Income seekers of all stripes were forced to look outside the box during the recession and its aftermath. With the Federal Reserve keeping rates low, traditional sources of income – such as CDs, treasury bonds and money market funds – were basically paying zero. That meant loading up on a variety of exotic asset classes. Real estate investment trusts (REITs), master limited partnerships (MLPs) and dividend-oriented sectors like consumer staples were on the menu.
But that was then and this is now.
With the Fed now raising rates, most of these high-yielding securities have taken it on the chin and have dropped hard. However, one is still seeing plenty of investors’ interest. Utility stocks have defied logic and are actually doing well. The best part is the trends could keep them rising high over the next few quarters.
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