Finicast·Hockey-stick stocks: 151 flat-then-2× moves relative to the S&P 500, 2016-2026 (FMP data as of 2026-09-25)View onlyLog in
Derived-demand bottlenecks68 cardsReader view ↗

Derived-demand bottlenecks: 19 hockey sticks

The mechanism. A large buyer announces spending (hyperscaler AI capex, a vaccine program, an EV ramp). The spending needs an input made by a few suppliers whose capacity was cut in the last downturn. Orders outrun capacity, lead times stretch, prices rise, and the supplier's earnings step up two or three quarters later. The market prices the buyer at once and the suppliers months later.

How clean the group is. On the dated evidence, 8 cases fit the mechanism strongly, 7 moderately (indirect or mixed causes) and 4 weakly; they are shown in that order below.

What was knowable. For 11 of 19 the first signal was public before the knee (median lead 2 months among those), and for 13 of 19 it sat in another company's disclosure rather than the supplier's own. One event, the Jan-Feb 2025 capex guidance from Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet and Amazon, came before eight of these moves.

Causes, dates and sources were researched after the fact; they show what could have been known, not a tested trading rule.

How far ahead it was visible

First public signal, the knee, and the month the stock reached 2×, aligned on each stock's knee

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The signal most of them shared

Capex of the five largest AI spenders, trailing 12 months, as known on each filing date

Hyperscaler capex, trailing 12 months ()

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Same shape, different dates

Every stock's month-end price, rebased to 100 at its own knee

Months from the knee (0) — price, knee month = 100

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Strong fit (8)

Clear outside signal, shortage, then company confirmation.

ATI · ATI Inc. (strong fit)

Knee 2025-03, 2× by 2026-02, peak 2.8× · first signal 2025-02 (partly visible)

How it happened. After Boeing (Mar 2022) and Western buyers cut off Russian titanium, the narrowbody engine ramp (GE guided LEAP deliveries +15-20% for 2025) left scarce qualified titanium and nickel-alloy capacity. ATI's commercial jet-engine sales rose to 37% of revenue, A&D sales grew 23% in Q1 2025 (stock +14.5% on May 1, 2025), Airbus more than doubled its contracted titanium share with ATI (May 2025), and ATI raised 2025 EPS guidance to $3.15-3.21 in Oct 2025.

Timeline

  • 2022-03-07 · Boeing halts Russian titanium: Boeing suspended purchases of Russian titanium; VSMPO-Avisma had supplied about a third of its titanium. (source)
  • 2025-01-23 · GE guides LEAP +15-20%: GE Aerospace guided 2025 LEAP engine deliveries up 15-20% (after 1,407 in 2024); actual 2025 LEAP deliveries rose 28%. (source)
  • 2025-02-04 · 2025 EBITDA guide $800-840M: ATI's Q4 2024 adjusted EBITDA of $210M beat its $181-191M guidance; it guided 2025 EBITDA to $800-840M, rising every quarter, and the stock rose 9.9% (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2025-05-01 · A&D sales +23%: Q1 2025 A&D sales rose 23% to $754M (66% of sales), jet engines reached 37% of sales and adjusted EPS rose to $0.72 from $0.48; the stock rose 14.5% (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2025-05-28 · Airbus titanium deal doubles: ATI signed a multi-year guaranteed-share agreement with Airbus for titanium plate, sheet and billet, more than doubling its prior support of Airbus. (source)
  • 2025-10-28 · EPS guide raised again: ATI raised its 2025 adjusted EPS guidance to $3.15-3.21 from $2.90-3.07; ~60% of revenue now comes from commercial jet engines, and the stock rose as much as 12.9%. (source)

Share price and price relative to the S&P 500 (log scale)

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CECO · CECO Environmental Corp. (strong fit)

Knee 2025-04, 2× by 2025-12, peak 2.7× · first signal 2025-01 (public before the knee)

How it happened. Hyperscalers guided sharply higher AI capex (Microsoft $80B FY25, Meta $60-65B for 2025), and the resulting US load growth drove a gas-turbine order wave (GE Vernova ~20 GW of 2024 gas orders plus 9 GW of slot reservations). New gas plants need emissions-control systems, so CECO's orders rose 57% then 95% y/y, it booked its largest-ever power-generation order, backlog hit a record $688M (+76%), and 2025 revenue guidance was raised to $725-775M (~35% growth).

