Major credit raters like Standard & Poor’s aren’t perfect. But few sources provide more exhaustive research on the financial health of corporations, governments and anyone else who issues debt in the public markets. Read More

Here’s a confession from a 20 years-plus industry veteran: I use investment conferences for more than making my points and chatting with current and prospective readers. Read More

Given their explosive run of the past several years, do utility stocks have more upside left? Read More

Big picture perspectives are most useful when they help us to see the forest as a whole, rather than just tree-by-tree. They’re downright dangerous, however, when analysts fall in love with their prognostications. Read More

It’s a six-year bear market and counting for the US dollar versus the world’s other major currencies. And with the exception of some select sectors such as utilities and real estate investment trusts, US stocks have lagged most of the world’s equity markets as well. That’s despite a big recovery by the S&P 500 blue chip index in the past couple of years. Read More

It’s a six-year bear market and counting for the US dollar versus the world’s other major currencies. And with the exception of some select sectors such as utilities and real estate investment trusts, US stocks have lagged most of the world’s equity markets as well. That’s despite a big recovery by the S&P 500 blue chip index in the past couple of years. Read More

The proposed $40 billion-plus takeover of TXU Corp by a private-capital consortium may not be the done deal it once appeared. The vast majority of the 10 utility mergers in progress, however, are headed for success. At least a dozen more will likely be announced by the end of the year. Read More

Utility stocks made all-time highs again last month. The main reason: Underlying business conditions are stronger than they’ve been in decades. And as the Feature Article illuminates, one such condition is robust merger activity, which will continue to reward investors with near-term gains. Read More

Positive regulation and companies' focus on reducing debt and risk are behind the tripling of the Dow Jones Utilities Average since its October 2002 bottom. How companies fare henceforth will depend on how they deal with their next big challenges... Read More

Virginia’s electric utilities are again monopolies. That leaves just 19 deregulated states, and Michigan and Montana are considering breaking ranks as well.   Read More