In this article, we will list the 5 Best Debt-Free S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now. Please visit 10 Best Debt-Free S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now if you would like to see the extended list and the methodology behind it.
5. First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)
On May 27, 2026, GLJ Research analyst Gordon Johnson upgraded First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) to Buy from Hold with a price target of $315, up from $207.82. Johnson cited resolved cancellation risk and the launch of the company’s Series 6 CuRe, or Copper Replacement, at its manufacturing campus in Perrysburg, Ohio.
Earlier in the month, Freedom Broker upgraded First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) to Buy from Hold with a price target of $260, up from $250, following the Q1 report. Freedom Broker said Section 232 tariffs could bring upside to First Solar’s U.S. business and materially increase domestic demand for the company’s products.
Last month, First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) reported Q1 EPS of $3.22, ahead of the consensus estimate of $2.98. Revenue totaled $1.04B, below the consensus estimate of $1.05B. CEO Mark Widmar said First Solar delivered a “strong start” to 2026, with record first-quarter revenue, record sales in India, margin expansion, and adjusted EBITDA above the top end of its first-quarter preview range. Widmar also cited the company’s differentiated technology, domestic manufacturing footprint, and independence from Chinese crystalline silicon supply chains.
First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) provides photovoltaic solar energy solutions in the United States, France, India, Chile, and internationally.
4. Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ:CTSH)
On May 27, 2026, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ:CTSH) said it is working with Travelport on a strategic AI transformation that will deploy Anthropic’s Claude to modernize how Travelport builds, tests, and maintains software across its travel retailing and distribution platforms. The collaboration is aimed at accelerating AI-led innovation for airlines, hoteliers, travel management companies, and online travel agencies, while embedding AI features within Travelport’s platform. The initial focus is Travelport Trip Services, which handles bookings, exchanges, refunds, and servicing, with first customer-facing capabilities expected to reach the market this year.
On May 21, 2026, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ:CTSH) announced accelerated share repurchase agreements with Truist Bank and BNP Paribas to repurchase an aggregate of $500M of its Class A common stock. The ASR is part of the company’s updated 2026 share repurchase plan announced on May 18.
Earlier in May, Cognizant also launched Cognizant Secure AI Services, an integrated offering designed to help enterprises secure, govern, and scale AI and agentic systems across their operations.
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ:CTSH) provides consulting, technology, and outsourcing services in North America, Europe, and internationally.
3. F5, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV)
On May 26, 2026, Barclays raised the firm’s price target on F5, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV) to $435 from $365 and maintained an Overweight rating on the shares ahead of the company’s investor day on May 28. Barclays said the underlying drivers for F5 are accelerating as its portfolio becomes more critical for enterprise customers adopting hybrid-cloud environments.
On May 19, 2026, RBC Capital analyst Matthew Hedberg raised the firm’s price target on F5, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV) to $425 from $375 and maintained an Outperform rating on the shares. Hedberg said F5 is in the early innings of a multi-quarter hardware “refresh plus” cycle, amplified by growing AI workloads. RBC also said AI could help drive above-trend software growth and expects these areas to be a focus of F5’s May 28 analyst day.
Last month, F5, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV) reported fiscal Q2 adjusted EPS of $3.90, ahead of the consensus estimate of $3.44. Revenue totaled $811.7M, above the consensus estimate of $779.38M. Chairman, President, and CEO Francois Locoh-Donou said revenue grew 11% year-over-year to $812 million, driven by 22% product revenue growth, marking the company’s seventh straight quarter of double-digit product growth. Locoh-Donou also cited demand tied to hybrid multicloud adoption, cybersecurity threats, and an inflection in AI inference.
F5, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV) provides multicloud application security and delivery solutions in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific region.
2. Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL)
On May 26, 2026, Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL) announced that the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska, selected Tyler’s enterprise Payments platform. The cloud-based platform will help Anchorage manage the full payments life cycle, including billing, presentment, revenue collection, fund settlement, financial reconciliation, and reporting. Tyler said the platform will also help centralize revenue collection, improve financial visibility, and provide a more modern payment experience for residents and businesses.
On May 19, 2026, Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL) signed an agreement with the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service in Australia for Tyler’s Recreation Management solution. The system will help the park service improve booking for more than 1 million annual visitors, consolidate more than a dozen systems, and streamline point of sale, camping, and activity bookings.
Earlier in the month, Truist analyst Terry Tillman raised the firm’s price target on Tyler Technologies to $440 from $400 and maintained a Buy rating on the shares. Tillman cited 11% revenue growth, 23.5% SAS revenue growth, and 10% growth in annualized recurring revenue.
Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL) provides integrated software and technology management solutions for the public sector in the United States.
1. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)
On May 27, 2026, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang said the company plans to invest about $150B per year in Taiwan, Reuters’ Wen-Yee Lee reported. Huang described Taiwan as the “epicentre” of the AI revolution and a long-term global hub for technology manufacturing. Speaking at a launch celebration in Taipei for Nvidia’s planned Taiwan headquarters, Huang said Nvidia’s annual spending in Taiwan has risen from about $10B-$15B four or five years ago to $100B, with plans to reach $150B each year.
On the same day, Tigress Financial raised the firm’s price target on NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) to $425 from $360 and maintained a Strong Buy rating on the shares. Tigress said Nvidia remains “the core infrastructure engine of the AI factory era” and a “must-own core holding for the AI investment cycle.” The firm noted that its 12-month target price implies a potential total return, including dividends, of 98% from current levels.
On May 20, 2026, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $1.87, ahead of the consensus estimate of $1.77. Revenue totaled $81.6B, above the consensus estimate of $79.12B. Founder and CEO Jensen Huang said the buildout of AI factories is “accelerating at extraordinary speed,” while agentic AI is scaling across companies and industries. Huang added that Nvidia is positioned “at the center of this transformation” through its platform spanning hyperscale data centers to the edge.
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) operates as a data center-scale AI infrastructure company through its Compute & Networking and Graphics segments.
While we acknowledge the potential of NVDA to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NVDA and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 15 High Growth Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Next Decade and 12 Strong Buy Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Next 5 Years
Disclosure: None. Insider Monkey focuses on uncovering the best investment ideas of hedge funds and insiders. Please subscribe to our free daily e-newsletter to get the latest investment ideas from hedge funds’ investor letters by entering your email address below.
