 Editor's Note: Tech legend Jeff Brown picked Nvidia in 2016 before it jumped 23,000% higher. Today, he’s recommending another explosive opportunity. While everyone has been focusing on Nvidia and other popular AI stocks, he believes a little-known company with a virtual monopoly in a key “AI metal” could hold the key to the $100 trillion AI boom. Click here for details or read more below.
Dear Reader, As you can see in the picture below… I recently traveled to a ghost town in the middle of an American desert… And what I found there will blow your mind. Click here to see the details, because this could be the biggest technology story of this decade. In short, I believe what I’m holding in my hand below… Is the key to the $100 trillion AI boom… And only one company here in the U.S. can mine this obscure metal. Click here, and I’ll give you all the details on this virtual monopoly. Regards, Jeff Brown
Founder & CEO, Brownstone Research
This Month's Bonus Article Utility Gas Inflation Is Soaring. This Stock Is a Clear WinnerAuthor: Jordan Chussler. Date Posted: 1/20/2026. 
Quick Look- Last month’s Consumer Price Index report showed inflation for piped utility has increased 10.8% year-over-year.
- That bodes well for Atmos Energy, the largest natural-gas-only utility in the United States.
- Over the past year, the stock’s 17% gain has outperformed the S&P 500 while its dividend is on the verge of joining an exclusive club.
On Jan. 13, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released December's Consumer Price Index data, showing headline inflation rising at a year-over-year (YOY) pace of 2.7%. While there were some bright spots, including a -3.4% reading for gasoline, one figure stood out sharply: piped utility gas service inflation, which climbed a staggering 10.8% YOY. Jerome Powell says gold is not money. The Fed says inflation is under control and the dollar is strong. But look at what they do. Central banks bought more gold last year than any time since 1967. China dumped $100 billion in U.S. debt, then bought gold. Poland, Hungary, Singapore, and Turkey are all loading up. In 2022, the U.S. froze Russia's money and showed the world that assets can be seized. Now major nations want out. There's only one asset no one can freeze: gold. Get the name and ticker of one stock positioned for this shift. That isn't good news for Americans already facing elevated utility bills, especially as the thick of winter arrives and home heating needs increase. But it could be positive for shareholders of the largest natural gas–focused utility in the United States. Why Utility Gas Prices Are SurgingWhile 10.8% YOY inflation for utility gas is striking, this is not just a U.S. issue. Globally, utility gas prices are rising sharply as demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) surges. Despite some relief from the U.S. benchmark so far this year (down about 2.94%), European and U.K. benchmarks have climbed roughly 25% and 26%, respectively. More recently, U.S. LNG futures have risen about 17% since Jan. 16 amid an Arctic blast that has kept much of the continental United States below freezing. Higher prices have been driven by limited domestic supply relative to demand, increasing production costs, and a rise in U.S. LNG exports. On Jan. 2, Reuters reported that the United States exported more than 100 million metric tons of LNG in 2025 — the first country ever to exceed that level. There is also growing demand from AI data centers, which rely on LNG among other energy inputs for power generation and cooling. According to Natural Gas Intelligence, data centers currently consume more than 1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas. Forecasts project that consumption could rise to between 4 Bcf/d and 8 Bcf/d by 2030. All of this widens the supply-demand gap and should continue to benefit investors who have identified companies positioned to profit from higher natural gas prices. A 120-Year-Old Utility Company That Packs a Growth PunchFounded in 1906 as the Amarillo Gas Company, Atmos Energy (NYSE: ATO) — now headquartered in Dallas — delivers natural gas to more than 3.3 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers across nine states through an extensive pipeline network used for heating, cooking, and industrial processes. The utility serves about 1,400 communities from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Rocky Mountains, offering core services such as gas delivery, system integrity and maintenance, storage and transmission connections, and customer programs including billing, conservation, and energy-efficiency initiatives. Over its past fiscal year, Atmos Energy reported EPS growth of more than 9.22%, revenue growth of nearly 13%, and net income growth of almost 15%. That performance has helped ATO's stock remain in TradeSmith's Green Zone for over 12 months; the shares have gained more than 17% during that period and over 47% since the start of 2025. Meanwhile, the company continues to reward shareholders with a steady dividend. A Dividend Aristocrat With a 41-Year Track RecordAs a utility stock, Atmos Energy challenges some sector stereotypes. Utilities are often viewed as defensive, with modest share appreciation but reliable dividends. Atmos has offered both income and growth. Its one-year gain has outpaced the S&P 500's roughly 14% increase, behaving more like a growth stock in that period. On the income side, the Dividend Aristocrat yields 2.35% — about $4 per share annually — and has increased its payout for 41 consecutive years. ATO's annualized five-year dividend growth rate is 8.63%, and its dividend payout ratio of just over 53% is viewed as healthy and sustainable. What Wall Street Thinks About Atmos EnergyAmong 14 analysts covering the stock, Atmos Energy has a consensus Hold rating: three give it a Buy, 11 a Hold, and none a Sell. While the average 12-month price target implies only about 1.67% upside, analysts project EPS growth of roughly 7.66% next year — from $7.18 to $7.73 per share — supported by a trailing EPS of $7.49 and a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 22.75. Institutional ownership stands at a high 90.17%, with inflows of $4.62 billion outweighing outflows of $2.82 billion. Short interest is modest at 3.19% of the float, indicating limited bearish positioning. Atmos Energy scores higher than 88% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat and ranks 26th out of 89 stocks in the utilities sector.
| 
0 التعليقات:
إرسال تعليق