Utilities Up, But Not By Much, As Cyclical Bias Persists -- Utilities Roundup

Shares of power-plant operators rose, but not by much, as traders remained biased towards cyclical sectors.

Analysts at brokerage Morgan Stanley said the utility sector could get a lift from several emerging themes this year. These include the repercussions of companies "decarbonizing their fleets"; "the potential in California for a comprehensive resolution of fire risk that would cover both insured and uninsured property owners" (fire liability issues have weighed on PG&E shares in recent months); and "widespread adoption of storage technology." The extent to which these themes play out could shape the level of returns for the sector in 2018, according to the brokerage.

--Rob Curran, rob.curran@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 22, 2018 16:51 ET (21:51 GMT)