Barron:The 5 Best Stocks to Play AI in 2026

The 5 Best Stocks to Play AI in 2026, According to Wall Streets Loudest Tech Bull

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, known for his colorful attire and ultra-positive coverage of tech stocks, has ranked his top names linked to the artificial-intelligence trade as Wall Street gears up to head into 2026.

WhileNvidiathe leading supplier of semiconductors for an AI revolution that Ives says is just getting startedremains a winner in tech, Wedbushs report focused on other players in the space.

One name isMicrosoft. The company, known best for its Windows operating system, Microsoft Office suite, and Xbox videogame consoles, has pushed increasingly into artificial intelligence. It described itself as a creator of platforms and tools powered by AI in an earnings report earlier this year.

Ives and the Wedbush team believe the Street is underestimating the Azure growth story, referring to the potential for Microsoftscloud computing platformto benefit from rising demand for AI infrastructure. They say 2026 remains the true inflection year of AI growth for the company.

Applemade the list as well, even though Wall Street has extensively criticized the iPhone makers AI strategy as it repeatedly delayed the rollout of ahighly anticipated upgradeto its Siri voice assistant.

While Ives said that Apple has pursued a head scratching AI strategy this year, he thinks the company will be able to monetize the technology, with Tim Cook staying on as CEO through at least the end of 2027 to oversee the process.

The elephant in the room remains the invisible AI strategy, Ives wrote. With the biggest consumer installed base in the world of 2.4 billion iOS devices and 1.5 billion iPhones, the time is now for Apple to accelerate its AI efforts.

Wedbush is also bullish onTesla, citing the companys prospects in self-driving technology and robotics, two areas of intense focus for investors. The firm believes the Cybercab, which is slated to enter production in early 2026, will be the golden goose for the company and could drive Tesla to a $2 trillion market capitalization next year. That compares with about $1.5 trillion as of Tuesday afternoon.

Palantir, one of the foremost beneficiaries of the AI boom, was an unsurprising addition to the list. Despite concerns over astretched valuation, the stock remains up 144% this year, outstripping a 17% gain for theSP 500and a 22% gain for theNasdaq Composite.

In his note Monday, Ives cited sustained demand for Palantirs flagship AI platform. With the company making strategic moves to remain at the forefront of AI, we believe that PLTR has a golden path to become a trillion-dollar market cap company and will grow into its valuation, he wrote.

CrowdStrike Holdingsis yet another name whose growth potential is underestimated by the Street, Ives argued. Cybersecurity, in Wedbushs view, remains a derivative beneficiary of the AI Revolution. The cybersecurity provider has worked to integrate AI across its product portfolio.

All of the stocks mentioned here are included in theDan Ives Wedbush AI Revolution ETF, an exchange-traded fund launched by Wedbush Fund Advisers earlier this year.

The fund is based on Ivess research. A spokesperson toldBarronsat the time of its launch that Ives is barredfrom holding the ETF, as well as the stocks it owns.