Boring Beats Brilliant: How a Utilities ETF Has Quietly Trounced the S & P 500 in Nearly Every Recession This Century
Key takeaways
- The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks.
- Although the US economy has not undergone a genuine depression since the first part of the 20th century under Presidents Herbert Hoover and Franklin D.
- 2007-2008: The subprime mortgage banking meltdown
Boring Beats Brilliant: How a Utilities ETF Has Quietly Trounced the S & P 500 in Nearly Every Recession This Century John Seetoo Wed, May 13, 2026 at 5:37 PM GMT+7 5 min read ^GSPC Quick Read Vanguard Utilities Index Fund ETF Shares (VPU) has outperformed the S&P 500 during 2 of the last 3 recessions this century, returning +17% in 2007 vs the S&P 500’s +3.53%, losing -27.94% in 2008 vs -38.49%, and gaining +1.04% in 2022 vs -19.44%.
AI data centers’ escalating demand for electricity and water is driving unexpected growth and stronger earnings for utilities that traditionally offer defensive stability with a 2.52% dividend yield and minimal competition in their municipal markets.
The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks. Get them here FREE.