Timeline

  • 2025-01-03 · Microsoft $80B AI capex: Microsoft said it would spend about $80B in FY2025 on AI-enabled data centers, more than half in the US. (source)
  • 2025-01-22 · GE Vernova gas orders double: GE Vernova booked ~20 GW of gas-turbine orders in 2024 (2x the prior year) plus 9 GW of slot reservations tied partly to hyperscaler data-center load. (source)
  • 2025-04-29 · Record Q1, backlog >$600M: Q1 2025 orders were $227.9M (+57%), backlog a record $602M (+55%) and revenue $176.7M (+40%), with power generation and gas infrastructure cited. (source)
  • 2025-07-29 · Largest order, guide up, +16%: Q2 orders were $274.1M (+95%) including CECO's largest-ever power-generation emissions order, backlog was $688M (+76%) and 2025 revenue guidance rose to $725-775M; the stock rose ~15.9% intraday. (source)
  • 2025-10-28 · Backlog $720M, 2026 guide: Q3 orders were $232.9M (+44%), backlog $719.6M (+64%) and the initial 2026 revenue outlook $850-950M, with more large power-generation orders expected. (source)

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STX · Seagate Technology Holdings plc (strong fit)

Knee 2025-04, 2× by 2025-09, peak 3.9× · first signal 2025-01 (public before the knee)

How it happened. Microsoft (~$80B for FY25, Jan 3, 2025), Alphabet (~$75B, Feb 4) and other hyperscalers set 2025 AI data-center budgets that needed mass-capacity nearline storage. HDD makers had not added unit capacity after the 2023 downturn, so pricing held and Seagate sold on build-to-order terms. Revenue grew ~30% YoY in the March and June 2025 quarters, and non-GAAP gross margin rose from 26.1% (Mar 2024 quarter) to 36.2% (Mar 2025) and a record 40.1% (Sept 2025). Lead times for 32TB+ drives later exceeded 52 weeks.

Timeline

  • 2025-01-03 · Microsoft: $80B AI capex: Microsoft said it would invest about $80B in FY2025 to build AI-enabled data centers. (source)
  • 2025-01-21 · Decade-high margin, HAMR ramp: Fiscal Q2 revenue was $2.33B and non-GAAP gross margin 35.5% (a decade high), nearline revenue nearly doubled YoY, and Mozaic HAMR began ramping to the lead cloud customer; the stock rose 6.8% the next day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2025-02-04 · Alphabet: $75B capex: Alphabet said it expected to invest about $75B in capital expenditures in 2025. (source)
  • 2025-04-29 · Revenue +31%, margin 36%: Fiscal Q3 revenue rose 31% to $2.16B and non-GAAP gross margin to 36.2% from 26.1%, citing a 'healthy supply/demand environment'; the stock rose 11.6% the next day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2025-07-29 · Record margin, FY rev +39%: Fiscal Q4 revenue rose 30% to $2.44B with a record 37.9% non-GAAP gross margin; FY25 revenue rose 39% to $9.10B and non-GAAP EPS to $8.10 from $1.29. (source)
  • 2025-10-28 · Record 40% margin; HAMR x5: Fiscal Q1 FY26 revenue rose 21% to $2.63B with a record 40.1% non-GAAP gross margin, and HAMR was qualified at five large cloud customers; the stock rose 19.1% the next day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)

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LRCX · Lam Research Corporation (strong fit)

Knee 2025-04, 2× by 2026-01, peak 3.9× · first signal 2025-02 (public before the knee)

How it happened. Hyperscaler AI capex (Microsoft ~$80B for FY25, Alphabet $75B raised to $85B, Meta $66-72B) fed demand for accelerators and HBM. SK hynix's HBM passed 40% of its DRAM revenue by Q4 2024, and memory makers and foundries bought more etch and deposition tools, where Lam is strongest. Lam's quarterly revenue rose from $4.38B (Dec 2024) to $5.34B (Dec 2025), for ~$20.6B in calendar 2025, with non-GAAP gross margin peaking at a record ~50.6%.

Timeline

  • 2025-01-03 · Microsoft: $80B AI capex: Microsoft planned about $80B of FY2025 investment in AI data centers. (source)
  • 2025-01-23 · HBM >40% of Hynix DRAM: SK hynix said HBM exceeded 40% of Q4 2024 DRAM revenue, FY24 revenue doubled to 66.2T won, and it planned to expand HBM3E supply and develop HBM4. (source)
  • 2025-02-04 · Alphabet: $75B capex: Alphabet guided 2025 capex to about $75B. (source)
  • 2025-04-23 · Beat and $5.0B guide: March-quarter revenue rose 8% sequentially to $4.72B with 49.0% gross margin, and the June quarter was guided to $5.0B despite tariffs; the stock rose 5.1% and then 6.2% (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2025-07-30 · Record $5.17B, 50% margin: June-quarter revenue reached $5.17B with a 50.3% non-GAAP gross margin; the CEO cited deposition and etch 'criticality intensifying in the AI era', and the September quarter was guided to $5.2B. (source)
  • 2026-01-28 · CY25 ~$20.6B; guide $5.7B: December-quarter revenue was $5.34B, bringing calendar 2025 to ~$20.6B (from quarterly releases), and the March 2026 quarter was guided to $5.7B, the CEO saying 'AI accelerating'. (source)

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AEIS · Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (strong fit)

Knee 2025-04, 2× by 2026-02, peak 2.9× · first signal 2025-01 (public before the knee)

How it happened. Hyperscalers guided 2025 AI capex sharply higher (Microsoft ~$80B, Meta $60-65B, Jan 2025), and AI racks need high-density server power supplies. Advanced Energy's Data Center Computing revenue hit records, doubling y/y in Q1 2025 and rising from $73M to $141.6M in Q2, and grew 107% to $587M for 2025, lifting non-GAAP EPS 73% to $6.41.

