The correct answer is      (D.) Kayne Anderson Energy TR (KYE)

Kayne Anderson is the nation's top institutional investor in the MLP space -- and this is the firm's flagship fund. This past July, dividends were bumped up to $0.50 per share, which at the time provided a nice yield of 7.3%. Today, those quarterly checks are still at $0.50, but the shares have sunk some -60% to about $12. So thanks to this downturn, the yield has suddenly ballooned above 17%. In other words, not only will a $10,000 investment net you 833 shares instead of 365, but it will also throw off about $1,700 in annual income -- more than +100% more than the $730 you would have been getting on an annualized basis last summer.

MLP stands for master limited partnership, and the vast majority of MLPs are in the energy business. Specifically, they own and operate assets that transport, process, and store crude oil, natural gas, and petrochemicals. These critical "midstream" functions are vital to enabling oil/gas producers to get their products from the ground to the market. The assets don't require much ongoing capital expenditures, and competition tends to be minimal in many regions.

Because MLPs aren't involved in the actual production and sale of commodities, many pipeline owners care little whether crude slides to $25 or springs back to $100. As long as oil and gas are flowing through the system, the company responsible for moving it is well-compensated for its services.

Not too many industries --and ETFs -- can count on inelastic demand, natural barriers to entry, strong operating leverage, and (to one degree or another) insulation against fluctuating prices. So it's not surprising that MLPs are famous for generating highly stable and predictable cash flows in both good times and bad. And like utilities, they have little need to retain profits and usually return them to shareholders (technically known as "unitholders") as fast as they take them in. In fact, MLPs typically distribute about 90% of their cash flows each quarter -- and in this case, Uncle Sam doesn't take a cut of the proceeds.

In any case, it's easy to see why MLPs and MLP-based ETFs are prized for their unique mix of stability, income and growth. And after this historic selloff, there has arguably never been a better time to invest in this attractive sector. That's why in his latest issue of the ETF Authority newsletter, StreetAuthority editor Nathan Slaughter has compiled a list of six MLP-based ETFs that are thriving — and supplying their shareholders with fat checks. To learn the names of these ETFs, and to learn more about the ETF Authority newsletter, please visit this link.