“HELIOS”: My No. 1 Investment of the 2020s

Dear Reader,

Could this strange machine trigger a paradigm-shift that changes society forever?

Some of the world's biggest sovereign wealth funds, banks, hedge funds, and pensions seem to think so!

On August 28, the startup behind this device announced that they raised $863 million from Stanley Druckenmiller, Nvidia, Google, and others.

Vinod Khosla - an early investor in Amazon, Google, and OpenAI - calls it "one of the most impactful and ambitious projects I've seen in my career."

It's a technology I call "Helios" - and I believe it's about to spark a global investment megatrend... with one tiny Massachusetts firm at the center of it all.

Click here to get all the details...

Regards,

Whitney Tilson
Editor, Stansberry Research

3 Utilities Plays You Can Lean on During Volatility

Written by Nathan Reiff. Published 10/15/2025.

Key Points

Numerous threats to market stability loom, prompting some investors to proactively seek defensive plays to avoid losing the healthy gains achieved so far this year.
Utilities stocks are a longtime favorite among investors looking for stability.
Duke Energy, NextEra Energy, and Xcel Energy all offer various approaches to utilities play, and each has outperformed the S&P this year.

As the Trump administration's latest tariff announcements showed, the S&P 500 can still be skittish despite several months of fairly consistent gains and an improvement of more than 13% year-to-date (YTD). As trade tensions with China risk ratcheting up further, investors should be prepared for additional market jolts.

With the resurgence of tariffs, slipping consumer confidence and other metrics signaling broader economic strain, some investors may want to shift proactively toward defensive investments.

Buy alert: Move $1,000 before Tesla's Optimus launch (Ad)

Elon's $1,000,000,000,000 payday

Elon Musk just made his biggest insider purchase of Tesla stock ever. He's preparing for a "mind blowing" new launch that could see Tesla move away from electric cars... and into a new market.

If his plan succeeds, this is the stock to own.

Of course, moving too early into safer assets can mean missing further gains. Fortunately, three companies in the utilities sector may offer a blend of stability and upside: they have outperformed the broader market this year while also providing more defensive exposure if volatility increases.

Duke Signals Possible Increase in Nuclear Focus, Capitalizing on Regulatory Shifts

With a market value near $100 billion, Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK) is one of the country's largest electric power holding companies, serving customers in the Midwest and the South. The company's core business was strengthened in the latest quarter when Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (NYSE: BIP) invested $6 billion for a 20% stake in Duke's Florida operations. The deal improved Duke's credit profile and raised its FFO-to-debt target to 15%, up 100 basis points.

A key strategic question for Duke is whether and how to expand its nuclear holdings. The company recently released a comprehensive energy plan that indicates it is considering adding new nuclear reactors to its portfolio over the next 12 years.

At the same time, shifting federal rules mean the company's legacy fossil-fuel plants will remain relevant. Cost-recovery measures and nuclear production tax credits should help affordability for Duke's customers and support stronger cash flow.

Duke's 3.36% dividend yield and two-decade history of dividend increases reflect the need for stable cash flow. That stability is likely one reason a majority of analysts rate DUK shares as a Buy; analysts also point to roughly 6% upside potential on top of the stock's nearly 18% YTD gain.

NextEra's Combination of Utilities and Renewables Appeals to Institutional Investors

NextEra Energy Inc. (NYSE: NEE) combines a regulated electric utility through Florida Power & Light with a large solar and wind renewable energy business. While not a pure utilities play, NextEra appeals to investors seeking renewable exposure alongside regulated generation.

The mix has delivered results—NextEra's adjusted EPS rose more than 9% year-over-year (YOY) in the latest quarter, and the company has kept residential bills well below the U.S. average.

With a significant backlog of roughly 30 GW of energy resources, NextEra is well-positioned to supply large customers, including hyperscale data centers. That positioning may explain why institutional investors have favored the stock—nearly 2,000 institutions committed more than $17 billion in inflows to NEE shares over the past year, representing about 79% of total ownership.

Partly because of its utility footprint, NextEra offers a dividend yield of 2.69%. Eleven of 15 Wall Street analysts have rated NEE a Buy, indicating broad support even if market volatility increases.

Marshall Fire Resolution Frees Xcel to Focus on Data Center Business

The smallest of the three, Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: XEL) provides electric and natural gas service to millions across the central United States.

The company recently reached a $640 million settlement to resolve litigation related to the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado.

Although the settlement itself was a negative development, a positive takeaway for investors is that the uncertainty surrounding the outcome has been resolved.

That resolution should free Xcel to focus on its data center business—the company targets 2.5 GW by 2030—which has supported meaningful earnings growth in recent periods. Investors seeking stability may also appreciate the utility's 2.84% dividend yield.

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