Interesting to see that utilities are the best performing sector in the US this year

Interesting to see that utilities are the best performing sector in the US this year. At a glance it looks like the performance has been underwritten by a similar theme to the one we are experiencing here in Australia - dividends. Stocks in the utilities sector sector pay a great dividend of about 3.8%, versus a bit less than 2% for the S&P 500 (remember rates in the US are 0.25%). An argument has also been made that the out-performance of utilities this year has been driven by a flight to safety with investors seeking a defensive position from within the market. (VIEW LINK)