Timeline

  • 2025-01-03 · Microsoft $80B AI capex: Microsoft said it would spend about $80B in FY2025 on AI data centers. (source)
  • 2025-01-24 · Meta capex $60-65B: Meta guided 2025 capex to $60-65B, up from ~$38-40B in 2024, targeting 1.3M+ GPUs. (source)
  • 2025-02-12 · Record data-center quarter: Q4 2024 revenue was $415.4M, above guidance; data-center computing grew 10% q/q to a record on hyperscale demand, and strong demand was expected into 2025. (source)
  • 2025-04-30 · Data center revenue doubles: Q1 2025 revenue was $404.6M with data-center computing at a quarterly record, more than double y/y; non-GAAP EPS was $1.23. (source)
  • 2025-05 · Shares +5% on Q1 beat: AEIS rose 5.14% premarket after Q1 revenue (+24% y/y) beat estimates by 3.2%. (source)
  • 2025-08-05 · DC revenue $141.6M (~2x): Q2 2025 revenue was $441.5M, above guidance; data-center computing revenue was a record $141.6M vs $73.0M a year earlier, on AI demand. (source)
  • 2026-02-10 · 2025 DC +107%, EPS +73%: FY2025 revenue was $1.8B (+21%) and data-center computing $587.3M (+107%); non-GAAP EPS rose 73% to $6.41. (source)

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WDC · Western Digital Corporation (strong fit)

Knee 2025-05, 2× by 2025-09, peak 5.3× · first signal 2025-02 (public before the knee)

How it happened. The same nearline HDD tightness as Seagate: hyperscaler 2025 capex (Alphabet ~$75B in Feb, raised to ~$85B in July; Meta $66-72B) drove demand for high-capacity drives while the HDD oligopoly held unit capacity flat. After the Sandisk spin-off (Feb 2025), pure-play Western Digital's non-GAAP gross margin rose from 30.1% (Mar 2024 quarter) to 40.1% (Mar 2025) and 43.9% (Sept 2025, guided 44-45%). The stock rose about 316% in 2025.

Timeline

  • 2025-02-04 · Alphabet: $75B capex: Alphabet guided 2025 capex to about $75B. (source)
  • 2025-04-29 · Seagate: rev +31%, tight supply: Seagate reported fiscal Q3 revenue +31% and non-GAAP gross margin of 36.2% (vs 26.1%), citing a healthy supply/demand balance for mass-capacity storage. (source)
  • 2025-04-30 · Margin 40%, dividend begins: Fiscal Q3 revenue rose 31% YoY to $2.29B and non-GAAP gross margin to 40.1% from 30.1%; WDC started a dividend and the stock rose 8.0% (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2025-07-30 · FY revenue +51%, guide up: Fiscal Q4 revenue rose 30% to $2.61B and non-GAAP gross margin to 41.3%; FY25 revenue rose 51% to $9.52B, and Q1 was guided to $2.7B at a 41-42% margin. The stock rose 10.2% the next day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2025-10-30 · Margin 43.9%, guide 44.5%: Fiscal Q1 FY26 revenue rose 27% to $2.82B with 43.9% non-GAAP gross margin (vs 37.3%); Q2 was guided to $2.9B at 44-45% and the dividend raised 25%. The stock rose 8.7% the next day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)

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MOD · Modine Manufacturing Company (strong fit)

Knee 2025-05, 2× by 2026-02, peak 2.7× · first signal 2025-01 (public before the knee)

How it happened. Hyperscalers guided 2025 AI capex sharply higher (Microsoft ~$80B, Meta $60-65B, Jan 2025), and AI data centers need far more chillers and liquid cooling. Modine's fiscal-2025 data-center sales roughly doubled to ~$644M. It then raised FY2026 guidance three times (sales growth from 2-10% to 20-25%), with data-center sales +42% and +78% y/y in the Sep and Dec 2025 quarters and a >$2B data-center revenue target for FY2028.

