The Stocks Taking Off Now

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of adapting investment strategies in response to market changes, drawing parallels to Intel's historical shift from memory chips to microprocessors [1][2][3][4][5][6] Market Context - The S&P 500 has shown minimal growth of less than 1% in 2026, following three strong years with returns of +24% in 2023, +23% in 2024, and +16% in 2025 [5] - Investors are cautioned against expecting continued success from past winners, as market dynamics are shifting [6][10] Investment Strategy - The article suggests that investors should consider what a new portfolio manager would do, potentially moving away from popular AI stocks to identify emerging opportunities [7][10] - The current market phase is characterized as a rotation from application-focused investments to infrastructure investments, particularly in AI [8][10] Infrastructure Investment - Major companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet are investing heavily in infrastructure, with plans to enhance data centers and networks, indicating a significant capital expenditure trend [9][10] - InterDigital (IDCC) is highlighted as a key player in the infrastructure space, with a 28% year-over-year sales increase and a strong financial rating, showcasing the demand for efficient data transmission as AI workloads grow [12][13][14] Conclusion - The article concludes that successful investors are not retreating from AI but are repositioning to capitalize on the next phase of growth, focusing on infrastructure rather than just application-based stocks [14][15]