3 Semiconductor Stocks Well-Poised for a Comeback in 2026

Industry Overview - Semiconductor stocks have rallied significantly in 2025, with the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) increasing by 43% year to date despite market volatility caused by tariffs, inflation, high interest rates, and geopolitical issues [1] - The momentum is expected to continue into 2026, driven by rising investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing infrastructure, with global semiconductor sales projected to surge by 26.3% year over year to $975.4 billion [2] AI as a Growth Catalyst - AI is identified as the most important catalyst for semiconductor demand, with cloud service providers and enterprises increasing investments in AI training and inference workloads, leading to higher demand for GPUs, custom accelerators, memory, networking components, and power solutions [3] Investment Opportunities - Companies such as NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA), Micron Technology, Inc. (MU), and Amphenol Corporation (APH) are positioned to benefit from the anticipated spike in semiconductor demand in 2026 [4] - These companies have favorable growth metrics, with a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), indicating solid investment opportunities [5] Micron Technology Insights - Micron Technology is emerging as a key beneficiary of the memory market recovery, with demand for DRAM and NAND tightening alongside a structural increase in memory content driven by AI workloads [6] - High-bandwidth memory (HBM) is a major growth driver for Micron, critical for AI accelerators, with demand outpacing supply, which supports profitability as volumes scale [7] - The company is also benefiting from improving demand in PCs, smartphones, and automotive applications, with revenue estimates indicating a year-over-year increase of 89.3% for fiscal 2026 and 22.8% for fiscal 2027 [8] Amphenol Corporation Insights - Amphenol is a major supplier of interconnect products essential for smartphones, laptops, and data center infrastructure, with recent acquisitions expanding its connectivity offerings [10] - The company is expected to benefit from rising AI data center buildouts and increasing automotive connectivity demand, with revenue estimates indicating a year-over-year increase of 49.4% for 2025 and 12.4% for 2026 [14] NVIDIA Corporation Insights - NVIDIA is the leader in high-performance GPUs, which are crucial for AI computing, with its products powering a range of applications from gaming to data centers [15] - The company is also expanding its market presence in automotive, robotics, and edge computing, increasing demand for advanced chips and software [16] - Revenue estimates for NVIDIA indicate a year-over-year increase of 62.4% for fiscal 2026 and 43.2% for fiscal 2027, with a Zacks Rank of 2 and a Growth Score of B [18]