Alphabet Inc. offers various products and platforms in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and Latin America. It operates through Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets segments. The Google Services segment provides products and services, including ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Photos, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. It is also involved in the sale of apps and in-app purchases and digital content in the Google Play and YouTube; and devices, as well as in the provision of YouTube consumer subscription services. The Google Cloud segment offers infrastructure, cybersecurity, databases, analytics, AI, and other services; Google Workspace that include cloud-based communication and collaboration tools for enterprises, such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, and Meet; and other services for enterprise customers. The Other Bets segment sells healthcare-related and internet services. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Alphabet Inc. демонстрирует сильные финансовые показатели и высокие мультипликаторы по сравнению с отраслью. P/E находится на уровне 33.54, что значительно выше медианы, что указывает на возможную переоцененность акций. Однако, компания показывает отличные показатели рентабельности с ROE на уровне 35% и ROA на уровне 25.3%, что значительно превышает медианные значения. Долговая нагрузка остается низкой с debt_equity_ratio на уровне 0.06, что является положительным фактором. Выручка и чистая прибыль растут, что также поддерживает позитивный взгляд на компанию. Однако отсутствие дивидендов и высокий уровень мультипликаторов указывают на возможные риски для инвесторов. В целом, несмотря на некоторые негативные аспекты, финансовые показатели и устойчивый рост доходов делают Alphabet привлекательной для долгосрочных инвестиций.

Alphabet Inc.

Key Points
Microsoft and Amazon operate the two largest cloud computing services.
AI adoption hasn't reached 20% yet.
The "Magnificent Seven" is a group of stocks that are often pointed to as market leaders. Currently, all seven are among the world's top-10 largest companies. That's an impressive spot to be in, and the group is made up of:
All seven of these stocks have delivered strong investor returns over the past decade, but the question is, which ones will be the best to own going forward? I think two members have been overlooked in the Magnificent Seven, and they look like screaming buys right now.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
Some of these stocks get huge headlines daily
It's hard to call the world's largest company by market cap overlooked, so Nvidia is out for my list. Apple products are front of mind for many consumers, and it's a well-publicized company, so it's also eliminated. Furthermore, Apple's artificial intelligence (AI) strategy has been relatively weak, so I'd hesitate to call it an AI company. Alphabet has seen its shares rally massively over the past year thanks to its comeback in the generative AI world, and Gemini is among the top options available, so I wouldn't consider it overlooked, either.
Meta Platforms and Tesla are both trying to position themselves as AI-first companies, although their adoption of AI shows up in different ways. Tesla is integrating AI in its vehicles through autonomous driving and also has other exciting offerings in the works, like its Optimus robot. Meta is working on several AI products, as well as integrating the technology into its social media platforms. Both of these are well-known in the AI realm and don't qualify as "overlooked."
That leaves Microsoft and Amazon as the last two, and I think AI investors need to take another look at them.
Amazon and Microsoft are making money from AI right now
While Amazon and Microsoft are both integrating AI into their everyday inner workings, the real money maker is cloud computing. Amazon and Microsoft are in first and second place in terms of cloud computing market share, and each is seeing huge growth in this sector. During the fourth quarter, Microsoft Azure's revenue rose 39% year over year. Amazon Web Services (AWS) didn't have as fast a growth rate, rising 24%. However, that growth rate was its best quarter in over three years.
These businesses are cash cows, and with insatiable AI demand, both Microsoft and Amazon are understandably spending billions of dollars on data centers to meet that demand. Once the money has been spent to bring the new computing infrastructure online, each company will be able to generate high-margin revenue that boosts profitability. While each company has a different primary business they're known for, their cloud computing segments are a good enough reason to buy their stocks.
On another note, both stocks trade at a discount to recent levels.
Since 2024, these two have consistently traded with a forward price-to-earnings ratio -- based on estimates -- in the low-30s. Now, they trade at a decent discount to those levels. If you've been waiting to buy these two, there has seldom been a better opportunity over the past few years to scoop up these stocks.
Businesses haven't even scratched the surface of what's possible with AI. According to research done by The Motley Fool, less than 20% of businesses currently use AI. That number should skyrocket over the next few years and drive demand for cloud computing services from these two. Right now is a golden buying opportunity, and investors shouldn't squander it.
Should you buy stock in Amazon right now?
Before you buy stock in Amazon, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Amazon wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $514,000!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,029!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of March 15, 2026.
Keithen Drury has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla and is short shares of Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

The Most Overlooked Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks in the "Magnificent Seven" for 2026

