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12 Best Utility Stocks to Buy According to Financial Media

In this article, we discuss the 12 best utility stocks to buy according to financial media. If you want to skip our detailed analysis of these stocks, go directly to 5 Best Utility Stocks to Buy According to Financial Media

The utility sector has been in the limelight on Wall Street as the energy transition away from fossil fuels and towards cleaner energy sources dominates new spending in the sector. Even though utilities have historically been shielded from pricing pressures, the conditions created by surging energy costs, geopolitical conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, and supply chain issues have all impacted the industry. Clean energy remains the key theme, however, with estimates suggesting clean power will generate over 33% of all US power within the next two years. 

Some of the key firms to monitor in this context include Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK), Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED), and American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP). These firms are spending billions in an effort to move towards wind, nuclear, solar, and other clean sources of energy creation. By the end of this decade, corporate demand for clean energy is likely to add more than 94 GW of renewable energy capacity to the electricity grid in the United States. 

In this exciting era of change, utility stocks offer investors a mix of growth and value. Traditionally, utility firms are value kings with reliable dividend payouts and steady share prices. However, the pivot away from fossil fuels adds a factor of growth to these firms that had been missing before. This has also led to activist investor interest in the sector. Even the US government is exploring options to put money into the utilities business that has suffered from historic underinvestment. 

Lynn Good, the CEO of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK), recently underlined during the third quarter earnings call that her company was investing in modernizing the electrical grid to protect it against hazardous weather conditions. She also noted how annual rate updates were important to efficiently recover investments. Good identified renewables, battery storage, natural gas, and energy efficiency and demand side management as some of the resources Duke was using to meet the evolving power needs of customers. 

“Our response to Hurricane Idalia in September, yet again demonstrated the value of our grid-hardening investments. The storm caused over 200,000 outages, and we restored power to 95% of customers within 36 hours. Further, our investment in self-healing grid technologies saved more than 7 million outage minutes for customers. Shifting to the Midwest, in October, the Kentucky Public Service Commission approved the new rates in our electric rate case, which utilized a forecasted test year. And the commission approved a 9.75% ROE, a 50 basis point increase from the previous case as well as increasing the equity component of the capital structure to 52%. Across our footprint, we’ve built considerable momentum over the last year, and our long-term organic growth strategy has never been more clear.

This past year has made our company stronger and more agile as we’ve responded to macroeconomic headwinds. I’m confident we’re well positioned to deliver sustainable value and 5% to 7% earnings growth over the next five years.”

Our Methodology

To select stocks for this list, we scoured the top stock picks in the utility world as recommended by prominent financial websites. The websites consulted for this purpose include Forbes, The Motley Fool, Business Insider, Morningstar, Kiplinger, The Street, and Investopedia. Only articles from 2023 were considered. The top twelve consensus picks were then selected. The analyst ratings of each stock are also discussed to provide readers with some context for their investment choices. The hedge fund sentiment around each stock was calculated using the data of around 900 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey in the third quarter of 2023. Hedge funds’ top 10 consensus stock picks outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). That’s why we pay very close attention to this often-ignored indicator.

A close-up of an electrical power line with a bright blue sky in the background, highlighting the company’s selection of electricity and natural gas services.

Best Utility Stocks to Buy According to Financial Media

12. NorthWestern Corporation (NASDAQ:NWE)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 13

Number of Times Stock Appeared in Top Picks of Financial Media: 1

NorthWestern Corporation (NASDAQ:NWE) provides electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. On October 30, investment advisory Wells Fargo upgraded NorthWestern Corporation (NASDAQ:NWE) stock to Overweight from Equal Weight and lowered the price target to $51 from $59. 

At the end of the third quarter of 2023, 13 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $48 million in NorthWestern Corporation (NASDAQ:NWE), compared to 14 in the previous quarter worth $107 million.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Connecticut-based investment firm AQR Capital Management is a leading shareholder in NorthWestern Corporation (NASDAQ:NWE) with 331,642 shares worth more than $15 million. 

Just like Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK), Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED), and American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP), NorthWestern Corporation (NASDAQ:NWE) is one of the best utility stocks to buy according to financial media.

11. Portland General Electric Company (NYSE:POR)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21

Number of Times Stock Appeared in Top Picks of Financial Media: 1

Portland General Electric Company (NYSE:POR) is an integrated electric utility company. On December 11, investment advisory Barclays upgraded Portland General Electric Company (NYSE:POR) stock to Overweight from Equal Weight and raised the price target to $47 from $44. 

At the end of the third quarter of 2023, 21 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $184 million in Portland General Electric Company (NYSE:POR), up from 19 in the previous quarter worth $267 million.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, New York-based investment firm Zimmer Partners is a leading shareholder in Portland General Electric Company (NYSE:POR) with 1.7 million shares worth more than $71 million. 

10. Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (NYSE:PNW)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 20

Number of Times Stock Appeared in Top Picks of Financial Media: 2

Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (NYSE:PNW) provides retail and wholesale electric services. On October 24, investment advisory Bank of America maintained a Neutral rating on Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (NYSE:PNW) stock and raised the price target to $73 from $69. 

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Chicago-based investment firm Citadel Investment Group is a leading shareholder in Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (NYSE:PNW) with 901,311 shares worth more than $66 million. 

At the end of the third quarter of 2023, 20 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $257 million in Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (NYSE:PNW), the same as in the previous quarter worth $289 million.

9. New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE:NJR)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 18 

Number of Times Stock Appeared in Top Picks of Financial Media: 2

New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE:NJR) operates as an energy services holding firm. On November 20, investment advisory Mizuho maintained a Neutral rating on New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE:NJR) stock and lowered the price target to $47 from $49. 

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, New York-based investment firm Millennium Management is a leading shareholder in New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE:NJR) with 952,042 shares worth more than $38 million. 

At the end of the third quarter of 2023, 18 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $87 million in New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE:NJR), compared to 16 in the previous quarter worth $72 million.

8. Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 27

Number of Times Stock Appeared in Top Picks of Financial Media: 3

Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED) has stakes in the electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses. On November 6, investment advisory Barclays maintained an Equal Weight rating on Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED) stock and raised the price target to $88 from $84. 

At the end of the third quarter of 2023, 27 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $350 million in Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED), compared to 30 in the preceding quarter worth $302 million. 

7. Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 17 

Number of Times Stock Appeared in Top Picks of Financial Media: 3

Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) engages in the natural gas distribution, pipeline and storage business. On December 14, investment advisory Mizuho maintained a Buy rating on Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) stock and raised the price target to $133 from $131. 

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Connecticut-based investment firm AQR Capital Management is a leading shareholder in Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) with 208,045 shares worth more than $22 million. 

At the end of the third quarter of 2023, 17 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $72 million in Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO), compared to 18 in the previous quarter worth $124 million.

6. MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 27 

Number of Times Stock Appeared in Top Picks of Financial Media: 3

MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) engages in the energy delivery business. On December 5, investment advisory Argus maintained a Hold rating on MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) stock, noting the firm was strengthening operations in the utility segment through acquisitions and expansion projects. 

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Connecticut-based firm AQR Capital Management is a leading shareholder in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) with 1.3 million shares worth more than $27 million. 

Along with Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK), Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED), and American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP), MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) is one of the best utility stocks to buy according to financial media.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Best Utility Stocks to Buy According to Financial Media.

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Disclosure. None. 12 Best Utility Stocks to Buy According to Financial Media is originally published on Insider Monkey.

The $250 Trillion AI Hype is Real. A few years from now, you’ll probably wish you’d bought this stock.

When Jeff Bezos said that one breakthrough technology would shape Amazon’s destiny, even Wall Street’s biggest analysts were caught off guard.

Fast forward a year and Amazon’s new CEO Andy Jassy described generative AI as a “once-in-a-lifetime” technology that is already being used across Amazon to reinvent customer experiences.

At the 8th Future Investment Initiative conference, Elon Musk predicted that by 2040 there would be at least 10 billion humanoid robots, with each priced between $20,000 and $25,000.

Do the math. According to Musk, this technology could be worth $250 trillion by 2040.

Put another way, that’s roughly equal to:

  • 175 Teslas
  • 107 Amazons
  • 140 Metas
  • 84 Googles
  • 65 Microsofts
  • And 55 Nvidias

And here’s the wild part — this $250 trillion wave isn’t tied to one company, but to an entire ecosystem of AI innovators set to reshape the global economy.

It’s a leap so massive, it could reshape how businesses, governments, and consumers operate worldwide.

Even if that $250 trillion figure sounds ambitious, major firms like PwC and McKinsey still see AI unlocking multi-trillion-dollar potential.

How could anything be worth that much?

The answer lies in a breakthrough so powerful it’s redefining how humanity works, learns, and creates.

And this breakthrough has already set off a frenzy among hedge funds and Wall Street’s top investors.

What most investors don’t realize is that one under-owned company holds the key to this $250 trillion revolution.

In fact, Verge argues this company’s supercheap AI technology should concern rivals.

Before I reveal the details, let’s talk about how some of the richest people on the planet are positioning themselves.

  • Bill Gates sees artificial intelligence as the “biggest technological advance in my lifetime,” more transformative than the internet or personal computer, capable of improving healthcare, education, and addressing climate change.
  • Larry Ellison — through Oracle, is spending billions on Nvidia chips and partnering with Cohere to embed generative AI across Oracle’s cloud and apps.
  • Warren Buffett — not known for tech hype — says this breakthrough could have a ‘hugely beneficial social impact.

When billionaires from Silicon Valley to Wall Street line up behind the same idea — you know it’s worth paying attention to.

