Technology stocks, last year's big drivers of stock market gains, looked as if they were running out of that positive momentum just a few months ago. President Donald Trump announced plans for import tariffs, and investors worried that the move would crush corporate earnings and the general economy. But recent trade talks and deals reached -- including a trade agreement with China -- have eased investors' fears, allowing tech stocks to resume their upward path.
And this trend may be far from over, according to one of the most watched tech analysts. Dan Ives of Wedbush, in an interview with Bloomberg, predicted a strong second half for technology stocks, calling this the "golden age" for the industry. He spoke of artificial intelligence (AI) stocks as having much more room to run and even said we're at "10 p.m. in the AI party that goes to 4 a.m."
The infrastructure buildout remains ongoing, and on top of this, new phases of AI growth are just beginning or yet to come, from the widespread use of AI agents for applying AI to real-world situations to the launch of humanoid robots. This is why today's AI market, valued at about $300 billion, is forecast to surpass $2 trillion within 10 years.
Against this backdrop, here are two top AI stocks to buy now to potentially benefit from explosive growth as this story develops.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Nvidia
Nvidia (NVDA +0.64%) has become an AI behemoth over the past few years, thanks to both its leading AI chips, known as graphics processing units (GPUs), and its full selection of AI tools and services. The company has played a key role in the earliest stages of AI, with GPUs powering the training and inference of models. This has helped Nvidia's earnings roar higher. On a quarterly basis, revenue and net income have increased by double or even triple digits.
Now, Nvidia also has what it takes to accompany customers through the rest of the AI adventure. The tech giant has rolled out enterprise software, networking equipment, and AI systems tailored to specific industries. Nvidia is even getting involved in the hot growth area of quantum computing, as it recently announced the construction of a specific research center in Boston.
NASDAQ: NVDA
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All this bodes well for ongoing growth, and in addition to this, Nvidia is making an important move to ensure its leadership over time: The company has put the focus on innovation, committing to updating its GPUs annually. Since Nvidia already sells the highest-performance GPUs, it will be difficult for rivals to catch up.
Today, Nvidia shares trade for 36 times forward earnings estimates, down from 50 times earlier in the year. This is a reasonable price now and may even be considered dirt cheap if we imagine where Nvidia may be a few years down the road.
2. Palantir Technologies
Palantir Technologies (PLTR +0.30%) soared 340% last year and climbed 80% in the first half of this year -- and it could still have further to go this year and over the long run. That's because the growth story of its commercial business may be in its early days, and the U.S. government's focus on efficiency could result in ongoing solid growth for Palantir's government business.
Palantir sells software that helps customers aggregate their data and use it to make key decisions, gain efficiency, or advance their strategies. The company launched an AI-powered system, its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP), two years ago, and since then, demand and revenue have roared higher.
NASDAQ: PLTR
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Quarter after quarter, Palantir has reported double-digit revenue growth for both its government and commercial businesses and has successfully balanced growth and profitability. AIP has particularly supercharged the commercial business, with customers growing from a handful just a few years ago into the hundreds today. And Palantir's bootcamp training sessions, which help customers see how AIP can work for them in a matter of hours, have translated into major deals for the company.
Some investors have balked at the idea of buying Palantir at its current valuation, which exceeds 200 times earnings estimates. But as analyst Dan Ives has said, when looking at certain tech stocks, traditional valuation metrics often overlook the story several years down the road. Palantir's growth is going strong, and the company offers customers an easy and efficacious way to apply AI to their businesses -- and that means this AI giant could continue to roar higher in the second half and beyond.
