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AI Arms Race Drives Capex Boom: 3 AI Stocks to Watch in 2026
ZACKS· 2025-12-30 15:06
Industry Overview - The Artificial Intelligence arms race is entering a decisive phase, shifting focus towards scale, monetization, and competitive advantage, with 2026 expected to distinguish long-term winners from those failing to integrate AI-native business models [1] - AI has transitioned from an experimental add-on to a core growth driver and customer retention pillar for many companies by 2025, with major players embedding AI deeper into their products and workflows [2] AI Infrastructure Growth - Global AI spending is projected to exceed $2 trillion in 2026, up from an estimated $1.5 trillion in 2025, with a significant portion allocated to AI infrastructure, driving demand for semiconductor chips [4] - The global AI infrastructure market is expected to reach $758 billion by 2029, fueled by strong demand for compute and storage hardware, with continued investment momentum anticipated in 2026 [5] Key Beneficiaries - NVIDIA, Marvell Technology, and Micron Technology are identified as direct beneficiaries of the AI arms race, with their technologies being crucial for the expansion of AI inference workloads [3] Company Highlights: NVIDIA - NVIDIA is at the forefront of the AI revolution, benefiting from demand for its Hopper 200 and Blackwell GPUs, which are essential for training and inference of large language models [6] - The company’s full-stack approach, integrating hardware, software, and developer tools, creates a powerful ecosystem that is difficult for competitors to displace [7] - In Q3 fiscal 2026, NVIDIA's revenues surged 62% year-over-year, with non-GAAP earnings per share rising 60%, and the earnings estimate for fiscal 2026 is $4.65 per share, reflecting a 55.5% year-over-year increase [8] Company Highlights: Marvell Technology - Marvell Technology develops custom XPU silicon and has strategic collaborations with Amazon Web Services and NVIDIA, enhancing its role in AI computation and networking [9][10] - In Q3 fiscal 2026, Marvell's data center revenues reached $1.52 billion, a 37.8% increase year-over-year, with an earnings estimate of $2.84 per share for fiscal 2026, indicating an 80.9% year-over-year increase [11] Company Highlights: Micron Technology - Micron Technology is capitalizing on the AI-driven memory and storage markets with its HBM3E solutions, which are gaining traction among hyperscalers and enterprise customers [12] - The company reported strong customer interest in its HBM3E portfolio, which is expected to drive significant revenue growth, with an earnings estimate of $31.36 per share for fiscal 2026, reflecting a 278.3% year-over-year increase [14]