Market Overview - Volatility has returned to Wall Street due to escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, with the U.S. gradually getting involved [2][5] - The Dow declined by 0.7%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell by 0.8% and 0.9%, respectively [5] - Recent geopolitical tensions have unsettled markets, which could remain volatile for an extended period [9] Investment Recommendations - It is advisable to invest in safe-haven defensive stocks from the utility sector, including Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO), Fortis, Inc. (FTS), MDU Resources Group, Inc. (MDU), and NiSource Inc. (NI) [3][11] - These stocks are characterized by low beta (greater than 0 but less than 1), high dividend yields, and favorable Zacks Ranks [4][11] Company Profiles Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) - Engaged in regulated natural gas distribution and storage, serving approximately 3.3 million customers across eight states [10] - Expected earnings growth rate of 6% for the current year, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 0.6% over the last 60 days [12] - Current dividend yield is 2.27% and beta is 0.71 [12] Fortis, Inc. (FTS) - Operates in the electric and gas utility business, primarily in Canada, the U.S., and the Caribbean [13] - Expected earnings growth rate of 3.4% for the current year, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 3.3% over the last 60 days [14] - Current dividend yield is 3.70% and beta is 0.49 [14] MDU Resources Group, Inc. (MDU) - Provides value-added natural resource products and regulated energy delivery services [15] - Expected earnings growth rate of 5.6% for the current year, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 1.1% over the last 60 days [15] - Current dividend yield is 3.18% and beta is 0.72 [15] NiSource Inc. (NI) - Delivers natural gas and electricity to approximately 3.7 million customers across six states [16] - Expected earnings growth rate of 7.4% for the current year, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 0.5% over the last 60 days [17] - Current dividend yield is 2.83% and beta is 0.54 [17]

Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. However, when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and of course, dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that mea ...

Group 1 - National Grid (NGG) is a notable stock in the Utilities sector, currently outperforming its peers with a year-to-date gain of approximately 22.6% compared to the sector average of 8.3% [4] - The Utilities group ranks 3 within the Zacks Sector Rank, which evaluates 16 different groups based on the average Zacks Rank of individual companies [2] - National Grid holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a favorable outlook based on earnings estimate revisions and improving earnings prospects [3] Group 2 - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for National Grid's full-year earnings has increased by 2.9% over the past quarter, reflecting improved analyst sentiment [4] - National Grid is part of the Utility - Electric Power industry, which consists of 60 stocks and currently ranks 68 in the Zacks Industry Rank, with an average gain of 8.4% this year [6] - Another outperforming stock in the Utilities sector is Grupo Televisa (TV), which has seen a year-to-date increase of 32.7% and also holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5][7]

Core Viewpoint - UGI Corporation's planned investments are expected to enhance its aging infrastructure and improve overall performance, making it a strong investment option in the utility sector due to growth opportunities and a solid return on equity (ROE) [1] Group 1: Growth Projections - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 earnings per share (EPS) has increased by 3.3% to $3.13 [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 sales is projected at $7.81 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 8.4% [2] - UGI's long-term earnings growth rate is estimated at 5.2%, with a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 75.7% [2] Group 2: Financial Health - UGI's current ratio stands at 1.23, surpassing the industry average of 0.63, indicating sufficient short-term assets to cover liabilities [3] - The company's ROE is 16.21%, significantly higher than the industry average of 9.24%, demonstrating effective utilization of funds [4] - UGI's total debt to capital ratio is 58.34%, better than the sector's average of 59.23%, and the time-to-interest earned ratio is 2.5, indicating strong ability to meet interest obligations [5] Group 3: Dividend Performance - UGI has a long history of paying dividends for 141 years, with a current quarterly dividend of 37.5 cents per share, leading to an annualized dividend of $1.50 [6] - The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for UGI's 10-year dividend is 6% for fiscal 2014-2024, and the current dividend yield is 4.1%, above the industry's average of 3.28% [6] Group 4: Strategic Investments - UGI plans to invest $800-$900 million in fiscal 2025 and up to $4.1 billion by 2027 to modernize its infrastructure [8][10] - These investments aim to enhance safety and reliability in natural gas production and storage, as well as replace aging infrastructure to efficiently serve an expanding customer base [9] - UGI has added over 6,600 residential heating and commercial customers year to date [9]

In the latest close session, PPL (PPL) was up +1.78% at $34.38. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.38%. At the same time, the Dow added 0.24%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.24%. Coming into today, shares of the energy and utility holding company had gained 0.78% in the past month. In that same time, the Utilities sector gained 0.15%, while the S&P 500 gained 6.6%. The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of PPL in its forthcoming earnings report. O ...

