In this article, we will take a detailed look at 10 AI Stocks on Investors’ Radar In January 2025.
Drew Pettit, U.S. equity strategist at Citi Research, said in a latest program on CNBC that he believes the AI growth story is still intact moving ahead in 2025. However, the analyst believes a lot of positive news is already “priced in.” He also mentioned the key areas that can benefit this year.
“I think the fundamental stories, at least for the pick-and-shovels names, continue. But where we think the trade is actually going to broaden out, and honestly, it has since mid-year, is into some of the users of AI. So, think about car companies that do autonomous driving or software companies putting that into their programs themselves, and even to some of the more cyclical names that, on the back end, can get some more productivity gains. So yes, the picks-and-shovels, the enablers of the trade, were attractive for the most part in 2024. We think AI continues to broaden out.”
The analyst said he has done some “reverse DCF work” and believes there are many companies that are mispriced and many that have the good news around them already priced in.
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For this article, we picked 10 AI stocks that analysts are talking about this month. With each company, we have mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. 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. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
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10. Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:PLTR)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 43
King Lip, BakerAvenue Wealth Management chief strategist, recently said while talking to CNBC that he finds Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:PLTR) “interesting” in 2025 despite the company’s high valuation.
“It’s controversial because it sells at a very high multiple, we recognize that, but the company just became profitable just two years ago, but it’s been cash flow positive. We think it’s uniquely positioned in the incoming Administration. Peter Thiel was a founder of Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:PLTR), obviously a connection with Elon Musk there. And with the DOGE efforts that are coming in to reduce government expenditures we think Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:PLTR) is really uniquely positioned.”
However, Lip said he’d be hesitant to buy the stock at the current levels.
“We would be hesitant in terms of being buyers today. You know, if it does pull back, say to the mid-60s, it would be a lot more attractive to us. But given how volatile these stocks can trade, we think the opportunity is there for investors to participate in a name that’s going to be, in our view, a big winner going forward.”
What makes Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) one of the top AI stocks? Its technologies are actually solving the problems of businesses. Palantir’s data technology Ontology is solving the famous hallucination problem for AI systems, thanks to the company’s years of experience with military and defense systems. Earlier this year at an event with customers, Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) shared some specifics on how its customers are being able to reduce costs and increase profits due to its artificial intelligence platform (AIP) that was launched about a year ago.
Airbus accelerated A350 production by 33%, BP reduced costs per barrel by 60%, and Jacobs Connect cut power usage by 30%. Panasonic decreased waste by 12%, ESI Group sped up ERP harmonization by 70%, and PG&E reduced transformer ignitions by 65%. Eaton boosted productivity by 25%, while Tyson Foods achieved $200 million in cost savings.
However, revenue growth is expected to slow over the next two years, with estimates suggesting a 22% YoY growth rate, potentially bringing revenues to around $4 billion by fiscal 2026. If Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) can improve margins by 100 basis points annually, it would be able to generate about $1.5 billion in adjusted operating income by FY26, with a present value of $1.3 billion when discounted at 8%. Applying an S&P 500-like growth multiple of 2.5 to 2.75 times earnings, Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) would have a P/E of 46, translating to a price target of $27.
Fidelity Growth Strategies Fund stated the following regarding Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) in its Q3 2024 investor letter:
“Untimely ownership of Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) (+47%) also hurt the fund’s relative result. This software and services firm, which operates in both government and commercial segments, saw strong growth during the quarter, largely driven by its “AIP” – or Artificial Intelligence Platform – offering. In early August, the company reported Q2 financial results that mostly met somewhat lofty expectations. We established a sizable holding in Palantir Technologies during the quarter, and at quarter end it was the second-largest position and a slight overweight.”
9. Dell Technologies Inc (NYSE:DELL)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 60
Bryn Talkington from Requisite Capital Management explained on CNBC why she likes Dell Technologies Inc (NYSE:DELL) stock.
“Dell Technologies Inc (NYSE:DELL), to me, as a story, is more the parts are greater than the sum. For next quarter earnings, which are February of 2025, the Street’s looking for 10% and 14% revenue and earnings growth. But underneath the hood, their infrastructure solutions group is where people are buying Dell Technologies Inc (NYSE:DELL)—that is their networking, their servers, and that’s where they’re getting data center growth. They had 38% growth. So, when I look at this company, you’re going to continue to see that ISG group be a larger and larger part of the earnings. Right now, it’s about 40%.”
In the most recently reported quarter, Dell posted mixed results with revenue missing expectations. What stands out is Dell’s Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG), which posted an impressive 34% year-over-year growth, reaching $11.4 billion in revenue. The server business rose a whopping 58% increase YoY to $7.4 billion.
