10 best stocks to buy in 2026, based on February 2026 data

Updated October 23, 2026

Finding good investment advice is a challenge, and uncertainty never goes away. Quality tends to work when there is plenty of it about. The speed of market volatility and technological advancement has increased in the past few years, which is why the best stocks to buy in 2026 are the ones with a durable business behind them rather than the loudest story. This list ranks ten of them on figures reported through February 2026.

In 2025, the S&P 500 displayed 16% revenue growth. The S&P 500 has been showing double-digit growth for three consecutive years already. This proves the fact that high-quality companies can cope with uncertainty. Furthermore, they can thrive in constant change. You can consider high-quality investment companies with characteristics such as:

• Strong brands.

• Barriers to entry.

• Best-in-class management teams.

Quality companies often exhibit low volatility in earnings estimates. It indicates predictability. The best companies to invest in have significant competitive advantages and predictable cash flows. As more high-quality companies are looking undervalued, the US market is starting to look a little less expensive.

Investors may want to own companies that offer some sense of certainty in terms of cash flows and company fundamentals. Market pullbacks can provide opportunities to buy quality stocks at lower prices. Cloud computing, healthcare, and AI infrastructure are market sectors targeted by investors.

The AI-driven technology sector reached a 24.6% return on investment (ROI) in 2025, driven by AI. Many investors do significant research into a company before buying its stock, performing fundamental analysis. Technical analysis involves analyzing historical price movements to predict future stock price trends.

This guide offers stock recommendations from analysts on Wall Street and global leaders in AI implementation, like Nvidia and Microsoft, to healthcare giants Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Buying any of them starts with an account, so read the broker comparison before you place the first order.

Key takeaways

AI stocks: Nvidia stock and Microsoft stock lead infrastructure growth

Best investments for long-term investing: Cloud and AI top incremental profits

Top stocks 2026: Amazon stock, Alphabet stock, Meta stock, Scale AI

Semiconductor stocks: Broadcom stock, ASML stock, TSMC stock power AI

GLP 1 stocks: Eli Lilly stock and Novo Nordisk stock lead

Best stocks to buy now: Balance AI, cloud, and healthcare

All statistics in the article courtesy of StockRover.

How this list was built

Four numbers repeat under every name. Market capitalization in 2026, the average number of shares traded per day over the last 30 days, the price move over the past year, and the move since the stock first began trading. Below those sits the latest reported quarter: revenue, its growth rate, and margin where the company publishes one. Share counts and price history come from StockRover, and every headline financial figure links to the company release it came from. Nothing here is a forecast unless the text names it as an analyst projection.

All statistics in the article courtesy of StockRover

1. NVIDIA (NVDA)

Market capitalization in 2026: 4.66T USD

Average # of shares traded per day for the last 30 days: 165.92M

Price increase over the past year: +44.56%

Price increase since it first began trading (MAX): 456,850.00%

NVIDIA (NVDA) is the primary supplier for AI training and inference, with its share price rising over 40% in 2025. NVIDIA's stock is projected to rise incrementally as the demand for its GPUs grows. This GPUs craze is caused by AI model development, where NVIDIA's GPUs are considered top tier.

In Q2 FY26, the company’s revenue experienced unprecedented growth. It rose by 56%, to $46.7 billion. This surge is an indicator of pricing power. Data center revenue was $41.1 billion, which was also +56% year over year, even though Blackwell Data Center revenue grew 17% on a quarterly basis. With a gross margin of nearly 72.7%, NVIDIA is the largest beneficiary of the AI boom and among the best companies to invest in for long-term success. Analysts also track its continued growth and vast resources.

2. Microsoft (MSFT)

Market capitalization in 2026: $3.07T

Average # of shares traded per day for the last 30 days: 684.06M

Price increase over the past year: 1.55%

Price increase since it first began trading (MAX): 401,220.00%

Microsoft's stock offers stable growth over time. In FY25 Q4, the company's revenue reached $76.4 billion (+18% year over year), while its operating income climbed 23% to $34.3 billion.

With a 34% annual growth rate, Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform now brings in over $75 billion annually. Microsoft's cloud business is expected to remain its biggest growth driver due to rising demand for AI and cloud services. Because of this, Azure is one of the most valuable cloud companies globally and is a major factor in Microsoft's long-term growth. To create more value, it balances innovation and strong financial performance by integrating AI into Office, GitHub, and enterprise products. Microsoft is among the top stocks in 2026. Microsoft is an example for others to monitor.

