Picture this scenario: $50,000 falls into your lap. There's only one caveat: You must invest it in three tech stocks -- and you must do it today.
Strictly speaking, this wouldn't be in keeping with The Fool's guidance to own 25 or more stocks. However, since this is only a thought experiment, let's not end the fun quite yet.
Here is how I would build a hypothetical $50,000 portfolio today.
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1. Advanced Micro Devices
To get things started, I'm allocating $15,000 -- 30% of my total portfolio -- to Advanced Micro Devices (AMD 1.11%). AMD makes semiconductors that are used for a variety of applications, including personal computers (PCs), gaming, cloud services, and automotive.
And while the PC market remains a significant drag on chipmakers like AMD, the company is more than weathering the storm -- it's moving on to greener pastures. Increasingly, AMD relies on its Data Center, Gaming, and Embedded segments to drive its revenue. Those three units accounted for more than 86% of AMD's revenue in the first quarter. And those are the segments investors are most excited about today.
That's because game-changing technologies like AI and autonomous driving will rely on cutting-edge chips that AMD can produce and sell through its Data Center and Embedded segments.
Granted, analysts expect 2023 to be a rough year for AMD, with revenue predicted to fall about 12%. However, Wall Street sees sales rebounding in 2024, bringing revenue back to 2022 levels. And at any rate, AMD shares still look undervalued to me. Shares trade at a price-to-sales ratio of 6.3, which remains below the company's three-year average of 8.4.
2. Shopify
Next up in my hypothetical $50,000 portfolio is Shopify (SHOP 0.57%). In this case, I will allocate $10,000 -- 20% of my total -- to this e-commerce stock.
The company, which helps customers develop and grow their online stores, recently delivered solid first-quarter earnings that topped analysts' expectations. What's more, the company announced some cost-cutting measures designed to refocus attention on its core business.
And while it's great that the company is cutting costs, Shopify isn't sacrificing growth. Quarterly revenue jumped 26% year-over-year to $1.74 billion. Moreover, analysts expect close to 20% sales growth for the next two years.
For investors, Shopify looks like a case of a stock that was pushed down too far, too fast. However, for those who have missed out on this year's rally, don't think it's too late. Shopify remains more than 61% off its all-time high. This is one stock that will take time to fully recover its old highs -- but it's worth owning all the way back to the top.
3. Microsoft
Finally, I'm allocating $25,000 -- 50% of my portfolio -- to Microsoft (MSFT 0.95%). Why? Let's start with AI. In case you haven't noticed, AI is having its moment in the Sun. Whether it's chatbots like ChatGPT, AI image generators like Midjourney, or AI video platforms like Synthesia, AI is producing content that has everyone talking.
That includes Wall Street, which is bullish on companies with connections to AI. And with the possible exception of Nvidia, no company has more to gain from the AI revolution than Microsoft. The company's much-hyped partnership with OpenAI seems to be paying off as Microsoft's More Personal Computing segment beat sales expectations by 8% due, in part, to the increased use of its Bing search engine.
At any rate, Microsoft's diversified business segments give investors the ability to rest easy. The company's Azure cloud services business continues to hum along nicely, while its Office 365 Commercial unit turned in yet another quarter of double-digit growth. Behind it all is Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella, who is closing in on his 10th year at the helm. During that time, shares of Microsoft are up 742%.
In light of the company's impressive leadership and product offerings, I'd be happy to make Microsoft the cornerstone of my hypothetical $50,000 portfolio.