Key Points
Google parent Alphabet has reasserted itself in the AI race.
Minor headwinds have taken Amazon's stock to a surprisingly low valuation.
So far in 2026, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is the worst-performing stock in the "Magnificent Seven." Slower growth in its cloud platform Azure and the staggering costs to stay competitive in the AI race have pressured the stock amid a relatively high valuation.
Fortunately, this does not mean megacap stocks are in trouble, and under current conditions, these two tech stocks are arguably worth investor consideration.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
1. Alphabet
Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) might be a surprise pick, considering it's a competitor of Microsoft in the cloud and is also investing heavily in AI infrastructure. The Google parent spent $91 billion on capital expenditures (capex) last year and pledged to spend $175 billion to $185 billion this year.
However, the difference with Microsoft is that investors have seen a more obvious payoff. Alphabet's Google Gemini AI engine was a later entry in this area, but it has made huge competitive strides, and some users prefer it to ChatGPT.
Moreover, Google Cloud continues to outpace the growth rate of its massive digital ad platform, implying a heavier reliance on AI. Additionally, many investors expect Alphabet's autonomous driving company Waymo to be a major revenue driver in the coming years, further boosting its reputation.
Amid some investor skepticism about AI, the stock has delivered a flat performance for the year. Still, its P/E ratio of 29 closely approximates the S&P 500 average, and given its growth prospects, that is probably a low enough valuation to continue attracting investor interest.
2. Amazon
Like Microsoft, investors have become leery of Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) due to its massive capex allocations. The company pledged $200 billion in capex spending for 2026 after spending almost $132 billion the previous year.
Additionally, Amazon needs fuel and electricity for both its logistics and delivery networks. That means higher energy costs may weigh more on it than on its competitors.
Nonetheless, investors have many reasons to believe the company's headwinds are short term. The primary growth and profit driver for Amazon, Amazon Web Services, has experienced more rapid growth over the last couple of quarters. That indicates that the company's massive capex spending may soon begin to pay off.
Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce segments also capitalize on AI in ways ranging from product selections to a more efficient supply chain. Those segments also include enterprises that rely partially on AI, such as third-party seller services, subscriptions, and digital advertising, which typically report double-digit revenue growth.
Moreover, the company's stock trades at a 30 P/E ratio. Until recently, Amazon routinely maintained an earnings multiple above 50, and buying the stock at lower multiples has always paid off in the past. Considering that factor and the signs that the AI investments are paying off for the company, now may be an excellent time to add shares.
Should you buy stock in Alphabet right now?
Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Alphabet wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $514,000!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,029!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of March 15, 2026.
Will Healy has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

My Top 2 Mega-Cap Stocks to Buy After Microsoft's Latest Pullback

Key Points
Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, and AbbVie are blue chip stocks that have provided consistent quarterly payouts.
Realty Income and the JEPQ ETF both offer a monthly payout.
Dividend stocks are a tried-and-true way to maximize your investments and build wealth that leads to a comfortable retirement. These payments, which are a portion of the company's profits, are often made by mature, stable companies and are seen as an incentive to entice new investors into taking a position in the company.
For investors, this provides two benefits. First, you can reinvest your dividend payment into your portfolio, making it grow even faster. The S&P 500 index has had a mean dividend yield of 1.74% over the last 10 years. That may not sound like a lot, but over a decade, it adds up. The index has risen 240% in the last 10 years, but if you account for the reinvested dividends, the S&P 500's total return is 305%.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
Or you can use those dividend payments as regular income. Dividends are a favored vehicle for investors who are in retirement because they act as a form of passive income -- meaning that retirees don't need to draw down their retirement accounts as quickly.
There are plenty of different dividend stocks from which to choose, but here are my five favorites right now.
1. Realty Income
Realty Income (NYSE: O) has long been at the top of my list of dividend stocks. First, I like that it's a monthly dividend stock rather than a quarterly one. That's important because getting payments into your account quickly means you can reinvest them sooner. Or, if you are using Realty Income for passive income, it's easy to set up a monthly budget when you have a monthly dividend stock.
Second, Realty Income is dedicated to raising its dividend. The company has paid a monthly dividend for more than 55 years, in which time it's increased its dividend 133 times. The yield currently sits at 5%.
Realty Income is consistent because it's a solid business, built to last. The real estate investment trust owns more than 15,500 properties and rents them to more than 1,700 clients, generating $5.3 billion in annualized rent.
2. ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) is a massive oil and gas company that offers upstream production, midstream pipelines, and downstream refining and chemicals. It also operates more than 12,000 gas stations in the U.S. under the Exxon and Mobil brands.
The company generates a ton of money. Cash flow from operations totaled $52 billion in 2025, which allowed ExxonMobil to pay out $17.2 billion in dividends and repurchase an additional $20 billion worth of shares. ExxonMobil's dividend yield is a healthy 2.8%.
3. AbbVie
AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) is my favorite pharmaceutical company for dividend yields. The company is getting a lot of its profits these days from Skyrizi, which was responsible for $5 billion in revenue in the fourth quarter, up 31.9%, and from Rinvoq, which contributed another $2.37 billion, up 28.6%.
Those gains allowed AbbVie to report revenue growth for the quarter, even though the company lost exclusivity for its popular Humira drug. Overall, the company generated $16.6 billion in revenue in the quarter, up 10% year over year. AbbVie's dividend yield is 3%.
4. Coca-Cola
Beverage company Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) is a Dividend King, meaning that it's raised its dividend for at least 50 consecutive years. The company shows no sign of slowing, as Coca-Cola's dividend yield is a respectable 2.6%.
Coca-Cola has the biggest market share of carbonated soft drinks in the U.S., but this is much more than a soda company. The Atlanta-based company also manufactures sports drinks, water, tea, lemonade, juices, and coffee.
5. JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF
The JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (NASDAQ: JEPQ) isn't a stock. In fact, it's not even a traditional dividend ETF. JEPQ, which is managed by a division of JPMorgan Chase, employs a covered-call strategy through equity-linked notes to generate dividends for shareholders. Fund managers sell out-of-the-money call options on stocks in the index, and the proceeds are distributed as a dividend each month.
I love tech stocks, so the JEPQ ETF caught my eye a few months ago. I was looking for a way to draw passive income from tech stocks that typically don't offer a payout at all. The ETF's top holdings include some of my favorite stocks -- Nvidia, Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon. Those stocks offer just a pittance of a dividend, if at all. But JEPQ's covered-call strategy allows it to pay a current yield of 10.6%. That means I'll be keeping the JEPQ in my portfolio for a long time.
Should you buy stock in Coca-Cola right now?
Before you buy stock in Coca-Cola, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Coca-Cola wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $514,000!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,029!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of March 15, 2026.
JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Patrick Sanders has positions in JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends AbbVie, Alphabet, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Realty Income. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