3. Amazon (AMZN)

Market capitalization in 2026: $2.22T

Average # of shares traded per day for the last 30 days: 53M

Price decrease over the past year: -12.2%

Price increase since it first began trading (MAX): 220,777.78%

Business expansion and e-commerce growth have influenced Amazon’s stock success. In the second quarter of 2025, the company's net sales came to $167.7 billion, a +13% increase from the past year. AWS contributed $30.9B (+17.5% y/y) while advertising revenue climbed to $15.7B (+23% y/y).

The main asset for investors worldwide is still Amazon Web Services (AWS), which underpins Amazon's profitability. To generate more money, advertising broadens the company's business beyond retail. Amazon's multiple revenue streams are growing at the same time, making it one of the best investments to buy now for long-term success. Many investors pay close attention to its numbers, which you can search up on sites like Yahoo Finance.

4. Alphabet (GOOGL)

Market capitalization in 2026: $3.77T

Average # of shares traded per day for the last 30 days: 23.44M

Price increase over the past year: 64.7%

Price increase since it first began trading (MAX): 996.06%

Alphabet's stock has solidified its position as a global leader in AI and digital services in 2025. With Google Cloud alone, Alphabet gained $13.6 billion. The company’s revenue amounted to $96.4 billion in Q2 2025.

Feeling the momentum, Alphabet made an announcement of its $85 billion capital expenditure plan. The Alphabet plans to expand its data centers and AI infrastructure. This move labels Alphabet as one of the most aggressive AI investments worldwide.

Alphabet's market capitalization hit $3 trillion in September 2025. This milestone was treated as a green light by investors who had the company and AI stocks on their radars.

5. Meta (META)

Market capitalization in 2026: $1.7T

Average # of shares traded per day for the last 30 days: 16.92M

Price decrease over the past year: -10.69%

Price increase since it first began trading (MAX): 1,573.48%

An illustration of how big tech is expanding to meet the demand for AI is the 2025 Meta stock. In Q2 2025 alone, Meta reported a 22% year-over-year increase in revenue. It reached $47.5B and $7.14 EPS.

Meta plans to spend up to $72 billion on its data center and specialized AI chip projects. With a social media company image, this makes Meta look more like a major infrastructure player. Investors looking to benefit from platform expansion and AI stocks can consider Meta as their best high-quality option. The company is on the board with the AI infrastructure development trend and has been instrumental in the industry.

6. Broadcom (AVGO)

Market capitalization in 2026: $1.56T

Average # of shares traded per day for the last 30 days: 26.4M

Price increase over the past year: 42.29%

Price increase since it first began trading (MAX): 19,727.44%

Broadcom is the leading semiconductor manufacturer. As a technology leader, Broadcom prioritizes infrastructure software and semiconductor development. In Q3 of FY25, the company hit $16.0 billion in revenue.

It rounded up to 22% annual growth. A huge chunk of the revenue came from AI chip sales. They reached $5.2 billion in revenue and are projected to reach $6.2 billion in Q4.

Broadcom anticipates over $19 billion in revenue from AI semiconductors in 2026. Broadcom's strong pricing power and strategic focus are backed by the CEO's incentives. They bet on AI-powered projects. Broadcom is a top semiconductor stock for 2026 because it gives investors a clear route to the rapid adoption of AI hardware. It offers immense future potential.

7. ASML (ASML)

Market capitalization in 2026: $557.33B

Average # of shares traded per day for the last 30 days: 2.11M

Price increase over the past year: 98.75%

Price increase since it first began trading (MAX): 48,237.11%

Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography (ASML) stock is a cornerstone of semiconductor innovations worldwide. Their net sales in Q4 of 2025 were €7.7 billion. It might seem like not much. However, ASML's gross margin hit over 53%. Experts project sales to rise by 15%, with margins up to 53% in 2026.

ASML is the sole provider of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment, which is one of the main components of AI chips. Because of its position, it is not only the most significant semiconductor stock in Europe but also a strategic asset on a global scale.

8. TSMC (TSM)

Market capitalization in 2026: $1.57T

Average # of shares traded per day for the last 30 days: 2.08K

Price increase over the past year: 72.16%

Price increase since it first began trading (MAX): 72.16%

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is the biggest contract chipmaker worldwide. In 2026, its stock dominates the market. TSMC had an over $30 billion revenue for the Q2 of 2025, with operating and gross margins at over 49% and 58%.

To catch up with the AI demand, TSMC is increasing the capacity of CoWoS advanced packaging to 75,000 wafers per month. TSMC is one of the best stocks for investors right now because it is the silent engine that powers market leaders like Nvidia and Broadcom.

