The advantage in the US telecommunications industry still lies with those companies able to invest in expanding and renewing their infrastructure. Read More

It remains conventional Wall Street wisdom that utility stocks track movements in benchmark interest rates. The reality is that essential-service companies are tracking the ebb and flow of the broader economy. Read More

Earnings reporting is nearly complete for UF Portfolio Holdings. Numbers released thus far have been solid, underscoring the ability of our favorite essential-service stocks to hold up as businesses under any and all circumstances. Read More

Four members of the UF How They Rate coverage universe cut their distributions last month. Read More

This month's Income Spotlight surprised the market nearly a year ago with its failure to announce a 32nd consecutive distribution increase. It surprised the market again by maintaining rather than cutting its payout. Now the MLP is poised to start boosting its distribution again. Read More

This month's Growth Spotlight recently announced a long-anticipated dividend cut. If history is any guide, the stock is poised to rally. Read More

Investors are happy to accept low yields on bonds of just about any duration and issued by companies with less-than-investment-grade credit ratings. Read More

Short sellers usually steer clear of dividend stocks, but CenturyLink’s recent dividend cut was seen as having wider implications for its industry. Read More

Despite posting largely solid operating results, CenturyLink’s management chose to slash the dividend in favor of share repurchases, and investors punished the wireline telecom's shares accordingly. Read More

Duke Energy decided to shutter its nuclear plant rather than spend the capital necessary to get it running again. In an era of cheap, gas-fired power, the question is whether other nuclear operators may follow suit. Read More