PG&E and Other Big Movers In Utilities on December 26, 2012

The morning has been bad for the market. The Nasdaq is trading down 1.1%; the S&P 500 is down 0.6%; and the Dow has slipped 0.3%. 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 down 0.4%, outperforming the market overall. Currently, the biggest movers in the sector are:

Company	Market Cap	Percentage Change
CPFL Energia S.A (NYSE:CPL)	$10 billion	+2%
DCP Midstream (NYSE:DPM)	$2.52 billion	-1.8%
Targa (NYSE:TRGP)	$2.19 billion	-1.8%
Markwest Energy (NYSE:MWE)	$7.02 billion	-1.8%
El Paso Pipeline Partners (NYSE:EPB)	$8.06 billion	-1.6%
PG&E (NYSE:PCG)	$17.59 billion	-1.5%
Korea Electric Power Corporation (NYSE:KEP)	$17.13 billion	+1.4%

Broker Summary: TD Ameritrade Thinkorswim

After an increase of 2%, CPFL Energia S.A (NYSE:CPL) has reached a current price of $21.20. So far today, the company's volume is 163,921 shares.

DCP Midstream (NYSE:DPM) is currently trading at a share price of $40.57, a 1.8% decline. So far today, 32,733 shares have changed hands, lighter than yesterday's volume of 92,073 shares.

Targa (NYSE:TRGP) is down 1.8% to reach $50.56 per share. So far today, the company's volume is 102,485 shares. This is 0.4 times the current three-month average.

Falling 1.8%, Markwest Energy (NYSE:MWE) is currently at a share price of $50.10. At 131,044 shares, the company's volume so far today is 0.2 times the average daily volume.

After a decline of 1.6%, El Paso Pipeline Partners (NYSE:EPB) has hit a share price of $36.77. So far today, 108,532 shares have changed hands.

PG&E (NYSE:PCG) has decreased to $40.30 per share, a 1.5% fall. At 1.1 million shares, the company's volume so far today is consistent with the volume from yesterday.

Increasing 1.4%, Korea Electric Power Corporation (NYSE:KEP) is trading at $13.53 per share. So far today, 515,897 shares have changed hands. This is consistent with its current three-month average.

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. Tools like valuation ratios and profit margins, however, are only as useful as the context you put them in; remember to take historical data and competitor performance into account.