Broader Markets Teeter, Utilities Continue to Rise

The Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU), which represents the S&P 500 Utilities, rose 1.6%, while the S&P 500 fell 4.4% last week. The slow and steady utilities, generally considered “widow-and-orphan” stocks, continued to outperform broader equities amid market uncertainty in the last few months. The arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Canada last week stirred the market sentiment and pointed to increased concerns about China and US trade relations.