Bank of America has singled out two European utilities - RWE and Engie - as its leading buy recommendations for 2026, based on the firms' positioning to benefit from a strengthening gas and power market. The bank's annual 25 for 2026 best ideas list ranks both companies as Buy-rated names within the EU utilities sector, highlighting multiple channels through which they could capture near-term earnings gains.
Macroeconomic driver - BofA's recommendation centres on renewed supply concerns tied to Iran and disruptions affecting transit through the Strait of Hormuz. That geopolitical dynamic, the bank says, has helped lift gas and power prices and created conditions favourable to utilities with flexible generation fleets and meaningful gas marketing businesses.
RWE - RWE is one of the top Buys on BofA's 25 for 2026 list. The bank identifies RWE as among the companies with the greatest potential for 2026 earnings per share upgrades stemming from outright power generation. Peers cited in that group include Acciona Energia, ERG and Fortum. Beyond generation, RWE's gas marketing and trading operations are expected to benefit from a rally in liquefied natural gas shipping margins, a trend BofA also links to Engie and Naturgy.
BofA further highlights RWE's large fleet of flexible generation assets - covering hydro, storage and combined cycle gas turbine capacity - as a source of potential incremental earnings as spot price volatility and spark spreads rise. In corporate developments, RWE has agreed to increase its stake in German transmission system operator Amprion to 55% for a total consideration of c3.6 billion. Separately, Citi has put RWE on a 90-day upside Catalyst Watch, anticipating a potential guidance raise at the company's second-quarter results.
Engie - Engie is named alongside RWE as a key Buy. BofA expects Engie to gain from improved gas marketing and trading conditions as LNG shipping margins from the United States have widened. Engie is also listed among utilities with substantial flexible generation fleets, alongside Enel, RWE and Iberdrola. That positioning should, according to BofA, support robust second- and third-quarter earnings driven by hydro, battery storage and combined cycle gas turbine operations if heat-driven spot price volatility and spark spreads persist.
Implications for markets - BofA's emphasis on generation upside, trading margin improvement and flexible capacity implies potential earnings sensitivity across the utilities sector to near-term moves in gas and power markets. The bank's selection of RWE and Engie reflects a view that companies with both merchant generation exposure and active LNG marketing businesses are better placed to capture current market dislocations.
Key points
- BofA names RWE and Engie as top Buy-rated European utilities for 2026, citing exposure to a gas and power rally tied to Strait of Hormuz disruptions.
- Drivers of potential upside include outright power generation gains, improved gas marketing and trading conditions as LNG shipping margins rise, and large flexible generation fleets able to capture spot volatility.
- Sectors impacted include utilities, energy trading, and power generation equipment and services, as earnings across these areas are sensitive to gas and power price moves.
Risks and uncertainties
- Geopolitical developments - The thesis depends on continued Iran-related supply concerns and disruption risks through the Strait of Hormuz; any de-escalation could reduce the price volatility that BofA expects these utilities to capitalise on.
- Commodity and shipping margins - Improvements in gas marketing and trading rely on sustained LNG shipping margins; a reversal in those margins would temper expected trading gains.
- Spot price dynamics - The anticipated earnings boost from flexible generation requires elevated spot power price volatility and favourable spark spreads; a lack of heatwave-driven volatility or narrowing spreads could limit upside.
Bank of America's selections and analysis points to a focused strategy: firms that combine merchant generation exposure with active gas marketing businesses and significant flexible generation assets stand to benefit most from the current market backdrop. RWE and Engie top BofA's list because they fit that profile and, according to the bank's view, are positioned to convert the current rally into tangible earnings improvements in 2026.