Europe Utilities Hit 17-Year High as Tariffs Spark Haven Search

Regulated earnings streams mark utilities stocks as a defensive bet for those seeking safe havens.Photographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg
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While Donald Trump’s tariffs are battering stocks across the globe, investors are finding a haven in European utilities.

The Stoxx 600 Utilities Index rose 3.1% on Thursday — bucking the broader gauge’s 2.6% slide. It pared some of those gains on Friday but still hovered near the highest level since November 2008. Among the sector’s main winners was Spain’s Iberdrola SA, with its market value surgingBloomberg Terminal beyond €100 billion for the first time.