(New York)

Utilities, telecoms, consumer staples, and REITs, all sectors that should get hurt as rates rise, right? Think again. Dividend stocks are doing well, and telecoms, in particular, look like they have a lot of upside for investors. According to Oppenheimer, the price war in the sector is coming to an end, which means telecoms, which have trailed the market this year, could be in for a good run. Also notable is that the dividend yield spread between AT&T and Verizon is now at its highest ever, with the former at 6% and the latter at 4%.

FINSUM: Favorable bundling and higher per user revenue seem likely. Those drivers, combined with the fact that dividend stocks have a lot of momentum, could mean the sector might strongly outperform the market.