Sunrun Inc. designs, develops, installs, sells, owns, and maintains residential solar energy systems in the United States. It also sells solar energy systems and products, such as panels and racking; and solar leads generated to customers. In addition, the company offers battery storage along with solar energy systems; and sells services to commercial developers through multi-family and new homes. Its primary customers are residential homeowners. The company markets and sells its products through direct-to-consumer approach across online, retail, mass media, digital media, canvassing, field marketing, and referral channels, as well as its partner network. Sunrun Inc. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Sunrun Inc.

In recent trading, shares of Sunrun Inc (Symbol: RUN) have crossed above the average analyst 12-month target price of $20.00, changing hands for $20.13/share. When a stock reaches the target an analyst has set, the analyst logically has two ways to react: downgrade on valuation, or, re-adjust their target price to a higher level. Analyst reaction may also depend on the fundamental business developments that may be responsible for driving the stock price higher — if things are looking up for the company, perhaps it is time for that target price to be raised.
There are 17 different analyst targets within the Zacks coverage universe contributing to that average for Sunrun Inc, but the average is just that — a mathematical average. There are analysts with lower targets than the average, including one looking for a price of $11.00. And then on the other side of the spectrum one analyst has a target as high as $25.00. The standard deviation is $3.824.
But the whole reason to look at the average RUN price target in the first place is to tap into a "wisdom of crowds" effort, putting together the contributions of all the individual minds who contributed to the ultimate number, as opposed to what just one particular expert believes. And so with RUN crossing above that average target price of $20.00/share, investors in RUN have been given a good signal to spend fresh time assessing the company and deciding for themselves: is $20.00 just one stop on the way to an even higher target, or has the valuation gotten stretched to the point where it is time to think about taking some chips off the table? Below is a table showing the current thinking of the analysts that cover Sunrun Inc:
Recent RUN Analyst Ratings Breakdown
»
Current
1 Month Ago
2 Month Ago
3 Month Ago
Strong buy ratings:
12
11
10
10
Buy ratings:
1
1
1
0
Hold ratings:
9
9
10
11
Sell ratings:
0
0
0
0
Strong sell ratings:
0
1
1
2
Average rating:
1.86
2.05
2.14
2.3
The average rating presented in the last row of the above table above is from 1 to 5 where 1 is Strong Buy and 5 is Strong Sell. This article used data provided by Zacks Investment Research via Quandl.com. Get the latest Zacks research report on RUN — FREE.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Sunrun Reaches Analyst Target Price

Among the underlying components of the Russell 3000 index, we saw noteworthy options trading volume today in Sunrun Inc (Symbol: RUN), where a total of 57,575 contracts have traded so far, representing approximately 5.8 million underlying shares. That amounts to about 54.9% of RUN's average daily trading volume over the past month of 10.5 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $21 strike call option expiring October 17, 2025, with 7,511 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 751,100 underlying shares of RUN. Below is a chart showing RUN's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $21 strike highlighted in orange:
Zeta Global Holdings Corp (Symbol: ZETA) options are showing a volume of 41,509 contracts thus far today. That number of contracts represents approximately 4.2 million underlying shares, working out to a sizeable 54.8% of ZETA's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 7.6 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $21 strike call option expiring October 10, 2025, with 4,427 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 442,700 underlying shares of ZETA. Below is a chart showing ZETA's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $21 strike highlighted in orange:
And SLB Ltd (Symbol: SLB) saw options trading volume of 92,405 contracts, representing approximately 9.2 million underlying shares or approximately 54.5% of SLB's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 17.0 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $35 strike call option expiring November 21, 2025, with 24,060 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 2.4 million underlying shares of SLB. Below is a chart showing SLB's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $35 strike highlighted in orange:
For the various different available expirations for RUN options, ZETA options, or SLB options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Noteworthy Thursday Option Activity: RUN, ZETA, SLB

Among the underlying components of the Russell 3000 index, we saw noteworthy options trading volume today in Affirm Holdings Inc (Symbol: AFRM), where a total of 51,384 contracts have traded so far, representing approximately 5.1 million underlying shares. That amounts to about 64.3% of AFRM's average daily trading volume over the past month of 8.0 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $75 strike put option expiring October 03, 2025, with 15,886 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 1.6 million underlying shares of AFRM. Below is a chart showing AFRM's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $75 strike highlighted in orange:
