3 Stocks to Buy as Washington Stalls

Group 1: AI Spending and Market Dynamics - Despite the U.S. government shutdown, AI spending continues unabated, particularly in data center infrastructure, as companies strive to avoid falling behind in AI development [2] - The shutdown is adversely affecting sectors reliant on government workers, but it does not significantly impact the pace of AI advancements [2] Group 2: Nvidia - Nvidia is transitioning from a GPU provider to a key player in shaping data center architecture and AI development, leveraging its CUDA software platform [4] - The company is influencing data center designs by integrating its chips with proprietary networking, cooling, and software solutions, and is strategically investing in partnerships, such as a $100 billion investment in OpenAI [5] - Nvidia's influence is so significant that major companies like Amazon and Alphabet notify it before announcing updates to their custom chips, highlighting its market power [6] Group 3: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) - TSMC is critical to the AI ecosystem, manufacturing nearly all advanced chips for major players like Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom [7] - The company's ability to produce high yields at smaller node sizes gives it a competitive edge, allowing it to raise prices and become a strategic partner for chipmakers [9] - TSMC's power in the AI infrastructure sector is comparable to that of Nvidia, making it an essential player in the industry [10] Group 4: ASML - ASML holds a monopoly on extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, essential for producing advanced chips, which underpins the operations of both Nvidia and TSMC [11] - Each ASML machine sells for over $220 million, with new models costing nearly double, and customers have no alternatives, ensuring continued demand [12] - ASML's investment in Mistral AI indicates its commitment to innovation, while its control over technology that shrinks node sizes positions it as a robust growth stock insulated from market fluctuations [13]