This ETF Outperforms the S&P 500: A Straightforward Approach to Investing in AI and Earning Passive Income from High-Yield Stocks.
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Aug 30 2025
0mins
Should l Buy ORCL?
Source: Fool
S&P 500 and Utility Sector Performance
- Current Market Status: The S&P 500 index is up 9.9% year-to-date, but the utility sector, represented by the Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU), is outperforming it.
- Vanguard Utilities ETF Overview: The VPU offers a diversified investment in the U.S. utility sector, primarily in electric and multi-utilities, with a low expense ratio of 0.09% and a yield of 2.7%.
Sector Performance Insights
- Outperforming Sectors: In 2025, five sectors are expected to outperform the S&P 500: industrials, communication services, utilities, technology, and financials.
- Defensive Nature of Utilities: Typically, utilities are seen as defensive investments during market uncertainty, contrasting with the cyclical nature of sectors like industrials and financials.
Impact of AI and Energy Transition
- AI's Influence on Utilities: The utility sector is experiencing growth due to investments in AI and the energy transition, with major tech companies expanding cloud infrastructure.
- Electricity Demand Projections: The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts a 2.2% annual increase in electricity sales for 2025 and 2026, driven by AI and data center growth.
Regional Demand Increases
- ERCOT and PJM Demand Growth: The EIA predicts a 7% increase in electricity demand in Texas (ERCOT) for 2025 and 14% for 2026, while PJM Interconnection is expected to see a 3% increase in 2025 and 4% in 2026.
- Utility Companies Benefiting: Utilities like Southern Company, Dominion Energy, and American Electric Power are positioned to benefit from these demand increases.
Renewable Energy Investments
- Infrastructure and Energy Mix: The buildout of infrastructure for data centers will require both renewable energy and fossil fuels, with utilities investing heavily in renewables to meet sustainability goals.
- Corporate Sustainability Goals: Companies like Amazon and Microsoft are making significant investments in renewable energy, with Amazon achieving 100% renewable electricity for its operations in 2023.
Investment Opportunities
- Indirect AI Investment: The Vanguard Utilities ETF presents a way for investors to gain exposure to AI-driven demand for energy without the volatility of high-growth stocks.
- Long-term Growth Potential: The steady increase in energy demand, coupled with AI's requirements for higher power capabilities, supports a positive investment thesis for the utility sector.
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Analyst Views on ORCL
Wall Street analysts forecast ORCL stock price to rise
34 Analyst Rating
25 Buy
9 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 156.480
Low
180.00
Averages
309.59
High
400.00
Current: 156.480
Low
180.00
Averages
309.59
High
400.00
About ORCL
Oracle Corporation offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. The Company operates through three businesses: cloud and license, hardware and service. Its cloud and license business is engaged in the sale, marketing and delivery of its enterprise applications and infrastructure technologies through cloud and on-premise deployment models including its cloud services and license support offerings, and its cloud license and on-premise license offerings. Its hardware business provides infrastructure technologies including Oracle Engineered Systems, servers, storage, industry-specific hardware, operating systems, virtualization, management and other hardware-related software to support diverse IT environments. Its services business provides services to customers and partners to help maximize the performance of their investments in Oracle applications and infrastructure technologies.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
White House Considers Cost Burden on Data Centers
- Cost Internalization for Data Centers: White House trade advisor Peter Navarro stated that data center builders must absorb costs related to electricity and water usage, highlighting the government's concern over economic pressures that could impact companies like Meta.
- Rising Electricity Prices: With electricity prices spiking 6.9% year-over-year in 2025, public anxiety about the economy is increasing, as Navarro attempts to blame former President Biden, indicating the current administration's challenges in addressing inflation.
- Policy Response Measures: The Trump administration has signed a pact with several states urging major tech companies to finance $15 billion for new power plants to alleviate the strain data centers place on the grid, demonstrating proactive government intervention in energy policy.
- Election Outlook Impact: As the November 2026 midterms approach, polls show Democrats leading by 5.2 points, reflecting voter concerns over economic issues that could affect Trump's and the Republican Party's electoral prospects.