Sunrun Inc (Symbol: RUN) saw options trading volume of 65,207 contracts, representing approximately 6.5 million underlying shares or approximately 63.7% of RUN's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 10.2 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $5 strike put option expiring January 15, 2027, with 19,110 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 1.9 million underlying shares of RUN. Below is a chart showing RUN's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $5 strike highlighted in orange:
And Atlassian Corp (Symbol: TEAM) options are showing a volume of 14,749 contracts thus far today. That number of contracts represents approximately 1.5 million underlying shares, working out to a sizeable 63.7% of TEAM's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 2.3 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $160 strike call option expiring October 17, 2025, with 1,859 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 185,900 underlying shares of TEAM. Below is a chart showing TEAM's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $160 strike highlighted in orange:
For the various different available expirations for AFRM options, RUN options, or TEAM options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Notable Wednesday Option Activity: AFRM, RUN, TEAM

Looking at options trading activity among components of the Russell 3000 index, there is noteworthy activity today in Best Buy Inc (Symbol: BBY), where a total volume of 17,005 contracts has been traded thus far today, a contract volume which is representative of approximately 1.7 million underlying shares (given that every 1 contract represents 100 underlying shares). That number works out to 42.4% of BBY's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 4.0 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $76 strike call option expiring September 26, 2025, with 6,102 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 610,200 underlying shares of BBY. Below is a chart showing BBY's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $76 strike highlighted in orange:
NU Skin Enterprises, Inc. (Symbol: NUS) options are showing a volume of 2,186 contracts thus far today. That number of contracts represents approximately 218,600 underlying shares, working out to a sizeable 41.9% of NUS's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 521,305 shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $15 strike call option expiring November 21, 2025, with 802 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 80,200 underlying shares of NUS. Below is a chart showing NUS's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $15 strike highlighted in orange:
And Sunrun Inc (Symbol: RUN) options are showing a volume of 41,713 contracts thus far today. That number of contracts represents approximately 4.2 million underlying shares, working out to a sizeable 41.8% of RUN's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 10.0 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $17.50 strike call option expiring September 26, 2025, with 5,220 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 522,000 underlying shares of RUN. Below is a chart showing RUN's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $17.50 strike highlighted in orange:
For the various different available expirations for BBY options, NUS options, or RUN options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Noteworthy Monday Option Activity: BBY, NUS, RUN

Soaring clean electricity demand from sectors like transportation, rapid AI-driven data center growth, and declining installation costs for solar and wind technologies are fueling a significant surge in the global renewable energy industry. However, the intermittent nature of renewables creates a critical need for energy storage to ensure grid stability. Energy storage systems, especially batteries, capture excess power during peak generation and release it during high demand, maintaining a continuous energy supply. Driven by declining battery costs, government incentives, and rising volume of renewable projects, the energy storage market has also become an essential component of modern energy infrastructure worldwide, alongside renewable energy.
To this end, it is imperative to mention that as per a report published by the global energy think tank, Ember, in April 2025, clean power surpassed 40% of global electricity generation in 2024, driven by record growth in renewable. This renewable energy growth was duly aided by corresponding advances in energy storage capacity, with global stationary energy storage installations surging 40% to a record 170 GWh in 2024, as mentioned in a BloombergNEF (“BNEF”) report.
Consequently, utility providers like DTE Energy (DTE) and Ameren Corp. (AEE) are capitalizing on these growth opportunities through the rapid expansion of their renewable generation portfolio. On the other hand, core clean-energy stocks like Sunrun (RUN), offering solar panel and battery storage products, already enjoy a strong position in a clean energy investor’s portfolio.
Looking ahead, as per its New Energy Outlook 2025 Report published in April 2025, BNEF expects global power generation from renewables to rise 84% over the next five years (by 2030), and then double again by 2050. In support of this massive renewable energy capacity expansion, BNEF expects global energy storage additions to grow 35% this year. Such solid projections naturally boost growth opportunities for those who have invested in or intend to invest in the renewable energy and battery storage space.
