Gold may be an alluring dollar hedge, but for most investors the best way to preserve purchasing power is to own growing, dividend-paying names from resource-backed economies. Read More

As the nascent recovery in the housing market gains momentum, it will boost demand for utilities, which will flow through to their rate base--and eventually their stocks. Read More

When a company makes a secondary equity offering, the market often responds with a selloff because investors assume the additional shares will merely dilute their holdings. But strong companies deploy the proceeds from such issuances toward productive ends, which will ultimately flow through to the share price and payout. Read More

Investors who depend on dividends for retirement income are anxious about the election’s impact on dividend stocks. However, fears that dividend-paying stocks could suffer a massive selloff are overblown. Read More

Although an appeals court ruling granted coal companies a slight reprieve this week, the power industry’s inexorable shift toward cheap natural gas is likely to continue at least until the end of the decade, as the US lacks the necessary infrastructure to export its abundance of natural gas overseas. Read More

Amid economic uncertainty, investors should carefully review a firm’s financials to ensure that it has a sustainable dividend and a manageable debt burden. Read More

The power industry boasts an outstanding record when it comes to post-merger performance, as deals typically increase scale and reduce costs. With the industry suffering steep capital costs, the incentive to merge will only grow greater in the years to come. Read More

The 15 percent withholding rate on dividend income is good for American investors, it's good for American companies, and it's good for American infrastructure. Read More

Not all dividend-paying stocks are bulwarks against market turmoil. Income-oriented investors need to be highly selective. Read More

Last week’s Derecho knocked out power to millions of customers across 10 states, requiring a massive effort on the part of utilities to restore power. But how much of a threat do such disasters typically pose to a utility’s bottom line? Read More