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- Alphabet's Strong Earnings: Alphabet reported $113.8 billion in revenue for Q4, an 18% year-over-year increase, with net income of $34.45 billion, up nearly 30%, although the market reacted cautiously to its $185 billion AI infrastructure spending, the rapid growth of its cloud computing division indicates strong business potential.
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- Unity's Positive Outlook: Oppenheimer upgraded Unity Software (NYSE:U) to Outperform with a $38 price target, arguing that market fears regarding Google's Project Genie are unfounded, as Unity remains the essential backbone of development, with forecasts indicating accelerating revenue and improving margins, presenting a strong risk/reward scenario.
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- Risks of OpenAI Partnership: While the $300 billion deal with OpenAI appears mutually beneficial, Oracle's heavy reliance on this client, with 58% of its contractual backlog tied to OpenAI, poses risks, especially as the latter could burn through $115 billion in cash by 2029.
- Surging Capital Expenditures: Oracle plans to raise $45 billion to $50 billion through debt and equity financing to support data center infrastructure, which will exacerbate its already high debt load of $100 billion, creating a long-term drag on profitability.
- Competitive Market Pressures: Although Oracle's forward P/E ratio of 20 seems attractive compared to the Nasdaq 100's 27, the potential for further stock price declines looms as OpenAI faces competition from rivals like Anthropic and Gemini, necessitating careful risk assessment by investors.
See More
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- Goldman Sachs Executives Divest: Goldman Sachs CFO Denis Coleman divested 11,623 shares in a price range of $933.38 to $945.4, generating proceeds of $10.94 million, and after the sale, he held 33,574 shares, reflecting a cautious stance amid market volatility.
- Delta Air Lines Executive Sale: Delta's EVP of Global Sales & Distribution, Steven Sears, sold 38,600 shares at an average price of $75.05, totaling $2.90 million, reducing his holdings to 104,404 shares, which may impact the company's future sales strategies.
- American Express CIO Sale: American Express CIO Ravi Radhakrishnan disposed of 15,000 shares between $356.14 and $357.13, generating $5.35 million in proceeds, while retaining 8,945 shares, indicating a short-term outlook on the company's stock price.
See More
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- Cost Internalization for Data Centers: White House trade advisor Peter Navarro stated that data center builders must absorb costs related to electricity and water usage, highlighting the government's concern over economic pressures that could impact companies like Meta.
- Rising Electricity Prices: With electricity prices spiking 6.9% year-over-year in 2025, public anxiety about the economy is increasing, as Navarro attempts to blame former President Biden, indicating the current administration's challenges in addressing inflation.
- Policy Response Measures: The Trump administration has signed a pact with several states urging major tech companies to finance $15 billion for new power plants to alleviate the strain data centers place on the grid, demonstrating proactive government intervention in energy policy.
- Election Outlook Impact: As the November 2026 midterms approach, polls show Democrats leading by 5.2 points, reflecting voter concerns over economic issues that could affect Trump's and the Republican Party's electoral prospects.
See More
French President Celebrates Successful Rocket Launch of 32 Amazon Leo Satellites
- Successful Rocket Launch: The French president celebrated the successful launch of Europe's most powerful rocket, which deployed 32 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit, marking a significant advancement in Europe's space capabilities and enhancing its competitiveness in the global space market.
- Pause on Tech Security Measures: Ahead of the Trump-Xi Jinping meeting, the Trump administration reportedly paused several critical technology security measures targeting China, a decision that could influence the future trajectory of U.S.-China tech relations and reduce market uncertainties.
- Apple Court Victory: Apple secured a courtroom win as a jury rejected claims from Optis Wireless that it infringed on 4G wireless patents, a result that will help protect Apple's intellectual property and strengthen its market position.
- AI Industry Developments: Elon Musk criticized AI startup Anthropic for alleged bias while announcing a $30 billion funding round that pushed its valuation to $380 billion, highlighting the intense competition and rapid evolution within the AI sector.
See More
Cryptocurrency Market Slump and Tech Stock Opportunities
- Cryptocurrency Market Decline: The overall cryptocurrency market has fallen over 45% since reaching a high of $4.28 trillion on October 6, 2025, primarily driven by Bitcoin's price drop and institutional ETF withdrawals, highlighting the market's heavy reliance on sentiment and liquidity.
