Core Viewpoint - The AI trade has been a significant driver in the stock market, but recent volatility has led investors to explore alternative opportunities outside the core AI theme [1][7]. Group 1: Analyst Insights - DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria remains bullish on AI overall but highlights strong potential in smaller tech stocks that are often overlooked [2][6]. - Luria emphasizes the focus on infrastructure software stocks as they are clear beneficiaries of AI usage without the perceived risks associated with application software companies [3][6]. Group 2: Recommended Stocks - Luria identifies three tech stocks: Snowflake, Datadog, and JFrog, which operate in the AI infrastructure and software space [2][4]. - Year-to-date performance for these stocks includes Snowflake at +62%, Datadog at +11%, and JFrog at +113%, with JFrog outperforming its peers and the Magnificent Seven [3][4]. Group 3: Market Dynamics - Luria believes that regardless of how enterprise customers build AI tools, they will require more data lakehouse capacity (Snowflake), more applications and infrastructure for observation (Datadog), and more binary code management (JFrog) [5][6]. - The continued growth of AI will benefit these companies as larger enterprises will always need their services to scale AI tools effectively [6].

Core Insights - Alarm.com Holdings, Inc. (ALRM) has acquired Bridge to Renewables (BTR) to enhance its EnergyHub utility electric vehicle (EV) program [1][8] - BTR specializes in telematics-based solutions for EV Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), facilitating their connection to electricity markets [2] - The acquisition aligns with EnergyHub's strategy to expand its market share and customer base, enhancing its Virtual Power Plant (VPP) network capabilities [3][8] Acquisition Strategy - EnergyHub's growth strategy heavily relies on acquisitions, with the recent purchase of Kapacity.io in December 2024 aimed at expanding VPPs beyond North America [4][8] - The integration of BTR will allow EnergyHub to incorporate EVs and distributed energy resources (DER) into its existing infrastructure [3][8] Financial Performance - Alarm.com has a market capitalization of approximately $2.8 billion and holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) [5] - The company's shares have increased by 2.4% over the past month, while the industry has grown by 4.2% [6] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALRM's earnings for 2025 is $2.37 per share, reflecting a 3% increase from previous estimates [6]