15 Best Trending AI Stocks to Watch in 2026 

In this article, we will look at the 15 Best Trending AI Stocks to Watch in 2026.

On June 23, Andrew Slimmon, Morgan Stanley Investment Management senior portfolio manager, appeared on CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ to talk about the latest market trends, ongoing tech selloff, and state of the AI trade, among other things.

He was of the view that the AI beneficiaries are the sellers. He doesn’t think they are expensive, but they are rather crowded. In other words, they have captured the zeitgeist of the momentum traders. When that happens, we get sharp selloffs, quite like the ones we are having. Slimmon argues that this is healthy and “good for the markets” because ultimately, what you don’t want to see is kind of so much euphoria that it ends badly. He added that the likelihood that the Fed has gone from for sure cutting to maybe raising is probably cause for the bubble to deflate.

He also believes that a pullback like this can be an opportunity to buy, because the earnings revision story has validated these stocks. The stocks have gone up a lot, but so have their earnings and earnings revisions. If you look at some of these memory and chip stocks, they are not selling at high multiples because the market is acting rationally, knowing that these are very cyclical earnings. That doesn’t strike him as euphoria where people act irrationally, as the market is pricing them appropriately.

With these broader market trends in view, let’s look at the best trending AI stocks to watch in 2026.

Our Methodology

We used stock screeners and online sources to identify the best AI stocks that are trending for 2026 and then selected the top 15 stocks most popular among hedge funds as of Q1 2026, using the hedge fund sentiment data from Insider Monkey’s database. The stocks are arranged in ascending order of hedge fund sentiment.

Note: All data was recorded on June 20.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Insider Monkey’s quarterly newsletter strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 599.2% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 372 percentage points (see more details here).

15 Best Trending AI Stocks to Watch in 2026

15. Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 64

Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) is one of the best trending AI stocks to watch in 2026. Susquehanna cut the price target on Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) to $140 from $186 on June 22 and reaffirmed a Neutral rating on the shares, with the firm updating its model after meetings with management following the company’s earnings release. It stated that the discussion provided valuable context to explain the general slowdown in IT Services and their strategy to accelerate growth going forward. The firm believes that Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) is making the right moves, but EPS is growing just about 7%, well below the historic average of roughly 13%.

Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) also received a rating update from Truist on June 22, with the firm lowering the price target on the stock to $150 from $210 and maintaining a Hold rating on the shares. The rating update came after the company’s fiscal Q3 earnings report, with the firm telling investors in a research note that the impact of the Middle East emerged with around a $100 million revenue headwind that is expected to extend into fiscal Q4 and beyond.

Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) is a global professional services company that combines technology and leadership in data, cloud, and AI with functional expertise, industry experience, and global delivery capability. The company’s services include Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X, and Song, and its operations are divided into the following geographical segments: North America, EMEA, and Growth Markets.

14. QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 71

QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) is one of the best trending AI stocks to watch in 2026. BofA lifted the price target on QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) to $195 from $165 on May 23 and maintained an Underperform rating on the shares. The rating update came ahead of the company’s investor day on Wednesday, June 24, with the firm stating that it is rolling forward in its valuation to calendar year 2028 estimates. However, it maintained an Underperform rating on the shares as it believes the company is re-entering a fast-growing but hyper-competitive AI market that is full of large incumbents as the company works to diversify away from handsets toward a broader AI compute platform spanning edge, auto/IoT, and data center.

In another development, Bloomberg reported on June 22 that according to people familiar with the matter, QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) is in advanced talks to acquire Modular Inc, the AI infrastructure software company, in a transaction valued at around $4 billion. It further reported that a transaction may be announced as soon as the upcoming week. Bloomberg added that the people asked not to be identified since the information is private.

QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) develops and commercializes foundational technologies for the wireless industry, including 3G, 4G, and 5G wireless connectivity and high-performance and low-power computing, including on-device AI. The company operates across various high-growth markets, including autonomous vehicles and smartphones. QUALCOMM’s Snapdragon augmented reality technology is the next generation of mobile computing.

13. CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 79

CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) is one of the best trending AI stocks to watch in 2026. In collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) announced on June 17 new AI, cloud, and Next-Gen SIEM innovations that allow organizations to securely build, deploy, and operate AI applications and cloud workloads on AWS. Management further stated that the company is expanding CrowdStrike Falcon® AI Detection and Response (AIDR) capabilities on AWS, which helps organizations identify and mitigate AI runtime risks across AI applications built with AWS technologies. These include Kiro, Amazon Bedrock, and Strands Agents. CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) also announced the expansion of the CrowdStrike Falcon® platform availability in AWS Marketplace, with new 30-day free trials for CrowdStrike Falcon® Cloud Security, CrowdStrike Falcon® Next-Gen SIEM, and CrowdStrike Falcon® Endpoint Security on a pay-as-you-go basis.

In a separate development, Rosenblatt lifted the price target on CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) to $825 from $640 on June 4 and maintained a Buy rating on the shares. The rating update came after what the firm called an “outstanding” fiscal Q1 earnings report.

CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) offers cybersecurity services and products to prevent breaches. Its offerings include cloud-delivered protection across endpoints, threat hunting, managed security services, IT operations management, log management, and more.

12. Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 84

Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) is one of the best trending AI stocks to watch in 2026. Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) announced on June 22 a new initiative with major Web browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, focused on developing and submitting for “standardization a privacy-preserving protocol to help humans and bots prove that their traffic is not malicious”. Management stated that the initiative lays the foundation for a more secure, frictionless, and private experience for every website owner and Internet user alike.

In a separate development, Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) received a rating update from Morgan Stanley on June 4. The firm lifted the price target on the stock to $305 from $245 and maintained an Overweight rating on the shares. The rating update came ahead of the company’s investor day on June 9, with the firm stating that it anticipates increased clarity on the long-term margin framework, a deeper look at Edge AI and the Agentic Web, and incremental disclosure on platform adoption and Pool of Funds. Morgan Stanley added that it sees all of this reinforcing the company’s “competitive moat and monetization opportunity”.

Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) provides cloud-based services to secure websites and offers a variety of products for video streaming and delivery, performance and reliability, insights, advanced security, domain registration, Cloudflare for developers, and Cloudflare marketplace. The company’s operations are divided into the United States and the Rest of the World geographical segments.

11. Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (NASDAQ:STX)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 93

Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (NASDAQ:STX) is one of the best trending AI stocks to watch in 2026. Fox Advisors downgraded Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (NASDAQ:STX) to Equal-Weight from Outperform on June 22. The firm cited concerns that expectations for hard disk drive pricing “may be getting ahead” of likely increases.

Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (NASDAQ:STX) also received a rating update from Wells Fargo on June 1. The firm raised the price target on the stock to $900 from $700 and reiterated an Equal Weight rating on the shares. Wells stated that last week it hosted meetings on its 4th Annual Wells Fargo Silicon Valley Bus Tour, the week before, and each one of them had a positive demand tone, ranging from AI data center build-outs to the proliferation of AI inferencing / Agentic AI, driving significant incremental server CPU demand and continued drives of memory expansion.

Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (NASDAQ:STX) is a holding company that develops, produces, and distributes data storage products and electronic data storage solutions. Its products include solid state drives, serial advanced technology attachment controllers, hard disk drives, solid state hybrid drives, peripheral component interconnect express cards, storage subsystems, and computing solutions.

10. ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 108

ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) is one of the best trending AI stocks to watch in 2026. ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) and IBM announced on June 11 an expanded collaboration to address two of the most significant barriers blocking enterprise AI at scale. These include the AI-ready data problem and the legacy application layer. Management stated that the partnership brings together IBM’s AI, data, and automation capabilities with the ServiceNow AI Platform to allow enterprises to “break through outdated systems and put their data to work for AI”. The two companies will deliver joint solutions aimed at modernizing aging systems, enabling autonomous IT operations, and extending ServiceNow Workflow Data Fabric with IBM’s enterprise data capabilities.

In another development, ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) and Inspira Enterprise announced on June 17 a strategic partnership positioning the latter as a trusted delivery partner that brings the full capabilities of the former to enterprises across the globe. Inspira Enterprise is a global cybersecurity and AI services provider. The company further reported that, building on its commitment to responsible AI innovation, Inspira deployed the ServiceNow AICT as the enterprise-wide governance layer for its AI ecosystem, with the platform offering centralised visibility, oversight, and lifecycle management across all AI assets.

ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) offers an AI platform for business transformation, boosting productivity and maximizing business outcomes. Its intelligent platform, Now Platform, provides end-to-end workflow automation for digital businesses. Now Platform functions as a cloud-based solution embedded with AI and ML.

9. ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 133

ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) is one of the best trending AI stocks to watch in 2026. Wells Fargo lifted the price target on ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) to $2,200 from $1,750 on June 22 and maintained an Overweight rating on the shares, telling investors in a research note that the firm anticipates continued positive semi cap results in fiscal Q2.

ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) also received a rating update from JPMorgan on June 3. The firm raised the price target on the stock to EUR 1,900 from EUR 1,515 and maintained an Overweight rating on the shares. ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) also received a rating update from BofA on June 4, with the firm lifting the price target on the stock to EUR 1,921 from EUR 1,710 and maintaining a Buy rating on the shares following the company’s technology conference. The firm told investors in a research note that ASML Holding’s (NASDAQ:ASML) extreme ultraviolet lithography capacity could increase beyond 90 units by 2027 as it reduces lead times and finds assembly efficiencies. The firm also sees China’s demand recovering in 2027.

ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) is involved in the development, production, marketing, sales, upgrading, and servicing of advanced semiconductor equipment systems. It includes lithography, metrology, and inspection systems.

8. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 170

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is one of the best trending AI stocks to watch in 2026. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was downgraded by KGI Securities to Hold from Outperform on June 22, with the firm setting a price target of $315. In a separate development, Reuters reported on June 17 that CEO Tim Cook told the Wall Street Journal ​in an interview that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) plans to increase prices on its products due to the increasing memory and storage chip costs.

It further reported that an increase in AI-driven demand for data centers has led to fierce competition between consumer electronics companies for the decreasing supplies of the key components, which is resulting in sharp price hikes. Cook told WSJ that price increases are unfortunately “unavoidable” and that the company is doing its best to “mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying ​to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable.” He, however, did not disclose how much prices could hike, when they may occur, or which products could be impacted.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) designs, manufactures, and sells smartphones, personal computers, wearables, accessories, and related products and services worldwide.

7. Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 173

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is one of the best trending AI stocks to watch in 2026. Reuters reported on June 18 that Architect Labs announced that it has raised $24 million in seed funding to build a company that ​will employ AI to speed and ease the design ‌of custom chips. It further stated that Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) and its rival Marvell help design custom AI and other general-purpose computing chips for cloud computing companies like Alphabet and Amazon, with the custom chips designed by the two companies generating tens of billions of dollars in revenue and offering an alternative to Nvidia’s hardware.

Reuters stated that Architect Labs aims to make the process cheaper and faster, as it presently takes around two years and costs hundreds ​of millions of dollars in labor costs and research and development. Architect co-founder Ebrahim Hussain stated in an interview with Reuters that the biggest problem at present is “not necessarily the backend execution or the layout,” but rather “their biggest thing is how can I take this workload that I want to deliver to the world, whether it be AI or robotics or anything ​like that, and ​how can I ⁠build the (chip) architecture.”

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is a leading multinational technology company specializing in semiconductor and infrastructure software products. Its semiconductor and semiconductor-based solutions serve markets across networking connectivity, broadband, servers and storage systems, wireless device connectivity, and industrial. The company’s infrastructure software solutions serve markets including cybersecurity, private cloud, mainframe software, enterprise software, and Fibre Channel storage area network management.

6. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 234

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is one of the best trending AI stocks to watch in 2026. Susquehanna lifted the price target on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) to $575 from $500 on June 22 and maintained a Positive rating on the shares. The firm updated its model, including its capex and capacity strategy, which it believes will exceed both consensus and buy-side expectations. Susquehanna believes that the key uncertainty remains how token growth and the associated silicon requirements could drive potential supply-demand imbalances.

For reference, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) announced its May 2026 revenue report on June 10, reporting that on a consolidated basis, revenue for May 2026 was approximately NT$416.98 billion, reflecting an increase of 1.5% from April 2026 and an increase of 30.1% from May 2025. It added that revenue for January through May 2026 totaled NT$1,961.80 billion, up 30.0% compared to the same period in 2025.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is the largest contract semiconductor manufacturer in the world. Some of its prominent customers include semiconductor companies that outsource all or part of their chip production, including Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia, Broadcom, and more.

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