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But some investors, the patient sort, are clinging on, hoping for a bounce. Let’s have a peek at three things they ought to know, shall we?

Brookfield Renewable (BEP 1.44%)(BEPC 2.26%) isn’t building the brains, they’re supplying the juice. Hydro, solar, wind, the usual suspects. They’ve got a footprint that stretches across continents, a portfolio built on the stuff that actually exists. A one-stop shop for clean energy, sure. But more importantly, a steady hand in a world obsessed with flashes of light.

Energy Transfer, you see, is a midstream operator. A grand title for a company that essentially owns the plumbing of the energy world. It transports oil and gas, demanding a fee for the privilege, much like a particularly demanding landlord. This, in theory, provides a steady stream of revenue, impervious to the whims of fluctuating commodity prices. The demand for moving the black liquid and the invisible gas, it is said, endures even when the price of said commodities resembles a forgotten coin at the bottom of a well.

The prevailing narrative speaks of decline, of a sunset industry. Let the masses chase the ephemeral gleam of silicon and code. I find a peculiar strength in this perceived obsolescence. It is in the shadows, amidst the discarded assumptions, that true value often resides. They speak of cash flow; I sense a slow, inexorable gathering of power, like sap rising in ancient trees.

It has become, it seems, a national champion, bolstered by the substantial, and one suspects rather arbitrary, hand of federal funding and a series of commercial arrangements that appear, on closer inspection, to border on the fantastical.

Apparently, all this AI stuff needs power. A ridiculous amount of it. They say electricity demand from data centers will more than double by 2030. Which sounds…intense. Like, will we all be living in darkness so the robots can have their fun? I’m trying to focus on the potential upside, though. It’s a multi-year tailwind, they say. A tailwind. As if the market is a breezy seaside resort. I’ve decided to look at three stocks that might, just might, not lead to complete financial ruin. Wish me luck.

The shares now trade at a level some fifty percent below their previous peak. One is tempted to consider this a propitious moment for acquisition, yet a discerning eye must not be blinded by mere arithmetic. The emerging market for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles holds a certain promise, undoubtedly, but promises, like young gentlemen, are often more attractive at a distance than upon close inspection.

Both funds, naturally, seek to sidestep the vulgarities of long-term commitments. SMB, however, confines itself to the rather niche world of municipal bonds, a realm of tax exemptions and, one suspects, considerable administrative overhead. BSV, by contrast, casts a wider net, embracing the prosaic but reliable world of government and investment-grade corporate debt. A comparison, therefore, is not merely of returns, but of philosophies – one a quaint eccentricity, the other a straightforward application of capital.

Rocket Lab, the marginally more grounded of the two, is trying to undercut the SpaceX empire with smaller, more frequent launches. They’ve managed 81 launches so far, which is… something. A respectable number for a company fueled by sheer audacity and venture capital. Their Electron rocket is the workhorse, hauling tiny payloads into orbit. But the real game-changer, they say, is Neutron. A bigger, badder rocket designed to carry… well, more stuff. A lot more. If it ever actually gets off the ground. They were aiming for this quarter. Now? Who the hell knows. The timeline is shifting like sand in a hurricane.