The Surprising Calorie Costs of Dining Out. Americans open their wallets at restaurants an average of four times a week, according to the National Restaurant Association. But the real cost of restaurant food may be ballooning waistlines and clogged arteries. We're spending about $222 billion on dining out each year, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest says it's becoming a dangerous habit.
Welcome to Utility Rates Analysts, the Robin Hood of the Utility Industry. Utility costs are one of the biggest bottom-line costs for many companies. Our goal is to save you money on those costs. Our professional staff of analysts will review your electric, gas, water, sewer, and telephone bills looking for errors or ways to reduce costs moving forward. Some common errors include over-billing, over-taxation, or incorrect rates for your business.
What yield seekers might not realize though is that legions of risk averse investors spooked by market volatility and starved for yield have bid up utility stocks to pricey levels. Historically, the utility sector has an average price/earnings ratio about 25% below the overall market. Today the sector trades at a large premium to the market. According to S&P IQ, the utility sector within the S&P 500 stock index has a PE ratio of 15.6 based on estimated 2012 earnings. The overall PE ratio for the S&P 500 index is 13.1. And with a forecast of sluggish earnings growth in 2013 for the sector, that high valuation is expected to persist next year as well. S&P IQ forecasts a 15.1 2013 PE ratio for the utility sector, compared to 11.7 for the overall S&P 500.