Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is included among the 15 Dividend Stocks with Low Payout Ratios and Strong Upside. Morgan Stanley Sees Data Centers Driving the Next Phase of Growth for Vistra (VST) On December 16, Morgan Stanley analyst David Arcaro raised the firm’s price target on Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) to $228 from $225 and kept an Overweight rating on the shares. In a year-ahead note, he told investors that utility performance will be heavily driven by data centers, with added growth potential showing up in ...

In this article, we are going to discuss the best utility stocks to invest in according to hedge funds.The utility sector emerged as one of the biggest winners of the AI boom. Major utility companies all over the country signed hefty contracts with hyperscalers to power their data centers, leading to commitments of billions of dollars of investments in the coming years.However, bullish sentiment in the sector appears to have cooled following recent fears of an AI bubble, with investors concerned about wheth ...

Brian Jacobson, we talked to um an economist earlier and other folks who are involved in the market and they said indeed take this one with a huge grain of salt. Is that how we should be viewing this report. >> Yeah, I actually think that'd be a mistake to take it with too much of a grain of salt.I mean, every data release you do want to have a grain of salt probably around the rim of a margarita glass. But I think that when we're looking at this, yes, they did start the data collection a little bit later. ...

The pipeline always finds its way back to this tech giant.If you said that artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the tech world by storm, you'd probably be underselling it. It seems it has consumed every tech-related conversation and caused pivots for many companies in the industry.The AI boom has been multifaceted. You have consumer-facing applications like ChatGPT that have driven much of its mainstream popularity, massive investments in data centers and cloud infrastructure, and high-performance hardwar ...

And speaking of risks, here comes a new one for the AI trade from Washington. Dearraosa has more in today's tech check. Hi Deerra.So Kelly, this is why it's a risk. It's because political pressure can raise costs very quickly. States, they can require more upfront.They can lock in longer power contracts, even create special rate classes that shift more of the cost back to big tech. And that pressure is building. Three Democratic senators, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Holland, and Richard Blumenthal.They sent ...

Market Trends & Economic Data - Investors are preparing for more information on the US economy, with stocks, bonds, and the dollar wavering [3] - The week will bring economic data releases, including inflation and jobs reports, influencing future Fed policy [4] - The US Treasury market is debating the extent of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts [12] - Delayed announcements of monthly employment and inflation figures due to the US government shutdown are creating a void [13] - There's a debate on whether the economy is transitioning from deleveraging to re-leveraging [40] M&A and Corporate Strategy - The pursuit of Warner Brothers Discovery by Netflix is ongoing, with concerns about job losses and theatrical releases [5] - Netflix co-CEOs are trying to reassure employees about the company's bid for Warner Brothers Discovery, reiterating no business overlap and studio closures [59] - Global M&A activity has been strong, with volumes at $45 trillion, setting up for 2026 to potentially exceed the record year in 2021 [78] - A potential Netflix acquisition of Warner Brothers could be a $827 billion deal [60] - iRobot filed for bankruptcy, with its common stock to be wiped out under the proposed Chapter 11 plan, listing between $100 million and $500 million in assets and liabilities [118][120] Energy & Utilities - National Grid is spending billions of dollars to prepare New York's electric grid for a generational shift, including data centers [93] - National Grid serves over 4 million customers in New York, delivering natural gas and electricity [97] - Cumulative power needs from companies wanting to connect to the New York grid over the next five years are estimated at about 10 gigawatts, tripling in size in one year [99][100] - West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI) is down 13%, at $5674 a barrel [92] Cryptocurrency - MicroStrategy acquired almost $1 billion in Bitcoin for a second straight week, despite the cryptocurrency falling [124] - Bitcoin is down 23%, at $86,432 [10][92] - Bitcoin is down about 30% from an all-time high of just over $126,000 in early October [126] Financial Markets Performance - The Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq are all in the red [8][55][56][91][115] - The Bloomberg Mag Seven index is holding onto a gain of 4/10 of 1% [8] - The S&P 500 index is down 1/10 of 1%, lower by six at 620 [9] - The NASDAQ composite index is down 3/10 of 1%, while the Dow Industrials are down 2/10 of 1% [9] - The ten-year Treasury yield is currently at 417%, with the two-year at 350% [9] - Gold is up 4/10 of 1%, at $4314 the ounce [10] - The Russell 2000 index is declining, down 6/10 of 1% [55] - Gold is up $13 the ounce, at $4312, up 3/10 of 1% [56]