My 5 Favorite Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now

Key Points
Bank of America's network continues to expand.
ExxonMobil returned $37.2 billion to shareholders in 2025, increasing its dividend yet again.
Alphabet is a modern blue chip stock, initiatng its dividend in 2024.
Although the stock market has been in "go" mode during the past three years, 2026 is proving to be another story. The threat of rising inflation, a weak jobs market, and war in the Middle East are taking a toll on the market.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 are both in the red so far in March. Just as telling, the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Volatility Index, commonly known as the fear index, has climbed almost 80% since the beginning of the year.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
In times like these, it's natural to be concerned, and even to consider taking money out of the stock market in search of safe assets, such as gold or bonds. But I think that's a mistake. First, if you're a long-term investor, you could potentially run up a big tax bill by closing positions where you've had significant gains.
Second, history shows us that the stock market is a consistent winner over time. Although short-term dips are inevitable, the market has historically rebounded and moved higher. Panicking now would deprive you of the opportunity to profit from the recovery.
Instead, I think this is an ideal time to consider some tried-and-true investments. Blue chip stocks are those that have a long history of profitability and stability. These companies are most often market leaders, offer well-known products or services, and are often generous in returning money to shareholders through stock buybacks or dividends.
Here are three ideal choices in today's market that cover three pillars of the economy: Finance, energy, and technology.
The finance pick: Bank of America
North Carolina-based Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) isn't the biggest bank in the U.S. (JPMorgan Chase gets that title), but it's a mammoth banking institution, nonetheless. Bank of America has more than 3,600 banking locations and 15,000 ATMs. Customers are increasingly connecting online, with 25 million active Zelle users who sent and received 474 million transactions in the fourth quarter, up 12% from a year ago.
Bank of America offers consumer, business, and wealth management services, all of which are major revenue drivers. The bank's consumer banking segment generated net income of $3.3 billion and revenue of $11.2 billion in Q4, up 5% from a year ago. Its wealth management segment brought in another $6.6 billion in revenue and net income of $1.4 billion. Its global banking and global markets segments accounted for more than $3.1 billion in revenue.
Bank of America has increased its dividend annually for the past 12 years, and currently provides a yield of 2.3%.
The energy pick: ExxonMobil
Nothing says "blue chip energy stock" like ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM). The integrated oil and gas company has vast operations that include its upstream production, midstream pipelines, and downstream chemical and refining.
The size of ExxonMobil's business means that it can generate huge profits for its shareholders. Cash flow from operations in 2025 was $52 billion, which allowed ExxonMobil to deliver $28.8 billion in earnings. It posted free cash flow of $26.1 billion for the year, while it returned $37.2 billion to shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends.
ExxonMobil increased its dividend by 4% in December and has raised its dividend annually for the past 43 years. The payout currently offers a yield of 2.7%.
The technology pick: Alphabet
Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) only recently became a dividend stock, having declared its first dividend in April 2024. The payout's current yield of 0.3% pales compared to others on this list. But I consider Alphabet a modern blue chip stock, given its enormously popular businesses, its huge revenue and profit streams, its dominant market position, and the company's newfound commitment to dividends.
Alphabet's Chrome browser and Google search engine are market share leaders. According to financial research firm MoffettNathanson, the company's YouTube video platform generated $62 billion in 2025, which moved it past Walt Disney to become the world's largest media company.
Revenue in 2025 was $402.8 billion, up 15% from 2024, and net income of $132.1 billion rose 32% from a year ago. The company's free cash flow in the trailing 12 months is a whopping $73.2 billion.
Alphabet is investing heavily in expanding its Google Cloud computing segment. But its hugely successful advertising business, powered by its internet dominance and YouTube, provides it with significant advantages that will allow it to become an emerging dividend stock that investors can count on for the long term.
Should you buy stock in Bank of America right now?
Before you buy stock in Bank of America, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Bank of America wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $514,000!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,029!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of March 15, 2026.
Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Patrick Sanders has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, JPMorgan Chase, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Best 3 Blue-Chip Stocks to Buy After This Month's Market Pullback

