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Billionaire Philippe Laffont Just Increased His Position by 139% in This Data Center Opportunity (Hint: It’s Not Nvidia)

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Billionaire Philippe Laffont Just Increased His Position by 139% in This Data Center Opportunity (Hint: It's Not Nvidia)


Philippe Laffont is a billionaire investor best known for founding the hedge fund Coatue Management. While hedge funds are widely known for their sophisticated trading prowess and secretive natures, retail investors can get a glimpse into the stocks that financial institutions are buying and selling once per quarter by looking at a form 13F.

Coatue’s latest 13F contained a number of trades across major technology stocks, particularly those looking to disrupt artificial intelligence (AI). However, the fund also made a massive purchase in a data center opportunity that has largely been flying under the radar. That’s right! There are other opportunities in data centers besides Nvidia.

Below, I’m going to analyze the data center opportunity on Coatue’s radar and assess if now is a good opportunity to buy the stock.

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What data center stock did Coatue Management just buy?

According to its most recent 13F, Coatue purchased 2.9 million shares of Constellation Energy (NASDAQ: CEG) during the second quarter — increasing its position by 139%.

I don’t blame you if you’re confused as to how a power utility could be seen as a data center opportunity. Here’s the thing: Data centers consume a ton of power. With AI becoming more of a tailwind for businesses across all industry sectors, companies are going to need to invest in more energy-efficient infrastructure.

This is where Constellation Energy comes into focus. The company specializes in nuclear power, which is widely seen as a superior alternative to traditional sources of powering data centers.

A person standing in front of a nuclear power plant.

Image source: Getty Images.

Some recent big-ticket moves in nuclear power

Several names in big tech have been quietly making moves at the intersection of nuclear power and data centers this year. In March, Amazon‘s cloud unit, Amazon Web Services (AWS), acquired a nuclear-powered data center from Talen Energy. And just this week, the company signed agreements with a state utility called Energy Northwest and Dominion Energy, both of which will be helping Amazon develop and explore how small modular reactors (SMR) can facilitate its nuclear power projects.

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These deals by Amazon follow a similar one by Alphabet, which will be relying on Kairos Power to develop SMRs.

While the subject matter of Amazon’s and Alphabet’s recent moves have dominated headlines lately, Constellation Energy is by no means late to the party. The company has been working closely with Microsoft for quite some time, and several weeks ago, the two industry leaders announced plans to reopen a nuclear power facility on Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania.

Is Constellation Energy stock a buy right now?

The chart below illustrates the trends in Constellation’s price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio over the last six months.

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CEG PE Ratio Chart

CEG PE Ratio Chart

The obvious takeaway here is that Constellation has experienced outsized valuation expansion recently. Following the announcement of the Three Mile Island deal on Sept. 20, shares of Constellation have risen as much as 12% — a pretty sharp move based on one press release.

While I don’t encourage trying to time your buying activity, I think investors need to approach Constellation with some caution right now. It’s no coincidence that Amazon and Alphabet have made some moves with nuclear power companies on the heels of Microsoft’s deal with Constellation.

I suspect more companies will be exploring nuclear power solutions for their data center needs. As such, shares of Constellation could experience some momentum based on any future news — whether the company is directly involved or not.

The positive thing here is that the AI story is in its early chapters. For this reason, demand for data center services and adjacent opportunities, such as nuclear power, should continue to materialize in the long run.

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While Constellation Energy stock may appear a little pricey right now, Coatue’s investment is a savvy move. Investors with long-term horizons may want to keep this name on their radars.

Don’t miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity

Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you’ll want to hear this.

On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a “Double Down” stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you’re worried you’ve already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it’s too late. And the numbers speak for themselves:

  • Amazon: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2010, you’d have $21,285!*

  • Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you’d have $44,456!*

  • Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you’d have $411,959!*

Right now, we’re issuing “Double Down” alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon.

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See 3 “Double Down” stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of October 14, 2024

John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Adam Spatacco has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Constellation Energy, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Dominion Energy and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Billionaire Philippe Laffont Just Increased His Position by 139% in This Data Center Opportunity (Hint: It’s Not Nvidia) was originally published by The Motley Fool

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Nasdaq, S&P 500 sink as tech leads losses ahead of Tesla earnings

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Nasdaq, S&P 500 sink as tech leads losses ahead of Tesla earnings


Sales of existing homes fell in September as house hunters remained on the fence about buying a home despite mortgage rates easing during the month.

Existing home sales slipped 1.0% from August’s tally to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.84 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. That marked the lowest rate since October 2010. Economists polled by Bloomberg expected a pace of 3.88 million in September.

On a yearly basis, sales of previously owned homes were 3.5% lower in September. The median home price rose 3.0% from last September to $404,500, marking the 15th consecutive month of annual price increases.

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“Home sales have been essentially stuck at around a 4 million-unit pace for the past 12 months,” NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said in a press release.

There have been significant challenges that have weighed on sales activity, including a lack of inventory, escalating prices, and elevated mortgage rates. Last month, however, those factors turned around.

The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate by half a percentage point in September. While the central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, its actions influence their direction of movement.

Mortgage rates hit the lowest level since February 2023 ahead of the Fed decision to ease, while listing inventory picked up.

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But overall, that hasn’t been enough to entice buyers.

“Some consumers are hesitating about moving forward with a major expenditure like purchasing a home before the upcoming election,” Yun said.



