2 No-Brainer AI Stocks to Buy Hand Over Fist for 2026
AI isn't hype anymore. It's a line item in budgets, a driver of productivity, and a tailwind for earnings. With the market expected to reach trillions in value over the next few years, the upside favors companies already executing at scale.
If you manage capital, attention is currency. Focus it on proven leaders with defensible moats and visible demand. Two names check those boxes: Nvidia and Amazon.
1) Nvidia (NVDA)
Nvidia is the engine behind modern AI. Its GPUs remain the standard for training and running large language models, and an early lead has compounded into ecosystem dominance. Revenue and net income have surged at double- and triple-digit clips, pushing results to record highs.
The next leg: inferencing. Nvidia has optimized chips and software for this workload and broadened its stack into networking, systems, and services. Strategic moves-like partnering with Nokia on telecom AI and acquiring the inferencing technology of start-up Groq-reinforce its position across use cases, not just training.
- What to watch: Hyperscaler capex trends, supply availability, and mix shift from training to inferencing (which can extend demand cycles).
- Key risks: Rising competition (AMD and custom silicon), export restrictions, and customer concentration among a few large cloud buyers.
2) Amazon (AMZN)
Amazon is both a heavy user and a seller of AI. On the retail side, it uses AI to optimize routes, improve recommendations, and assist shoppers-improving conversion while lowering cost to serve. That flywheel supports traffic, loyalty, and margin efficiency.
The profit engine is AWS. As the largest cloud provider, AWS offers a wide AI menu: access to leading Nvidia chips, in-house cost-focused silicon, and managed services like Amazon Bedrock. The unit has reached a $132 billion annual revenue run rate, and AI is increasing attach rates across compute, storage, and data services.
Why it works for 2026 and beyond: Amazon doesn't rely on AI alone. Core commerce and cloud keep compounding, while AI adds incremental growth. At roughly 32x forward earnings, investors get a scaled operator with multiple ways to win.
- What to watch: AWS growth reacceleration, AI service adoption (Bedrock, managed models), and utilization-driven margin expansion.
- Key risks: Cloud pricing pressure vs. rivals (Microsoft, Google), regulatory scrutiny, and retail margin sensitivity to fuel and labor.
How to position for 2026
- Core holdings: Treat NVDA and AMZN as core positions if your mandate allows for large-cap tech concentration.
- Entry discipline: Add on pullbacks driven by supply headlines, capex timing, or macro jitters rather than thesis changes.
- Time horizon: 3-5 years. Let compounding from AI-driven workloads, software attach, and operating leverage do the heavy lifting.
- Risk controls: Watch single-name exposure, especially around earnings and guidance tied to cloud capex cycles.
Bottom line: AI spend is moving from pilot to production. Nvidia and Amazon are setting the pace in their specialty areas, with clear demand signals and durable competitive edges. If you need concentrated AI exposure with institutional-grade quality, these two fit.
Looking to build practical AI skills for your finance team? Explore curated AI tools for finance to speed up research, modeling, and reporting.
Your membership also unlocks:
