In this piece, we discuss the 7 Best AI Advertising Stocks to Buy.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the advertising industry from multiple directions at once, and recent developments point to three distinct trends behind that transformation.
In late 2025, CNBC reported that Build American AI, an advocacy group backed by the AI super PAC Leading the Future, launched a $10 million campaign pushing Congress toward a national AI regulatory framework that would preempt state laws. Donors behind the effort include Andreessen Horowitz, SV Angel’s Ron Conway, OpenAI’s Greg Brockman, and Palantir’s Joe Lonsdale, underscoring how deeply AI’s biggest backers are now embedded in policy fights that will shape the industry’s operating environment.
Meanwhile, consumer sentiment toward AI in advertising itself is proving complicated.
CNBC reported on January 1, 2026, that Porsche’s hand-sketched, largely AI-free animated ad drew praise online, arriving weeks after Coca-Cola’s AI-generated Christmas ad faced backlash from critics who called it soulless. Wharton marketing professor Americus Reed told CNBC that brands able to pair AI tools with authentic storytelling will gain an edge, while uninspired use of the technology could backfire.
On the infrastructure side, Forbes reported last year that eMarketer projects U.S. advertisers will direct more than $25 billion toward AI-powered search advertising by 2029, up from roughly $1.04 billion in 2025, as platforms like Shopify build real-time product feeds for AI shopping agents.
With that context in mind, let’s dive into our list of the best AI advertising stocks to buy.
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Our Methodology
To curate our list for this article, we relied on financial media sources to identify AI advertising stocks. We then narrowed the list to those with a low short percentage of float (%) and ranked them in descending order. These stocks are also popular among hedge funds and analysts.
Note: All data extracted as of June 15, 2026.
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’s 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).
7. Viant Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:DSP)
Short Float: 5.24%
Viant Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:DSP), with an upside potential of 53.15%, ranks among the best AI advertising stocks to buy.
Analyst coverage on Viant Technology Inc. has stayed upbeat through May, and the company followed with a fresh platform launch in June that builds on the competitive data advantage those analysts cite.
On May 12, 2026, DA Davidson raised its price target on Viant Technology Inc. to $16.50 from $16.00 and kept a “Buy” rating, citing solid first-quarter results with CexT slightly ahead of consensus. The firm said this year’s growth drivers remain intact: strong advertiser demand for CTV ads and expanding use of Viant’s AI-powered product suite.
That same day, Citizens reiterated a “Market Outperform” rating and $16.00 price target, saying Viant Technology Inc. is executing well on its enterprise pipeline and should see further share gains through 2026. The firm called its newest AI offering, Outcomes, another catalyst into 2027 as Viant pushes down market to SMB advertisers, and pointed to data assets, including Household ID, IRIS ID, and TVision data, acquired in early May, as difficult to replicate. Citizens views the risk/reward as attractive at roughly 6.4 times the 2027 estimated EBITDA.
On June 11, 2026, Viant Technology Inc. integrated those same data assets into enhanced Publisher Solutions, a centralized toolset giving publishers and advertisers shared access to monetization and supply insights. More than 20 partners, including LG Ads and TCL, joined the free rollout, anchored by SupplyIQ, a publisher dashboard built on Direct Access, Household ID, and IRIS ID data. CEO Tim Vanderhook said the goal is to be a more transparent marketplace with access to premium, signal-rich supply.
Viant Technology Inc. operates a cloud-based demand side platform for programmatic digital advertising across connected TV, streaming audio, digital out-of-home, mobile, and desktop channels.
6. AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ:APP)
Short Float: 5.00%
AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ:APP) is one of the best AI advertising stocks to buy, with an upside potential of 33.86%. The stock has drawn analyst attention as AppLovin approaches two general availability launches that could shape both its growth trajectory and near-term volatility.
On June 10, 2026, Benchmark reiterated a “Buy” rating and $775.00 price target on AppLovin Corporation shares. Analyst Mike Hickey said AppLovin’s recent investor presentation reinforced management’s view that its consumer advertising business remains in early stages, with a general availability milestone expected by the end of June to expand functionality, total addressable market, and advertiser accessibility. Management pointed to a disciplined rollout strategy, wallet share expansion opportunities, and AEBITDA margins above 80%, along with long-term growth vectors across demand and supply.
That same day, BofA Securities reiterated a “Buy” rating on AppLovin Corporation and $705.00 price target, flagging increased volatility heading into summer as the Axon self-serve platform opens to the public. The firm cited uncertain adoption pace, shifting intra-quarter sentiment from channel checks, and possible check-accuracy degradation as the advertiser base grows. BofA’s 2027 revenue model sits 14% above consensus, assuming 20,000 advertisers by the end of 2026 and 60,000 by the end of 2027, though it cautioned that those estimates could prove too high within months.
