10 Best Rising AI Stocks to Buy Now

Industry Overview - The AI industry is projected to see worldwide spending reach $2.52 trillion by 2026, representing a 44% year-over-year increase, with significant investment still directed towards infrastructure rather than finished business outcomes [1] - AI-optimized servers are expected to account for $329.5 billion and AI processing semiconductors for $267.9 billion in 2026, indicating that the industry is still in the foundational building phase [1] - The shift from pilot programs to wider operational use in enterprises is evident, with a 50% increase in worker access to AI in 2025 and a doubling of companies with at least 40% of AI projects in production expected within six months [2] Company Insights - A10 Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ATEN) has had its price target raised to $28 from $24 by BWS Financial, which maintains a Buy rating, citing the company's strong position in network security benefiting from AI-related traffic [7] - A10 Networks reported record fourth-quarter revenue of $80.4 million and full-year revenue of $290.6 million, marking an 11% year-over-year increase, with projected revenue growth of 10% to 12% for 2026 [9] - NetScout Systems (NASDAQ:NTCT) has extended its Omnis AI Insights offering to communications service providers, aiming to convert raw network traffic into AI-ready smart data, which is crucial for predictive maintenance and service assurance [12] - A McKinsey survey indicated that 64% of telecom executives are scaling AI efforts, with 45% identifying data as the main barrier to scaling, highlighting the challenges faced by companies in the sector [13]