8. Amphenol Corporation (NYSE:APH)
Amphenol Corporation (NYSE:APH) ranks among the best-performing S&P 500 stocks in the last 10 years. On February 26, Evercore ISI reaffirmed its Outperform rating and $165 price target for Amphenol Corporation (NYSE:APH), noting that concerns about a shift away from copper are exaggerated, as Nvidia’s upcoming Rubin platforms will continue to use copper for connections.
Amphenol’s involvement in delivering these, in addition to AI-specific components, indicates that it will continue to outperform, with the possibility for further revenue growth from IT/Datacom.
Additionally, Amphenol Corporation (NYSE:APH) recorded record revenues of $6.44 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, a 49% increase from the previous year. Given strong demand from AI-focused data centers, the IT/Datacom category, which accounts for 38% of overall revenue, expanded organically by 110%.
Notably, Amphenol’s acquisition of CommScope’s CCS division in January 2026 expanded its fiber-optic services and strengthened its high-speed copper services, positioning the company as a leading provider for AI clusters and large-scale data centers.
Amphenol Corporation (NYSE:APH) is a leading manufacturer of electronic and fiber optic connectors, cables, and interconnect systems. Its products serve industries like automotive, aerospace, defense, and industrials.
7. Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDNS)
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDNS) ranks among the best-performing S&P 500 stocks in the last 10 years. Following the company’s fourth-quarter earnings, Stifel reaffirmed its Buy rating and $395 price target for Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDNS) on February 18. In contrast to the consensus forecasts of $1.42 billion, 45.4% margin, and $1.91 per share, Cadence Design Systems revealed Q4 2025 revenue of $1.44 billion with a 45.8% margin and earnings per share of $1.99.
The company has $7.8 billion in backlog and $3.8 billion in ongoing performance commitments, accounting for roughly 64% of its fiscal 2026 guidance midpoint.
In contrast to the Street expectation of $8.05, Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDNS) reported a fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS forecast of $8.10 at the midpoint. The anticipated Hexagon purchase, with an annual run rate of more than $150 million, is not included in the guidance. Stifel pointed out that the forecast takes second-half hardware visibility and China risk into consideration.
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDNS) is a leading player in electronic systems design. Utilizing its Intelligent System Design approach, the company provides a full range of hardware, IP, and computational software solutions.
