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This week\u2019s highlights:<\/p>\n
Amid a flood of Big Tech earnings, one trend was clear: The \u2018picks and shovels\u2019 trade for the artificial intelligence boom is roaring. As hyperscalers like Microsoft MSFT<\/a> and Meta META<\/a> plow billions into building out their AI offerings, companies ranging from Corning GLW<\/a> to Texas Instruments TXN<\/a> and NextEra NEE<\/a> reported big gains in data center-related businesses. Still, this past week, it was energy stocks that led the rally<\/a> as the stalemate around the Iran war saw oil prices push to new, recent highs.<\/p>\n Despite this year\u2019s big rally in energy stocks, sustainable investing strategies\u2014most of which have at most tiny exposures to the sector\u2014are holding their own compared with the overall market. And in some cases, ESG strategies are outperforming. Why? We explain<\/a>. For investors at the other end of the spectrum, Tori Brovet updates the list of the best energy stocks to buy now, with nine names<\/a> that Morningstar analysts believe are still trading at attractive prices.<\/p>\n Among the events of the past week, one for the history books was the final meeting for Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair. What made it most notable was that in response to the Trump administration\u2019s investigations and pressure on the Fed, Powell is taking the unusual step of staying on the board when his term as chair expires this month. Meanwhile, with the energy price spike adding to preexisting worries about inflation, Morningstar Senior US Economist Preston Caldwell says any changes to interest rates are likely off the table in 2026. He explains why he believes the Fed will cut rates in 2027<\/a>.<\/p>\n