- Alphabet's Strong Earnings: Alphabet reported $113.8 billion in revenue for Q4, an 18% year-over-year increase, with net income of $34.45 billion, up nearly 30%, although the market reacted cautiously to its $185 billion AI infrastructure spending, the rapid growth of its cloud computing division indicates strong business potential.
- TSMC's Market Share Growth: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing increased its market share from 66% to 72% in Q3, with Q4 revenue reaching $33.73 billion, a 25.5% year-over-year increase, and guidance for even better revenue in Q1, showcasing its leadership and robust growth prospects in the semiconductor industry.
- Oracle's Cloud Computing Growth: Oracle generated $7.97 billion in revenue in Q2 of fiscal 2026, a 34% increase year-over-year, with cloud computing becoming its largest revenue driver; despite over $100 billion in debt, its growth potential remains significant compared to the risks associated with cryptocurrencies.
See More
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- Oracle Upgrade: DA Davidson upgraded Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) from Neutral to Buy with a $180 price target, despite the company carrying $130 billion in debt and $248 billion in leases; analysts believe the growth potential justifies investment, expecting only minor stock fluctuations over the next ten weeks.
- Unity's Positive Outlook: Oppenheimer upgraded Unity Software (NYSE:U) to Outperform with a $38 price target, arguing that market fears regarding Google's Project Genie are unfounded, as Unity remains the essential backbone of development, with forecasts indicating accelerating revenue and improving margins, presenting a strong risk/reward scenario.
- Norwegian Cruise Downgrade: Barclays downgraded Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NYSE:NCLH) to Equal Weight with a $23 price target, citing a 24% stock price increase over the past three months, while facing weak 2026 yield expectations and increased competition that could undermine brand value.
- Kraft Heinz's Dim Prospects: JPMorgan downgraded Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) to Underweight with a $22 price target; despite beating Q4 2025 earnings expectations, the disappointing 2026 outlook, with North American volumes down for 19 consecutive quarters, raises concerns about the sustainability of dividends absorbing nearly 80% of free cash flow this year.
See More
Oracle Signs $300 Billion Deal with OpenAI Amidst Stock Decline
- Significant Stock Decline: Oracle's shares have plummeted nearly 55% from their all-time high of $345.72 in late 2025, indicating investor concerns over the company's capital expenditure plans failing to yield meaningful returns, resulting in substantial debt pressure.
- Risks of OpenAI Partnership: While the $300 billion deal with OpenAI appears mutually beneficial, Oracle's heavy reliance on this client, with 58% of its contractual backlog tied to OpenAI, poses risks, especially as the latter could burn through $115 billion in cash by 2029.
- Surging Capital Expenditures: Oracle plans to raise $45 billion to $50 billion through debt and equity financing to support data center infrastructure, which will exacerbate its already high debt load of $100 billion, creating a long-term drag on profitability.
- Competitive Market Pressures: Although Oracle's forward P/E ratio of 20 seems attractive compared to the Nasdaq 100's 27, the potential for further stock price declines looms as OpenAI faces competition from rivals like Anthropic and Gemini, necessitating careful risk assessment by investors.
See More
Insider Transactions: Oracle and American Express Executives Sell Shares
- Oracle CEO Transaction: Oracle's CEO Clayton Magouyrk sold 10,000 shares between February 9 and 13 at an average price of $155.23 per share, totaling $1.55 million, while retaining 134,030 shares, indicating confidence in the company's future.
- Goldman Sachs Executives Divest: Goldman Sachs CFO Denis Coleman divested 11,623 shares in a price range of $933.38 to $945.4, generating proceeds of $10.94 million, and after the sale, he held 33,574 shares, reflecting a cautious stance amid market volatility.
- Delta Air Lines Executive Sale: Delta's EVP of Global Sales & Distribution, Steven Sears, sold 38,600 shares at an average price of $75.05, totaling $2.90 million, reducing his holdings to 104,404 shares, which may impact the company's future sales strategies.
- American Express CIO Sale: American Express CIO Ravi Radhakrishnan disposed of 15,000 shares between $356.14 and $357.13, generating $5.35 million in proceeds, while retaining 8,945 shares, indicating a short-term outlook on the company's stock price.
See More
