A brand new BlackRock deal may properly place the asset supervisor to capitalize on surging demand for power because the generative AI growth exhibits no indicators of slowing down. The information Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), the infrastructure fund supervisor bought by BlackRock, is nearing a $38 billion deal to purchase renewable power firm AES , in accordance to the Financial Times . If this had been to occur, it could be one of many largest infrastructure takeovers in historical past. AES, a distinguished utility within the U.S., owns and operates power vegetation throughout the globe. The agency has supplied vitality options for the world’s largest tech corporations, together with Club holdings Amazon , Microsoft , and Meta Platforms , as every of them will increase their synthetic intelligence spending and appears to construct extra power-hungry information facilities. The FT reported that takeover talks are in superior levels, however a BlackRock-AES deal may nonetheless fall by way of. A GIP spokesperson denied CNBC’s request for remark. Shares of AES surged greater than 15% on Wednesday, making up for lackluster year-to-year buying and selling. Club inventory BlackRock fell 2% amid broader weak point in financials as the general inventory market weighed the implications of the federal government shutdown and September’s a lot weaker-than-expected ADP report on hiring at U.S. corporations. Still, BlackRock was just below 3% off Tuesday’s record-high shut of $1,175. The inventory has elevated about 11% in 2025, which barely trails the S & P 500′ s 13% advance. Big image The FT report comes roughly a yr after BlackRock accomplished its acquisition of GIP for $12.5 billion, which added $100 billion in shopper property to BlackRock’s current $50 billion in shopper infrastructure property below administration. GIP’s main investments embody London’s Gatwick Airport, main vitality pipelines, and greater than 40 information facilities, BlackRock mentioned in March. GIP was considered one of a number of acquisitions which have given BlackRock extra publicity to non-public markets. Since the beginning of 2024, BlackRock has acquired non-public credit score supervisor HPS Investment Partners for $12 billion and alternate options information supplier Preqin for $3.2 billion. In truth, CEO Larry Fink beforehand forecasted that infrastructure would be one of many fastest-growing segments of personal markets. He cited, partly, the info middle buildout. “We’re standing at the edge of an opportunity so vast it’s almost hard to grasp. By 2040, the global demand for new infrastructure investment is $68 trillion,” Fink mentioned in his 2025 annual letter to traders. “To put that price tag in perspective, it’s roughly the equivalent of building the entire Interstate Highway System and the Transcontinental Railroad, start to finish, every six weeks—for the next 15 years.” Bottom line BlackRock would stand to profit from an AES acquisition as a result of it could develop the asset supervisor’s attain in high-growth infrastructure. Increased AI infrastructure spending by Big Tech, akin to energy-intensive information facilities, has been a monetary windfall for corporations ready to assist meet surging power demand. Just take a look at fellow Club holding GE Vernova inventory, which manufactures heavy-duty fuel generators that help these services. The industrial inventory has gained 83% year-to-date. To be certain, we’re certainly not saying that BlackRock will flip into a information middle play. Instead, the acquisition would diversify BlackRock’s income streams additional — so it may rely much less on its conventional exchange-traded fund (ETF) enterprise, which is very large. Plus, AES has been underperforming in 2025, as seen prior to Wednesday’s session. That means it “could be a great deal for GIP to snap it up,” Jeff Marks, director of portfolio evaluation for the CNBC Investing Club, mentioned Wednesday. After all, he added, “one of the strongest long-term themes in the market is power generation.” (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is lengthy BLK, GEV, META, MSFT, AMZN. See right here for a full checklist of the shares.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you’ll obtain a commerce alert earlier than Jim makes a commerce. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a commerce alert earlier than shopping for or promoting a inventory in his charitable belief’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a inventory on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the commerce alert earlier than executing the commerce. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.