Even as we admire what Tesla, Nvidia, Alphabet, and Microsoft have built, we believe an even greater opportunity lies elsewhere…

But the real story isn’t Nvidia — it’s a much smaller company quietly improving the critical technology that makes this entire revolution possible.

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This prediction might not be bold at all:

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AI, Tariffs, Nuclear Power: One Undervalued Stock Connects ALL the Dots (Before It Explodes!)

Artificial intelligence is the greatest investment opportunity of our lifetime. The time to invest in groundbreaking AI is now, and this stock is a steal!

AI is eating the world—and the machines behind it are ravenous.

Each ChatGPT query, each model update, each robotic breakthrough consumes massive amounts of energy. In fact, AI is already pushing global power grids to the brink.

Wall Street is pouring hundreds of billions into artificial intelligence—training smarter chatbots, automating industries, and building the digital future. But there’s one urgent question few are asking:

Where will all of that energy come from?

AI is the most electricity-hungry technology ever invented. Each data center powering large language models like ChatGPT consumes as much energy as a small city. And it’s about to get worse.

Even Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, issued a stark warning:

“The future of AI depends on an energy breakthrough.”

Elon Musk was even more blunt:

“AI will run out of electricity by next year.”

As the world chases faster, smarter machines, a hidden crisis is emerging behind the scenes. Power grids are strained. Electricity prices are rising. Utilities are scrambling to expand capacity.

And that’s where the real opportunity lies…

One little-known company—almost entirely overlooked by most AI investors—could be the ultimate backdoor play. It’s not a chipmaker. It’s not a cloud platform. But it might be the most important AI stock in the US owns critical energy infrastructure assets positioned to feed the coming AI energy spike.

As demand from AI data centers explodes, this company is gearing up to profit from the most valuable commodity in the digital age: electricity.

The “Toll Booth” Operator of the AI Energy Boom

  • It owns critical nuclear energy infrastructure assets, positioning it at the heart of America’s next-generation power strategy.
  • It’s one of the only global companies capable of executing large-scale, complex EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) projects across oil, gas, renewable fuels, and industrial infrastructure.
  • It plays a pivotal role in U.S. LNG exportation—a sector about to explode under President Trump’s renewed “America First” energy doctrine.

Trump has made it clear: Europe and U.S. allies must buy American LNG.

And our company sits in the toll booth—collecting fees on every drop exported.

But that’s not all…

As Trump’s proposed tariffs push American manufacturers to bring their operations back home, this company will be first in line to rebuild, retrofit, and reengineer those facilities.

AI. Energy. Tariffs. Onshoring. This One Company Ties It All Together.

While the world is distracted by flashy AI tickers, a few smart investors are quietly scooping up shares of the one company powering it all from behind the scenes.

AI needs energy. Energy needs infrastructure.

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This company has its finger in every pie—and Wall Street is just starting to notice.

Wall Street is noticing this company also because it is quietly riding all of these tailwinds—without the sky-high valuation.

While most energy and utility firms are buried under mountains of debt and coughing up hefty interest payments just to appease bondholders…

This company is completely debt-free.

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It also owns a huge equity stake in another red-hot AI play, giving investors indirect exposure to multiple AI growth engines without paying a premium.

And here’s what the smart money has started whispering…

The Hedge Fund Secret That’s Starting to Leak Out

This stock is so off-the-radar, so absurdly undervalued, that some of the most secretive hedge fund managers in the world have begun pitching it at closed-door investment summits.

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Why? Because excluding cash and investments, this company is trading at less than 7 times earnings.

And that’s for a business tied to:

  • The AI infrastructure supercycle
  • The onshoring boom driven by Trump-era tariffs
  • A surge in U.S. LNG exports
  • And a unique footprint in nuclear energy—the future of clean, reliable power

You simply won’t find another AI and energy stock this cheap… with this much upside.

This isn’t a hype stock. It’s not riding on hope.

It’s delivering real cash flows, owns critical infrastructure, and holds stakes in other major growth stories.

This is your chance to get in before the rockets take off!

Disruption is the New Name of the Game: Let’s face it, complacency breeds stagnation.

AI is the ultimate disruptor, and it’s shaking the foundations of traditional industries.

The companies that embrace AI will thrive, while the dinosaurs clinging to outdated methods will be left in the dust.

As an investor, you want to be on the side of the winners, and AI is the winning ticket.

The Talent Pool is Overflowing: The world’s brightest minds are flocking to AI.

From computer scientists to mathematicians, the next generation of innovators is pouring its energy into this field.

This influx of talent guarantees a constant stream of groundbreaking ideas and rapid advancements.

By investing in AI, you’re essentially backing the future.

The future is powered by artificial intelligence, and the time to invest is NOW.

Don’t be a spectator in this technological revolution.

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Here’s what to do next:

1. Head over to our website and subscribe to our Premium Readership Newsletter for just $9.99.

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