IDU News and Press, iShares U.S. Utilities From 09/10/21

With broad market indexes and income sectors like REITs and utilities hovering near all-time highs, the yields for many equity income investments are noticeably lower now than in the past. This note briefly discusses the income challenge facing investors and how allocations to midstre...

Defensive stocks are often misunderstood. In recent years, even when they have delivered strong and steady earnings, returns have disappointed. After a period of underperformance for defensives, a broadening market can represent real opportunity. Beyond utilities, we believe that ...

Falling growth does not mean the economy is contracting. It merely means that the rate of increase is slowing. How much it slows is something we can't know yet, but it is exactly what we've been expecting for months as we watched bond yields drop. One reason I think the current enviro...

My reading of the current environment is relatively clear; both the longer term and shorter-term leading growth indicators are pointing toward the heightened possibility of slowing cyclical growth. As a result, these downward trends suggest investors ought to be rotating out of the re...

Capital expenditure expectations appear to have recovered from pre-pandemic levels in most major regions and are trending upwards according to analyst estimates. For the U.S. index, the 12-month forward capital expenditures estimate is currently $885.6 billion, up 13.8% year-over-year...

With earnings season in full gear and broad equity markets reaching record levels, we revisit valuation and put into context the relative value midstream offers during the ongoing economic recovery. As of last Friday, the Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index (AMZI) and the Alerian Midstre...

CreativeNature_nl/iStock via Getty Images The Environmental Protection Agency says it will set stricter standards on wastewater disposal from coal-fired power plants, reinstating regulations that the Trump administration had rolled back. The EPA says it will begin the rule-making process to r...

Year over year, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 4.2% in April, 5.0% in May, and 5.4% in June. Fading re-opening enthusiasm or the drying up of government stimulus checks could be factors in the sluggish growth numbers compared to prior month. Bond and equity markets indicated ...

Gargolas/iStock via Getty Images The Utilities (XLU) sector gets a bad rap even when it's the best-performing S&P (SPY) group, as that usually occurs on down market days. But its poor performance has Wall Street eyeing attractive valuations. XLU had another ho-hum move this past week, dow...

Gargolas/iStock via Getty Images The Utilities (XLU) sector gets a bad rap even when it's the best-performing S&P (SPY) group, as that usually occurs on down market days. But its poor performance has Wall Street eyeing attractive valuations. XLU had another ho-hum move this past week, up ...