Tantalus Systems named “Top Pick” for 2026 at Haywood

Haywood Capital Markets said on Jan. 8 in its 2026 Top Picks report that equity markets delivered strong returns in 2025, led by commodities and technology, and argued the setup for 2026 favours companies positioned at the intersection of artificial intelligence and physical infrastructure.

The firm noted the TSX gained 28.2% last year, driven largely by record commodity prices and mining stocks, while U.S. markets also advanced, with the S&P 500 up 16.4% and the Nasdaq rising 20.4% on continued enthusiasm around AI.

Looking ahead, Haywood said 2026 marks a shift in AI from on-screen “copilots” to more autonomous agents, alongside a growing industrial footprint that is reshaping power demand, utilities, grid modernization and nuclear energy. Data-centre constraints, EV adoption and geopolitical fragmentation are expected to push more computing to the edge and elevate cybersecurity needs, making the coming phase more volatile but still early in the deployment cycle.

Haywood analyst Gianluca Tucci pointed to the company’s TRUSense Gateway as a key differentiator, noting it overlays existing meter infrastructure rather than replacing it, allowing utilities to gain real-time grid insight without costly rebuilds…

Within that context, Tantalus Systems (Tantalus Systems Stock Quote, Chart, News, Analysts, Financials TSX:GRID) was named Haywood’s top technology pick for 2026. The firm said Tantalus has completed a strategic transition from a traditional smart-meter supplier into a grid-edge intelligence platform, addressing what it sees as a growing visibility crisis for North American utilities facing AI-driven data-centre loads.

Haywood analyst Gianluca Tucci pointed to the company’s TRUSense Gateway as a key differentiator, noting it overlays existing meter infrastructure rather than replacing it, allowing utilities to gain real-time grid insight without costly rebuilds. After moving from pilot projects to scaled deployment in 2025, including a flagship contract with EPB Chattanooga, the firm expects broader utility rollouts in 2026 to drive backlog growth, margin expansion and a potential re-rating of the stock.

The firm reiterated its Buy rating and $6.50 target price, forecasting Adjusted EBITDA of $2.8-million on revenue of $53.7-million in fiscal 2025, improving to $3.8-million on $61.7-million of revenue in fiscal 2026.

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