Key Points
This company benefits from the success of the existing members of the $2 trillion club.
It's poised for strong revenue growth and margin expansion through the end of the decade.
The stock valuation doesn't reflect the growth potential of the company.
The five existing members of the $2 trillion club are all beneficiaries of the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI). Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon have all seen demand for their cloud computing AI services outstrip their ability to build new data centers and stand up servers. Nvidia is the largest graphics processing unit (GPU) supplier to data centers. And Apple has quietly positioned its iPhone and other devices to capitalize on industry advances in AI.
The next member of the $2 trillion club is an important partner to all five of those companies. The massive spending from the hyperscalers, Nvidia's push to more advanced GPUs and central processing units, and Apple's efforts to prepare its devices for the generative AI era all trickle down to this one company: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM).
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
The stock briefly touched a $2 trillion market cap in late February, but it's since pulled back to just $1.8 trillion. Still, it's up 97% in the past year, as of this writing. I predict it won't be long before it retakes the $2 trillion level and keeps climbing from there.
Powering the most advanced chips
TSMC is the largest contract chip manufacturer in the world, and the gap between it and second place is growing wider. TSMC accounted for almost 70% of all spending by companies such as Nvidia, Apple, and other chip designers in 2025. Second-place Samsung Electronics (OTC: SSNL.F) accounted for just 7% of all spend.
TSMC's market share is poised to keep growing in 2026 and beyond, as it holds a substantial technology lead. Its 2nm process went into mass production at the end of 2025, with all the capacity in its existing facilities supporting the process booked into mid-2027.
To be sure, Samsung is making good progress with its 2nm process, significantly improving the yield of viable chips per silicon wafer. However, yields remain below TSMC's 2nm process. More importantly, Samsung may have some capacity available at its foundries, but it doesn't have the capacity to steal a meaningful workload from TSMC. Furthermore, TSMC's IP library and packaging capabilities are unmatched, creating significant switching costs for anyone considering moving to the smaller competitor.
As a result, TSMC has been able to raise its pricing. It implemented a price hike on its most advanced chipmaking processes at the start of 2026 by 3% to 10%. Reports indicate TSMC plans to raise prices each year through 2029, suggesting very strong pricing power and clear visibility of demand over the next few years.
Indeed, TSMC is investing heavily to meet that demand. Management plans to spend between $52 billion and $56 billion on capital expenditures this year. That's up from $40.9 billion last year. It's spending a significant amount on new facilities in Arizona, which can help mitigate the geopolitical risk of the Taiwan-based company. However, U.S. fabs cost much more to build and operate than Taiwanese fabs, which may be another reason TSMC is planning to raise pricing through 2029 when the last Arizona fab will start volume production.
The path to $2 trillion
With increased spending by Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet on data centers and the strong demand for Apple's iPhone seen last quarter, TSMC looks poised for another strong year in 2026. Management guided to 30% full-year revenue growth in U.S. dollar terms, and it expects to see further improvements in gross margin in the first quarter. Through the first two months of the year, revenue is up 30% on an FX-neutral basis, in line with expectations. Note, the U.S. dollar is weaker than it was a year ago.
Management sees those strong results continuing through the end of the decade. It updated its five-year revenue outlook for 2025 through 2029 to a compound annual growth rate of 25% in U.S. dollar terms. A 36% increase in 2025 and expectations for 30% growth in 2026 suggest annualized growth of 20% in 2027 through 2029. It's also worth pointing out that management is historically conservative with its outlooks, which means there could be further upside.
With strong demand for both its 3nm and 2nm processes and planned price hikes, it should be able to achieve high gross margins even as it ramps up its next-generation process. As such, investors can expect earnings growth to outpace its top-line growth.
As such, TSMC shares deserve an earnings multiple well above its current 24 times analysts' expectations. If TSMC can achieve an earnings multiple of 27, its market cap will exceed $2 trillion. Granted, there are geopolitical risks weighing on its valuation. But as TSMC continues to put up solid earnings growth quarter after quarter, even a low earnings multiple will push its value above the $2 trillion threshold.
Should you buy stock in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing right now?
Before you buy stock in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $514,000!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,029!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of March 15, 2026.
Adam Levy has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and is short shares of Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Meet the Next Member of the $2 Trillion Club. It's Up 97% in the Past Year, and It Can Still Climb Higher in 2026.

