Amid the oil price shock triggered by the war in the Middle East, many investors are likely looking for good defensive stocks to choose from. Utility stocks should be high on investors' lists, since these names have performed well following oil price shocks in the past. Many utilities also benefit from growing demand for electricity and the relatively rapid increase in electricity prices that has been spurred by data centers.
In particular, two companies that could enable investors to benefit from these trends are Vistra (VST), an electrical utility, and Xcel Energy (XEL), which provides electricity and natural gas to millions of customers. Against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty and surging electricity demand, along with reasonable valuations and positive views from Wall Street, VST stock and XEL stock are buys for investors looking for defensive, growth-at-a-reasonable-price (GARP) equities.
