A solid majority of the stocks that make up the UF Portfolio trade above their current buy-under targets. Their fundamentals are as solid as ever, but yield-and-safety-hungry investors have chased them higher. That doesn't mean, however, that there's no value to be found. Read More

Politics--at the state as well as the federal level--have overcome otherwise favorable conditions for utility-sector deal-making. But the need for scale--particularly in telecommunications--means it's just a matter of time before more mergers and acquisitions start getting done. Read More

The latest phase of the current stock market rally is being driven by investor appetite for safety and yield. That's had a positive impact on share prices for our favorites. But new money should be patient. Read More

Despite a continually changing market, the same principles of building long-term wealth still apply. Read More

Income investors attracted by mortgage REITs’ double-digit yields may not realize they’ll have to endure wild volatility in unit prices along with inconsistent payouts. Read More

Investors have bid up shares of water utilities due to their attractive, reliable growth, and this increases the odds that momentum will reverse should their numbers eventually disappoint. Read More

Although mergers between essential services companies typically create a stronger entity, the latest proposed mergers in the wireless telecom space should be viewed with skepticism. Read More

Some utility investors got burned amid the fuel-cell folly of the late 1990s, and now the latest supposedly disruptive innovation will continue the former’s bid to move power customers off the grid. Read More

This month's Income Spotlight, a new addition to the Portfolio,holds an unmanaged portfolio of bonds issued by electric, pipeline, gas distribution and water companies. Read More

This month's Growth Spotlight combines the stability of a natural gas distribution with the upside potential of oil and gas production to build wealth for the long term. Read More