In addition to demand, strong policy support, fiscal incentives, net-zero commitments, and declining solar/wind installation costs are boosting the competitiveness of clean energy firms. These factors collectively enable sustainable long-term value creation in the global energy transition.
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3 Renewable Energy & Battery Storage Stocks to Watch
Sunrun is America's leading provider of home battery storage and solar systems, offered primarily through its no-upfront-cost subscription model. The company claims to operate the largest fleet of residential solar energy systems in the United States, as of June 30, 2025, with a Networked Solar Energy Capacity of 7,949 megawatts (MW).
Its subscriber additions increased 15% year over year in the second quarter of 2025, with its net subscriber value having expanded 182%, driven by a record-high storage Attachment Rate of 70%.
Looking ahead, Sunrun expects to have more than 10 GWh of dispatchable capacity online by 2029 and an aggregate subscriber value of $5.7-$6 billion by 2025-end. These trends underscore Sunrun’s steadily expanding footprint in the solar market. Per the Zacks Consensus Estimate, this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company’s sales are projected to witness a rise of 11.2% and 11.4% in 2025 and 2026, respectively.
DTE Energy, a leading electricity provider in Michigan, has been steadily investing in renewable generation assets to maintain its position as the state’s largest producer and investor in renewable energy.
To this end, it is imperative to mention that, during the second quarter of 2025, the company completed construction of its 80 MW Pine River Solar Park and 100 MW Polaris Solar Park. Resultantly, as of June 30, 2025, DTE Electric brought 2,500 megawatts (MW) of renewable generation in service.
Looking ahead, the company aims to invest $10 billion in clean energy generation over the next 10 years. Through this solid investment, DTE Energy aims to add 900 MW of renewables per year on average over the next five years. It also plans to accelerate the development of energy storage, targeting to have more than 2,900 MW of energy storage by 2042.
Such a development pipeline reflects this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company’s long-term vision of delivering reliable, affordable and clean energy to its customers. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DTE’s 2025 and 2026 sales implies year-over-year growth of 15.5% and 3.9%, respectively. The stock boasts a long-term (three-to-five years) earnings growth rate of 7%.
Ameren, a well-known utility provider in the United States, invests steadily to offer electricity through cleaner and more diverse sources of energy generation, such as solar, wind, natural gas, hydro and nuclear power. To this end, it is imperative to mention that in July 2025, Ameren Illinois broke ground on its 2.5 megawatt MW solar energy facility in Peoria.
Looking ahead, the company targets to expand its renewable portfolio by adding 3,200 MWs of renewable generation (including 400 MWs of solar generation projects) by 2030 and an additional 1,500 MWs by 2035. It also aims to add 1,000 MWs of battery storage (including the 400-MW Big Hollow Battery Energy Storage Project) by the end of 2030 and an additional 800 MWs by 2042.
To facilitate its renewable expansion, in June, the company submitted a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity request for the Big Hollow Energy Center, a proposed project comprising a 400-megawatt battery energy storage system, which will be built on the site of its retired Rush Island Energy Center and is expected to begin serving customers in 2028.
Such a development pipeline should further strengthen this Zacks Rank #3 stock’s footprint in the renewable energy and battery storage space, amid the growth trends.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AEE’s 2025 and 2026 sales implies year-over-year growth of 12.2% and 5.4%, respectively. The stock boasts a long-term earnings growth rate of 7.9%.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Renewable Energy & Battery Energy Stocks in Focus Amid Record Growth Trends

The solar energy sector has been an area to watch in the Trump administration as it initially backed fossil fuels and was inclined toward the roll-back of certain renewable energy incentives, creating uncertainty for solar companies. Trump’s tariffs on imported solar panels are another threat to the industry as they raised costs, weighing on the margins of the industry.
Trump Regulations Proved Less Restrictive Than Feared
However, in reality, matters did not turn that bad. Solar stocks rallied in mid-August, after the U.S. Treasury Department released guidance on which projects qualify for clean energy tax credits, as quoted on Investopedia. The rules proved to be less restrictive than investors had feared initially, benefiting the industry players.
Decent Earnings Strength
In early August, First Solar Inc. FSLR posted Q2 EPS of $3.18, beating estimates but declining 2.2% year over year due to higher operating costs.Sales rose 8.6% to $1.10 billion, surpassing expectations by 6.6%.FSLR raised its 2025 revenue and shipment guidance while narrowing its EPS and profit forecast ranges.
