WEC Energy Group Inc

Utilities continue trading near fair value with only a few high-quality dividend payers trading at attractive prices.

The utilities sector has historically been an income oasis, but demand from income-hungry investors is sending yields lower.

In a low-rate environment, this large, liquid ETF, which holds the biggest U.S. utilities firms, could offer some appeal.

Only the Fed could break up utilities' M&A party.

Utilities' 4% dividend yields still look attractive even with the chance for rising interest rates.

We don't see an end to this atypical volatility until interest rates rise back toward historical norms.

Utilities' 23% total return through mid-December topped all sectors except for M&A-fueled health care.

Valuations are rich, but sector finances and growth are super strong.

Stock price volatility offers opportunities for investors committed to holding utilities for the long run.

Top managers continue to focus on higher-quality dividend-paying stocks in a fully valued market.

Carbon-emissions laws have forced several coal-oriented utilities to improve their plants with multi-million-dollar investments, which, in turn, should contribute to dividend-growth opportunities.

Some of the most defensive companies in the utilities sector have performed the best this year and could face a sharp drop if interest rates start to creep up.

Interest rate fears have weighed on the sector's absolute performance, but utilities' fundamentals remain strong for the most part.

Finally, utilities with good growth and attractive yields are on sale.

With interest rates rising, will dividend yields keep utilities afloat?

Long-term investors shouldn't sell out of solid dividend-payers just because of temporary price dislocations, says the ClearBridge Equity Income Fund manager.

Despite the fact that company fundamentals remain supportive of spread levels, the impact of interest-rate and equity market moves was again felt in the corporate bond market.

Alternative methods have some use, but we think discounted cash flow is the most fundamentally sound way to value the conglomerate, as we discuss in the final installment of our 5-part series.

Utilities show no signs of slowing down with yields that look as good as ever.

Pegging the direction of utilities stocks in 2013 is not for the faint of heart.