Scotiabank Names Top Utility Stocks Amid Data Center Growth

Scotiabank has identified its top five utility stocks expected to perform well as the sector prepares for earnings season. The bank's selections are Entergy Corporation, CenterPoint Energy, Black Hills Corporation, NextEra Energy, and FirstEnergy Corp. Analysts attribute this optimism to strong growth prospects and potential near-term catalysts, particularly in the rapidly expanding data center industry.

During the upcoming earnings season, utilities are anticipated to release bullish guidance and commentary, buoyed by favorable weather conditions and robust demand trends.

Among the top picks, Entergy Corporation stands out with a potential return of 17.6%, targeting a price of $121.00. CenterPoint Energy, benefiting from favorable weather in the third quarter, offers a 15.8% potential return, with a target price of $46.00. Black Hills Corporation also shows promise with a 13.4% return potential, targeting $84.00, and expects a 35% earnings boost by 2030 following its Wyoming buildout for Google.

NextEra Energy, with the highest return potential at 27.3%, targets a price of $99.00, backed by recent deals with governments for new natural gas infrastructure to serve data centers. The company has already provided five years of capital expenditure guidance and anticipates near-term announcements. Finally, FirstEnergy Corp has an 18.8% return potential, targeting $53.00, as it expects increased capital expenditures to support the growing demand from data centers and other large loads.