In early August, Sunrun RUN came up with quarterly earnings of $1.07 per share compared with $0.55 in the prior-year quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate was of a loss of $0.18 per share. It posted revenues of $569.34 million, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.17%.
In mid-August, SolarEdge Technologies SEDG posted Q2 adjusted loss of 81 cents per share that beat estimates and improved from last year's loss of $1.79.Its Q2 revenues rose 9.1% to $289.4 million, topping estimates by 5.7%.SEDG expects revenues in the range of $315-$355 million for Q3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate was $332.8 million prior to the earnings release, lower than the midpoint of the company’s guided range.
In late July, Enphase Energy Inc. ENPH posted Q2 adjusted EPS of $0.69, beating estimates and up 60.5% year over year.Q2 revenues rose 19.7% to $363.2 million, driven by higher sales in Europe and the United States.For Q3, ENPH expects revenues in the range of $330-$370 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate was $366.2 million prior to the earnings release, which was near the high end of the company’s guided range.
Upbeat Industry Rank
The solar industry falls in the top 24% segment (at the time of writing). Its current Zacks Rank is 58 out of 245 Zacks-classified industries. The industry’s stock performance is up 13.5% so far this year (as of Sept. 15, 2025), in line with the S&P 500. However, over the past month, the performance sprinted with a 7.6% rise compared with a 2.7% uptick in the S&P 500.
The recent uptick can be attributed to the Treasury Department’s moderately favorable guidance. Analysts at Jefferies and Citi viewed the latest guidance as moderately positive for the solar space and noted that the industry avoided several feared worst-case scenarios, as quoted on the above-mentioned Investopedia article.
Cheaper Solar Industry Valuation
The industry trades at a forward P/E of 16.64X versus the S&P 500’s P/E of 19.85X. PEG (Ratio) of the industry is 0.66X versus the S&P 500’s score of 2.33X. Projected EPS growth of the solar industry is 11.43% versus 6.92% of the S&P 500.
Any Wall of Worry?
The U.S. solar industry added nearly 18 GW of new capacity in H1 2025, with solar and storage accounting for 82% of all new power capacity connected to the grid during this period, per SEIA and Wood Mackenzie, as quoted on solarquarter.com. But the report cautions that federal measures like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act pose challenges to future growth.
Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act will put an end to two key tax credits for solar and wind projects in late 2027, as quoted on CNBC. Tariff is another concern. Arevon CEO expects costs for solar and battery storage projects to increase by about 30% due to metal tariffs, as quoted on the same CNBC article.
The industry’s return on equity and return on assets are also not hopeful. These companies are not cash-rich either. Cash flow ($/share) of the solar industry is negative $5.56 versus positive $2,785 possessed by the S&P 500.
Bottom Line
Despite all the hurdles, the incessant demand for power to fuel artificial intelligence may keep boosting alternative energy options such as solar. One can thus tap into solar-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) like Invesco Solar ETF TAN and iShares Global Clean Energy ETF ICLN with a cautious outlook. TAN has gained 1.9% over the past five days, while ICLN has jumped 3.4%.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Peeking Into Solar ETFs Amid Trump Administration

Among the underlying components of the Russell 3000 index, we saw noteworthy options trading volume today in Arista Networks Inc (Symbol: ANET), where a total of 34,459 contracts have traded so far, representing approximately 3.4 million underlying shares. That amounts to about 44.8% of ANET's average daily trading volume over the past month of 7.7 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $160 strike call option expiring November 21, 2025, with 6,349 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 634,900 underlying shares of ANET. Below is a chart showing ANET's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $160 strike highlighted in orange:
Sunrun Inc (Symbol: RUN) saw options trading volume of 84,420 contracts, representing approximately 8.4 million underlying shares or approximately 44.3% of RUN's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 19.1 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $17 strike call option expiring September 19, 2025, with 6,252 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 625,200 underlying shares of RUN. Below is a chart showing RUN's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $17 strike highlighted in orange:
And Mastercard Inc (Symbol: MA) saw options trading volume of 10,623 contracts, representing approximately 1.1 million underlying shares or approximately 44.2% of MA's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 2.4 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $590 strike put option expiring December 19, 2025, with 1,231 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 123,100 underlying shares of MA. Below is a chart showing MA's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $590 strike highlighted in orange:
For the various different available expirations for ANET options, RUN options, or MA options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Notable Friday Option Activity: ANET, RUN, MA

For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – August 27, 2025– Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights SolarEdge Technologies SEDG, Nextracker Inc. NXT, Sunrun RUN, Array Technologies ARRY and Shoals Technologies Group SHLS.
