Argan IncAGX
▲ PositiveDemandCapitalrelevance
Record backlog and strong earnings driven by power infrastructure demand.
Impact on stocks 3
Energy Transition & Power Demand▲ · 3 stocks
Theme Impact 1
Off-coverage companies
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impact 4
Citi: Data Center Opposition Has Not Weakened AI Construction Pipeline
Citi says growing political opposition to artificial intelligence infrastructure ahead of the November U.S. midterm elections has not materially weakened the data center construction pipeline. Data center development has become a bipartisan flashpoint, with local governments introducing moratoriums and at least 15 state legislatures proposing tighter regulatory restrictions, yet spending remains strong as AI infrastructure demand continues to support development. The impact has been concentrated among speculative and early-stage projects, which are increasingly delayed or cancelled during local approval processes, while late-stage developments that have already secured sites and grid connections continue to move ahead. Hyperscalers are seeking workarounds to power constraints and local restrictions, with Amazon pursuing direct investment in nuclear development with Dominion Energy and Meta securing a major nuclear power purchase agreement with Constellation Energy. Citi does not expect another market shock comparable to the emergence of DeepSeek, arguing investors have already adjusted to the prospect of highly efficient Chinese models, though it flags a potentially greater risk from governments restricting models deemed too dangerous, which could abruptly create excess computing capacity.
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Valmont Industries Raises 2026 Guidance as Shares Trade Below Fair Value
Valmont Industries has raised its 2026 sales and earnings guidance, a move that comes after an 18.6% six-month share rally tied to utility demand and grid modernization. The stock is up 15.3% year to date and has delivered a 1-year total shareholder return of 27.4%, while its 3-year and 5-year total shareholder returns of just over 2x reflect the payoff from the grid modernization theme. Against a last close of $474.64, the most followed valuation narrative pins fair value at about $624.50, implying the shares are 24% undervalued. Valmont's investments in capacity, automation, and AI are expected to unlock between $350 and $400 million in incremental annual revenue and support higher earnings and margins as the multi-year cycle unfolds. The bullish case leans heavily on infrastructure and agriculture cycles, so weaker project spending or sustained material cost pressure could quickly challenge that 24% discount story.
▲impact 4
Eknat Unveils Energy Restructuring Plan, Reserving 10,000 Megawatts of Rooftop Solar for the Public
Energy Minister Eknat Prompan has unveiled a major energy restructuring plan, under which the government will reserve 10,000 megawatts of rooftop solar generating capacity specifically for the public, set at roughly 5 kilowatts per household, to spread the right across households nationwide. Under the new approach, the state will buy back surplus power and apply it as a discount on the same billing cycle's electricity bill. A 5-kilowatt system can generate about 600 to 700 units per month, worth roughly 2,000 baht or more, and the state will provide a subsidy of 50,000 baht, with the income from the generated power used to pay it off. The equipment is expected to be fully paid off in about 7 to 10 years. On cutting permitting steps, coordination will be handled solely through the distribution utilities, with a target of about 1 week for inspection and acceptance in self-consumption installations, and no more than 1 month in cases of selling power back. For the new Power Development Plan, or PDP, three goals are set: cleanest, most stable, and fairest. It targets raising the share of clean energy from the current level of just over 20% to close to 50% within 10 years, and no less than 65% in the long term, while reducing reliance on spot-market LNG in favor of long-term contracts, and opening the door to future technologies including hydrogen, geothermal, solid oxide fuel cells, and small modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs. Meanwhile, the public electricity cost that has been embedded in the power tariff structure for 30 to 40 years amounts to a burden of about 18 billion baht per year. The government has removed this burden from the structure and has already implemented a measure capping the first 200 units of household electricity at 3 baht per unit.