We recently published a list of 10 Most Profitable Utility Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Pampa Energía S.A. (NYSE:PAM) stands against other most profitable Utility stocks to buy now.
Utility companies supply basic utilities like water, gas, and electricity. The demand for these stocks’ services is often steady, even during recessions, which makes them defensive investments.
Morningstar energy and utilities strategists Travis Miller and Andrew Bischof see reasons to invest in utility companies, stating that while the 2024 surge paused in October as interest rates began to rise, utility stocks are still holding on to their stellar performance from the previous year. Most US utilities are trading near the estimates of their fair values as of mid-February.
Utility firms generally generate substantial dividends and appear to be expensive at present. Miller & Bischof stated:
“Utilities continue to grow their dividends at an impressive rate. Nearly all utilities have already announced dividend increases for 2025 or are on track to announce increases in the first quarter. We expect 5% median sectorwide dividend growth in 2025.”
According to JP Morgan’s report in 2024, utility stocks have become unanticipated market leaders, outperforming only the technology sector and yielding a total return of over 17%. The adoption of AI, the growth of data centers, the proliferation of EVs, and the outsourcing of manufacturing are the main drivers of this rally, which is aided by a rapid shift in the demand for electricity. Data centers alone already account for 4.5% of U.S. electricity usage, which is expected to rise to almost 8% by 2030 after two decades of stagnant demand. Given the growing number of extreme weather events, the U.S. electric grid, which is largely over a century old, is unprepared to handle this surge and will require significant investments in capacity, stability, and resilience. Businesses engaged in storage, grid upgrading, and generation stand to gain from this shift. The industry is trading at 18.7x projected earnings, which is 13% less than the broader market, showing that it will continue to be valuable even after the recovery. Utility dividend yields may become more attractive if interest rates decline, which could lead to more growth. Utilities present a strong alternative for investors looking to gain exposure to the expansion of AI-related infrastructure without following tech prices, supported by real demand and structural investment requirements.
The broader market’s utilities sector has performed well over a range of historical periods. The year-to-date return is 3.61%. In the last year, the sector’s return was strong at 17.65%. When considering longer periods, the annualized return is 1.86% for the first three years and 6.13% for the fifth. At 5.68%, the 10-year annualized profit is a little lower. The utilities sector exhibits steady growth in comparison to the overall market, with large short-term gains but a more moderate long-term return, showing its defensive nature and steadiness during volatile times. The resilience of the 5-year performance is noteworthy.
Utility stocks may be more secure than other sectors, but they are nevertheless vulnerable to a halt in expenditure on thirsty data centers. Long seen as market safe havens, utility equities are suddenly uncertain as artificial intelligence changes the demand for electricity. According to Scotiabank’s Andrew Weisel, “electricity is a very basic need for most individuals and most companies,” underscoring the industry’s longstanding resiliency. However, as U.S. consumption dominates the world and is expected to exceed 1,000 TWh annually by 2030, as per the IEA, this stability is becoming increasingly connected to AI-driven data centers. Earnings risks are increased by a slowdown in AI capital expenditures, such as a giant tech company owned by Bill Gates reducing some of its programs. Weisel cautioned that “investors will be skeptical,” while Nikki Hsu of Bloomberg Intelligence pointed out that “requests for rate hikes would be rejected by regulators” during a recession.
Modern machinery at an offshore oil platform, symbolizing the importance of exploration and production.
Our Methodology
For this list, we screened for utility companies with a net profit margin over 10%, which suggests sound financial health and excellent cost management. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of their net profit margin as of the most recent quarter.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that 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 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
Pampa Energía S.A. (NYSE:PAM)
Net Profit Margin: 33.00%
Pampa Energía S.A. (NYSE:PAM) and its subsidiaries operate in the energy sector, primarily producing oil and gas and generating electricity. The company operates in the following business segments: Transportation, Holding, Petrochemicals, Oil and Gas, and Generation. The oil and gas segment generates the majority of the revenue for the business.
Pampa Energía S.A. (NYSE:PAM)’s outstanding gas production in 2024 was fueled by solid well performance in Vaca Muerta, with average output increasing 21% year over year and representing an 80% rise since 2017. Wind energy has grown by about 50% since 2017 and is expected to reach a 95% availability rate in 2024 due to the commissioning of the PEPE 6 Wind Farm, which added 140 megawatts of clean energy capacity. EBITDA climbed 19% year on year and 29% over 2017, owing mostly to the electricity and gas businesses, assisting in the reduction of net debt to $410 million. While power units reported a 94% availability rate with improved PPA performance, gas production increased 11% year over year in Q4. The company also successfully controlled its debt, issuing a $360 million international bond maturing in 2034 and achieving its lowest net debt level since 2016, with a net leverage ratio of 0.6. Furthermore, rising activity in Sierra Chata and El Mangrullo helped to support a 16% rise in total proven reserves to 231 million barrels of oil equivalent. The company’s net profit margin surged by 33.00%, making it the Best Utility Stock.
Pampa Energía S.A. (NYSE:PAM)’s price target was increased by JPMorgan from $59 to $93.50. Despite the recovery, JPMorgan remains optimistic about Argentina’s oil and gas industry and believes there is still room for growth in the area. The analyst informs investors in a research note that the sector has changed under the new government due to major reforms, such as oil deregulation, incentives, and fuel prices that are in line with international parity. It believes that it is not too late to invest in the group.
Overall, PAM ranks 1st on our list of the 10 Most Profitable Utility Stocks to Buy Now. While we acknowledge the potential of Utility companies, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PAM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