Can Solar Power the AI Boom? Top Stocks to Watch
For the first time in its history, the digital economy faces a true energy bottleneck. Artificial intelligence and the hyperscale data centers that support it are so compute and power hungry that the existing US grid is straining to keep up and may soon be unable to meet demand.
To put this into perspective: the largest hyperscale campuses are now approaching 1 gigawatt (GW) of demand, nearly a tenth of the electricity New York City uses on a peak summer day. Meta is even planning a 5 GW campus, and forecasts suggest that US data centers could eventually consume a quarter of the nation's electricity capacity, requiring the grid to add the equivalent of several New York Cities just to keep pace.
Today, data center power usage sits around 55 GW, ~4% of total electricity output, and is expected to reach 85 GW by 2027. This number is expected to surge to 300 GW by 2030. With the US grid capacity at about 1,250 GW, that would mean AI data centers alone could absorb nearly 25% of total capacity.
So far, the conversation has revolved around nuclear and natural gas as solutions to this energy crunch. But one overlooked source is starting to show real potential is solar power. Multiple catalysts are aligning that could finally make solar a serious contender to help fuel the AI revolution, and savvy investors are beginning to take notice.
In the sections below, I'll explain why solar could emerge as a critical piece of the AI energy puzzle and highlight several solar stocks that look especially well positioned, including SolarEdge Technologies, Nextracker Inc., Sunrun, Array Technologies and Shoals Technologies Group. It's worth noting that solar names have already been quietly rallying this year, yet they still trade at depressed valuations after years of weak price action, setting the stage for what could be a powerful breakout if this theme catches on.
Solar Power's Latent Opportunities
I have long been skeptical of solar energy, but for the first time I'm changing my tune. The industry has matured, the business economics have improved dramatically, and the urgent need for scalable, easy-to-deploy power sources has never been greater.
Economic gains: Over the past decade, photovoltaic (PV) costs have dropped by roughly 90%, following the well-documented "learning curve" where costs decline about 20% each time global capacity doubles. Today, in many sunny regions, solar is already cheaper than coal or natural gas, both in upfront capital costs and ongoing operating expenses.
Battery technology: Storage is also catching up quickly. Lithium-ion battery pack costs fell 20% in the past year alone, hitting a record low of $115 per kWh. With battery costs down nearly 90% over the last decade, pairing solar with storage is rapidly becoming both technically viable and economically attractive, allowing solar to provide reliable 24/7 power.
Despite these advances, solar stocks still trade at depressed valuations after several years of severe underperformance, even though the economics have never been more compelling. With costs collapsing, storage breakthroughs accelerating, and demand from AI-driven data centers looming, the industry is at the edge of a major inflection point. For investors, this combination of improved fundamentals and beaten-down stock prices creates one of the more attractive opportunities in the entire clean energy space today.
How Big Could the Solar Industry Get?
Here, I want to share some very rough but eye-opening estimates on the growth potential of solar. Even under conservative assumptions, the opportunity is enormous.
A standard rule of thumb is that it takes about 10 acres of solar panels to generate 1 MW of power. That means a 1 GW hyperscale data center campus, the kind tech giants are now building to run AI workloads, would need 7,000 to 10,000 acres of panels, or roughly 11 to 15 square miles of land if powered entirely by solar.
Looking ahead, forecasts suggest US data centers could demand 130 GW of continuous power by 2030. To meet that with solar alone would require between 580 and 870 GWdc (gigawatts direct current) of new solar capacity, depending on efficiency. For context, the entire US solar fleet today stands at about 235 GWdc, meaning the industry would need to triple or quadruple in size within just a few years.
