Jones Utility index but also a longer-term positive for the broader market as investors rotate out of defensive sectors and into more economically sensitive stocks. 1 Comment [Energy, Quick Ideas]
Monday, May 13, 2:13 PM Defensive stocks such as utilities (XLU -0.4%), which have led this year’s market surge, are fading, and investors should consider cyclical sectors such as tech and energy for long-term value, BlackRock's Russ Koesterich recommends. The utilities sector is overpriced and probably has more room to fall, but investors starved for yields should look at dividend-paying companies from outside the U.S. Comment! [Energy, Tech]
Thursday, May 9, 12:12 PM Stocks recover from early losses, returning to about unchanged in the noon hour. Notably lower today is the utility sector (XLU -1.2%) which is used to outperforming, but not this month. Ahead of the S&P 500 by about 700 basis points at the start of May, the XLU is now even with the broader market for the year. 3 Comments
Monday, May 6, 7:27 AM The S&P 500 (SPY) is fairly valued, says Goldman, but opportunity lies in cyclicals (XLY, XLE, XLI, XLB) which are more undervalued vs. defensives (XLU, XLP, XLV, XTL) than at any time in the last 15 years. "Given the 4 P/E multiple point head start, even a slight valuation normalization should translate into outperformance of cyclicals over defensives during the next 12 months." 1 Comment
Monday, April 29, 12:13 PM "Which has a higher P/E - Procter & Gamble (PG) or Google (GOOG)," asks the WSJ's Tom Lauricella. Enthusiasm for anything with yield has driven the P-E ratios of dividend payers (DVY) like P&G maybe way too high. Techs (XLK) with double-digit earnings growth, no debt, and massive cash balances trade at 12x, says MFS' James Swanson, while a utility (XLU) in Ohio is at 16x. "How far do you go with this game?" "Pretty far," says Templeton's Donald Taylor. "The macro environment (causing this) is not at all likely to change anytime soon." 7 Comments [Quick Ideas]
Thursday, April 4, 6:30 PM The big year for utility funds is pretty much over, ISI predicts, expecting regulated utilities to post a flat total return for the balance of 2013. Even though the Utilities ETF (XLU) has another 13% to go before matching its 2007 high, ISI views the group’s valuation at nearly 16x next year’s earnings, its exposure to a change in interest rates and its big outperformance YTD as key reasons to stay away. 3 Comments [Energy, Quick Ideas]
Thursday, January 3, 8:12 AM Americans are using more electronic gadgets, but electricity use is barely growing, posing a challenge for utility companies. PEG, NU and others are pouring money into high-voltage transmission lines, while others are slashing spending. EXC is cutting investment in nuclear plant expansions by $1B and in renewable energy projects by $1.3B as it tries to avoid a credit downgrade. 9 Comments [Energy]
Monday, December 31, 2012, 7:30 AM It paid to heed the many mid-year warnings of bubbly utility sector valuations. After a 9.5% decline since the beginning of August, the XLU will finish the year down more than 4%, totally offsetting its yield. The sector's overvaluation left it exposed to any sort of bad news, and it got it with Sandy and the post-election realization of maybe higher dividend tax rates. 3 Comments [Energy]
Tuesday, November 27, 2012, 2:10 PM Utilities (XLU +0.5%) could be poised for a rebound after a rough month. Yesterday, utility stocks jumped on the strength of electricity providers after Deutsche Bank upgraded Exelon (EXC +2%). Today, the sector again moves higher after ISI Group upgrades EXC to Buy from Neutral. Also: UNS +1.7%, NVE +1.6%, PPL +1.2%. 6 Comments [Energy, Quick Ideas, On the Move]
Monday, November 26, 2012, 12:42 PM The only S&P sector in the green today is the recently-battered utilities (XLU +1.2%). Through Friday, the stocks were the market's worst performers in November, falling 7% amidst worries of a hike in the dividend tax rate (Sandy didn't help either); never mind the fact so much of the holdings are in tax-advantaged accounts. 1 Comment [Energy]
Monday, November 12, 2012, 1:07 PM A 7% decline in the Utility SPDR (XLU) in November puts the ETF in the red for the year (even after the dividend). Worries over a hike in the dividend tax rate are surely a factor (fade those, say some), but the sector is also likely to feel the "regulatory wrath" for outages following Sandy, writes Alan Brochstein. 2 Comments [Energy]
Monday, October 29, 2012, 1:15 PM Some areas of the dividend universe (telecom, utilities) may be pricey, but dividend stocks are not in a bubble, says ClearBridge's Mike Clarfeld. He suggests looking not just at the upfront yield, but instead at the ability of the company to increase the payout over time. "The sweet spot ... attractive dividends, but really dividend growers - we don't think they are overvalued at all." 1 Comment
Saturday, October 27, 2012, 8:33 AM Bearishness among heavy-hitter money managers surveyed by Barron's rises to 27%, nearly double the amount from April's poll. As for individual sectors, there's no love for the utilities, with just 1% of respondents picking it as the best-performing industry over the next 12 months, and 20% choosing it as the worst. We've given away the answer, but guess which is today's cover. Feel better, bulls? 16 Comments
Wednesday, October 17, 2012, 9:13 PM Currently weighting U.S. telecoms and utilities at zero in his dividend stock portfolio, Pimco's Brad Kinkelaar notes both sectors are trading at near off-the-chart premiums to their average relative multiple. Dividend investors would do better to look overseas, he says, where one can find companies that are growing, paying good dividends, and trading at better value. An excellent presentation. 7 Comments [Quick Ideas]
Thursday, October 11, 2012, 8:23 AM Bonds are expensive, but so is hurricane insurance in Louisiana, writes Keith McCullough, recommending everyone's favorite hated asset as protection against a slowing economy and Bernanke's bubbles. Oct. 2012 is reminding him of Oct. 2007, when investors were more concerned with the past (double-digit gains YTD) than the future (sliding earnings). Also good insurance: The dollar (UUP) and utilities (XLU). 2 Comments [U.S. Economy]

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First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX ETF