Dell Tech Inc (NYSE:DELL) experienced a shift in AI server demand toward the next-generation Blackwell architecture. Dell Tech Inc (NYSE:DELL)’s management highlighted that there was a dramatic shift in orders toward Nvidia’s (NVDA) Blackwell-based systems during Q3, which impacted short-term shipments as these products ramp up production. This shift shows Dell Tech Inc (NYSE:DELL)’s competitive position, as customers are willing to wait for the latest tech solutions. Dell secured $3.6 billion in AI server orders this quarter, an 11% increase from the previous quarter. Dell Tech Inc (NYSE:DELL) also signed over 2,000 enterprise customers for their AI solutions.
Carillon Scout Mid Cap Fund stated the following regarding Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:
“Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL) was a top contributor despite reporting disappointing first-quarter earnings results, because investors looked through the near-term disappointment and expected strong growth from AI-related servers and personal computers. We expect Dell to participate in the growth of artificial intelligence hardware, especially as enterprises invest more aggressively. We like the company’s depth and breadth of products and services, as well as its focus on keeping costs low.”
8. Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 107
Scott Bauer from Prosper Trading Academy said while talking to Schwab Network that he believes Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD) has more upside than downside heading into 2025.
“That’s kind of been tossed aside and you know that’s part of the reason I like it. And you know there has been some pretty positive news lately with their relationship with Nvidia, and it may take Nvidia to get Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD) going again. But just given the fact that it’s really fighting to hold those 52-week lows as we’re seeing here, and it’s putting in a lot of volume down here, I think the upside is way better than the downside is for the entire year.”
Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) bulls believe the market should stop comparing the company’s chips with Nvidia and focus on its data-center growth and its competitive edge over other players like Intel. Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD)’s strong growth in the data center segment is indeed impressive, driven by Instinct GPU shipments and strong sales of EPYC CPUs. Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) will continue to benefit from organic growth catalysts in this segment despite the competition from Nvidia. According to Goldman Sachs Research, global data center demand could surge by 160% by 2030. In the U.S., data centers are projected to use 8% of total power by 2030, up from 3% in 2022. McKinsey estimates that adding the required U.S. capacity will need over $500 billion in infrastructure investment by the decade’s end.
Columbia Threadneedle Global Technology Growth Strategy stated the following regarding Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:
“Shares of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) lagged the market after the company reported earnings results that, while generally strong, left the market wanting more. The company reported AI revenue of ~$600 million and increased its forward-looking outlook for AI revenue growth, but shares took a breather, as results missed elevated expectations after the stock’s strong performance. Despite the stock’s underperformance during the quarter, the company’s AI story remains very much intact. The growth outlook for the company is supported by better cloud demand, enterprise recovery and continued share gains ahead of the company’s new AI product launch.”
7. Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 128
King Lip, BakerAvenue Wealth Management chief strategist, recently talked to CNBC and explained his bull case for Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO):
“I think Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) is an interesting name just because it does something that Nvidia doesn’t do, which is custom AI chips for their customers. This segment is growing just as fast as Nvidia is, and the company itself actually has a lower multiple than Nvidia.”
Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) continues to be a leader in the AI ASCI and networking chips market. Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) has 3nm AI ASIC chip deals with Alphabet and Meta in addition to many other tech giants aiming massive spending for AI hyperscaling.
However, the stock could face the impact of what Nvidia is facing today: too high expectations.
In the latest quarterly results, Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) revenue was largely in line with estimates. The company has narrowly exceeded revenue expectations by less than 5% in most cases. Some analysts suggest Broadcom’s growth rates will moderate to below 20% CAGR starting the first quarter of 2025. In fiscal Q4, it was +50% topline growth. The market won’t be kind to the stock when the revenue growth rate slows. Broadcom has about $58 billion in net debt, which is relatively high.
Columbia Threadneedle Global Technology Growth Strategy stated the following regarding Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) in its Q3 2024 investor letter:
“Similar to the earnings results for Nvidia, shares of Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) initially sold off after the company reported solid earnings that fell light of elevated market expectations, but the stock did recover from its drawdown in the matter of a few weeks. With an enticing combination of custom chip offerings as well as networking assets, Broadcom remains one of the best positioned companies as part of the AI revolution. Broadcom outlined a path to derive a majority of its revenue from the AI end market within a couple of years, and the non-AI part of the business has stabilized after a deep correction. The company’s dominant market position in its end markets, along with durable growth, strong margins and best-in-class capital allocation, presents an opportunity to compound capital over time.”