Published:
December 15, 2008
The
correct answer is
(E.) Gabelli Global Utility &
Income Trust (GLU)
Gabelli Global Utility and Income
has one of the most attractive and
well-run portfolios of utilities and
independent power producers around
-- not to mention its steady monthly
dividends equating to a sizeable
yield of nearly 8%. GLU has beaten
99% of its peers in the utility
category over the past three years
and is trading near the widest
discount in the fund's history.
Though most funds force shareholders
to choose between U.S. and foreign
companies, GLU offers a balanced
global approach. Roughly two-thirds
of the fund's assets are invested in
North America, with the rest spread
among promising utilities in Europe,
Asia, and Latin America. The
well-rounded portfolio is also less
concentrated at the top than its
cap-weighted peers and has a much
broader focus. And unlike most
utility ETFs that track extremely
narrow indices, GLU also offers a
meaningful stake in the cable,
satellite, water and telecom
segments. With all of this in mind,
and with the shares now trading at
an attractive -13% discount to NAV..
The utility industry sits squarely
at the confluence of two trends: the
charge for alternative-energy
development and pumping hundreds of
billions into vital infrastructure
projects. After all, utilities own
and operate power plants,
transmission lines, and other key
infrastructure. And many are
planning to ramp up capital spending
to upgrade these facilities to boost
efficiency, increase capacity, and
embrace greener energy. These
increased expenditures lead directly
to stronger earnings -- and higher
dividend distributions for
shareholders.
But despite their steady cash flows
and lofty distributions, hedge funds
have been liquidating utility
positions (among others) to raise
cash -- and that has opened up an
excellent buying opportunity. That's
why StreetAuthority editor Nathan
Slaughter plans to add GLU to his
"Sector Trading" Portfolio -- a
portfolio of ETFs profiting from
today's hottest industries and one
he highlights in every issue of The
ETF Authority
newsletter. To learn more about
the other ETFs in Nathan's "Sector
Trading" portfolio, or to learn more
about The ETF Authority,
please visit this link.
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