In plain terms — Gabelli Utility Trust
Shares currently cost about 104.5% more than the value of the assets behind them (a premium).
Over the past year it has averaged a 97.6% premium, so today's level is not high for this fund (Z-score +0.4). That describes the past; it does not predict where the discount goes next.
It pays regular distributions worth about 10.3% a year of the share price (21.0% of the assets). That is a payout rate, not a return: part of it may be capital being handed back.
Because the shares trade above the value of their assets, each dollar of reinvested distributions buys about $0.49 of assets — a ReinvestCapture™ rate of 5.0%, less than the payout rate itself. That is buying power, not a return.
The assets themselves grew 7.4% over the past year including distributions (NAV total return).
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Price and NAV, past year
Snapshot
Valuation vs. history
| Window | Average prem/disc | Std. dev. | Z-score | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months | +111.10% | 4.89% | -1.91 | 64 |
| 6 months | +105.47% | 9.55% | -0.39 | 126 |
| 1 year | +97.64% | 11.32% | +0.36 | 250 |
| 3 years | +90.63% | — | — | — |
| 5 years | +92.80% | — | — | — |
Current contemporaneous premium/discount +101.75% (close Oct 14, 2026 vs NAV Oct 13, 2026). 1-year range +76.51% to +121.66%. A negative Z-score means a wider discount than the window average — not that the fund is undervalued.
Performance
| Series | 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y (ann.) | 5Y (ann.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market price return | -7.78% | -17.24% | -3.65% | -4.13% | -0.28% | -6.06% |
| Market price total return | -7.00% | -15.23% | +3.62% | +5.71% | +10.49% | +3.10% |
| NAV return | -2.72% | -9.78% | -5.92% | -11.18% | +0.35% | -7.49% |
| NAV total return | -1.02% | -5.20% | +8.49% | +7.44% | +21.96% | +10.60% |
Through Oct 14, 2026. Total return reinvests distributions at the series value on the ex-date. Cumulative ≤ 1 year, annualised beyond.
About the fund
Operating as a closed-end equity fund, The Gabelli Utility Trust was initially established by GAMCO Investors, Inc., with its management overseen by Gabelli Funds, LLC. This fund primarily allocates capital to publicly traded companies across global markets, focusing specifically on businesses involved in delivering products, services, or vital equipment for the generation or distribution of essential utilities such as electricity, gas, and water, alongside telecommunications services and broader infrastructure operations. It seeks investment opportunities in companies regardless of their market capitalization. To measure its performance, the fund benchmarks its portfolio against the S&P 500 Utilities Index, the Lipper Utility Fund Average, and the S&P 500 Index. The Gabelli Utility Trust commenced operations on July 9, 1999, and is legally based in the United States.
CEF Explorer research page for Gabelli Utility Trust. Figures carry their own dates and sources; a discount to NAV does not guarantee convergence or any return. This is not investment advice.