The setup follows Citi’s June 2, 2026, note, adding a 90-day upside catalyst watch with a “Buy” rating and $710 price target on AppLovin Corporation, pointing to the e-commerce platform’s planned general availability by June 30 as a potential driver of store growth and e-commerce revenue acceleration.
AppLovin Corporation enables businesses to advertise profitably with marketing technologies that attract customers, increase revenue, and track ad performance. The company provides end-to-end software and AI solutions for businesses to reach, monetize, and grow their global audiences.
5. Perion Network Ltd. (NASDAQ:PERI)
Short Float: 1.90%
Perion Network Ltd. (NASDAQ:PERI) is one of the best AI advertising stocks to buy, with an upside potential of 54.39%. The company is leaning into programmatic out-of-home advertising even as it navigates a mixed first quarter.
On June 3, 2026, Perion Network Ltd. introduced new capabilities at WOO London spanning campaign planning, guaranteed delivery, and measurement for Programmatic Digital Out of Home (DOOH) advertising. Ask Perion turns DOOH planning into a conversational, agentic experience, letting buyers describe budget, market, audience, and goals in natural language and get a structured media plan. DOOH SOV (Share of Voice), a new guaranteed-delivery campaign type inside Perion One, brings the 75% to 80% of DOOH spend still booked directly into the same infrastructure used for programmatic demand. Curated Measurement connects planning inputs, delivery data, and outcome signals in one workflow, surfacing performance indicators alongside activation rather than through “after-the-fact” third-party studies.
That product push follows a mixed quarter.
On May 21, 2026, Lake Street cut its price target on Perion Network Ltd. to $13 from $14 while keeping a “Buy” rating, saying it was surprised to see advertising solutions revenue decline year-over-year, though it expects a back-half recovery. Perion’s first-quarter results, reported May 20, 2026, showed total revenue up 1% to $90.4 million, with DOOH spend up 29%, and CTV spend up 68% year-over-year, even as Advertising Solutions revenue fell 4% on web-channel softness.
Perion Network Ltd. reiterated 2026 guidance of $215 million to $235 million in contribution ex-TAC (Total Acquisition Cost) and $50 million to $54 million in adjusted EBITDA.
Perion Network Ltd. is a global advertising technology company that helps brands, agencies, and retailers optimize digital marketing through its AI-powered Perion One platform, offering data-driven targeting, creative, and campaign solutions.
4. MNTN, Inc. (NYSE:MNTN)
Short Float: 1.65%
MNTN, Inc. (NYSE:MNTN), with an upside potential of 113.13%, ranks among the best AI advertising stocks to buy.
MNTN, Inc. is accelerating its push into measurable, performance-driven television advertising, a theme reflected in both its newest product integration and recent analyst coverage of the stock.
MNTN, Inc., the Connected TV performance marketing platform, announced a new integration with HubSpot that brings CTV performance data directly into the CRM workflows B2B marketers already use. The companies say MNTN is the first CTV platform to feed TV ad activity back into HubSpot down to the individual contact, allowing teams to see exactly which prospects were exposed to a given ad.
The integration reflects strong customer overlap between the two platforms: more than 90% of MNTN, Inc.’s advertisers are entering television for the first time, many of them B2B and SaaS marketers who expect the same attribution and measurable outcomes they get from search, social, and email. CEO Mark Douglas said the move reflects MNTN’s goal of making television as measurable and performance-driven as those channels, connecting TV’s impact directly to the sales pipeline.
That product push comes as Raymond James has grown more bullish on the stock. Early last month, the firm raised its price target on MNTN, Inc. to $15 from $14 while keeping an “Outperform” rating, citing a solid first quarter with slightly better-than-expected revenue, continued customer growth, and improving margins from hosting efficiencies.
The analyst said MNTN, Inc.’s outlook still points to reaccelerating growth in the second half of 2026 and meaningful EBITDA margin expansion, supported by divestiture benefits, infrastructure leverage, and sustained SMB demand and product leadership.
MNTN Inc. works as a technology platform that connects performance marketing with Connected TV. It provides self-serve technology to its consumers, which allows broadcasting TV commercials as simply as using search and social media. This platform helps to drive measurable conversions, site visits, revenue, and more.
3. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)
Short Float: 1.47%
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is one of the best AI advertising stocks to buy, with an upside potential of 44.39%.
Meta’s AI buildout is advancing on three fronts at once: new consumer-facing features, an internal reckoning over how the shift is being managed, and a steadily rising spending plan to support it all.
On June 15, 2026, Meta Platforms, Inc. rolled out new AI features on Facebook to help users find information, create photos and videos, and complete tasks. AI Mode uses Meta AI, powered by the company’s Muse Spark model, to surface answers from publicly shared content across Groups and Reels directly inside Facebook’s Feed and search. Meta also added AI editing tools for video montages, opt-in camera roll sharing suggestions, and photo presets that let users change clothing, hair, and accessories, including virtually wearing sports jerseys.
