These Are the 3 Best Data Center Stocks to Buy for 2026
Yahoo Finance·2026-01-08 17:12

Valuation and Market Performance - Nvidia's valuation is considered extremely high, with a trailing P/E multiple of around 48 times and a price-to-cash flow multiple of 61 times, indicating high growth expectations [1] - Nvidia's market capitalization is approximately $4.6 trillion, with stock performance showing a strong rally over the last two years due to the AI boom, but it has retreated from late-2025 highs due to concerns over an AI bubble [2] - Nvidia's stock traded around $185 in early January 2026, down from an all-time peak of nearly $212 in October 2025, and is roughly flat year-to-date [2] Company Performance and Growth - Nvidia is a leading designer of GPUs and AI accelerators for data centers, with record-breaking results reported in late 2025, showcasing its dominance in the AI chip market [3] - In Q3 of fiscal 2026, Nvidia's revenue reached $57 billion, a 62% year-over-year increase, driven by $51.2 billion in data center sales, which were up 66% year-over-year [7] - Nvidia's gross margin remained at 73%, and the company generated $37 billion in shareholder returns through buybacks and dividends in the first nine months of the fiscal year [7] Future Prospects and Innovations - Nvidia's future growth prospects are closely tied to AI, with new product announcements at CES 2026, including the Rubin AI platform and new AI models for autonomous vehicles [8] - Analysts maintain a bullish long-term outlook for Nvidia, with a consensus "Strong Buy" rating and a mean price target of $256, indicating a potential upside of 38% from current levels [9] Competitor Analysis: Amazon - Amazon, valued at $2.6 trillion, is a leading cloud services provider through AWS and has seen its stock rise about 40% since last spring due to strong earnings surprises [11] - In Q3, Amazon's sales rose 13% year-over-year to $180 billion, with AWS revenue increasing by 20% to $33 billion [13] - Amazon's capital spending exceeded $100 billion in 2025, primarily on AWS, and is expected to remain elevated in 2026 as the company expands its AI-focused cloud capacity [15] Competitor Analysis: Broadcom - Broadcom is a global semiconductor and infrastructure software giant, with a strong position in data-center virtualization and hybrid cloud following its acquisition of VMware [17] - Broadcom's stock surged about 45% over the past year, closing around $343 on January 7, 2026, driven by enthusiasm for its AI-focused business [18] - In Q4, Broadcom reported revenue of $18 billion, up 28% year-over-year, with AI semiconductor revenue growing 74% year-over-year [20]