The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is still going strong, more than three years after it began.
According to research from The Motley Fool, about 9 in 10 investors surveyed said they plan to maintain or increase their investments in AI stocks this year. In other words, there are still little to no signs of fatigue regarding artificial intelligence stocks in the market.
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And why should that be the case? Experts widely believe that AI will create trillions of dollars in economic value in the coming decades, and the world’s leading companies continue to pour hundreds of billions of dollars into data centers and other AI infrastructure.
Here are three top AI stocks that are still worth buying in 2026.
Chips for training and operating AI models remain perhaps the most crucial resource in the AI race. Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has dominated the GPU chip market for AI data centers since its inception and continues to enjoy a lopsided market share, estimated by some experts at 92%.
Investors can expect more massive growth from Nvidia in 2026. The company recently went into full production on its upcoming AI chip, Rubin, and customers are lining up to get their hands on it. Nvidia announced a backlog of as much as $500 billion in November. Even after the remarkable growth of the past few years, it’s still not too late to buy Nvidia stock.
AI appears to be a game changer for companies, which can use technology to improve their products and save costs. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) casts a long shadow among businesses, from small shops to mega-corporations. Most depend on Microsoft, whether it’s software like Windows and Microsoft 365, or the Azure cloud services. It’s a clear stepping stone to selling AI offerings.
Microsoft has a 27% stake in OpenAI, the leading AI developer behind ChatGPT, and works closely with it. Furthermore, Microsoft is currently firing on all cylinders with double-digit revenue growth across most of its businesses. With a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of just under 30, the best-in-show tech giant is a world-class company that trades at a fair valuation. That makes it worth taking a look.
Most software stocks have sold off in recent months due to concerns that AI will make many applications obsolete. Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) has been swept away in that washout. The stock price is currently almost 40% below its late 2024 high. Many thousands of companies use Salesforce, which has become a software ecosystem for sales, marketing, and almost every aspect of a business.
Rather than threatening Salesforce, AI has likely created opportunities for new and improved products and features. Shares have fallen to a price-to-earnings ratio of just 19, the lowest since early 2023. Meanwhile, analysts still see the company growing its earnings at nearly 17% annually over the long term. In retrospect, the stock’s current decline may seem like an obvious buy-the-dip opportunity.
Consider the following before buying shares in Nvidia:
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Think about when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004… if you had $1,000 invested at the time of our recommendation, you would have $461,527!* Or when Nvidia created this list on April 15, 2005… if you had $1,000 invested at the time of our recommendation, you would have $1,155,666!*
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*Stock Advisor returns January 28, 2026.
Justin Pope has positions at Microsoft. The Motley Fool holds positions in and recommends Microsoft, Nvidia, and Salesforce. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls to Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls to Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Why Less Than 10% of AI Investors Plan to Reduce Their Holdings by 2026, and Why There Are Three Stocks Worth Buying in 2026 was originally published by The Motley Fool
