When it comes to stock investing, popularity does not always translate into gains. One only has to look at ad platform The Trade Desk or social media site Pinterest to know that user traffic does not necessarily translate into a rising stock price.
Conversely, other stocks grow while largely escaping the notice of most investors or even the financial media. This appears to be the case for these two artificial intelligence (AI) stocks.
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ASML
Perhaps no AI company embraces the lack of notoriety more than ASML Holding (ASML 2.41%). It goes so far as to bill itself as "the most important company that you've never heard of." A closer inspection of the company strongly backs up to this claim. The Netherlands-based company makes chipmaking equipment for other manufacturers. In the deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography market, it has competitors like Canon and Nikon.
However, more importantly, it is the dominant player in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, the technology necessary to build the world's most advanced semiconductors. ASML's primary customers for this technology are Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Intel, and Samsung, making it understandable that most investors do not know this company.
Still, one would think its financials would draw more attention, especially since it could turn into one of the best semiconductor stocks of 2026. In 2025, revenue of almost 33 billion euros ($38 billion) represented a 16% rise. It also kept cost and expense growth in check, leading to 9.6 billion euros ($11 billion) in net income, a 27% increase from year-ago levels.
Looking forward, the company forecasts between 34 billion euros and 39 billion euros in yearly revenue for 2026. That translates into 14% annual revenue growth at the midpoint, which closely approximates 2025 growth levels.
NASDAQ: ASML
Key Data Points
Amid the growth, ASML stock almost doubled in value over the past year, likely because investors see the AI spending and know that the market will need more EUV machines. Indeed, the current P/E ratio of 52 is well above the five-year average of 42. Nonetheless, ASML's equipment is critical to AI, meaning it will probably take more than a high valuation and a lack of name recognition to stop its growth.
Innodata
Innodata (INOD 3.55%) has been in business since 1988. It has spent most of that existence in relative obscurity. For the majority of its history, it was a data engineering company specializing in information-related services.
However, AI has given the company a new avenue for growth. Innodata has partnered with companies to offer data curation and model evaluation services to help develop generative AI models for customers. These include "smart data" services, which can address deficiencies in AI models. Both AI labs and the hyperscalers among the "Magnificent Seven" companies now work with Innodata.
The once-slow-growing company increased revenue by 48% in 2025 to about $252 million. Additionally, it reported $32 million in profit for that timeframe. Innodata received a significant income tax benefit in 2024, which boosted net income. Despite that one-time benefit, profits grew 12% year over year during that time.
Admittedly, the immediate future offers mixed news. Analysts predict revenue growth of 26% in 2026. That represents a significant slowdown from the previous year, but investors should note the 23% revenue increase in Q4, implying the growth slowdown has already occurred.
NASDAQ: INOD
Key Data Points
The stock has pulled back over the last year. Still, even at the current price of around $45 per share, it is far above its price level in 2024, when it flirted with penny stock status. The relatively low profit levels also led to a 48 P/E ratio. Nonetheless, the improved profitability gives Innodata a forward P/E ratio of 36, just above the S&P 500 average of 30.
Considering its massive growth and falling valuation, investors may want to familiarize themselves with Innodata before the stock begins to recover.