That buildout would represent hundreds of billions of dollars in new investment, potentially exceeding $1 trillion when paired with storage, and it would transform the economics of the entire solar supply chain. For investors, that scale of growth underscores why the sector, despite its current depressed valuations, could be sitting on one of the most powerful demand cycles in its history.
Solar Stocks to Buy (SEDG, NXT, RUN, ARRY, SHLS)
It's hard to overstate how attractive solar stocks look right now, even without considering the potential AI infrastructure catalyst. The industry as a whole is seeing improving business economics, strong growth forecasts, and valuations that range from reasonable to deeply discounted. Just as important, the stocks highlighted here have already shown powerful momentum year-to-date.
SolarEdge Technologies: Once a market darling, SolarEdge has been beaten down amid margin pressure and slowing residential demand. However, with shares trading at depressed valuations and demand for utility-scale inverters likely to rebound, SEDG offers contrarian upside if execution improves.
Though it isn't yet reflected by the Zacks rank, SEDG currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) rating, it has experienced some significant revisions higher to its earnings estimates. Though still negative, estimates have risen across the board with FY26 forecasts climbing by 68% in the last 60 days. Sales are also projected to grow by more than 24% both this and next year, showing strong demand expectations for the company's inverters.
Nextracker Inc.: As the leading provider of solar trackers, Nextracker directly benefits from the shift to utility-scale projects. Its technology boosts panel efficiency and lowers costs, making it a natural winner as large-scale solar buildouts accelerate. The stock has moved significantly higher this year, up 85%, yet the company still trades at just 16.6x forward earnings.
Sunrun: A pure play on residential solar, Sunrun has struggled under higher interest rates. But as financing conditions ease and consumer adoption of solar-plus-storage grows, RUN could be positioned for a strong recovery. Based on recent revisions, earnings are expected to inflect meaningfully positive over the next year.
Array Technologies: Like Nextracker, Array builds solar tracking systems that enhance utility-scale efficiency. With a global footprint and strong backlog, ARRY offers solid exposure to the utility-scale solar buildout at a reasonable valuation.
With earnings projected to grow 21.6% annually over the next three to five years and a forward earnings multiple of 14.2x, Array boasts a PEG ratio of 0.66. The combination of strong growth and reasonable valuation offers a compelling risk reward opportunity.
Shoals Technologies Group: Shoals specializes in balance-of-system components — wiring, connectors, and infrastructure that every solar farm needs. Its recurring demand base and high margins make it a steady, less flashy way to play the solar boom.
Shoals Technologies Group is in an especially advantaged vertical and is the only name in the group with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) rating, reflected by upward trending earnings revisions. The stock also made YTD highs this week and has a PEG ratio of 0.75, potentially limiting downside risk.
Solar's Role in Powering the AI Revolution
At this point, the cost of energy infrastructure is a relatively minor factor in the overall buildout of AI, as GPUs and advanced chips account for the bulk of expenses. The greater challenge lies in regulatory and permitting delays as well as industry adoption, which can hold back solar and storage projects far more than cost competitiveness. Ironically, fossil fuel infrastructure often faces fewer hurdles than renewables, creating a hurdle that policymakers will need to address if the US wants to meet AI-driven power demand with clean energy.
For investors, however, the opportunity is clear. The economics of solar and storage have never been stronger, valuations remain depressed after years of underperformance, and a once-in-a-generation demand catalyst is emerging as AI transforms the global economy. If AI data centers really do scale toward hundreds of gigawatts of demand, solar will almost certainly claim a portion, and potentially large share of that market, making now an opportune timeto consider exposure to the sector before the market fully prices in this growth.