Timeline

  • 2025-01-03 · Microsoft $80B AI capex: Microsoft said it would spend about $80B in FY2025 on AI-enabled data centers. (source)
  • 2025-01-24 · Meta capex $60-65B: Meta guided 2025 capex to $60-65B (vs ~$38-40B in 2024), including a 2 GW+ data center. (source)
  • 2025-05-20 · FY25 data center sales ~2x: Record FY2025 sales of $2.6B; data-center sales rose ~119% to ~$644M, and management guided data-center growth above 30% for FY2026 on its order book. (source)
  • 2025-07-30 · Guidance raised; $2B DC target: FY2026 guidance was raised to 10-15% sales growth and $440-470M adj. EBITDA on data-center demand, with a target near $2B of data-center revenue by FY2028. (source)
  • 2025-10-28 · DC +42%, sales guide raised: Data-center sales rose 42% y/y, the FY2026 data-center growth outlook went above 60% and the net-sales guide rose to 15-20%. (source)
  • 2026-02-04 · DC +78%, guide raised again: Q3 FY2026 data-center sales rose 78% y/y (+31% q/q as new lines ramped); FY2026 guidance was raised to 20-25% sales growth and $455-475M adj. EBITDA. (source)

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FORM · FormFactor, Inc. (strong fit)

Knee 2025-08, 2× by 2026-01, peak 4.0× · first signal 2025-07 (public before the knee)

How it happened. AI accelerators need HBM: Micron's HBM revenue grew ~50% sequentially (June 2025), SK hynix planned to double HBM volume (July 2025), and Alphabet raised 2025 capex to $85B. Every HBM stack must be probe-tested, and FormFactor was shipping volume probe cards to all three HBM makers by July 2025, bringing record DRAM probe-card revenue. Gross margin recovered from 37.3% (Q2 2025) to 39.8% (Q3) and 42.2% (Q4), and the stock rose 24% on Oct 30, 2025.

Timeline

  • 2025-06-25 · Micron HBM +~50% q/q: Micron posted record fiscal Q3 revenue of $9.30B, with HBM revenue up nearly 50% sequentially and data-center revenue more than doubling YoY. (source)
  • 2025-07-23 · Alphabet capex to $85B: Alphabet raised its 2025 capex plan to about $85B from $75B, citing cloud and AI demand. (source)
  • 2025-07-24 · SK hynix to double HBM: SK hynix posted record Q2 2025 revenue of 22.2T won with a 41% operating margin and planned to double HBM volume YoY, supplying HBM4 on customer demand. (source)
  • 2025-07-30 · Shipping to all 3 HBM makers: Q2 revenue rose 14% sequentially to $195.8M on HBM probe cards, now shipping in volume to all three HBM makers, but gross margin fell to 37.3% on HBM ramp costs; the stock fell 17.5% the next day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2025-10-29 · Record DRAM cards; margin 39.8%: DRAM probe cards hit a record on HBM, gross margin rose 250bp to 39.8%, and Q4 was guided higher; the stock rose 12.5% on the day and 24.2% the next (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2026-02-04 · Record $785M year: FY25 revenue was a record $785.0M; Q4 revenue rose 13.6% YoY to $215.2M with 42.2% gross margin (vs 37.3% in Q2), and Q1 2026 was guided higher; the stock rose 17.2% the next day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)

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Moderate fit (7)

Real chain, but indirect or mixed with company-specific causes.

CDMO · Avid Bioservices, Inc. (moderate fit)

Knee 2020-06, 2× by 2021-01, peak 3.3× · first signal 2020-05 (public before the knee)

How it happened. Weak/indirect derived-demand fit. Operation Warp Speed (May 15, 2020) and deals such as Lonza-Moderna (May 1) and HHS reserving $543M of Emergent's CDMO capacity (June 1) absorbed biologics manufacturing capacity. Avid's own releases cite new customers and only 'discussions' about COVID-19 programs, not COVID revenue. Its backlog still grew from a record $65M (Apr 2020) to $120M (Jan 2021), and FY21 revenue guidance rose from $76-81M to $88-91M.

Timeline

  • 2020-05-01 · Lonza-Moderna capacity deal: Moderna and Lonza signed a 10-year deal to build mRNA-1273 suites in the US and Switzerland, aiming for up to 1B doses a year. (source)
  • 2020-05-15 · Operation Warp Speed launched: HHS named the leaders of Operation Warp Speed, a program to fund at-risk manufacturing capacity for 3-5 vaccine candidates before approval. (source)
  • 2020-06-01 · HHS reserves Emergent CDMO capacity: BARDA issued Emergent a ~$628M task order, including ~$542.7M to reserve CDMO capacity for COVID-19 vaccines through 2021. (source)
  • 2020-06-30 · Record $65M backlog: Avid reported a record $65M backlog (+41% YoY) and guided FY21 revenue to $76-81M (FY20: $59.7M), citing 'discussions with multiple parties' on COVID-19 programs; the stock rose 8.5% the next day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2020-12-02 · FY21 guidance raised: Q2 FY21 revenue was $21.1M and backlog $67M; FY21 guidance was raised to $84-88M from $76-81M. The stock rose 8.2% on the day and 16.4% the next (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2021-03-08 · Backlog $120M; expansion: Q3 FY21 revenue rose 61% to $21.8M, with $74M of new orders and a record $120M backlog; FY21 guidance went to $88-91M alongside a Myford expansion to up to $270M of annual revenue capacity. (source)

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LTHM · Livent Corporation (moderate fit)

Knee 2020-07, 2× by 2020-11, peak 2.9× · first signal 2020-07 (partly visible)

How it happened. EU CO2 rules pushed European electrified-car registrations to a record 230,700 in July 2020 (+131% y/y, 18% share), and the market priced tighter demand for battery-grade lithium even though Livent's Q2 2020 revenue was still down 43%. China lithium carbonate prices rose ~41% in Jan 2021. Livent then reported rising volumes and prices, signed a BMW hydroxide contract (Feb 2021) and raised 2021 guidance to $370-390M revenue and $55-70M adj. EBITDA (Aug 2021).

