Oneok and More Big Movers in Utilities on November 19, 2012

The market has been doing well after the morning's trading. The Nasdaq has risen 1.7%; the S&P 500 has moved up 1.5%; and the Dow is trading up 1.3%. 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 up 0.1%, underperforming the market overall. The biggest movers in the sector are currently:

Company	Market Cap	Percentage Change
Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (NYSE:EBR)	$6.82 billion	-5.6%
Crestwood Midstream (NYSE:CMLP)	$1.07 billion	+4.3%
El Paso Pipeline Partners (NYSE:EPB)	$7.44 billion	+3.3%
Huaneng Power International, Inc (NYSE:HNP)	$11.33 billion	+2.8%
UGI (NYSE:UGI)	$3.46 billion	+2.5%
Markwest Energy (NYSE:MWE)	$6.64 billion	+2.4%
Oneok (NYSE:OKS)	$12.53 billion	+2%

Software Summary: Finviz.com Stock Screener

Slipping 5.6%, Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (NYSE:EBR) is currently trading at $4.18 per share. So far today, the company's volume is 505,524 shares, in keeping with the average volume over the past three months.

Crestwood Midstream (NYSE:CMLP) has increased to a share price of $23.16, a 4.3% rise. So far today, the company's volume is 89,690 shares.

El Paso Pipeline Partners (NYSE:EPB) is up 3.3% to reach a current price of $35.69 per share. The company's volume is currently 101,814 shares for the day, 0.2 times the average daily volume.

After an increase of 2.8%, Huaneng Power International, Inc (NYSE:HNP) has reached a current price of $33.05. The company's volume is currently 40,686 shares.

Increasing 2.5%, UGI (NYSE:UGI) is trading at $31.53 per share. The company's volume is currently 264,249 shares for the day, in keeping with its current three-month average.

Markwest Energy (NYSE:MWE) is currently trading at $49.34 per share, a 2.4% increase. The company's volume for the day so far is 518,911 shares.

Oneok (NYSE:OKS) has risen 2% to hit a current price of $57.87 per share. The company's volume is currently 67,629 shares for the day, 0.2 times its current daily average.

The Bottom Line No matter the economic climate, Wall Street will always have stocks that make major moves each week. It is important to weigh current activity against historical performance when making any investment decisions. Keep in mind that all these ratios should be compared against historical numbers and industry information in order to get a more complete picture.