In this article, we will look at the 10 High-Growth Utility Stocks to Buy According to Analysts.
The artificial intelligence boom has transformed utilities from safe havens to growth stocks. Over the past three years, the utilities sector has rallied by more than 30%, making it the third-best-performing sector in the S&P 500, behind communication and information technology.
The outperformance has come amid expectations that the artificial intelligence revolution will require enormous amounts of energy to power data centers. Consequently, companies that produce and sell energy have emerged as the biggest beneficiaries, alongside companies developing and deploying AI innovations.
“Utilities have a healthy outlook, because obviously demand is rising, they are getting their prices increases from the public utilities commissions,” said Louis Navellier, chief investment officer of Navellier & Associates. “I think utilities are going to be a conservative growth industry. Your best defensive sector now is gold stocks, for sure.”
According to Jay Rhame, chief executive of W.H. Reaves & Company, the growth outlook for utilities is the best it’s ever been. That was evident as utility stocks posted the strongest start to the year since 2019, as investors retreated from riskier assets amid the Iran conflict.
“When volatility really ramps up and there are questions about where the market is going in the short term, it’s natural for investors to rotate into defensive type equities and utilities tend to be a prime recipient of along with healthcare,” said Matt Stucky, chief equities portfolio manager at Northwestern Mutual.
Utility companies should continue to outperform as they are considered defensive investments that enjoy strong demand for electricity, water, and gas regardless of the prevailing economic conditions. In addition, most of the stocks offer attractive yields that appeal to passive investors.
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Our Methodology
To compile a list of High Growth Utility Stocks to Buy According to Analysts, we used Finviz and Yahoo Screener to scan for utility stocks. From the list, we focused on companies with a 5-year average revenue growth rate of at least 5%, positive revenue growth projections for the next financial year, and an upside potential of more than 5% (as of May 7). We also set a minimum market cap of $2 billion to focus on larger, more established companies and detailed the number of hedge funds holding stakes in them in Q4 2025. Finally, we ranked the stocks based on their upside potential.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research shows we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 498.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 303 percentage points (see more details here).
High-Growth Utility Stocks to Buy According to Analysts
10. CMS Energy Corporation (NYSE:CMS)
Stock Upside Potential: 10.65%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 52
CMS Energy Corporation (NYSE:CMS) is one of the high growth utility stocks to buy according to analysts. On April 28, CMS Energy Corporation (NYSE:CMS) reiterated strong execution in the first quarter, positioning it for an impressive year. The company is also building momentum across its triple bottom line in support of customers and investors.
The sentiments align with the company delivering impressive first-quarter 2026 results that underscored growth. Adjusted Earnings per share came in at $1.13, an improvement from $1.02 a share delivered the same quarter last year. CMS Energy has also reaffirmed its 2026 adjusted earnings guidance of between $3.83 and $3.90 a share. It also expects its long-term adjusted EPS to grow by between 6% and 8%.
Earlier, the company’s board of directors reiterated its commitment to shareholder value by approving a 57-cent-per-share common dividend. The dividend is to be paid on May 29 to shareholders of record as of May 8.
CMS Energy Corporation (NYSE:CMS) is a Michigan-based energy holding company that primarily provides regulated electricity and natural gas to 6.8 million residents through its main subsidiary, Consumers Energy. The company focuses on generating, transmitting, and distributing energy, while investing heavily in renewable energy and, as of 2025, has pivoted to a coal-free generation strategy.
9. Black Hills Corporation (NYSE:BKH)
Stock Upside Potential: 11.73%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 37
Black Hills Corporation (NYSE:BKH) is one of the high growth utility stocks to buy according to analysts. On April 15, analysts at BMO Capital reiterated an Outperform rating on Black Hills Corporation (NYSE:BKH) and raised the price target to $91 from $84.
The price target hike comes as the research firm expects the company to benefit from Microsoft’s purchase of 3,200 acres of land to build a data center. The proposed data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming, underscores the growing interest of hyperscalers in the state, which is expected to trigger significant transformational growth. Black Hills is to provide the much-needed energy to power the data center, seen as a significant development.
Black Hills Corp. boasts a data center pipeline of more than 3 GW, including 600 MW by 2030, as part of a five-year financial plan driven by Microsoft’s data center expansion efforts. The company is also poised to capitalize on Meta Platform’s new AI data center. The Microsoft data center deal comes on the heels of the company delivering solid first-quarter 2026 results. Adjusted earnings totaled $135.1 million, or $1.79 a share, compared to $134.3 million, or $1.87 a share, delivered in the same quarter last year.
Black Hills Corporation (NYSE:BKH) is a diversified energy company that operates as a regulated electric and natural gas utility, serving roughly 1.35 million customers across eight states: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. They generate, transmit, and distribute electricity and natural gas.
