5 Stocks Retail Investors Are Betting on for 2026

Core Insights - Retail investors are increasingly favoring established companies like Amazon, reflecting a shift in sentiment towards durable growth stories as they prepare for 2026 [2][4] - Amazon holds a consensus Moderate Buy rating with an average price target of $295.50, indicating a potential upside of nearly 31% from current levels [1] - The retail-driven stock selection has shown effectiveness in recent years, often outperforming broader market indices [5] Amazon - Amazon reported Q3 2025 earnings with an EPS of $1.95, surpassing the consensus estimate of $1.57, and revenue increased by 13.4% year-over-year to $180.17 billion [7] - Operating leverage remains a key driver for Amazon, with AWS revenue growing 20% year-over-year, contributing significantly to operating profit [9] - Amazon's valuation has normalized, with current and forward P/E ratios aligning closer to peer averages, making future performance reliant on earnings execution [8] Rocket Lab - Rocket Lab has seen its shares surge over 2,000% in the past three years, reflecting sustained retail investor conviction [11] - The company is entering a pivotal growth phase with its Neutron rocket, which could expand its addressable market significantly [13] - Analysts have raised price targets for Rocket Lab following a significant contract win, with a consensus Moderate Buy rating and a price target near $61 [15] AST SpaceMobile - AST SpaceMobile has emerged as a polarizing pick, with shares increasing over 260% in 2025, but analysts maintain a cautious stance with a consensus Hold rating [16][17] - The company is developing a space-based cellular broadband network, but faces valuation concerns due to its unprofitability and high price-to-sales multiple [18] - For sustainable upside, AST SpaceMobile needs to demonstrate progress through successful satellite deployments and contract wins [19] Alphabet - Alphabet has shown a remarkable turnaround, with Q3 revenue exceeding $100 billion and significant growth in Google Cloud [20][21] - The company's investments in AI have reshaped market perception, with products like Gemini 3 enhancing its competitive edge [22] - The stock carries a consensus Moderate Buy rating, with a forward P/E of 28, and a pullback toward $300 could present a buying opportunity [23] Nebius - Nebius Group N.V. operates a diversified ecosystem of AI-driven platforms and has rapidly gained attention in the AI computing space [24][25] - The stock has surged 234% over the past year, with a consensus Buy rating and a price target implying over 60% upside [25] - Management projects annual run-rate revenue of $7 billion to $9 billion in 2026, significantly up from $551 million at the end of Q3 2025 [26][27]