We recently compiled a list of the 17 Latest AI News and Analyst Ratings You Should Not Miss. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) stands against the other AI stocks under hedge funds’ radar.
It is no surprise that companies in the United States and China are leading the rest of the world when it comes to artificial intelligence. Conservative estimates about the impact of AI on the global economy, made by market experts at professional services firm PwC, reveal that AI-related gains, equal to close to $11 trillion, will account for nearly 70% of total global economic impact by 2030. In China, AI is expected to contribute to a nearly 26% boost to the GDP within the next six years, while this figure in the US will likely be 15%. AI no doubt represents the biggest commercial investment opportunity in this fast-paced world economy.
Smart companies are seizing on this opportunity. According to market research firm IDC, investments in AI infrastructure will cross $30 billion this year and are projected to grow to $47 billion by 2028. This represents approximately 30% of the total global spending in AI. One of the most prominent AI use cases is in the customer service world. In this area, global businesses have spent more than $16 billion in 2024 so far. The impact of these investments in AI will be significant down the road. AI is likely to contribute to a $15 trillion boost to the global economy by 2030, up 14% from current levels.
Like other sectors of the economy, Wall Street is no stranger to AI. The debut of ChatGPT in November 2022 marked the beginning of the AI revolution in the world of finance. Since then, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), sales of software, hardware, and services for AI systems have climbed rapidly and will top $400 billion in 2027. Financial sector spending is likely to double to nearly $100 billion in 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of close to 30% — the fastest of five major industries. Hedge funds, often the pioneers of cutting-edge technology, are embracing generative AI as well.
Our Methodology
For this article, we selected AI stocks based on the latest news and analyst ratings. These stocks are also popular among hedge funds. 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).
Solar panel workers installing a new farm for clean energy generation.
Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 92
Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) operates as an integrated retail electricity and power generation company. The company has invested in clean energy, most notably in nuclear power, as AI data center needs propel the shares to new highs. Even as it provides the power needed to keep AI data centers running, the firm has also incorporated AI within the nuclear power plants to improve thermal efficiency, saving millions in operational costs. The shares also offer a healthy balance of stability and growth. Even as AI represents an opportunity for growth, the firm has a well diversified portfolio of power assets that can offer reliable dividends. This is often not the case for most AI stocks that operate in the technology domain.
Investment advisors like Morgan Stanley are bullish on Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) after an annual power auction by the largest US electrical grid operator led to an 800% increase in prices amid increasing demand and dwindling supply. The advisory noted that Vistra would have a positive impact on earnings as a result of the auction, but also highlighted potential secondary impacts like higher prices of nuclear contracts with data centers and pushbacks to higher customer bills.
Overall VST ranks 7th on our list of the best AI stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of VST as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than VST but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: Michael Burry Is Selling These Stocks and Jim Cramer is Recommending These Stocks.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
