CNBC·2026-01-18 12:30Group 1: Broadcom - Broadcom (AVGO) is a semiconductor and infrastructure software provider experiencing strong demand for its custom chips, particularly amid the artificial intelligence boom [3][4] - Analyst Stacy Rasgon from Bernstein reiterated a buy rating on Broadcom with a price target of $475, while TipRanks' AI Analyst has an "outperform" rating with a price target of $393 [4] - Rasgon believes concerns regarding competition and customer-owned tooling affecting Broadcom's AI positioning are overstated, asserting that the company is unlikely to be dethroned in the ASIC space [5] - Broadcom is expected to benefit from increasing demand for Google's tensor processing units (TPUs), with shipments projected to rise significantly in the coming years [6] - The order figure reported at Broadcom's earnings release has increased to $73 billion, indicating strong market demand [6] Group 2: Airbnb - Airbnb (ABNB) is highlighted as a top investment idea for 2026, with Mizuho analyst Lloyd Walmsley reaffirming a buy rating and a price target of $156 [8][10] - Growth in room nights is expected to accelerate due to Airbnb's strategy of adding hotels to its supply and the introduction of a "book now, pay later" option [10] - Walmsley believes that Airbnb's hotel strategy will broaden its addressable market and enhance growth potential, particularly in late 2026 [11][12] Group 3: Meta Platforms - Meta Platforms (META) is also identified as a key investment opportunity for 2026, with Walmsley reiterating a buy rating and a price target of $815 [13] - The analyst anticipates that Meta's stock will rise as Wall Street's estimates have already accounted for high costs and capital spending, with potential upside in revenue from AI advancements [14] - Improved advertising return on investment (ROI) and monetization of WhatsApp are expected to bolster revenue growth in 2026 [15][16]