Why Less Than 10% of AI Investors Plan to Reduce Their Holdings in 2026, and 3 Stocks Worth Buying in 2026
Artificial intelligence is still in its early innings. These are the stocks to get behind for this year.
The artificial intelligence (AI) boom is still going strong, now over three years after it began.
According to research by The Motley Fool, roughly 9-in-10 investors surveyed said they intend to maintain or increase their AI stock investments this year. In other words, there are still few to no signs of fatigue regarding artificial intelligence stocks in the market.
And why should there be? Experts widely believe that AI will create trillions of dollars in economic value over the coming decades, and the world’s most prominent companies continue to pour hundreds of billions of dollars into data centers and other AI infrastructure.
Here are three top AI stocks still worth buying in 2026.
Image source: Nvidia.
1. Nvidia
Chips for training and operating AI models remain arguably the most critical resource in the AI race. Nvidia (NVDA 1.14%) has dominated the GPU chip market for AI data centers from the jump, and it continues to enjoy a lopsided market share, estimated at 92% by some experts.
Today’s Change
(-1.14%) $-2.18
Current Price
$189.34
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$4.7T
Day’s Range
$188.30 – $193.48
52wk Range
$86.62 – $212.19
Volume
1.5M
Avg Vol
184M
Gross Margin
70.05%
Dividend Yield
0.02%
Investors can expect more tremendous growth from Nvidia in 2026. It recently entered full production on its upcoming AI chip, Rubin, and customers are lining up to get it. Nvidia disclosed a whopping $500 billion backlog in November. Even after remarkable growth these past few years, it’s still not too late to buy Nvidia stock.
2. Microsoft
AI looks like a game-changer for enterprises, which can leverage technology to improve their products and cut costs. Microsoft (MSFT 10.94%) casts a long shadow among businesses from small shops to mega-corporations. Most of them depend on Microsoft, whether it’s for software such as Windows and Microsoft 365, or its Azure cloud services. It’s a clear on-ramp to sell AI offerings.
Today’s Change
(-10.94%) $-52.66
Current Price
$428.96
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$3.6T
Day’s Range
$423.96 – $442.46
52wk Range
$344.79 – $555.45
Volume
2.2M
Avg Vol
26M
Gross Margin
68.76%
Dividend Yield
0.71%
Microsoft has a 27% stake in OpenAI, the leading AI developer behind ChatGPT, and works closely with it. Additionally, Microsoft is firing on all cylinders at the moment with double-digit revenue growth across most of its businesses. At a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio just under 30, the best-in-show tech giant is a world-class business trading at a fair valuation. That makes it worth checking out.
3. Salesforce
Most software stocks have sold off in recent months over concerns that AI will render many applications obsolete. Salesforce (CRM 7.83%) has gotten swept up in that wash-out. The stock price sits nearly 40% off its late-2024 high right now. Many thousands of companies use Salesforce, which has become a software ecosystem to operate sales, marketing, and almost every aspect of a business.
Today’s Change
(-7.83%) $-17.86
Current Price
$210.10
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$214B
Day’s Range
$209.82 – $217.72
52wk Range
$209.82 – $349.50
Volume
286K
Avg Vol
8M
Gross Margin
70.07%
Dividend Yield
0.73%
Instead of threatening Salesforce, AI has likely created an opportunity for new and improved products and features. Shares have slipped to a forward P/E of just 19, its lowest since early 2023. Meanwhile, analysts still see the company growing its earnings by nearly 17% annually over the long term. In hindsight, the stock’s current decline may look like an obvious buy-the-dip opportunity.
Justin Pope has positions in Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Microsoft, Nvidia, and Salesforce. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
