Utilities ETFs, including the Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU) , are performing admirably this year. Low bond yields and investors' desire for defensive assets in the wake of the coronavirus are helping the cause, but there may be more to the story. Momentum continues building for renewable energy...

This Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) has hit a new 52-week high. Are more gains in store?...

Duke Energy Corp. announced Thursday an agreement with North Carolina state regulators and community groups to permanently close all of electric company's remaining nine coal ash basins in the state. Under the agreed upon plan, Duke said about 80 million tons of ash will be excavated from the sites, and be moved to lined landfills. "The agreement calls for expedited state permit approvals which would keep projects on a rapid timeline with excavation at the six sites completed in 10 to 15 years," Duke said in a statement. The plan will reduce the estimated cost to close the nine coal ash basins by about $1.5 billion, as compared with the previous order from North Carolina's Department of Environmental Quality requiring full excavation. As a result, the cost to permanently close all ash basins in the Carolinas is now estimated at $8 billion to $9 billion, of which about $2.4 billion has been spent through 2019, with the rest expected to be spend over the next 15 to 20 years. Duke's stock, which slipped 0.1% in premarket trading, has gained 7.7% over the past 12 months, while the SPDR Utilities Select Sector ETF has rallied 24% and the S&P 500 has advanced 29%....

Shares of PG&E Corp. rocketed 21% in active afternoon trading Wednesday, enough to pace all NYSE-listed gainers, after Bloomberg reported the California-based utility was near a deal to pay out $13.5 billion to wildfire victims. Trading volume jumped to over 38.5 million shares, compared with the full-day average of 24.9 million shares. The Bloomberg report, which cited people familiar with the matter, said half of the payout would be in cash, upfront in a lump sum, and the other half would be in stock, to be paid over 18 months. A settlement would help resolve the utility's bankruptcy. Despite the rally, the stock has still lost 57% year to date, while the SPDR Utilities Select Sector ETF has gained 20% and the S&P 500 has advanced 24%....

Shares of PG&E Corp. sank 3.2% in premarket trading Wednesday, after the San Francisco-based utility company said it will begin shutting off power to about 150,000 customers in 18 counties in an effort to reduce fire risk. The shutoffs will be in portions of the Sierra Foothills, the North Bay and the North Valley, and are scheduled to begin as early as 6:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday. "The decision was based on weather forecasts indicating the potential for high winds and dry conditions leading to increased fire risk," PG&E said in a statement. The company said the expectation is that the weather will clear around mid-morning on Thursday. The stock has tumbled 71.2% year to date through Tuesday, while the SPDR Utilities Select Sector ETF has rallied 18.7% and the S&P 500 has gained 24.5%....

Investors who are looking into ETFs sectors to find ways to position their portfolios should specifically examine defensive sectors. On the recent webcast, Sector Positioning for an Economic Slowdown, ......

In the face of recent market moves and economic forecasts, many investors are adjusting their equity exposure through sector-specific strategies. On the upcoming webcast, Sector Positioning for an Economic ......

Shares of PG&E Corp. sank 3.5% in premarket trading Thursday after the utility swung to a large third-quarter loss, citing charges for claims related to wildfires and raised its outlook for full-year charges, but also beat earnings expectations when excluding those charges. The electric and natural gas utility reported a net loss of $1.62 billion, or $3.06 a share, after net income of $564 million, or $1.09 a share, in the year-ago period. Excluding "items impacting comparability" (IIC), such as a $2.5 billion charge for wildfire-related claims, adjusted earnings per share fell to $1.11 from $1.13, above the FactSet consensus of $1.03. Adjusted EPS declined primarily because of vegetation management costs, resolution of 2018 regulatory items and an increase in shares outstanding. Revenue rose to $4.43 billion from $4.38 billion. The utility said it was not providing earnings guidance for 2019, given continuing uncertainty related to the 2017 Northern California wildfires, the 2018 Camp fire, the 2019 Kincade fire and Chapter 11 proceedings. The company raised its 2019 IIC guidance to $6.2 billion to $6.3 billion from guidance provided in August of $5.20 billion to $5.66 billion. The stock has plummeted 61.9% over the past three months through Wednesday, while the SPDR Utilities Select Sector ETF gained 4.5% and the S&P 500 advanced 6.7%....

Thanks to a combination of low-interest rates and investors’ preference for higher-yielding defensive assets, the Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU) , the largest utilities sector ETF, has been a solid sector-level performer this year while currently offering an impressive dividend yield of almost 3%...

The Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU) , the largest utilities sector exchange traded fund, is higher by nearly 14% year-to-date and some market observers assert that some defensive sectors are getting pricey, but reasons remain to consider utilities ETFs. The utilities sector is one of this year’s...