The Daily Interview: Power Plays

With an economic recovery and the status of second-half corporate earnings for this year still in question, today's Daily Interview checks in with Mark D. Luftig of the (SAMUX Quote)Strong American Utilities fund to survey the landscape of the utilities industry, which has traditionally been a defensive sector.

Mark D.Luftig Portfolio Manager, Strong American Utilities

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While the fund was down 3.9% for the year through June 30, it's managed to outperform most of its peers over that time and sports a 5-year annualized return of 15.0%, according to Morningstar.

Luftig says he's optimistic about California's energy problems being resolved and that he's confident about the fundamentals of the diversified electricity and gas companies he owns. Read on to find out why. ...