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is Here
The AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. Little-known AI firms tackling the world's biggest problems may be more lucrative in the coming months and years.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: SolarEdge Technologies, Nextracker, Sunrun, Array Technologies and Shoals Technologies

Looking at options trading activity among components of the Russell 3000 index, there is noteworthy activity today in Sphere Entertainment Co (Symbol: SPHR), where a total volume of 3,512 contracts has been traded thus far today, a contract volume which is representative of approximately 351,200 underlying shares (given that every 1 contract represents 100 underlying shares). That number works out to 45% of SPHR's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 780,910 shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $50 strike call option expiring November 21, 2025, with 2,505 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 250,500 underlying shares of SPHR. Below is a chart showing SPHR's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $50 strike highlighted in orange:
Avis Budget Group Inc (Symbol: CAR) saw options trading volume of 5,573 contracts, representing approximately 557,300 underlying shares or approximately 43.2% of CAR's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 1.3 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $125 strike put option expiring January 16, 2026, with 1,505 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 150,500 underlying shares of CAR. Below is a chart showing CAR's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $125 strike highlighted in orange:
And Sunrun Inc (Symbol: RUN) options are showing a volume of 83,125 contracts thus far today. That number of contracts represents approximately 8.3 million underlying shares, working out to a sizeable 42.7% of RUN's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 19.5 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $20 strike call option expiring October 17, 2025, with 13,359 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 1.3 million underlying shares of RUN. Below is a chart showing RUN's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $20 strike highlighted in orange:
For the various different available expirations for SPHR options, CAR options, or RUN options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
Also see:
Top Ten Hedge Funds Holding UNUM
Top Ten Hedge Funds Holding EH
Top Ten Hedge Funds Holding AACB
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Notable Tuesday Option Activity: SPHR, CAR, RUN

For the first time in its history, the digital economy faces a true energy bottleneck. Artificial intelligence and the hyperscale data centers that support it are so compute and power hungry that the existing US grid is straining to keep up and may soon be unable to meet demand.
To put this into perspective: the largest hyperscale campuses are now approaching 1 gigawatt (GW) of demand, nearly a tenth of the electricity New York City uses on a peak summer day. Meta is even planning a 5 GW campus, and forecasts suggest that US data centers could eventually consume a quarter of the nation’s electricity capacity, requiring the grid to add the equivalent of several New York Cities just to keep pace. Today, data center power usage sits around 55 GW, ~4% of total electricity output, and is expected to reach 85 GW by 2027. This number is expected to surge to 300 GW by 2030. With the US grid capacity at about 1,250 GW, that would mean AI data centers alone could absorb nearly 25% of total capacity.
So far, the conversation has revolved around nuclear and natural gas as solutions to this energy crunch. But one overlooked source is starting to show real potential is solar power. Multiple catalysts are aligning that could finally make solar a serious contender to help fuel the AI revolution, and savvy investors are beginning to take notice.
In the sections below, I’ll explain why solar could emerge as a critical piece of the AI energy puzzle and highlight several solar stocks that look especially well positioned, including SolarEdge Technologies (SEDG),Nextracker Inc. (NXT),Sunrun (RUN),Array Technologies (ARRY), and Shoals Technologies Group (SHLS). It’s worth noting that solar names have already been quietly rallying this year, yet they still trade at depressed valuations after years of weak price action, setting the stage for what could be a powerful breakout if this theme catches on.
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Solar Power’s Latent Opportunities
I have long been skeptical of solar energy, but for the first time I’m changing my tune. The industry has matured, the business economics have improved dramatically, and the urgent need for scalable, easy-to-deploy power sources has never been greater.
Economic gains: Over the past decade, photovoltaic (PV) costs have dropped by roughly 90%, following the well-documented “learning curve” where costs decline about 20% each time global capacity doubles. Today, in many sunny regions, solar is already cheaper than coal or natural gas, both in upfront capital costs and ongoing operating expenses.
Battery technology: Storage is also catching up quickly. Lithium-ion battery pack costs fell 20% in the past year alone, hitting a record low of $115 per kWh. With battery costs down nearly 90% over the last decade, pairing solar with storage is rapidly becoming both technically viable and economically attractive, allowing solar to provide reliable 24/7 power.
Despite these advances, solar stocks still trade at depressed valuations after several years of severe underperformance, even though the economics have never been more compelling. With costs collapsing, storage breakthroughs accelerating, and demand from AI-driven data centers looming, the industry is at the edge of a major inflection point. For investors, this combination of improved fundamentals and beaten-down stock prices creates one of the more attractive opportunities in the entire clean energy space today.
How Big Could the Solar Industry Get?
Here, I want to share some very rough but eye-opening estimates on the growth potential of solar. Even under conservative assumptions, the opportunity is enormous.
