Utilities are among the few areas of the stock market that have avoided this year’s bloodbath. Reasons: Consumers and ­businesses continue to use essential services such as electricity and natural gas even when the economy weakens, although use may drop slightly. Regulators make sure that utilities take in a certain level of revenue, which means stable profits and strong cash flow. Utilities are not hurt by the strength of the US dollar, as many other businesses are. And they generally are not threatened by competition.

Over the past 15 years, the utility sector of the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index has outperformed the index by two percentage points a year with 60% less volatility. This year through February 29, utility stocks gained 7%, on average, compared with a loss of 5.1% for the S&P 500.

Utility stocks, which typically pay above-average dividends, should continue to be a safe haven, partly because the sluggish economy is expected to restrain the Federal ­Reserve’s interest rate increases. That’s a change from last year, when investors dumped utilities, fearing that they could be hurt by a spike in rates.

Attractive utility investments…

Dominion Resources (D) provides electricity to about 2.5 million customers in Virginia and North Carolina. It also distributes natural gas through 12,200 miles of pipeline to power plants across the eastern US. Recent yield: 3.7%.

NextEra Energy (NEE) provides electricity to 4.8 million customers in Florida. NextEra also is the biggest generator of wind power, selling wind-generated energy to utilities across the US and Canada. Recent yield: 2.8%.

Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) invests in utility firms in the S&P 500. Recent yield: 3.5%.

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