Investing in the power behind AI
With the corporate world looking to adopt artificial intelligence capabilities into their products and services, demand for power to develop AI data centers is driving growth for utilities, says Fidelity’s Pranay Kirpalani.
- Fidelity Portfolio Manager Pranay Kirpalani believes utilities stocks are well-positioned to experience strong growth in the coming years, charged by expectations of robust demand for power due to the growth of data centers and artificial intelligence capabilities.
- “The rapid emergence of AI is powering growth in utilities, making the sector one of the most interesting and exciting areas of investment,” says Kirpalani, who manages Fidelity Advisor® Utilities Fund. “We are just in the earliest innings of AI’s impact on the U.S. power grid.”
- AI requires immense computational power, storage space and low-latency networking for training and running models, according to Kirpalani. “These AI applications are usually hosted in data centers and power is the ‘feedstock’ for AI servers,” he says.
- In managing the sector strategy, Kirpalani favors companies with durable earnings growth that are trading at a reasonable valuation or that he believes are mispriced, given their growth and return profile.
- To that end, Kirpalani explains that querying a large language model AI chatbot, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Microsoft Copilot, requires about 10 times more computing power than a typical Google search. He adds that data centers currently account for roughly 4% of total U.S. electricity demand, noting that greater use of AI could drive that figure to around 10% by the end of this decade.
- “As a result of this intense growth in demand, large technology companies are striking deals with power producers,” Kirpalani says, noting that Meta Platforms, parent of Facebook and Instagram, recently signed a 20-year purchase agreement with independent power producer Constellation Energy, the fund’s second-largest position as of September 30.
- The portfolio manager believes steady, targeted investment in the power grid and new power generation is necessary to satisfy the growing demand over the next 10 years. “This will fuel the development of power capacity from multiple energy sources, including nuclear, natural gas and renewables,” Kirpalani says.
- As a play on this theme, he cites NextEra Energy (renewable energy), Cameco (nuclear) and GE Vernova (gas-powered turbines) among notable fund holdings at the end of September.
- “Given my multiyear outlook for rising power demand, I believe each of these companies is well-positioned for sustained growth and offers the potential to create long-term value for shareholders,” he concludes.
Fidelity Advisor Utilities Fund (FFUIX)
Seeks capital appreciation.
Related insights
View all
For specific fund information such as standard performance and holdings, please go to the "Funds Managed" link on this page.
Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s own goals, time horizon, and tolerance for risk. Nothing in this content should be considered to be legal or tax advice, and you are encouraged to consult your own lawyer, accountant, or other advisor before making any financial decision. These materials are provided for informational purposes only and should not be used or construed as a recommendation of any security, sector, or investment strategy.
Fidelity does not provide legal or tax advice and the information provided herein is general in nature and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Consult with an attorney or a tax professional regarding your specific legal or tax situation.
Past performance and dividend rates are historical and do not guarantee future results.
Investing involves risk, including risk of loss.
Diversification does not ensure a profit or guarantee against loss.
Sector funds can be more volatile because of their narrow concentration in a specific industry. Growth stocks can perform differently from other types of stocks and the market as a whole and can be more volatile than other types of stocks. Value stocks can perform differently than other types of stocks and can continue to be undervalued by the market for long periods of time. • Stock markets, especially foreign markets, are volatile and can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. • Foreign securities are subject to interest rate, currency exchange rate, economic, and political risks, all of which are magnified in emerging markets. • In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation, credit, and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. • Lower-quality bonds can be more volatile and have greater risk of default than higher-quality bonds. • Floating-rate loans may not be fully collateralized and therefore may decline significantly in value. • The municipal market is volatile and can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, or political changes, and the financial condition of the issuers of municipal securities. • The securities of smaller, less well-known companies can be more volatile than those of larger companies. • The funds can invest in securities that may have a leveraging effect (such as derivatives and forward-settling securities) that may increase market exposure, magnify investment risks, and cause losses to be realized more quickly. • Leverage can magnify the impact of adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments on a company. In the event of bankruptcy, a company’s creditors take precedence over the company’s stockholders. Although the companies that the fund invests in may be highly leveraged, the fund itself does not use leverage as an investment strategy. Changes in real estate values or economic downturns can have a significant negative effect on issuers in the real estate industry. In the event of bankruptcy, a company’s creditors take precedence over the company’s stockholders. Third-party marks are the property of their respective owners; all other marks are the property of FMR LLC.