Timeline

  • 2020-08-07 · Q2 2020: demand still weak: Livent's Q2 2020 revenue fell 43% y/y to $64.9M on weak EV-related lithium hydroxide demand, though management called the long-term EV outlook exceptionally strong. (source)
  • 2020-08-28 · Europe EV registrations record: JATO reported a record 230,700 electrified-vehicle registrations in Europe in July 2020 (+131% y/y, 18% share), driven by the tougher EU CO2 targets. (source)
  • 2021-02-01 · China lithium carbonate +41%: Benchmark reported that China battery-grade lithium carbonate rose 41% in January 2021 to $9,450/t on surging LFP/EV demand; its hydroxide index had not yet moved. (source)
  • 2021-02-18 · Q4 volumes, pricing up; BMW deal: Q4 2020 revenue rose 13% q/q to $82.2M on higher volumes and realized prices, and Livent signed a multi-year lithium hydroxide supply deal with BMW. (source)
  • 2021-08-06 · Guidance raised, stock +8.6%: Q2 2021 revenue was $102.2M (+57% y/y); 2021 guidance was raised to $370-390M revenue and $55-70M adj. EBITDA on higher lithium prices, and the stock rose about 8.6%. (source)

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DELL · Dell Technologies Inc. (moderate fit)

Knee 2023-03, 2× by 2024-03, peak 3.0× · first signal 2023-05 (partly visible)

How it happened. ChatGPT set off a race for GPU capacity: Microsoft committed ~$10B to OpenAI (Jan 2023), and on May 24, 2023 Nvidia guided next-quarter revenue to $11B, 53% above consensus. Enterprises and tier-2 clouds ordered Nvidia-based servers from Dell, whose AI-server backlog reached $2.9B by Feb 2024 and whose stock rose 21% (Sept 1, 2023) and 32% (Mar 1, 2024) on results. The March 2023 knee came before any AI evidence at Dell (Q1 FY24 ISG revenue fell 18%), so the early part of the move is only loosely tied to this chain.

Timeline

  • 2023-01-23 · Microsoft's multibillion OpenAI bet: Microsoft announced a multi-year, multibillion-dollar (reported ~$10B) investment in OpenAI, to be served through Azure's AI infrastructure. (source)
  • 2023-05-24 · Nvidia guides $11B: Nvidia guided fiscal Q2 revenue to ~$11B, 53% above consensus, on a 'steep increase in demand' for generative AI data-center chips. (source)
  • 2023-06-01 · Project Helix; AI server demand: Dell's Q1 FY24 revenue fell 20% to $20.9B, but it cited demand growth in AI-optimized servers and launched Project Helix with Nvidia for on-premises generative AI. (source)
  • 2023-08-31 · AI servers drive beat, raise: Dell's Q2 FY24 revenue of $22.9B beat the ~$20.9B estimate, it raised full-year guidance and called the XE9680 AI server its fastest-ramping product ever; the stock rose 21% the next day. (source)
  • 2024-02-29 · AI backlog doubles to $2.9B: AI-optimized server orders rose ~40% sequentially and backlog nearly doubled to $2.9B, with $800M shipped in the quarter; the stock rose ~30% on Mar 1, its best day since relisting. (source)

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VST · Vistra Corp. (moderate fit)

Knee 2023-07, 2× by 2024-03, peak 3.3× · first signal 2023-03 (partly visible)

How it happened. The 2023 knee was driven first by Vistra's own Energy Harbor deal ($3.43B, ~4 GW of nuclear, announced Mar 2023) plus the IRA nuclear PTC floor, a company catalyst rather than derived demand. The derived-demand leg came from Dec 2023, when grid planners doubled the 5-year US load-growth forecast (2.6% to 4.7%, +38 GW by 2028, led by data centers), and in Mar 2024, when AWS paid $650M for Talen's nuclear-adjacent data-center campus. That re-rated nuclear/gas generators with spare capacity, and VST was up ~112% YTD by May 2024 while it raised EBITDA expectations.

