Six Stocks I’m Quietly Obsessing Over

My brother-in-law, bless his heart, keeps asking for stock tips. He pictures me in a mahogany-paneled office, surrounded by glowing screens, dispensing wisdom. The reality is closer to me hunched over a laptop in a slightly damp basement, fueled by lukewarm coffee and a vague sense of dread. But he’s right to ask about the future, I suppose. Trillions are being funneled into things like AI and cleaner energy. It feels… necessary, doesn’t it? Like finally fixing the leaky roof before the whole thing collapses. And people are getting older. That’s a trend, I guess. They’ll need money. It’s all terribly predictable.

I’ve been quietly accumulating positions in a few companies I think will benefit. Not because I’m confident, exactly. More like… resigned to the inevitability of it all. Here are six. Don’t blame me if they don’t work out. I’m just a guy in a basement.

Brookfield Corporation

Brookfield. It sounds…substantial, doesn’t it? Like a really good tweed jacket. They’re all over the place, which, frankly, is a little unsettling. AI infrastructure, real estate, wealth management… it’s like they’re trying to own everything. And they might. They recently launched a fund to throw money at AI – up to $100 billion, apparently. That’s a lot of servers. They also seem to think people with money will want to park it in things that aren’t just, you know, sitting in a bank account. Private real estate, mostly. It’s a safe bet, I suppose. Like investing in land. My grandfather used to say, “They’re not making any more of it.” He also collected ceramic cats, so take that for what it’s worth.

Kinder Morgan

Gas pipelines. Not exactly glamorous, are they? But someone has to move the gas. Kinder Morgan does a lot of it – 40% of the country’s supply, apparently. They’re betting on gas sticking around for a while, even with all the talk about renewables. They think data centers and manufacturing will need it. Which makes sense, I guess. Everything needs power. They’ve already lined up $10 billion worth of projects. It’s like building a really complicated plumbing system. And they pay a dividend. Over 4%. Which is nice. It doesn’t solve the existential dread, but it helps.

Meta Platforms

I still call it Facebook, which probably dates me. But they’re trying to be more than just a place to see pictures of your cousin’s vacation. They want to build “personal superintelligence.” Which sounds… terrifying. But they’re throwing a lot of money at it. And people are actually using their AI chatbot. Billions of them. They’ve even made AI glasses. Apparently, people want to look even more disconnected from the real world. They’re only scratching the surface, Zuckerberg says. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

NextEra Energy

Clean energy. It’s a good story, isn’t it? NextEra is building a lot of wind and solar farms. And they’re getting into the data center business. Apparently, AI companies need a lot of power. They’ve signed deals with Meta and Google. It’s like they’re becoming the power company for the future. They estimate they could invest almost $300 billion over the next decade. That’s a lot of turbines. And they pay a dividend. Of course they do.

Realty Income

The monthly dividend company. They own a lot of properties – retail stores, industrial warehouses, even casinos. They lease them out to tenants and collect rent. It’s a pretty simple business, actually. And they pay a dividend every month. Which is appealing. They’re betting on the fact that people will always need places to shop and work. And that people will always gamble. They’re also trying to unlock value from corporate real estate. It’s a bit complicated, but the idea is sound.

Prologis

Warehouses. Lots and lots of warehouses. They’re the biggest industrial real estate company in the world. And they’re getting into data centers, too. They’re installing solar panels and battery storage at their facilities. They’re trying to be a one-stop shop for logistics and digital infrastructure. It’s a smart move, I think. Everything has to be shipped somewhere. And everything needs power. They leased out 228 million square feet last year. That’s a lot of space.

Adding to My Positions

I already own shares in all these companies. I’m not saying they’re guaranteed winners. But I think they have a good chance of doing well. And frankly, I’m tired of worrying about where to put my money. So I’m adding to my positions. Don’t judge me. I’m just a guy in a basement, trying to make sense of it all.

2026-01-24 12:32