Morgan Staley lists stocks with 'underappreciated upside potential' from GenAI

Investing.com -- In a note to clients on Wednesday, Morgan Stanley identified stocks with "underappreciated upside potential" stemming from the rapid development of generative AI (GenAI) infrastructure in the US.

According to their analysis, the expansion of GenAI infrastructure presents several dynamics that investors have yet to fully price in, creating opportunities across various industries.

The analysts highlighted several key trends, including a shortage of US data center capacity, the rising carbon footprint of data centers, and potential financing opportunities related to GenAI's growth.

The demand for data centers is expected to outpace supply, particularly due to the volume of GenAI chips projected to hit the market by 2025.

"Our concern that a looming US Data Center shortage is evident from a few data points," said the firm, highlighting the mismatch in magnitude between their 2025 base case required US Data Center new builds and the volume of Data Centers under construction in the US, the recent data points suggesting elongated interconnection timelines in key markets, and "an increase in intensity with respect to GenAI player efforts to secure power access."

Some of the companies that could benefit from this trend include owners of US nuclear power sites such as Constellation Energy (CEG), Vistra (VST), and Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE )," according to Morgan Stanley.

The bank also pointed to the carbon footprint associated with the growing data center industry, which will require decarbonization solutions.

Morgan Stanley believes a few of the companies positioned to capitalize on this need include AES Corp. (NYSE:AES ), NextEra Energy (NEE ), and First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR ), which are involved in clean energy and decarbonization efforts.

Additionally, the bank outlined a potential divergence in power strategies for data centers, with some developers opting for natural gas-fired power options.

Beneficiaries of this trend are said to include GE Vernova (GEV), Siemens Energy (ENR), and Mitsubishi Power, which offer natural gas power solutions.

Overall, Morgan Stanley believes these companies, among others, are well-positioned to benefit from the rapid growth in GenAI infrastructure, and their upside potential remains underappreciated by the market.

Source: Investing.com