9. Eli Lilly (LLY)

Market capitalization in 2026: $969.02B

Average # of shares traded per day for the last 30 days: 3.4M

Price decrease over the past year: 3.23%

Price increase since it first began trading (MAX): 14,589.27%

At the top of the GLP-1 market is Eli Lilly's stock. Eli Lilly's innovative medications for diabetes and obesity has been ramping up its commercial growth. With headquarters in the US, Eli Lilly is a pharmaceutical corporation that specializes in immunology, oncology, and endocrinology treatments.

Eli Lilly's revenue went up 38% from the previous year in Q2 2025. It rounded up to over $15.5 billion, and allowed the company increased its full-year guidance to $60 billion. Its main development areas are medical innovation and pharmaceutical scale, which they constantly increase to grow GLP-1 treatment worldwide. With the potential for both immediate and long-term growth, this makes it one of the greatest businesses to invest in the healthcare field.

10. Novo Nordisk (NVO)

Market capitalization in 2026: $167.73B

Average # of shares traded per day for the last 30 days: 25.11M

Price decrease over the past year: 39.79%

Price increase since it first began trading (MAX): 32,946.67%

Novo Nordisk is another company in the GLP-1 market. It is a Danish company that specializes in hormone therapies, diabetes care, and obesity treatments.

Novo Nordisk's sales hit over $24.7 billion in H1 2025 with an 18% annual growth. The company's profit increased by 29%, too. As the global adoption of obesity and diabetes treatments picks up speed, Novo Nordisk solidifies its position as a leading GLP-1 stock. The company finds a way to balance high-tech investments in semiconductors and artificial intelligence while offering investors steady growth in the healthcare sector. An analyst's report might discuss how to track this stock on an app, a site, or a public message board.

How to read a list like this

Take Novo Nordisk. The share price is down 39.79% over the past year, while H1 2025 sales rose 18% to over $24.7 billion and profit rose 29%. Those two facts point in opposite directions, and the gap is the whole question: the market is pricing competition in the GLP-1 field, not last year's results. Nvidia shows the mirror image. Price up 44.56% on the year, revenue up 56% in Q2 FY26, business and share price moving together. A falling price next to rising sales is not automatically a bargain, and a rising price next to rising sales is not automatically safe.

The second check is overlap. Broadcom, ASML and TSMC all sell into the same AI hardware cycle, so holding all three is closer to one position than to three. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk compete in the same GLP-1 market, which makes them a single healthcare bet with two tickers. Counting names is not the same as spreading risk. Two of the ten also trade outside the United States, ASML in Amsterdam and Novo Nordisk in Copenhagen, so market access matters as much as the pick itself.

None of this is a signal to buy on the day you read it. Pull the latest quarterly filing for each name, decide in advance how much of the portfolio one theme is allowed to take, then choose a venue that reaches both US and European listings. Our list of brokers puts fees, minimum deposits and market access side by side, which is the fastest way to rule out half the options before you fund an account.

Stock recommendations FAQs

Are AI stocks overhyped in 2026?

Although some AI stocks appear pricey, Nvidia's and Microsoft's 2025 stock shows robust earnings growth, which supports valuations. Investors should consider market risk and growth prospects when purchasing them.

How do semiconductor stocks compare to big tech stocks in 2026?

Companies like Broadcom, ASML, and TSMC are in the semiconductor stock team. They provide essential AI hardware. On the other hand, companies like Amazon and Alphabet monetize AI on a large scale and present a commercial AI stock team. You don't have to choose between the two. Instead, you can go for both for better ROI chances.

What risks do GLP-1 stocks face in 2026?

Competition is GLP-1 stocks' weakness. Company stocks like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly don't perform well under pressure. However, their long-term growth is projected to be steady because of the ever-increasing demand for diabetes and obesity medications.

Which stocks are best for 2026 and safer in volatile markets?

Microsoft's stock provides resilience through recurring enterprise revenue, while the stocks of healthcare leaders Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are comparatively defensive.

Is it better to focus on one sector or diversify assets?

Risk can be balanced by diversifying among AI, semiconductor, and GLP-1 stocks or by looking at mutual funds or bonds for stable alternatives. Index funds are inherently diversified, at least among the segment of the market they track. Concentrating on one sector does not necessarily guarantee higher returns, though it may increase volatility. Trading individual stocks requires a dedicated brokerage account and knowledge of when to sell.