Core Viewpoint - Vistra Corp. (VST) has experienced a significant stock price increase of 41.3% over the past three months, outperforming the Zacks Utility-Electric Power industry, which grew by only 3.5% due to strong retail and commercial operations [1][8]. Group 1: Market Position and Performance - The company benefits from robust demand for its services in Texas, Midwest, and Northeast markets, positioning it well to capitalize on President Trump's executive order aimed at quadrupling U.S. nuclear energy production by 2050 [2][14]. - Vistra has outperformed both the Zacks Utilities sector and the S&P 500 over the past six months [3]. - The stock is currently trading above its 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages, indicating a bullish trend [6]. Group 2: Growth Drivers - Rising demand for clean electricity, driven by AI-powered data centers and electrification of oil field operations, particularly in the Permian Basin, is a key growth driver for Vistra [11]. - The company has a diverse energy generation mix, including solar, nuclear, and natural gas, which supports its strong performance [11]. - Vistra has fully hedged its expected output for 2025 and secured 80% of its projected production for 2026, enhancing financial stability [12]. Group 3: Nuclear Operations and Capacity - The company is positioned to modernize its nuclear operations efficiently, aided by recent executive orders that expedite project approvals [13]. - Vistra's total generation capacity is 41,000 MW, spanning various energy sources, which aligns with the increasing energy demand from commercial and industrial sectors [14]. Group 4: Financial Metrics - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates a year-over-year decline in VST's 2025 earnings per share, while 2026 earnings are expected to improve [15]. - Vistra's forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 24.03X, significantly higher than the industry average of 15.17X [18]. - The company's trailing 12-month return on equity (ROE) stands at 87.33%, well above the industry average of 10.13% [21]. Group 5: Shareholder Value - Vistra has been actively increasing shareholder value through a share repurchase program, having bought back over $5.2 billion in shares since November 2021, with plans to repurchase an additional $1.5 billion by the end of 2026 [24]. - The company has also approved a quarterly dividend of 22.50 cents for Q2 2025, targeting an annual dividend payment of $300 million, having raised its dividend 15 times in the past five years [25]. Group 6: Future Outlook - Vistra's comprehensive hedging program and planned clean energy projects will facilitate a transition to more clean electricity generation [26]. - The company is well-positioned to benefit from the rising demand for clean electricity, with its hedging strategy improving future earnings visibility [27].

Company Overview - Consolidated Water (CWCO) shares have increased by approximately 14.1% over the past month, outperforming the S&P 500 [1] - The most recent earnings report is crucial for understanding the catalysts affecting the stock [1] Earnings Estimates - Fresh estimates for Consolidated Water have trended downward, with the consensus estimate decreasing by 12.86% [2] - The stock has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), indicating an expectation of in-line returns in the coming months [4] VGM Scores - Consolidated Water has a subpar Growth Score of D and a Momentum Score of C, with an overall aggregate VGM Score of F, placing it in the bottom 40% for investment strategies [3] Industry Performance - Consolidated Water is part of the Zacks Utility - Water Supply industry, where American States Water (AWR) has gained 3.4% over the past month [5] - American States Water reported revenues of $148.01 million for the last quarter, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 9.4% [5] - The expected earnings for American States Water for the current quarter is $0.92 per share, representing a year-over-year change of 8.2% [6]

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Southwest Gas (SWX) . Shares have added about 6.3% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Southwest Gas due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?It ...

Company Overview - Essential Utilities (WTRG) shares have increased by approximately 2.2% over the past month, underperforming the S&P 500 [1] - The most recent earnings report is crucial for understanding the stock's performance and future outlook [1] Earnings Estimates - Fresh estimates for Essential Utilities have trended downward, with the consensus estimate shifting by -13.68% [2] - The stock has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), indicating an expectation of in-line returns in the coming months [4] VGM Scores - Essential Utilities has a Growth Score of B and a Momentum Score of B, but a Value Score of D, placing it in the bottom 40% for value investment strategy [3] - The overall aggregate VGM Score for the stock is C, which is relevant for investors not focused on a single strategy [3] Industry Comparison - Essential Utilities is part of the Zacks Utility - Water Supply industry, where California Water Service Group (CWT) has seen a 3.3% increase in the past month [5] - California Water Service Group reported revenues of $203.97 million, reflecting a year-over-year decline of -24.7%, with an EPS of $0.22 compared to $1.21 a year ago [6] - The expected earnings for California Water Service Group for the current quarter is $0.40 per share, indicating a year-over-year change of -42.9% [6] - California Water Service Group holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) based on the direction and magnitude of estimate revisions, despite having a VGM Score of F [7]

For those looking to find strong Utilities stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Artesian Resources (ARTNA) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Utilities sector should help us answer this question.Artesian Resources is a member of the Utilities sector. This group ...