This week, Zacks Chief Equity Strategist and Economist John Blank, PhD discusses:

• Top ideas in the Utilities sector, focusing on two industries: Electric Power and Gas Distribution. Before diving into the analysis, John discusses the latest trends and developments in both industries, including integration of AI, increased natural gas use, virtual power plants, rising electricity demand, and the impact of the recent DeepSeek story.

• Following his usual methodology, John defines “top” stocks in three ways: by market capitalization, by number of analysts following the stock, and by largest percent change in F1 EPS estimate (the most important element used in assigning a Zacks Rank to stocks).

• With this framework, John examines the most relevant metrics for stocks in these industries. He also highlights noteworthy equities, from familiar names such as Pacific Gas & Electric (PGE), Exelon Corp (EXE) and Duke Energy Corp (DUK)  to less well-known but intriguing companies such as Iberdrola SA (IBDRY), Atmos Energy Corp (ATO), and Clean Energy Fuels Corp (CLNE). Get ready for 2025 with this essential analysis of the names that keep the lights on and our homes warm.

The views of John Blank, PhD are not necessarily the views of Zacks Investment Research.

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