Timeline

  • 2023-03-07 · Energy Harbor $3.43B deal: Vistra agreed to buy Energy Harbor for $3.43B, adding ~4,000 MW of nuclear to create the second-largest competitive US nuclear fleet. (source)
  • 2023-12-14 · US load forecast doubles: Grid Strategies reported that grid planners nearly doubled the 5-year US demand-growth forecast from 2.6% to 4.7% (38 GW of peak growth by 2028), led by data centers. (source)
  • 2024-03-01 · AWS buys nuclear data campus: Talen sold its 960 MW Cumulus data campus next to the Susquehanna nuclear plant to AWS for $650M, with a 10-year nuclear PPA. (source)
  • 2024-05-06 · S&P 500 add, +112% YTD: Vistra was named to the S&P 500 (effective May 8), with the stock already up 111.6% in 2024 on AI data-center power demand. (source)
  • 2024-05-08 · Q1 2024: EBITDA outlook raised: Vistra raised Energy Harbor synergy and consolidated EBITDA expectations (2024 ongoing adj. EBITDA midpoint $4.8B ex-PTC). (source)
  • 2024-11-07 · Data-center talks at Comanche Peak: Management said PJM/ERCOT load forecasts were trending up and that it was negotiating at multiple sites with data-center operators, including over its 2.4 GW Comanche Peak nuclear plant. (source)

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AGX · Argan, Inc. (moderate fit)

Knee 2024-02, 2× by 2024-10, peak 3.1× · first signal 2023-12 (public before the knee)

How it happened. Moderate fit. Grid planners nearly doubled their 5-year US load-growth forecast (0.58% to 0.93% a year, Grid Strategies, Dec 2023) because of data centers and new factories. That revived gas-fired plant construction, Argan's core business, and backlog rose from $757M (Jan 2024) to ~$1B (July 2024). Q2 FY25 revenue rose 61% to $227M (stock +34% intraday on Sept 6, 2024), but Argan credited that quarter mainly to renewables. The data-center gas framing is largely forward-looking in 2024; gross margin reached 17.2% by Oct 2024.

Timeline

  • 2023-12 · Flat power demand era over: Grid Strategies reported that planners nearly doubled the 5-year US load-growth forecast (0.58% to 0.93% a year; 2028 peak 852 GW vs 835 GW), driven by data centers and manufacturing. (source)
  • 2024-04-11 · FY24 results; gas pipeline: FY24 revenue rose 26% to $573.3M and backlog to $757M, and Argan cited new renewable and gas-fired contracts; the stock rose 21.1% the next day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2024-06-06 · Cites data-center power demand: Backlog reached $824M, and Argan tied its pipeline to power demand from data centers, onshoring and EVs, highlighting 24/7 gas-fired generation; the stock rose 10.4% the next day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2024-09-05 · Revenue +61%, backlog ~$1B: Q2 FY25 revenue rose 61% to $227M and backlog to ~$1B (Argan credited renewables); the stock jumped 34% intraday on Sept 6 and closed +26% (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2024-12-05 · Margin 17.2% on gas builds: Q3 FY25 revenue rose 57% to $257M and gross margin to 17.2% from 11.7%, with work on the Trumbull gas-fired combined-cycle plant among the drivers. (source)

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SEI · Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Inc. (moderate fit)

Knee 2024-05, 2× by 2024-11, peak 3.6× · first signal 2024-07 (partly visible)

How it happened. AI data centers could not get grid power fast enough (the US load-growth forecast doubled in Dec 2023; xAI announced a 150 MW Memphis supercomputer in Jun 2024). Solaris bought Mobile Energy Rentals for $200M in Jul 2024 (153 MW fleet, mostly contracted to an AI computing customer; stock ~+40%). It then scaled to a 500-900 MW data-center JV and a ~1,700 MW fleet by 2027. The May 2024 knee precedes the company-specific catalyst.

Timeline

  • 2023-12-14 · US load forecast doubles: Grid planners nearly doubled the 5-year US demand-growth forecast to 4.7% (38 GW by 2028), led by data centers, pointing to generation shortfalls. (source)
  • 2024-06-05 · xAI picks Memphis, 150 MW: xAI announced its Colossus supercomputer in Memphis, needing up to 150 MW at full capacity, more than the local grid could supply quickly. (source)
  • 2024-07-09 · Buys Mobile Energy Rentals $200M: Solaris agreed to buy MER (153 MW of gas turbines, planned 478 MW by Q3 2025, ~$50M run-rate EBITDA), mostly contracted to a leading AI computing provider; shares jumped about 40%. (source)
  • 2024-09-11 · xAI runs on portable turbines: Reports showed xAI powering Colossus with portable gas turbines (e.g., 16 MW units) installed by Solaris while it waited for grid power. (source)
  • 2025-02-20 · 500 MW data-center JV: Q4 2024 revenue was $96M (+28% q/q). Solaris signed a 6-year contract for at least 500 MW for a new data center and ordered 700 MW of turbines (~$600M), taking the fleet to ~1,400 MW by H1 2027. (source)
  • 2025-04-28 · JV upsized to 900 MW: The data-center contract was upsized to ~900 MW for 7 years and the fleet raised to ~1,700 MW; Q1 2025 revenue was $126M (+31% q/q). (source)