Key Points
Procter & Gamble’s product portfolio consists of goods the world buys over and over, usually without a second thought.
Nice may be an AI company, but its risk profile is considerably different than that of most of the industry’s other stocks.
Contrary to common assumptions, Berkshire Hathaway isn’t just a bunch of Buffett-picked stocks. It wholly owns a bunch of privately-held cash cows, too.
Mostly thanks to overvalued AI equities, the market was already struggling to make any forward progress. With the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) making a series of lower highs and lower lows since late January, however, it seems stocks are outright succumbing to worries that the conflict in the Middle East will escalate, threatening the global economy as a result.
The matter isn't quite as black and white as that, though. If you look closely, you'll sense a growing "risk-off" attitude is at work, paired with subtly rekindled interest in safety and certainty.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
With that as the backdrop, although they've not made major gains just yet, here's a rundown of three safe stocks investors could soon flock to as the prevailing mindset shifts away from risk tolerance to risk aversion.
1. Procter & Gamble
It's such a commonly suggested defensive pick that it's almost become a cliché. Nevertheless, Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) offers the sort of certainty that could become monumentally important if most everything else continues unraveling.
You've heard of the company, but are you truly aware of how many leading brands are in this consumer staples giant's family of products? Pampers diapers, Tide laundry detergent, Charmin toilet paper, Gillette razors, Dawn dishwashing liquid, and Crest toothpaste are just a small sampling of what's in P&G's portfolio. While Procter must work hard to remain competitive, it's got the advantage of working with many of the best-known brands in several key categories of goods that consumers continue buying regardless of trouble here or abroad.
Yes, this company's fiscal Q2 revenue missed estimates. Although per-share profits of $1.88 were up from the year-ago comparison of $1.78 as well as better than estimates of $1.86 per share, flat revenue of $22.21 billion fell short of the $22.28 billion that analysts were expecting. Investors were caught a bit off guard.
Just don't read too much into last quarter's numbers. As CFO Andre Schulten commented during the earnings conference call, "We've now completed what we fully expect will be the softest quarter of the fiscal year." That's the chief reason PG stock actually rallied immediately following the revenue shortfall.
The recent pullback is mostly just in response to the fresh conflict with Iran. But Procter's household goods are largely unimpacted by this geopolitical tension as it stands right now. This dip simply further de-risks ownership of this name.
2. Nice
Given that it's an artificial intelligence company, it would be easy to assume Nice (NASDAQ: NICE) is one of the names that most investors are looking to avoid now rather than step into. And to be sure, some of this stock's weakness since the middle of last year can be attributed to being in the wrong industry at the wrong time.
If things turn truly troubling for the market, though, investors may finally figure out that this company's business is actually rather resilient.
In simplest terms, Nice provides AI-powered customer service solutions. Its CXOne platform is being used by brands like Visa, Pfizer, American Airlines, Walt Disney, and about 25,000 others, turning a mountain of digital data into a tool that's capable of serving customers and employees alike.
And it's an ideal solution. Technology consulting and industry research outfit Gartner rates Nice's CXOne as the very best option in the contact-center-as-a-service market, while calling Nice's Cognify one of the best in the conversational AI space, alongside Alphabet's Google and above SoundHound AI.
Nice is doing a great job of monetizing this superior solution, too. Last year's revenue of just under $3.0 billion (most of which was recurring revenue) was up 8% year over year, while operating income improved to the tune of 14%, extending long-lived growth trends for both measures. Nice is looking for comparable progress this fiscal year as well. It's a testament to just how much its customers like what it offers, and how willing they are to continue paying for access to this technology once they have it.
This obviously hasn't prevented the stock from easing into a prolonged slump. The market's likely to eventually recognize, however, that this recent weakness is largely the result of broad fatigue of AI stocks in general. Continued growth will fix that soon enough.
3. Berkshire Hathaway
Last but not least, add Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA)(NYSE: BRKB) to your list of safe stocks that could soar if the shift away from higher-risk growth names and toward safer options continues to firm up.
The start to the Greg Abel era has been somewhat frustrating -- to Berkshire shareholders as well as Abel himself. While he's only been at the helm as CEO since the beginning of this year and Berkshire Hathaway today is pretty much the same as it was when Warren Buffett stepped down at the end of last year, Berkshire shares continue to lag the broad market. Abel's decision to tap the company's enormous cash hoard to repurchase shares of itself -- while responsible -- doesn't seem to be what most stakeholders were hoping for.
But if safety becomes a must-have for investors' portfolios in the foreseeable future, Berkshire offers it in a big way. And it's got everything to do with what this conglomerate actually is.
See, you may be most familiar with Berkshire Hathaway as a manager of a large portfolio of stocks. That's hardly the whole story, though. Roughly one-third of its current market cap reflects the value of all the privately held businesses it also owns, like insurer Geico, Duracell batteries, Shaw flooring, railroad BNSF, Pilot Travel Centers, and Dairy Queen, just to name a few. Not only do most of these wholly owned cash cows continue contributing cash flow to their parent regardless of the economic environment, since they're not publicly traded, their value (and therefore Berkshire stock's value) isn't inherently undermined by marketwide weakness.
Should you buy stock in Procter & Gamble right now?
Before you buy stock in Procter & Gamble, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Procter & Gamble wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $514,000!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,029!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
James Brumley has positions in Alphabet and Procter & Gamble. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Berkshire Hathaway, Nice, Pfizer, SoundHound AI, Visa, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends Gartner. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

The Stock Market May Be Shifting From Risky Tech Stocks to Safer Sectors. Here Are 3 Stocks to Buy Before They Soar.

