Companhia de Saneamento Basico and More Big Movers in Utilities on October 23, 2012

This morning's trading has marked a bad day for the market so far. The Nasdaq has slipped 0.9%; the S&P 500 has declined 1.5%; and the Dow has fallen 1.8%. The utilities sector is a category of stocks for utilities such as gas and power. It contains companies such as electric, gas and water firms and integrated providers. Because utilities require significant infrastructure, these firms often carry large amounts of debt. With a high debt load, utilities companies become sensitive to changes in the interest rate. As interest rates rise or drop, the debt payments will increase or decrease. The utilities sector performs best when interest rates are falling or remain low.

The Utilities sector (XLU) is currently lagging behind the overall market, down 1.2%, and its current biggest movers are:

Company	Market Cap	Percentage Change
Atlas (NYSE:ATLS)	$1.84 billion	-2.7%
Companhia de Saneamento Basico (NYSE:SBS)	$9.7 billion	-2.7%
National Fuel (NYSE:NFG)	$4.39 billion	-2.5%
American States (NYSE:AWR)	$836.8 million	-2.4%
Pinnacle (NYSE:PNW)	$5.88 billion	-2%
Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN)	$1.3 billion	-2%
Integrys Energy (NYSE:TEG)	$4.28 billion	-1.9%

Software Summary: Finviz.com Stock Screener

Atlas (NYSE:ATLS) has decreased to $34.81 per share, a 2.7% fall. At 51,723 shares, the company's volume so far today is 0.3 times the average daily volume.

After a decline of 2.7%, Companhia de Saneamento Basico (NYSE:SBS) has hit a share price of $82.79. The company is currently trading a volume of 71,575 shares.

Falling 2.5%, National Fuel (NYSE:NFG) is currently at a share price of $51.45. At 67,948 shares, the company's volume so far today is on pace to finish the day below yesterday's volume of 266,107 shares.

American States (NYSE:AWR) has fallen 2.4% and is currently trading at $43.17 per share. The company is currently trading a volume of 76,865 shares. This is 0.9 times the current three-month average.

At $52.61, Pinnacle (NYSE:PNW) has slipped 2%. At 273,275 shares, the company's volume so far today is 0.6 times the current daily average.

Currently trading at $47.45 per share, Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN) has fallen 2%. This morning, the company is trading a volume of 28,655 shares.

Slipping 1.9%, Integrys Energy (NYSE:TEG) is currently trading at $53.65 per share. So far today, 83,255 shares have changed hands, while it was 297,357 shares yesterday.

The Bottom Line On any given day, a particular stock may see positive or negative change in its share price. Paying close attention to the previous ratios will help you identify key times to adjust your strategy. Keep in mind that all these ratios should be compared against historical numbers and industry information in order to get a more complete picture.