In a surprising turn of events, two utility stocks, Vistra (VST) and Constellation Energy (CEG), have outperformed technology giant Nvidia in the S&P 500 this year. Despite Nvidia's impressive 81.5% gain, these utilities have shown remarkable growth.
The utilities sector is currently the top-performing sector in the S&P 500, with a yield of 2.97% compared to technology's yield of 0.7%. This discrepancy can be attributed to several factors, including growing electricity demand and the shift towards renewable energy sources.
One interesting fact is that an average Google search consumes around 0.3 watt-hours of electricity, while a similar request made to ChatGPT requires 2.9 watt-hours. This increased energy consumption from AI models and data centers has led to a significant increase in demand for electricity.
Total capital expenditures among a collection of 34 power utilities in the US are forecasted to increase by 30% from 2022 to 2026. This trend is expected to continue as more companies invest in renewable energy and data centers require large amounts of electricity.
Vistra, an electric utility based in Irving, Texas, has seen its shares rise by 143% this year and yields 0.9%. Analysts predict earnings of $6.10 per share in 2024 and revenue growth of nearly 11%. Constellation Energy's stock is up more than 83% this year, not including its yield of 0.7%. Analysts expect the company to make $7.58 per share this year and earnings to jump another 7% in 2025.
These impressive performances from Vistra and Constellation Energy demonstrate that utilities can be a strong investment option, even in a technology-driven market. The sector's consistent growth and attractive yields make it an appealing choice for investors looking for stable returns.