That product push comes amid an internal review of Meta’s AI transformation.
In a June 12, 2026, internal memo reported by Reuters, CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees the company has made mistakes in restructuring its workforce around AI and will likely make more, while reiterating that Meta Platforms, Inc. does not expect further company-wide layoffs this year. The memo follows a May restructuring that cut 10% of staff globally and reassigned 7,000 employees to AI-related work; Zuckerberg said Meta will try to find new roles for those workers as it scales back manager oversight ratios.
Those workforce shifts are supporting a broader AI strategy: Meta Platforms, Inc.’s first-quarter revenue rose 33% to $56.31 billion, and full-year 2026 capital expenditures guidance was raised to $125 billion to $145 billion.
Meta Platforms, Inc. develops products that allow people to share and connect with their family and friends using PCs, mobile devices, virtual reality (VR) headsets, and AI glasses. Some of its well-known apps include Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. It operates in the Reality Labs (RL) and Family of Apps (FoA) segments.
2. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)
Short Float: 1.42%
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL), with an upside potential of 19.55%, ranks among the best AI advertising stocks to buy.
On June 15, 2026, Alphabet Inc.’s Google announced a $1.5 billion investment across 2026 and 2027 to expand its data center campus in Jackson County, Alabama, alongside new energy affordability and community education initiatives. Google has operated in Jackson County since 2018, and the company framed the expansion around responsibly scaling local infrastructure, energy programs, and jobs.
The Jackson County campus began operations in 2019 on the site of Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) retired Widows Creek coal plant, allowing Alphabet Inc. to reuse existing electric infrastructure. Google has contracted more than 300 MW of new generation capacity for the Tennessee Valley region, building on a 2025 partnership with Kairos Power and TVA for up to 50 MW of advanced nuclear power. In line with the White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, Google said it will pay for 100% of the power it uses and cover infrastructure costs tied to its operations.
To support energy affordability, Alphabet Inc. launched a $2 million Energy Impact Fund with TVA and the Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama, aimed at weatherization and efficiency upgrades for schools and income-qualified households. The company also announced a $550,000 donation for STEM kits across the Jackson County School District, grades 4-8, building on existing robotics programs and the YouScience aptitude initiative.
State Senate Majority Leader Steve Livingston and Jackson County Site Lead Thomas Gamble both highlighted the partnership’s role in regional development. Alphabet Inc. noted that it has contributed more than $28 million in philanthropic giving in Alabama since 2009 and has trained over 130,000 Alabamians in digital skills through partnerships with regional colleges and universities.
The expansion builds on the hundreds of jobs the existing data center supports and is expected to bring more than 1,000 contract workers to the site during construction.
Alphabet Inc. is a holding company that operates Google services, including search engines, ad platforms, Internet browsers, devices, mapping software, app stores, video streaming, and more. The company also offers cloud infrastructure and platform services, collaboration tools, and other services for enterprise customers, as well as healthcare-related services and internet services.
1. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)
Short Float: 0.94%
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is one of the best AI advertising stocks to buy, with an upside potential of 34.14%.
On June 15, 2026, Amazon.com, Inc. announced plans to invest $10 billion in Montgomery County, Missouri, to build a new data center campus. The project is expected to create more than 400 full-time data center jobs and thousands of construction jobs, while generating over $7 million in community contributions. Local officials estimate the investment will produce hundreds of millions of dollars in new property tax revenue over the next 25 years.
The project builds on Amazon.com, Inc.’s existing footprint in Missouri, where the company already employs more than 10,000 people across fulfillment and sortation centers, delivery stations, Rural Super Rural delivery stations, and Whole Foods Market locations. Of the $7 million in community contributions, $3 million will support emergency dispatch services in Montgomery County, more than $1 million will fund a new gathering space at the County Fairgrounds, and an additional $3 million will go toward community programs.
Amazon.com, Inc. is also launching a $150,000 Community Fund to provide grants for local projects.
Amazon.com, Inc. said it has worked with Ameren Missouri, the local electric utility, and will cover 100% of the costs to provide electric service to the new campus, including all grid connection costs, with no rate incentives or discounts. Separately, the company is partnering with agricultural technology firm Arable Labs to help Missouri farmers improve irrigation efficiency and reduce unnecessary watering, a step expected to cut water use by 100 million gallons.
Amazon.com, Inc. said the investment builds on Missouri’s growing role in the digital economy and supports rising global demand for secure, reliable, and scalable cloud computing infrastructure.
Amazon.com Inc. operates across e-commerce, digital content, advertising, and cloud computing. Its online and offline stores offer both in-house and third-party products, while its Amazon Web Services (AWS) division runs one of the world’s largest data center networks.