Key Points
Alphabet has a massive AI tailwind and a potential gold mine with Waymo.
Nvidia should remain the dominant player in AI chips for years to come.
ServiceNow could be on track to become a $1 trillion company.
An old investing saying might be especially relevant amid the current uncertainty: "Stocks climb a wall of worry." We could see this adage proven correct over the coming months.
Which stocks are the best picks, if so? I think there are plenty of great alternatives. However, here are the best tech stocks to invest $50,000 in right now, in my opinion.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
1. Alphabet
I know that Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is officially classified in the communication services sector rather than the technology sector and even ranks as the largest communication services company by market cap. Let's be real, though: Alphabet is, at its core, a tech stock. And it's one of the best on the market.
To paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of Google Search's death have been greatly exaggerated. Predictions that generative AI would be a Google killer have fallen flat. Instead, Google Search is thriving, in part because of its integration with genAI.
AI, in general, is providing a massive tailwind for Alphabet. The company's Google Cloud unit is growing rapidly. Its Google Gemini ranks among the top large language models. Google is developing its own AI chips that are growing in popularity with external customers. It's also well-positioned to be a major player in the lucrative AI-powered smart glasses market.
I also think Alphabet has a potential gold mine in Waymo. The self-driving car technology business is the leader in the fast-growing autonomous ride-hailing service market. Don't be surprised if Waymo becomes a significant growth driver for Alphabet over the next few years.
2. Nvidia
Speaking of gold mines, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the most important picks-and-shovels stock in the modern-day AI gold rush. The AI boom we're witnessing wouldn't be happening without Nvidia's GPUs.
Sure, other companies (including, as previously discussed, Alphabet) are making AI chips to compete against Nvidia. However, with Nvidia's rapid pace of innovation, I don't foresee the company being knocked off its perch anytime soon.
Nvidia's forthcoming Rubin GPU platform provided a great example of its continual innovation. The company plans to begin shipping its first Vera Rubin chips, which combine its Vera CPUs with Rubin GPUs, in the second half of this year, hot on the heels of its overwhelmingly successful Blackwell chips. While the Vera Rubin technology uses twice the power of Blackwell, it delivers 10x the performance. That's a positive trade-off that many customers will love.
In the past, valuation was a top concern with Nvidia. But the company has delivered such tremendous growth that its stock looks reasonably priced now, trading at 23 times forward earnings.
3. ServiceNow
One of the biggest AI stories of 2026 so far is the sell-off of SaaS stocks, dubbed the "SaaSpocalypse." ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) is one of many software stocks swept up in the mayhem. However, the pullback makes ServiceNow even more attractive for long-term investors, in my opinion.
The premise of the "SaaSpocalypse" is that organizations will be able to use AI to develop their own software rather than rely on SaaS platforms. While I don't doubt some software companies will see their business models disrupted as this happens, I don't think ServiceNow will be one of them.
ServiceNow's platform uses AI to automate organizations' workflows. Over 8,800 customers worldwide use the company's technology, including over 85% of the Fortune 500. CEO Bill McDermott stated in the January quarterly update, "ServiceNow has the fastest organic growth in the history of enterprise software."
That growth continues. ServiceNow's revenue jumped 20.5% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2025. Its remaining performance obligations (unrecognized future revenue from non-cancelable contracts) soared 26.5% year over year to $28.2 billion.
ServiceNow's current market cap is around $120 billion. McDermott believes that ServiceNow is "a $1 trillion company in the making." I think he could be right.
Should you buy stock in Alphabet right now?
Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Alphabet wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $514,000!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,029!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of March 15, 2026.
Keith Speights has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Nvidia, and ServiceNow. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

