GE Vernova vs. Bloom Energy: Which AI-Power Bet Has More Upside Ahead?

By the end of 2026, the global artificial intelligence (AI) market is expected to reach $617.6 billion. By 2032, that could skyrocket to $1.4 trillion, with plenty of stocks benefiting along the way.

With that growth in mind, two companies that are winning and could continue to win are GE Vernova (NYSE: GEV) and Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE), both powering the AI boom in different ways. GE focuses on the infrastructure that enables power generation, while Bloom specializes in on-site power generation through its solid oxide fuel cells.

Between the two, one stands out as the better long-term portfolio holding. Read on to see which one.

Image source: Getty Images.

GE Vernova

GE is off to a strong start in 2026, already boosting its revenue guidance for the year in the second quarter. Previously, GE Vernova expected revenue to fall in the range of $44.5 billion to $45.5 billion, but it raised that range to between $45.5 billion and $46.5 billion.

With AI's power needs and the need to update infrastructure grids in general, GE's power division is experiencing incredible demand. That power division, which includes everything from building gas turbines to providing equipment for hydroelectric power generation, experienced a 134% increase in orders for the second quarter of 2026. For the third quarter of 2026, organic revenue growth for the power division is expected to climb between 17% and 19%.

Orders for its electrification division, which provides systems and software to manage electricity, are also a bright spot for GE Vernova. Orders climbed to $6.3 billion in the second quarter from $3.3 billion in the prior-year period, with revenue also jumping from $2.2 billion to $3.6 billion.

Bloom Energy

Bloom Energy has always been about revenue growth; it just reported quarterly revenue of more than $1 billion for the first time in the second quarter of 2026.

The Bloom story, however, is also now becoming one of profitability. It reported a net profit of $70.6 million in the first quarter of 2026, following that up with $196.2 million in the second quarter. For comparison, in the second quarter of 2025, Bloom reported a net loss of $42.6 million.

While the Bloom stock price is trading noticeably lower than its 52-week high of around $351, the stock has still had an incredible run-up thus far in 2026; as of this writing, shares are up 150%.

Picking just one stock

I like both stocks and believe they could fit into a long-term portfolio for more aggressive investors. That said, between the two, I would rather own GE Vernova.

It has broader operations that can draw in more revenue. For instance, GE Vernova reported $38.1 billion in revenue for 2025 and, as of July 22, had a backlog of $176 billion. In comparison, Bloom reported just over $2 billion in revenue for 2025.

I also like GE's joint venture with Hitachi, where the duo is developing small modular reactors (SMRs) to supply nuclear power. Unlike traditional reactors, SMRs offer the promise of increased placement flexibility, greater efficiency, and reduced construction costs. The construction of the joint venture's first SMR unit, the BWRX-300, is currently underway in Canada and should be completed by the end of 2029, with commercial operation by 2030.

One weak spot to watch for is its wind business, with orders declining 40% organically in the second quarter of 2026 to $1.2 billion. The wind business remains a small component of the overall business, with power segment orders totaling $16.7 billion and electrification segment orders totaling $6.3 billion. However, it's still an area to watch.

In addition, compared to more traditional infrastructure stocks, GE Vernova may be viewed as a little rich by value investors, with a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio as high as 59.8 on March 31. That's cooled down, however, with its current forward P/E ratio of 33.3. But there's also substance behind that expected earnings growth, with that $176 billion backlog.

Over the next year, among the 41 analysts tracked by CNN who cover GE Vernova, the median one-year price target is $1,259, representing a 35.8% gain from the Aug. 25 closing price of $926.73. And even in the longer term, as GE Vernova continues to supply the infrastructure powering the AI boom, those potential gains could be even more substantial.

Jack Delaney has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bloom Energy and GE Vernova. The Motley Fool recommends Hitachi. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.