15 Utility Companies to Buy for the Long Run

Utility companies keep the lights on, the heat and cooling systems running, and the water flowing for pretty much everyone every day across America.

Many of these suppliers are also publicly traded companies. Among their ranks are companies that have long earned the title of "widow-and-orphan" stocks because of the reliability of the income they pay in dividends and the stability of their stock prices.

They also are classic defensive stocks, about as recession resistant as an investor can hope to find in today's uncertain markets. And they typically have regulated monopolies in their service areas to boot. Here are 15 to consider.

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