Looking for stocks that can double in a year is easy, looking back. While there may have been a few indicators that the stock was primed to rise, making the investment decision to pick it isn't always easy. While 2025 was another banner year for some stocks, I think 2026 will be another year when we will see some stocks double.
Two that I think could double in 2026 are SoundHound AI (SOUN 2.70%) and IonQ (IONQ 5.09%). Both stocks look primed to rise, but need a few things to go in their favor for their stocks to double.
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1. SoundHound AI
SoundHound AI (SOUN 2.70%) integrates audio recognition technology with artificial intelligence (AI). This has several applications, but two of the biggest for SoundHound AI have been restaurant drive-thru automation and digital assistants in vehicles. Its technology has proved invaluable in these roles, but there are far larger industries to conquer.
The biggest ones are industries where companies must employ thousands of customer service representatives, such as finance, insurance, and healthcare. If SoundHound AI can integrate generative AI into these areas and be successful at it, it could be slated for a monster 2026. We're already seeing signs of SoundHound AI's success, as revenue rose 68% year over year in Q3 and three of the top 10 global financial services institutions bought more software capabilities.
NASDAQ: SOUN
Key Data Points
SoundHound AI's management team is bullish on its prospects, as they predict organic growth of 50% or greater for the foreseeable future. We'll see if that pans out in 2026, but if it does, its stock could be slated to double.
SoundHound AI's stock is actually down about 35% for the year, as it exited 2024 highly valued. Now, the stock holds a lower price, trading for about 35 times sales.
SOUN PS Ratio data by YCharts
That's still not a very cheap stock, but for SoundHound AI's growth rate, it isn't bad either. If SoundHound AI continues growing its revenue at a greater than 50% pace and the market's appetite for risk stays high, I think SoundHound AI could be slated for a big run and double through 2026.
2. IonQ
IonQ has gone through two boom and bust cycles in 2025.
NYSE: IONQ
Key Data Points
Hype surrounding the quantum computing industry will continue to rise and fall over the next few years, as there will likely be several exciting announcements regarding quantum breakthroughs.
IonQ is one of my favorite companies in this space, as its unique approach to quantum computing looks promising. IonQ uses a trapped ion approach, which is inherently more accurate than the other quantum computing styles. IonQ was the first company to reach 99.99% 2-qubit gate fidelity (one error in every 10,000 calculations), while others have struggled to breach the 99.9% threshold (one error in every 1,000 calculations).
IonQ is a leader in the quantum computing realm and will be among the first to rise and fall based on the market's appetite for quantum computing risk. This rise and fall trend will persist for several years, as useful quantum computing isn't expected to be available until 2030. This makes IonQ a relatively risky stock to invest in, as the stock may double in 2026, before crashing down to previous levels.
SoundHound AI could be in a similar boat, so investors need to know their risk tolerances and understand how attentive they are to these stocks. If you're an investor who likes to check your brokerage every day, these stocks could be for you. If you're a set-it-and-forget-it investor, these stocks may not be great ideas, as they could be up (or down) dramatically one day, then much higher (or lower) a few months later.
What really matters is the long-term trajectory for both stocks, and if each company excels in its industry, they could be great investment picks. So, even if they fail to double in 2026, they could still be great long-term investments with even more potential than just a double.