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VIAV · Viavi Solutions Inc. (moderate fit)

Knee 2025-09, 2× by 2026-01, peak 4.7× · first signal 2025-07 (public before the knee)

How it happened. AI data-center buildouts (Alphabet raised 2025 capex to $85B and Meta guided $66-72B, both in July 2025) drove 800G/1.6T optical deployments, seen in record results at Lumentum and Coherent (Aug 2025). Viavi's lab and production test equipment for that gear, boosted by the acquired Spirent high-speed Ethernet lines, took revenue growth from +15% (June 2025 quarter) to +25.6% (Sept) and +36.4% (Dec 2025, $369.3M). The stock rose 22% on Oct 30, 2025. Test-equipment demand is one step removed from the component shortage, so this is a moderate fit.

Timeline

  • 2025-07-23 · Alphabet capex to $85B: Alphabet raised its 2025 capex plan to about $85B from $75B on cloud and AI demand. (source)
  • 2025-07-30 · Meta capex $66-72B: Meta narrowed its 2025 capex outlook to $66-72B, up about $30B YoY. (source)
  • 2025-08-07 · Data-center test drives growth: Fiscal Q4 revenue rose 15.3% YoY to $290.5M, with growth accelerated by the data-center ecosystem and aerospace & defense; the stock rose 7.6% the next day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2025-08-12 · Lumentum: AI optics beat: Lumentum's fiscal Q4 revenue of $480.7M topped its raised guidance on AI data-center demand (EMLs, 800G modules), and it targeted $600M+ in quarterly revenue by June 2026. (source)
  • 2025-08-13 · Coherent record $1.53B: Coherent posted record fiscal Q4 revenue of $1.53B and FY25 revenue +23% to $5.81B, citing AI data centers as a key growth driver. (source)
  • 2025-10-29 · Revenue +25.6%; guide $360-370M: Fiscal Q1 FY26 revenue rose 25.6% to $299.1M and non-GAAP operating margin to 15.7%; Q2 was guided to $360-370M including the Spirent lines, and the stock rose 22.3% the next day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2026-01-28 · Revenue +36%, NSE +46%: Fiscal Q2 FY26 revenue rose 36.4% to $369.3M (NSE segment +45.8%) and non-GAAP operating margin to 19.3%; the stock rose 17.5% the next day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)

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Weak fit (4)

Not really derived demand; kept for completeness.

TKO · TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (weak fit)

Knee 2017-10, 2× by 2018-05, peak 3.9× · first signal 2017-11 (partly visible)

How it happened. Weak derived-demand fit: this is WWE (TKO's pre-2023 history) re-rating on the expected bidding for its US TV rights expiring Sept 2019, not an input shortage. WWE's Oct 26, 2017 results (record Q3 OIBDA $40.4M, rights renewals timetabled for May-Sept 2018) sent the stock +13% at the knee; Fox, left focused on live sports and news by the Dec 2017 Disney deal, then paid ~$205M/yr for SmackDown (about 3x the prior fee) and NBCU ~$265M/yr for Raw, together ~$2.35B over five years.

Timeline

  • 2017-10-26 · Q3 record; TV renewals timetabled: WWE posted Q3 2017 revenue +14% to $186.4M and record OIBDA of $40.4M, and said it would announce US TV rights plans in May-Sept 2018 (rights expire Sept 30, 2019); the stock rose 13.2% that day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices). (source)
  • 2017-12-14 · Disney buys Fox studios: Disney agreed to buy 21st Century Fox's studios and cable assets for $52.4B in stock, leaving a slimmed Fox built on broadcast, news and live sports that would need more live programming. (source)
  • 2018-02-08 · Record 2017; rights talks: WWE reported record 2017 results (Q4 revenue +9% to $211.6M, TV revenue +10% to $75.3M) and said it expected to announce new US TV deals between May and Sept 2018. (source)
  • 2018-05-21 · Fox SmackDown deal reported: Reports that Fox had agreed to pay ~$205M/yr for five years for SmackDown (about 3x USA's fee) and that NBCU would renew Raw at about 3x; WWE rose 12.5% that day (close-to-close from FMP daily prices) and ~32% over the week. (source)
  • 2018-06-26 · Raw renewed with USA: WWE announced a five-year Raw extension with USA Network from Oct 2019 (reported at ~$265M/yr); with Fox, the two deals total ~$2.35B over five years. (source)

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NVDA · NVIDIA Corporation (weak fit)

Knee 2019-06, 2× by 2020-05, peak 2.7× · first signal 2019-11 (partly visible)

How it happened. Weak derived-demand framing at the knee: the mid-2019 rise was mainly a recovery from the 2018 crypto-GPU inventory glut, helped by the Mellanox deal (Mar 2019). The derived-demand leg came later. Hyperscaler capex re-accelerated in H2 2019 (a record ~$32B in Q4 2019), and NVIDIA's data-center revenue went from $726M (Oct 2019 qtr, -8% y/y) to a record $968M (+43%, Jan 2020 qtr) and $1.14B (+80%, Apr 2020 qtr).