Fed Policy & Economic Outlook - Potential Fed chair candidate's willingness to discuss Fed plans with the President raises concerns about Fed independence [2][3] - An independent Fed chair is crucial, even if it goes against political interests [4] - Supreme Court emphasizes the need for Fed independence [5] Tariffs & Trade - Supreme Court's decision on tariffs could significantly impact the economy, potentially requiring paybacks or halting tariffs [5][6] - The uncertainty surrounding tariffs is a major concern for businesses [7][21] - Tariffs can protect domestic industries, such as the automobile industry, from foreign competition [22][23][24] AI & Economic Growth - The current administration is increasingly focused on being known as the "AI president" [8] - AI investment is significantly boosting the US economy, potentially masking flat GDP growth if removed [14][15] - AI-related investments are benefiting various sectors, including construction, energy, and real estate [15] - A significant portion of stock market returns, particularly in the NASDAQ, is driven by a few AI-related companies [17] - The AI boom and the current administration's policies are closely linked, potentially creating a "bubble" [18] Political Implications of AI - There is a lack of coherent messaging from the White House regarding AI, leading to public concerns about data centers, electricity bills, job displacement, and children's exposure [11][12] - Politicians are starting to recognize the potential downsides and political risks associated with AI [13]

Market Overview - The stock market is experiencing a pullback from record highs, with the Dow down 204 points and the NASDAQ down 1.5% for the week [1][2][3] - The S&P 500 is down about 0.5%, while the Russell 2000 has seen a gain of 1.5% over the last five days [3][4] - The bond market has shown significant movement, with the 10-year yield at 4.19% and the 30-year yield at 4.86%, the highest level in three months [4][5] Sector Performance - Consumer staples and discretionary sectors are showing limited gains, while technology and energy sectors are underperforming, with XLK down 2.7% [5][6] - Broadcom is a major drag on the NASDAQ, down 11.8% after failing to meet high expectations [6][7] Company Highlights - Oracle has denied reports of delaying data center projects for OpenAI, maintaining that all milestones are on track [29] - Wealthfront made its public debut on NASDAQ, raising approximately $485 million with an opening share price of $14 [30] - Costco reported better-than-expected earnings, with comparable sales climbing 6.4%, although membership fees saw a slight decrease [31] Investment Insights - Carvana, Robinhood, and Coinbase have made significant recoveries and are being added to the S&P 500, with Carvana's stock up 11,000% from its lows [13][15][18] - The Fed cut rates by 25 basis points, with expectations for one or two more cuts by the end of the year [20][21] - Analysts suggest that the market is currently focused on the Fed's actions and the implications for inflation and employment [21][22] Future Outlook - Rivian is focusing on developing custom self-driving chips as part of its AI strategy, aiming for a significant shift in transportation technology [33][34] - The bond market outlook for 2026 suggests a potential increase in yields, with a focus on the 5-30 year yield curve [68][70] - Concerns about credit dispersion in the corporate market are rising, with some sectors expected to struggle in 2026 [75][76]

Craig Packer, co-president and head of credit at Blue Owl, discusses the termination of a merger of two private credit funds, saying a rekindling of the plan is "not a very high likelihood outcome." Packer also offers insight into record inflows for the firm's retail funds with strong performance from the software sector and enthusiasm for data centers. ...

pestoverde / Flickr Quick Read Nvidia is pushing higher on a Truth Social report that the tech giant could ship its H200 chips to “approved customers” in China. Deutsche Bank analysts see more upside heading into Micron earnings. The firm reiterated its buy rating. Shares of Netflix are being viewed positively by analysts at Needham. The firm has a buy rating on NFLX and doesn’t believe it needs Warner Bros. Discovery. If you’re thinking about retiring or know someone who is, there are three quick ...