(Bloomberg) -- Investors looking for a unique way into the stock market’s artificial intelligence boom are finding an intriguing bank shot in what’s traditionally the most boring corner of the equities universe: utilities.Most Read from BloombergMusk Makes Surprise China Visit in Search of Tesla Revenue BoostMusk’s China Trip Pays Off With Key Self-Driving Hurdles ClearedElliott Built ‘Large’ Stake in Buffett-Favored Sumitomo, Source SaysYen Watchers Ask When Japan Will Step In as Slide Accelera
CMS Energy reported a rise in first-quarter profit on Thursday, as the electric and gas utility benefitted from higher sales and improved weather which lowered storm-related restoration costs. Operating expenses for the first quarter, which include restoration costs, fell to $1.76 billion from $1.97 billion in the year-ago quarter. U.S. natural gas futures fell about 30% sequentially in the January-March quarter, which helped utilities such as CMS Energy reduce their costs.
CMS Energy's (CMS) Q1 operating revenues of $2.18 billion lag the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.3%. The top line is also down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis.