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Beyond Nvidia: Dan Ives Names Top AI Stocks For 2026

Benzinga·12/30/2025 17:41:42
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Wall Street is already looking past 2025 and positioning for the next phase of the artificial intelligence boom, and Wedbush analyst Dan Ives says investors should focus on the “AI ripple effect” winners beyond just chipmakers.

Ives told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Tuesday that Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) remains one of his top overall AI names heading into 2026, but he believes the biggest upside will come from companies benefiting from the ripple effects of the AI boom rather than just chip sales.

“It’s about the derivatives of the AI revolution playing out, I mean that’s our whole thesis going in 2026,” Ives said.

Also Read: Nvidia’s $1 In AI Chips Fuels $10 in Tech Growth, Palantir, Snowflake, MongoDB Poised To Ride Next AI Growth Wave

Top AI Stock Picks For 2026

Ives highlighted Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT), Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR), CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD), and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) as his top AI-driven stock picks for early 2026, arguing that every dollar spent on Nvidia chips creates an $8 to $10 multiplier across the broader tech ecosystem.

He said Microsoft leads the enterprise AI race through Azure, calling it a stock with $100 of upside as cloud and AI demand accelerate.

For Apple, Ives said the company has lagged in AI so far but expects a major shift in 2026 as consumer AI adoption flows through Apple’s ecosystem, potentially boosted by a deepened partnership with Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google.

He said AI could add $75 in incremental value to the stock.

Ives also sees Tesla entering its most important year yet, driven by autonomous driving and robotics.

He said autonomy alone could be worth $1 trillion to Tesla’s valuation and positioned the company at the center of what he calls “physical AI.”

Overall, Ives said investors should focus on AI derivatives software, platforms, autonomy, and cybersecurity rather than only on semiconductor leaders, as those areas could see the biggest gains in the next phase of the AI cycle.

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