My Top 2 AI Stocks to Buy for 2026 (and Hold for Years)

By Lyle Daly – Mar 22, 2026 at 10:11PM ESTKey PointsNvidia is the largest public company in the world, yet it still trades at an affordable valuation given its earnings growth.Meta Platforms has used AI to drive growth in impressions and conversions with its ads business.Like many investors, I've put a portion of my portfolio into artificial intelligence (AI) companies. AI technology seems to get more advanced with every new model, and the United Nations Trade and Development projects that the AI market will reach $4.8 trillion in 2033. My top AI stocks are businesses that I believe have high growth potential over the next decade without carrying excessive risk. There are two in particular that look like fantastic investments right now, especially given the tech sector's recent downturn. Image source: Nvidia. 1.

Nvidia Considering Nvidia (NVDA 3.28%) is the world's largest public company, you can't exactly say it's overlooked, but it may still be underestimated given the tremendous results it's delivering. Revenue is rapidly growing, most recently to $68.1 billion in the fourth quarter of its 2026 fiscal year (ended Jan. 25), a 73% year-over-year increase. The chipmaker also maintains strong margins, with gross margins reaching 75% in the same Q4 2026 period. ExpandNASDAQ: NVDANvidiaToday's Change(-3.28%) $-5.86Current Price$172.70Key Data PointsMarket Cap$4.2TDay's Range$171.72 - $178.2652wk Range$86.62 - $212.19Volume241MAvg Vol174MGross Margin71.07%Dividend Yield0.02% In total, Nvidia generated $215.9 billion in revenue during its 2026 fiscal year. And if CEO Jensen Huang is correct, sales growth isn't going to slow down from here. At the company's annual GTC conference, he said that he expects "at least $1 trillion" in revenue from data center products through 2027. Even though Nvidia has a massive market cap, it still looks like a bargain when you factor in its projected earnings and earnings growth. It trades at 22 times forward earnings as of March 19, below fellow tech giant Alphabet and chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices. In addition, the company's forward-P/E-to-growth (PEG) ratio is below 0.4, indicating that you can buy Nvidia stock at a low price relative to its growth rate. 2.

Meta Platforms When I wrote that AI technology seems to get more advanced with every new model, Meta Platforms (META 2.11%) would be an exception. Earlier this month, reports emerged that it had to delay the launch of its next AI model, Avocado, due to performance issues. That's not exactly great news from a company projecting capital expenditures of up to $135 billion this year, primarily to fund AI infrastructure. But the delay isn't a major issue, and the silver lining is that it made Meta shares even more affordable. The social media company is trading at 21 times forward earnings, making it even cheaper than Nvidia by that metric. ExpandNASDAQ: METAMeta PlatformsToday's Change(-2.11%) $-12.80Current Price$593.89Key Data PointsMarket Cap$1.5TDay's Range$587.26 - $604.1752wk Range$479.80 - $796.25Volume1.1MAvg Vol14MGross Margin82.00%Dividend Yield0.35% Meta has also been getting excellent results from AI so far, specifically with its ads business, which is its biggest source of revenue. Improvements in its Generative Ads Recommendation Model (GEM) led to a 3.5% increase in ad clicks on Facebook and an over-1% gain in conversions on Instagram in the fourth quarter of 2025. Meta's ad impressions increased by 18% that quarter, and the company also brought in a record $59.9 billion in revenue, a 24% year-over-year increase. Nvidia and Meta are two very different types of AI companies. Nvidia supplies data center hardware, while Meta develops AI models and uses AI in its products and services. But they have a few important things in common: impressive revenue growth, strong margins, and reasonable valuations based on their forward earnings. They're two of my larger positions, as they're companies I feel comfortable holding for the long haul.Read NextMar 22, 2026 •By Adria CiminoNvidia Trades at 21 Times Forward Earnings. Is the World's Biggest Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Actually a Value Play?Mar 22, 2026 •By Keithen DruryHistory Says Right Now Is the Turning Point for Nvidia's StockMar 22, 2026 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerOil Is Above $100 a Barrel for the First Time Since 2022. Here's Why Artificial Intelligence (AI) Investors Should Care.Mar 22, 2026 •By Bram BerkowitzNvidia's CEO Jensen Huang Just Guided for $1 Trillion of GPU Orders Through 2027. Why Aren't Investors Buying the Stock?Mar 22, 2026 •By Adria CiminoThe Era of AI Agents Has Arrived. 2 Stocks on Track to Win.Mar 22, 2026 •By Sean WilliamsNvidia and Advanced Micro Devices Have Sounded a $711 Billion Warning to Wall Street That AI Investors Simply Can't IgnoreAbout the AuthorLyle Daly is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering information technology and cryptocurrency. Lyle has been a contributor at the financial services company since 2018. His work has been featured on USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, Fox Business, and Nasdaq. Before joining The Motley Fool, he wrote for financial brands including Intuit.TMFLyleDalyX@LyleDalyStocks MentionedNvidiaNASDAQ: NVDA$172.90(-3.17%)-$5.66Meta PlatformsNASDAQ: META$593.90(-2.11%)-$12.81AlphabetNASDAQ: GOOGL$300.96(-2.01%)-$6.17Advanced Micro DevicesNASDAQ: AMD$201.28(-1.94%)-$3.99AlphabetNASDAQ: GOOG$298.85(-2.25%)-$6.88*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.