A standard rule of thumb is that it takes about 10 acres of solar panels to generate 1 MW of power. That means a 1 GW hyperscale data center campus, the kind tech giants are now building to run AI workloads, would need 7,000 to 10,000 acres of panels, or roughly 11 to 15 square miles of land if powered entirely by solar.
Looking ahead, forecasts suggest US data centers could demand 130 GW of continuous power by 2030. To meet that with solar alone would require between 580 and 870 GWdc (gigawatts direct current) of new solar capacity, depending on efficiency. For context, the entire US solar fleet today stands at about 235 GWdc, meaning the industry would need to triple or quadruple in size within just a few years.
That buildout would represent hundreds of billions of dollars in new investment, potentially exceeding $1 trillion when paired with storage, and it would transform the economics of the entire solar supply chain. For investors, that scale of growth underscores why the sector, despite its current depressed valuations, could be sitting on one of the most powerful demand cycles in its history.
Solar Stocks to Buy (SEDG, NXT, RUN, ARRY, SHLS)
It’s hard to overstate how attractive solar stocks look right now, even without considering the potential AI infrastructure catalyst. The industry as a whole is seeing improving business economics, strong growth forecasts, and valuations that range from reasonable to deeply discounted. Just as important, the stocks highlighted here have already shown powerful momentum year-to-date.
SolarEdge Technologies: Once a market darling, SolarEdge has been beaten down amid margin pressure and slowing residential demand. However, with shares trading at depressed valuations and demand for utility-scale inverters likely to rebound, SEDG offers contrarian upside if execution improves.
Though it isn’t yet reflected by the Zacks rank, SEDG currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) rating, it has experienced some significant revisions higher to its earnings estimates. Though still negative, estimates have risen across the board with FY26 forecasts climbing by 68% in the last 60 days. Sales are also projected to grow by more than 24% both this and next year, showing strong demand expectations for the company’s inverters.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Nextracker Inc.: As the leading provider of solar trackers, Nextracker directly benefits from the shift to utility-scale projects. Its technology boosts panel efficiency and lowers costs, making it a natural winner as large-scale solar buildouts accelerate. The stock has moved significantly higher this year, up 85%, yet the company still trades at just 16.6x forward earnings.
Sunrun: A pure play on residential solar, Sunrun has struggled under higher interest rates. But as financing conditions ease and consumer adoption of solar-plus-storage grows, RUN could be positioned for a strong recovery. Based on recent revisions, earnings are expected to inflect meaningfully positive over the next year.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Array Technologies: Like Nextracker, Array builds solar tracking systems that enhance utility-scale efficiency. With a global footprint and strong backlog, ARRY offers solid exposure to the utility-scale solar buildout at a reasonable valuation.
With earnings projected to grow 21.6% annually over the next three to five years and a forward earnings multiple of 14.2x, Array boasts a PEG ratio of 0.66. The combination of strong growth and reasonable valuation offers a compelling risk reward opportunity.
Shoals Technologies Group: Shoals specializes in balance-of-system components — wiring, connectors, and infrastructure that every solar farm needs. Its recurring demand base and high margins make it a steady, less flashy way to play the solar boom.
Shoals Technologies Group is in an especially advantaged vertical and is the only name in the group with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) rating, reflected by upward trending earnings revisions. The stock also made YTD highs this week and has a PEG ratio of 0.75, potentially limiting downside risk.
Solar’s Role in Powering the AI Revolution
At this point, the cost of energy infrastructure is a relatively minor factor in the overall buildout of AI, as GPUs and advanced chips account for the bulk of expenses. The greater challenge lies in regulatory and permitting delays as well as industry adoption, which can hold back solar and storage projects far more than cost competitiveness. Ironically, fossil fuel infrastructure often faces fewer hurdles than renewables, creating a hurdle that policymakers will need to address if the US wants to meet AI-driven power demand with clean energy.
For investors, however, the opportunity is clear. The economics of solar and storage have never been stronger, valuations remain depressed after years of underperformance, and a once-in-a-generation demand catalyst is emerging as AI transforms the global economy. If AI data centers really do scale toward hundreds of gigawatts of demand, solar will almost certainly claim a portion, and potentially large share of that market, making now an opportune timeto consider exposure to the sector before the market fully prices in this growth.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.