If you are looking for investment ideas, what better place to start than with Warren Buffett, one of the most famous investors of modern times? Dubbed the Oracle of Omaha because of his investment success over time, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway currently has investments in Chevron (NYSE: CVX), Visa (NYSE: V), and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO). All three are worth looking at in December.Chevron is an integrated energy giant with operations across the industry, from the upstream (energy production), through the midstream (pipelines), and into the downstream (chemicals and refining). This diversification helps to soften the peaks and valleys inherent in this highly volatile, commodity-driven sector.In addition, Chevron has long focused on having a rock-solid balance sheet, with a current debt-to-equity ratio of around 0.17 times. That's one of the lowest levels of leverage among the company's closest peer group.Continue reading

After a strong run for some energy stocks in the fall, the rally fell flat this week with many nuclear and renewable energy stocks dropping.According to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence, NuScale Power (NYSE: SMR) fell as much as 22.3% this week, Sunnova Energy (NYSE: NOVA) was down 21.5%, and FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL) dropped 13.1% at its low. The stocks are down 15.9%, 20.8%, and 12.4% respectively as of 1:30 p.m. ET on Friday.Late summer and early fall trading centered around the data center and enormous energy needs companies would need to run artificial intelligence (AI) chips. Nuclear energy was thought to be a solution and solar energy could fill some of the need along with batteries given how quickly solar plants could be built.Continue reading

Energy Transfer (NYSE: ET) is having a monster year. Units of the master limited partnership (MLP) have rallied over 35% in 2024. Add in its high-yielding distribution, and the total return is nearly 50%. Several factors have fueled the MLP's rally, which has picked up steam following the election. Here's a look at whether Energy Transfer has the fuel to continue rising in 2025.Energy Transfer is having a strong year operationally and financially. The MLP set several volume records in the third quarter, fueled by organic growth projects and acquisitions. It acquired fellow MLP Crestwood Equity Partners in a $7.1 billion deal last November and wrapped up its nearly $3.1 billion deal for WTG Midstream in July. It has also completed a couple of processing optimization projects: the Red Lake III processing plant, and the Midland to Cushing pipe connection project. Continue reading

The surge in artificial intelligence (AI) has led many companies to urgently reassess their energy strategies. These companies, along with several countries, have also committed to slashing carbon emissions to help slow climate change. Relying solely on renewable sources isn't enough right now to meet these escalating (and competing) needs.Last year, several countries endorsed the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy to address these growing energy demands, pledging to increase their nuclear energy capacity by three times by 2050. This initiative garnered support from major financial institutions like Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, underlining nuclear energy's pivotal role in fulfilling our future clean energy requirements.With the global demand for nuclear power expected to grow long-term, here are three stocks to keep an eye on in this evolving landscape.Continue reading

QuantumScape (NYSE: QS) is trying to revolutionize electric vehicle (EV) battery technology, and it made an announcement today that investors noticed: The company is working to develop solid-state batteries it expects will greatly improve the efficiency, safety, and charging time required, as compared to existing EV batteries.The company said today that equipment needed to produce its solid-state lithium-metal batteries has been installed and released for initial processing of the solid-state separator component. That sent shares soaring by 16% in early trading. After paring some of that gain, QuantumScape shares remained higher by 5.5% as of 11:45 a.m. ET.Continue reading

The world will need a tremendous amount of electricity over the coming years. From the electrification of the transportation sector to the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), power demand is on track to grow exponentially in the next decade. Forecasters expect data center power demand alone to grow 15-fold by 2030, rising from 2% of global consumption to almost 10% (and up to 20% of total U.S. power demand). Given the climate goals of global technology companies, renewable energy will play a pivotal role in powering AI data centers. That bodes well for Brookfield Renewable (NYSE: BEPC)(NYSE: BEP), one of the few companies on a global scale to meet their capacity needs. That makes it the best energy stock to buy right now.Brookfield Renewable is a global leader in clean energy. It currently has 37 gigawatts (GW) of capacity across several key markets. It sells the power its hydro, wind, and solar facilities produce under long-term, fixed-rate power purchase agreements (PPAs) to utilities and large corporate buyers. Continue reading

Pipeline companies rallied sharply in November. Natural gas pipeline giant Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI) rallied 15.1%, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Meanwhile, leading master limited partnerships (MLPs) Energy Transfer (NYSE: ET) and Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD) were both up more than 20%. Those were huge moves for the relatively slower-growing midstream companies more known for paying high-yielding dividends. Two notable catalysts fueled the rally in pipeline stocks: the election and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven growth prospects.Stocks surged following the election. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has gained about 2% since Election Day, driven by optimism that the incoming Trump administration will cut taxes and regulations. Continue reading

Investment management firm Vanguard offers low-cost exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that hold dozens if not hundreds of stocks. A key benefit of these ETFs is their diversification, which can be difficult to replicate through buying individual stocks alone.But the Vanguard Energy ETF (NYSEMKT: VDE) is highly concentrated in just a handful of companies. It has a 22.8% weighting in ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), a 13.3% weighting in Chevron (NYSE: CVX), and a 6.6% weighting in ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP). Here's why the top-heavy nature of the Vanguard Energy ETF could be a good thing and why the fund is worth buying now.Image source: Getty Images.Continue reading

Enbridge (NYSE: ENB) recently reached a new milestone for dividend growth. The Canadian pipeline and utility operator has now increased its payment for 30 straight years after boosting its payout by 3% for 2025. That raise will push its dividend yield even closer to 6%. Here's a look at what has fueled its ability to grow its dividend over the years and whether it has the power to continue pushing its payout higher in the future.With three decades of dividend growth, Enbridge has one of the longest streaks in the North American energy sector. That's a testament to its ability to weather the sector's volatility. Continue reading

Shares of Vistra (NYSE: VST), the unregulated utility that is the best-performing stock on the S&P 500 index this year, were having another winning month in November as investors reacted to its earnings report, and it benefited from the market's positive response to the U.S. presidential election.According to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, the stock finished the month up 28%. As you can see from the chart below, the stock overcame a sell-off early in the month to deliver strong gains.Continue reading