The Best Tech Stocks to Invest $50,000 in Right Now

Key Points
Demand for semiconductors and the ancillary products needed to support the data center build-out has surged in recent years.
Broadcom's dizzying assortment of customizable chips and infrastructure products is helping sustain the data center boom.
Despite its critical role in the data center space, the stock is still attractively priced.
There are currently 11 companies worth $1 trillion or more (as I write this), but only four are members of the vaunted $3 trillion club: Nvidia at $4.4 trillion, Apple at $3.7 trillion, Alphabet at $3.6 trillion, and Microsoft at $3 trillion.
Mounting evidence suggests that Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) will join these tech titans in the years to come. The company's products play a crucial role in data centers -- where most artificial intelligence (AI) processing occurs -- and unprecedented demand is fueling robust financial and operating results.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
The semiconductor and data center specialist has a market capitalization of $1.6 trillion (as of this writing), so investors who buy Broadcom right now are looking at potential returns of 91% if the company joins the $3 trillion club. I believe that day is fast approaching.
AI is just the beginning
One of the biggest byproducts of the rapid adoption of AI has been the ongoing expansion of data centers needed to support the technology. While Broadcom is widely known for its semiconductors, the company is also a supplier of networking components and accessories that are critical to the operation of data centers.
The biggest contributor to the company's recent success has been the unrelenting demand for its Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs). These specialized chips can be customized to be more efficient in specific use cases.
As cloud and data center operators look to rein in costs, ASICs have emerged as a viable alternative to Nvidia's flagship graphics processing units (GPUs), which are the gold standard and currently underpin the AI data center market. Google, for example, relies on Broadcom to design and manufacture the high-performance cores at the heart of its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs). The company is also developing a custom AI accelerator for Meta Platforms.
The results are undeniable
Broadcom's financial results tell the tale. In its fiscal 2026 first quarter (ended Feb. 1), the company generated record revenue of $19.3 billion, up 29% year over year, driving adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.05, a 28% increase.
Management believes the company's growth will continue to accelerate. For the second quarter, Broadcom is guiding for revenue of $22 billion, which would represent an increase of nearly 47%, fueling adjusted EBITDA of $15 billion, up 50%.
Broadcom's mathematical path to $3 trillion
Wall Street expects Broadcom to generate revenue of nearly $105 billion in fiscal 2026, giving the stock a forward price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 15. Assuming its P/S ratio remains constant, the company will need to generate revenue of $200 billion to support a $3 trillion market cap.
As the chart above illustrates, Wall Street predicts Broadcom's revenue will grow to $196 billion by 2028, putting it within striking distance of the $200 million needed for a $3 trillion market cap. However, Broadcom's tendency to beat analysts' consensus estimates and raise its guidance is well-documented, so it will likely reach that benchmark even sooner.
The data center boom continues to gain momentum, with global capital expenditures expected to reach roughly $7 trillion by 2030, according to global management consultants McKinsey & Company. As a leading supplier of data center components and infrastructure, Broadcom is well-positioned to benefit from this trend. Moreover, ASICs are increasingly viewed as a viable, less expensive alternative to GPUs, thereby increasing Broadcom's opportunity.
Despite the blistering rise in its stock price, Broadcom still trades at 30 times forward earnings. Valuing the stock using the more appropriate price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio yields a multiple of 0.44, when any number less than 1 is the standard for an undervalued stock.
Given the available evidence, I think it's clear that Broadcom stock is a buy -- before it joins the $3 trillion club.
Should you buy stock in Broadcom right now?
Before you buy stock in Broadcom, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Broadcom wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $514,000!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,029!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
Danny Vena, CPA has positions in Alphabet, Apple, Broadcom, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia and is short shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

1 Unstoppable Stock To Buy Right Now Before It Soars 91% to Join Nvidia, Apple, Alphabet, and Microsoft in the $3 Trillion Club

Key Points
AMD is the second-largest data center GPU company by market share.
Late last year, it locked in a potential $100 billion deal with OpenAI, with Microsoft, Meta, and Oracle also announcing they would buy AMD chips.
The company is not growing as quickly as Nvidia, but it could emerge as a serious rival to it in the near future.
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) leads the pack in terms of data center computing hardware. Per IOT Analytics' estimates, Nvidia controls a 92% share of the market. That makes all the major artificial intelligence (AI) models dependent upon Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) to a high degree.
OpenAI, Anthropic, and more all need the company's products, and Nvidia has profited handsomely from it. Today, it's the world's most valuable company by market cap.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
But, as the saying goes, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Nvidia has competitors like Alphabet with its Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) or the subject of this article, Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD), better known by its initials and symbol, AMD.
Not looking to be an also-ran
At present, AMD has a 4% share of the data center GPU market. That's not much, but it's double the next-largest company, which is Huawei, at 2%.
It's second only to Nvidia in the market, which means it's in arguably the best position to chip away at Nvidia's lead. And that seems to be exactly what AMD is trying to do.
Late last year, AMD signed an agreement with OpenAI that will see it supply the AI start-up with hundreds of thousands of chips and allow OpenAI to buy up to a 10% stake in AMD. AMD expects the agreement to generate more than $100 billion in revenue from OpenAI alone.
But the deals didn't stop there. In February of this year, AMD signed another agreement with Meta Platforms to provide it with 6 gigawatts of its Instinct GPUs.
Along with those two, Microsoft and Oracle have both announced that they will purchase AMD's hardware. It's far from exclusive, and both companies are likely to continue buying plenty from Nvidia, but it will help AMD gain market share.
All signs point to AMD gaining traction in the industry. It will likely be some time before AMD threatens Nvidia's dominance, if it can manage to do so in the first place. But an investment in AMD can help diversify your GPU investment portfolio, and with the company's latest results, it's looking like a serious growth prospect.
For 2025, AMD brought in $34.6 billion, up 34% over 2024, and its diluted earnings per share (EPS) grew 26% over the same period. While AMD's net margin is lower than Nvidia's at 12.3% and 55.6%, respectively, AMD's is still solid, which likely has a lot to do with pricing.
The reason AMD is shaping up to be a competitor to Nvidia is that, at least on the consumer side, its GPUs offer comparable performance to their Nvidia counterparts while costing considerably less.
All other things being equal, lower prices generally equal lower margins. But if AMD's hardware is good enough, it can snatch some market share away from Nvidia even if Nvidia's hardware is superior in some ways.
That's AMD's avenue of attack to gain market share over Nvidia, and it seems to be working based on the deals the company is locking in. It could pay to have shares of both companies in your portfolio to hedge your AI hardware bet.
Should you buy stock in Advanced Micro Devices right now?
Before you buy stock in Advanced Micro Devices, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Advanced Micro Devices wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $514,000!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,029!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of March 15, 2026.
James Hires has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Oracle. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Just Landed a Deal Worth Over $100 Billion. Is It a Buy?