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Tesla stock jumps on Q3 earnings beat

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Tesla stock jumps on Q3 earnings beat


Tesla (TSLA) reported mixed third quarter results after the bell on Wednesday, but the stock jumped in after-hours trading as investors cheered the earnings beat, higher gross margins, and news that Tesla’s cheaper EV is on track for production next year.

For the quarter, Tesla reported revenue of $25.18 billion vs. $25.4 billion per Bloomberg consensus, higher than the $25.05 billion it reported in Q2 and also topping the $23.40 billion Tesla reported a year ago. Tesla posted adjusted EPS of $0.72 vs $0.60 expected, on adjusted net income of $2.5 billion and free cash flow of $2.9 billion.

The closely watched gross margin figure came in at 19.8%, much higher than the 16.8% expected.

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Tesla shares were up nearly 8% in after hours trade.

“We delivered strong results in Q3 with growth in vehicle deliveries both sequentially and year-on-year, resulting in record third-quarter volumes,” the company said in its earnings deck. “Preparations remain underway for our offering of new vehicles — including more affordable models — which we will begin launching in the first half of 2025.”

Earlier this month, Tesla (TSLA) announced third quarter deliveries that slightly missed expectations, sending the stock lower.

Tesla said it delivered 462,890 vehicles in Q3, up 6.4% quarter over quarter, to mark the first quarter of delivery growth this year. The numbers also came in ahead of the 435,059 EVs the company delivered in the year-ago period. But Wall Street had expected Tesla to deliver closer to 463,897, according to Bloomberg.

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“Refreshed Model 3 ramp continued successfully in Q3 with higher total production and lower cost of goods sold quarter-over-quarter. Cybertruck production increased sequentially and achieved a positive gross margin for the first time,” Tesla said in its report.

Tesla said it expects vehicle deliveries to achieve “slight growth” in 2024.

Ahead of Tesla’s Q3 disclosure, shares were down approximately 11% since Tesla revealed its robotaxi, dubbed the Cybercab, at its showy “We, Robot” event from the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, Calif., on Oct. 10.

The debut and release of a cheaper EV is what many analysts and industry watchers believe will spur the next leg higher of EV sales, as even CEO Elon Musk has said before. During its Q2 report, Tesla and Musk said the company remains on track for the production of new vehicles, likely including a cheaper EV, in the first half of next year.

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Investors and analysts were left wanting more details from Tesla’s “We, Robot” event on the Cybercab itself and detailed testing plans, along with questions about the development of Tesla’s sub-$30,000 EV, dubbed the Model 2.



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Transak hit by data breach, 92K users exposed

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Transak hit by data breach, 92K users exposed


Transak disclosed a data breach affecting over 92,000 users after a phishing attack compromised an employee’s laptop.



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The Dow plummets more than 600 points and is on track for its worst day in more than a month

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The Dow plummets more than 600 points and is on track for its worst day in more than a month


The Dow Jones Industrial Average and other major indexes suffered a steep decline Wednesday afternoon as the yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note continued its upward climb, reaching 4.23%—a level not seen since July.

In the afternoon, the Dow dropped 631 points, or 1.4%, heading for its worst day in over a month. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq and the S&P 500 declined by 2.2% and 1.4%, respectively. However, there was some relief for investors as oil prices eased, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures trading around $70.65 per barrel.

The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, released in the afternoon, reported that economic activity remained largely unchanged across the 12 Federal Reserve Districts, with the Southeast significantly impacted by a harsh storm season.

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On Wednesday, all eyes are on Tesla (TSLA) as the company prepares to release its latest earnings report. Analysts expect earnings per share to be 60 cents, down from 66 cents a year ago but an improvement from 52 cents in the previous quarter, according to FactSet estimates. Revenue is projected to hit $25.4 billion, compared to $23.3 billion in the third quarter of 2023 and $25.5 billion in the preceding quarter.

Apart from Tesla, investors are closely monitoring earnings reports from other major corporations, including AT&T (T), Boeing (BA), and Coca-Cola (KO).

McDonald’s stock plunges over 5%

McDonald’s (MCD) shares took a sharp hit, falling over 5% after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked the chain’s Quarter Pounder burgers to an E. coli outbreak. The outbreak has led to 10 hospitalizations and one death, driving a significant decline in McDonald’s stock during the afternoon trading session.

As of now, 49 cases have been reported across 10 states between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, with a majority of illnesses occurring in Colorado, Nebraska, Utah, and Wyoming. The CDC noted that most of those affected had eaten a Quarter Pounder. Investigators are working swiftly to identify the contaminated ingredient.

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Spirit Airlines stock soars 30%

After a failed attempt at merging with JetBlue (JBLU-0.80%), ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines (SAVE+28.01%) is reportedly turning back to a familiar partner. The Wall Street Journal (NWSA-0.34%), citing people familiar with the matter, reports that Spirit and Frontier Airlines (ULCC+3.05%) are in early talks over a potential merger. The news sent Spirit’s stock soaring nearly 30% on Wednesday.

–Francisco Velasquez and Rocio Fabbro contributed to the article

For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.





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Zanzibar’s new blockchain sandbox aims to drive tech startup growth

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Zanzibar’s new blockchain sandbox aims to drive tech startup growth


The semi-autonomous region of Tanzania is taking advantage of a sandbox regulatory framework adopted in July.



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Price analysis 10/23: BTC, ETH, BNB, SOL, XRP, DOGE, TON, ADA, AVAX, SHIB

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Price analysis 10/23: BTC, ETH, BNB, SOL, XRP, DOGE, TON, ADA, AVAX, SHIB


Bitcoin’s correction ignited selling in altcoins, which are slipping below critical support levels.



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