Core Industry Insights - Investors are increasingly recognizing the potential of AI capabilities in various companies, with notable stock gains in the AI sector, such as Palantir's increase of over 32-fold from its 2022 low [1] - The AI market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31% through 2033, indicating that the current AI investment trend is just beginning [1] Company Highlights 1. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) - AMD has seen a remarkable increase of over 13,000% from its 2015 lows and is positioned to potentially catch up to Nvidia in the AI accelerator market with its upcoming MI450 accelerator [4] - The company forecasts a long-term revenue CAGR of 30%, with a 60% CAGR specifically for its data center segment that designs AI accelerators [5] - AMD's stock has risen over 70% in the past year, with a current forward P/E ratio of 53, making it an attractive option for investors despite a high P/E ratio of 105 [7] 2. CoreWeave - CoreWeave is emerging as a leading AI cloud platform, specifically tailored for AI workloads, and has built a competitive advantage by working with Nvidia's GPUs [8] - The company reported a 204% year-over-year revenue increase to nearly $3.6 billion in the first nine months of 2025, although costs surged by 263% during the same period [9] - Despite a net loss of $771 million in the first three quarters of 2025, down from $857 million the previous year, the stock is currently trading at a significant discount, with a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio just above 7 [10][12] 3. Upstart Holdings - Upstart is leveraging AI for loan evaluations, presenting a disruptive opportunity in a market dominated by Fair Isaac's FICO score since 1989, with a potential market opportunity of $1 trillion [13] - The company's AI model utilizes over 2,500 variables and can make 91% of assessments without human intervention, potentially approving 101% more applicants than traditional methods in 2024 [14] - Upstart's revenue for the first nine months of 2025 was $685 million, a 57% increase from the previous year, and it returned to profitability with earnings of $35 million during the same period [15][17]

With AI as the driving force, semiconductor stocks have been trending higher in 2025. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is no exception, with the stock having surged by almost 80% year-to-date (YTD). However, even after the big rally, analysts have remained bullish on AMD stock. Recently, TD Cowen named AMD as one of its best ideas for 2026. A key reason for this bull thesis is AMD’s rollout of the Helios rack and MI450 accelerator in mid-2026. More News from Barchart It’s worth adding here that the MI500 Se ...