Make Money in Growing, Dividend-Paying Utility Stocks

While some industries see their fortunes rise and fall along with overall economic conditions, such as automakers or large-appliance makers, other industries, such as utilities, are more "defensive." Their offerings remain in demand no matter what the economy is doing. Better still, many utility companies pay substantial dividends.

More than a handful of utility companies had strong performances over the past year. NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE), for example, jumped 24%. NiSource (NYSE: NI), meanwhile, a holding company focused on gas and electricity, gained 21%, and yields 3.4%. British-American utility PP&L (NYSE: PPL) advanced 9%, and yields 4.8%. Exelon (NYSE: EXC) shed 11%, and has also been saving itself and its customers money via smart grids. Demand for energy and utilities isn't going away anytime soon. A well-chosen ETF can grant you instant diversification across any industry or group of companies -- and make investing in and profiting from it that much easier.

Source: Motley Fool

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