Key Points
Nvidia and Broadcom are set to cash in on huge AI spending.
Taiwan Semiconductor is fabricating chips for all of the major hardware providers.
Microsoft and Alphabet are seeing huge demand in their cloud business units.
Artificial intelligence (AI) stocks are somewhat on sale now compared to where they were trading during late 2025. That's because investors are growing a bit wary of all of the AI spending going on; but the reality is it's not going to slow down for many years.
This makes several stocks solid buys right now, and if you're looking for some investment ideas, I think these five AI stocks are among the best picks in the market.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
1. Nvidia
Any good AI investment list includes Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). Nvidia has been the industry leader since the AI build-out began in 2023, and it has done nothing to relinquish its lead over the past few years. Nvidia has continuously launched more innovative products, and its clients have gladly paid the premium to deploy Nvidia's platform versus the competition.
This has led to growth previously thought impossible for a company of Nvidia's size. During Q4 2025, which ended Jan. 25, 2026, it grew at a 73% pace. Next quarter, management expects 77% growth. Despite these impressive growth figures, Nvidia's stock trades for a mere 22 times forward earnings, making it a screaming buy right now.
2. Broadcom
While Nvidia's dominance in the AI computing unit arena has gone fairly unmatched, Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) is looking to challenge that. It's not trying to beat Nvidia at its own game; instead, it's designing chips in tandem with the end user to optimize the performance for one workload type. This creates a more efficient and cheaper offering than a GPU from Nvidia, but only when the workload is properly configured. There are many applications where a GPU is still the right tool for the job, although Broadcom's custom AI chips can do a lot.
Management expects monster growth from this division and expects it to generate $100 billion in revenue by the end of 2027. Over the past 12 months, this division has made up less than half of Broadcom's $68 billion total revenue, so this emerging business unit is going to take over the majority of Broadcom's business. That's a clear sign to buy the stock, as the market hasn't priced this rise into Broadcom's stock quite yet.
3. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) is a winner regardless of whether an AI hyperscaler is using Broadcom's or Nvidia's chips. The reality is that Taiwan Semiconductor manufactures most of the logic chips in the world for high-end devices, making it a key winner in the AI realm. The bull case for Taiwan Semiconductor is incredibly simple: AI hyperscalers need to keep spending more money on data centers. With all of them greatly increasing their capital expenditures for 2026, this bodes well for Taiwan Semiconductor.
This neutral positioning makes it a great way to profit from the general rise of AI and other advanced technologies.
4. Microsoft
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has had a rough go over the past few months. Its stock is down around 25% from its all-time high, and really hasn't done anything to deserve the sell-off. While one could argue that part of the sell-off was valuation-related, it's now priced at some of the cheapest levels it has traded at over the past decade.
Microsoft is a clear winner in the AI field, and this sell-off is a huge gift that investors shouldn't waste.
5. Alphabet
During Microsoft's fall, Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) has ascended. Alphabet has recovered from being an AI loser to being an AI winner in about one year's time, and its stock has rocketed higher as a result. While it's not as cheap as it once was, Alphabet deserves its current premium of about 26 times forward earnings.
Alphabet's business is going incredibly well, specifically its Google Cloud business, which grew its revenue 48% year over year. Demand for Alphabet's computing resources is incredible, and that growth proves it. While Alphabet may be spending big on AI computing resources, it's proving that this investment has been worth it so far. If we see sustained elevated growth rates in its cloud division throughout 2026, the stock will remain a no-brainer buy.
Should you buy stock in Nvidia right now?
Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Nvidia wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $514,000!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,029!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
Keithen Drury has positions in Alphabet, Broadcom, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.