Timeline

  • 2019-03-11 · Mellanox $6.9B deal announced: NVIDIA agreed to buy Mellanox for $125/share (~$6.9B EV), adding data-center interconnects used by every major cloud provider. (source)
  • 2019-08-15 · Q2 FY20 beat, sequential rebound: Revenue of $2.58B and non-GAAP EPS of $1.24 beat the $1.14 consensus on a sequential recovery, and the shares rose about 7% the next day. (source)
  • 2019-11-14 · Data center +11% q/q: Q3 FY20 data-center revenue of $726M was -8% y/y but +11% q/q, and gross margin rose to 63.6%. (source)
  • 2020-02-13 · Record data center $968M: Q4 FY20 data-center revenue hit a record $968M (+43% y/y) and total revenue was $3.11B (+41%); the shares rose more than 7% the next day. (source)
  • 2020-03-24 · Hyperscale capex record Q4 2019: Synergy reported that hyperscale capex topped $32B in Q4 2019, a quarterly record after a strong H2 2019, and that data-center spending rose 11% in 2019. (source)
  • 2020-05-21 · First $1B data-center quarter: Q1 FY21 data-center revenue was a record $1.14B (+80% y/y) and total revenue was $3.08B (+39%). (source)

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TTI · TETRA Technologies, Inc. (weak fit)

Knee 2025-05, 2× by 2025-12, peak 2.8× · first signal 2025-04 (partly visible)

How it happened. Weak derived-demand framing: the 2025 knee mostly reflects TETRA's own results (record deepwater completion fluids, adj. EBITDA margins ~20%) and Arkansas approval of its Evergreen bromine unit (Apr 24, 2025). The bromine plant targets $200-250M of revenue by 2027. The derived-demand element is Eos Energy's zinc-bromide storage ramp, which TETRA supplies with electrolyte and which Eos ties to AI/data-center power demand. As of late 2025 it was still an expected volume jump in early 2026, not realized pricing power.

Timeline

  • 2025-02-25 · Guides record H1, Eos ramp: Q4 2024 adj. EBITDA was $22.8M; H1 2025 adj. EBITDA guidance of $55-65M was called near a ten-year high, with a 'material ramp up in Eos electrolyte orders' expected. (source)
  • 2025-04-24 · Arkansas approves Evergreen unit: The Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission approved TETRA's Evergreen bromine unit expansion; drilling of production wells was to follow. (source)
  • 2025-04-29 · Q1 adj. EBITDA +41% q/q: Q1 2025 revenue was $157M and adj. EBITDA $32.3M (+41% q/q, 20.5% margin); completion fluids had a 35.7% margin. (source)
  • 2025-07-29 · Record Q2 EBITDA; bromine target: Q2 adj. EBITDA was $35.9M (20.6% margin), and the bromine plant was guided to $200-250M revenue and $90-115M EBITDA at capacity; the stock fell 1.8% that day. (source)
  • 2025-10-28 · Eos volumes ramp early 2026: Q3 completion-fluids revenue rose 39% y/y to $90M; TETRA finished its bulk electrolyte loading system and expects a significant rise in Eos electrolyte volumes in early 2026. (source)

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DOCN · DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc. (weak fit)

Knee 2025-08, 2× by 2026-02, peak 5.0× · first signal 2025-08 (public before the knee)

How it happened. Weak derived-demand framing: there is no identifiable outside capex signal or input shortage. DigitalOcean is a GPU/inference cloud buyer, not a bottleneck supplier, and the evidence is its own results. AI ARR grew >160% (Q1 2025) and AI revenue more than doubled for five straight quarters, so revenue growth accelerated from 14% to 18% by Q4 2025. The stock rose 28.8% on the Aug 2025 guidance raise, and $1M+ customer ARR grew 123% to $133M.

Timeline

  • 2025-05-06 · AI ARR +160% y/y: Q1 2025 revenue was $211M (+14%, fastest since Q3 2023) with AI ARR growing more than 160% y/y; 2025 revenue guidance was $870-890M. (source)
  • 2025-08-05 · AI revenue 2x, stock +29%: Q2 revenue was $218.7M (+13.6%) with AI/ML revenue more than doubling; 2025 guidance was raised to $888-892M, and the stock rose 28.8%. (source)
  • 2025-11-05 · Record ARR adds, guide raised: Q3 revenue was $230M (+16%) with record incremental ARR of $44M, $1M+ customer ARR +72% and 2025 revenue guidance raised to $896-897M; the stock rose ~15% that week. (source)
  • 2026-02-24 · AI ARR $120M, 2026 +21%: Q4 2025 revenue was $242M (+18%), AI customer ARR $120M (+150%) and $1M+ customer ARR $133M (+123%); 2026 revenue was guided to $1.075-1.105B (~21% growth). (source)

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