A Once-in-a-Decade Investment Opportunity: 1 Little-Known Vanguard Index Fund to Buy for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Boom

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize industries and drive economic growth, investors are eager to capitalize on this burgeoning market. While many focus on tech stocks and growth-oriented funds, a lesser-known opportunity lies within the utilities sector. The Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) offers a compelling investment case for those seeking exposure to the AI boom.

The utilities sector has traditionally been a reliable, albeit unexciting, investment option. However, the increasing demand for electricity driven by AI workloads has transformed this sector into a growth opportunity. Goldman Sachs estimates that U.S. electricity demand will increase at a 2.4% annual rate through 2030, fueled by AI's insatiable appetite for power. This growth potential has led the utilities sector to outperform the S&P 500 by 65 percentage points between January 2000 and December 2010, a period characterized by soaring electricity demand.

The Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) provides diversified exposure to 66 U.S. utility companies, with a focus on electric utilities. Key holdings, such as NextEra Energy and Duke Energy, are well-positioned to benefit from the increased electricity demand stemming from AI. These companies, with their large power generation capacities, stand to gain as businesses and data centers require more energy to support their AI systems.



Moreover, the Vanguard Utilities ETF's low expense ratio of 0.1% ensures cost-efficiency, allowing investors to retain more of their returns. This passive management structure, which tracks the performance of 66 U.S. utility companies, provides diversified exposure without the high costs associated with active management. This combination of low fees and passive management enables the Vanguard Utilities ETF to efficiently capture the potential upside of the AI boom in the utilities sector.



In conclusion, the Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) presents a unique, diversified investment opportunity for those seeking exposure to the AI boom. With its exposure to AI-driven electricity demand, low expense ratio, and passive management structure, VPU offers a compelling case for investors looking to capitalize on the growth potential of the utilities sector. As AI continues to reshape industries and drive economic growth, the utilities sector's role in supporting this transformation cannot be understated.