This past year was a strong one for the stock market. The S 500 was up about 25%, closing near its all-time high.

However, not all stocks joined that rally. Utilities, in particular, were under pressure last year due to the impact of higher interest rates and some company-specific issues. Those headwinds could fade in 2024. Because of that, utilities could have the power to produce strong total returns. Black Hills (NYSE: BKH), Enbridge (NYSE: ENB), and NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE) currently stand out to a few Fool.com contributors as stocks that could get off to a strong start in the new year.

Reuben Gregg Brewer (Black Hills): The first thing that dividend investors will be attracted to at Black Hills is its status as a Dividend King, with 53 years of annual dividend increases under its belt. The next key feature is the 4.6% dividend yield, which is toward the high end of the stock's yield range over the past decade. This suggests it is a historically good time to buy this regulated utility.

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Source Fool.com