Hedge fund veteran Dan Ives reveals his top five tech stocks for 2026.
In a new CNBC Squawk Box interview, Ives explains say that artificial intelligence (AI) will likely help the following five tech companies outperform next year: Tesla (TSLA), Microsoft (MSFT), Palantir (PLTR), CrowdStrike (CRWD) and Apple (AAPL).
“It’s about the derivatives of the AI revolution that’s happening. That’s our whole thesis going into 2026. For every dollar spent on an NVIDIA chip, there’s an eight to 10 multiplier for the rest of the technology. And so I think those five are the ones specifically going into early ’26 that I think are going to take off. That’s why we’re going into these five names.”
Ives says Microsoft, which closed Tuesday at $487, could soon soar to $500.
“When you look at the business world, when you see the movements in cloud and AI, [Microsoft’s] really owns that breed. I think this is a stock [with a] $100 benefit.”
He also says that Apple, which is trading at around $273 at the time of writing, could see its price rise towards $300 due to AI innovation.
“[Apple’s] been nowhere in AI. But as we head into ’26, we’re expecting a major Google partnership in the spring. Now the consumer AI revolution is happening [Apple’s headquarters in] Cupertino, and I think that’s significant. We’re talking about a $75 increase in the stock is the AI multiple. That’s starting to increase for Apple. That’s why I consider that a standout name that stands out.”
Finally, Ives says Tesla, which closed the market Tuesday at $454 per share, will likely rise due to advances in autonomous vehicles and robotics.
“The whole story is about the autonomous chapters that are now coming to Tesla, and I think this is going to be the most important year for Tesla in its history. [Tesla CEO Elon] Musk and Tesla… We think autonomous alone is worth a trillion dollars to the Tesla story… I think Tesla is at the forefront of physical AI. That’s why we like that name.”
CrowdStrike closed at $475 on Tuesday, up more than 39% year to date. Meanwhile, Palantir was trading at $180 at market close, up more than 139% year to date.
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