Investment trends highlight dividend ETF growth and AI data center energy needs

The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) has demonstrated long-term growth, returning approximately 13% annually over the last decade. An initial $1,000 investment would have grown to roughly $3,400 over ten years, assuming dividends were reinvested and the investor held through market volatility, including the 2020 COVID-19 crash and the 2022 bear market.

In the technology sector, the Amundi Global Data Center UCITS ETF Acc reported a net asset value of 4.7028 USD per share as of August 28, 2026. As artificial intelligence continues to expand, the demand for data centers is driving a global race for power capacity. New AI data centers require gigawatts of power, comparable to the output of multiple nuclear power plant blocks, creating a potential bottleneck as energy grids struggle to keep pace with hyperscaler demand.