In this article, we will look at the 10 Best AI Memory Stocks to Buy in 2026.
Ohsung Kwon, Wells Fargo’s chief equity strategist, appeared on CNBC’s ‘Squawk on the Street’ on June 18 to talk about how markets are digesting the macro landscape and how equity markets rebalance themselves, among other things.
He was of the view that we shouldn’t read too much into yesterday’s market reaction, as he thinks that the market overreacted, at least a little bit. He didn’t perceive it as hawkish but rather more balanced than what the market perceived. Kwon believes that the path of direction for the equity market is still higher, and raised their S&P target to 7,950 by year’s end.
READ ALSO: 15 Best NASDAQ Stocks to Buy and Hold For 3 Years AND 12 Best NYSE Stocks to Buy for Long-Term Investment.
He thinks there was a sentiment reset after the mini reset we saw last week, and the macrocycle, which he was questioning and getting nervous about on the inflation front, with oil prices coming down to about $70. According to him, inflation is going to continue to come down for the next two months or so. Kwon further stated that he believes the market is going to broaden out a little bit. If the Fed were more dovish yesterday, we would have seen a full broadening out in the market.
With these broader market trends in view, let’s look at the best AI memory stocks to buy in 2026.

Our Methodology
We used stock screeners and online sources to identify the best stocks related to the AI memory industry and then selected the top 10 stocks most popular among hedge funds as of Q1 2026, using the hedge fund sentiment data from Insider Monkey’s database. The stocks are arranged in ascending order of hedge fund sentiment.
Note: All data was recorded on June 17.
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. Insider Monkey’s quarterly newsletter strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 599.2% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 372 percentage points (see more details here).
10 Best AI Memory Stocks to Buy in 2026
10. KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 71
KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) is one of the best AI memory stocks to buy in 2026. The stock has gained 113.61% YTD and is gaining attention due to its strength. It has received several rating updates in recent days, with Barclays raising the price target on the stock to $2,250 from $1,700 on June 11 and maintaining an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm told investors in a research note that it raised its estimates for wafer fab equipment, reasoning that the capex cycle is “much stronger across the board.” It added that over $200 billion in sales looks likely in 2027, but the “world has moved to 2028 already”, and so it raised price targets in the wafer fab equipment group.
KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) also received a rating update from Cantor Fitzgerald on June 10, with the firm lifting the price target on the stock to $2,500 from $2,000 and reaffirming an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm believes that the semi equipment industry is in the “early innings of a multi-year supply-constrained and durable upcycle” and told investors in a research note that the outlook has improved over the last three months, with bookings visibility now beginning to extend into 2028.
KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) is involved in the supply of process control and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related nano-electronics industries. The company’s operations are divided into the following operations: Semiconductor Process Control, Specialty Semiconductor Process, and PCB, Display and Component Inspection.
9. Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 79
Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL) is one of the best AI memory stocks to buy in 2026. Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL) received a rating update from KeyBanc on June 18. The firm lifted the price target on the stock to $385 from $260 and maintained an Overweight rating on the shares, stating that it recently hosted investor meetings with the company and left more constructive around the DC networking opportunity, especially around Scale Up, where silicon photonics and the acquisition of Celestial AI will help the company differentiate. KeyBanc added that given the arch shifts in DC, the firm views networking as increasingly being a focus for investors, as it considers it as more durable vs. custom XPUs, where despite line of sight to $10B by FY29, the sustainability appears less clear long-term.
Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL) also received a rating update from B. Riley on June 12, with the firm lifting the price target on the stock to $345 from $240 and reaffirming a Buy rating on the shares
Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL) designs, develops, and sells integrated circuits. The company’s offerings include security solutions, data processing units, ethernet controllers, automotive, ethernet switches, ASICs, and more. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, its operations are divided into the following geographical segments: the United States, Singapore, Israel, India, China, and Others.
8. Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 83
Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) is one of the best AI memory stocks to buy in 2026. JPMorgan lifted the price target on Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) to $650 from $530 on June 12 and maintained an Overweight rating on the shares, telling investors in a research note that the firm is raising its earnings forecasts for the HDD companies primarily led by a more positive view on pricing, and in turn, the incremental margins that the companies are expected to report in the coming quarters.
JPMorgan added that while the companies have already turned a corner in reporting year-over-year increases in pricing together for the first time in the March quarter, the firm anticipates seeing the year-over-year price increases for the industry to accelerate in the coming quarters with sequential price increases sustaining in the low- to mid-single digit range and cumulatively supporting the acceleration in pricing.
Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) also received a rating update from Wells Fargo on June 1. The firm raised the price target on the stock to $575 from $500 and reiterated an Overweight rating on the shares.
Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) is involved in the development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of data storage devices and solutions.
7. Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (NASDAQ:STX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 93
Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (NASDAQ:STX) is one of the best AI memory stocks to buy in 2026. Mizuho lifted the price target on Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (NASDAQ:STX) to $1,090 from $875 on June 8 and maintained an Outperform rating on the shares, stating that the firm raised the company’s estimates following its quarterly AI application-specific integrated circuit roadmap call. Mizuho added that it sees potential for 35M tensor processing units in 2028, or 8-times the 4.3M units in 2026.
Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (NASDAQ:STX) also received a rating update from Wells Fargo on June 1. The firm raised the price target on the stock to $900 from $700 and reiterated an Equal Weight rating on the shares. Wells stated that last week it hosted meetings on its 4th Annual Wells Fargo Silicon Valley Bus Tour, the week before, and each one of them had a positive demand tone, ranging from AI data center build-outs to the proliferation of AI inferencing / Agentic AI, driving significant incremental server CPU demand and continued drives of memory expansion.
Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (NASDAQ:STX) is a holding company that develops, produces, and distributes data storage products and electronic data storage solutions. Its products include solid state drives, serial advanced technology attachment controllers, hard disk drives, solid state hybrid drives, peripheral component interconnect express cards, storage subsystems, and computing solutions.
6. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 112
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is one of the best AI memory stocks to buy in 2026. Reuters reported on June 16 that Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has announced the entry of the new generation of its 18A manufacturing process into risk production, as the company sees strong demand for its central processors. It further stated that by moving 18A-P into initial production, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) aims to demonstrate that it is following through on its manufacturing commitments, which could potentially make the technology more appealing to external customers. Reuters added that finance chief David Zinsner said in March that the company’s CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, has started recognizing 18A as a potential offering for external clients, changing the earlier perspective that the process would generate returns only through the company’s own products.
In another development, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) unveiled new innovations at Computex 2026 on June 2, addressing the chip-to-systems-level AI needs of customers with solutions tailored to their specific industry challenges. These included new rackscale AI infrastructure, Agentic Cloud Offering for Disaggregated Inference, deep industry solutions, Intel Xeon 6+ processors, and PC, gaming handheld, and physical AI momentum.
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is involved in the design, sale, and manufacture of computer products and technologies. It delivers data storage, computer, networking, and communications platforms. The company’s operations are divided into the following segments: Client Computing Group (CCG), Data Center and AI (DCAI), Intel Foundry Services (IFS), and All Other.
While we acknowledge the potential of INTC 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 INTC and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
5. Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 123
Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) is one of the best AI memory stocks to buy in 2026. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted the price target on Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) to $425 from $320 on June 10 and maintained an Overweight rating on the shares, telling investors in a research note that the firm believes the semi equipment industry is in the “early innings of a multi-year supply-constrained and durable upcycle.” It added that the outlook has improved over the last three months, with bookings visibility now beginning to extend into 2028. Cantor also believes that the leading-edge foundry and logic is the primary wafer fab equipment growth driver, with the majority of new wafer start investments in 2026 and 2027 in AI-driven logic.
Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) also received a rating update from Oppenheimer on June 15, with the firm lifting the price target on the stock to $400 from $330 and reiterating an Outperform rating on the shares. The firm stated that its Lam bus tour meeting raised confidence that the AI-driven WFE upside remains and is not fully reflected in estimates.
Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) is involved in the design, manufacture, refurbishment, marketing, and provision of semiconductor processing equipment that is used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. The company’s operations are divided into the following geographical segments: the United States, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan.
4. ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 133
ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) is one of the best AI memory stocks to buy in 2026. ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) received a rating update from JPMorgan on June 3. The firm raised the price target on the stock to EUR 1,900 from EUR 1,515 and maintained an Overweight rating on the shares. ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) also received a rating update from BofA on June 4, with the firm lifting the price target on the stock to EUR 1,921 from EUR 1,710 and maintaining a Buy rating on the shares following the company’s technology conference. The firm told investors in a research note that ASML Holding’s (NASDAQ:ASML) extreme ultraviolet lithography capacity could increase beyond 90 units by 2027 as it reduces lead times and finds assembly efficiencies. The firm also sees China’s demand recovering in 2027.
Separately, in its financial results for fiscal Q1 2026, ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) reported total net sales of €8.8 billion, gross margin of 53.0%, and net income of €2.8 billion. The company anticipates Q2 2026 total net sales to be between €8.4 billion and €9.0 billion, and a gross margin between 51% and 52%.
ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) is involved in the development, production, marketing, sales, upgrading, and servicing of advanced semiconductor equipment systems. It includes lithography, metrology, and inspection systems.
3. Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 138
Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is one of the best AI memory stocks to buy in 2026. Reuters reported on June 16 the signing of a long-term deal between EssilorLuxottica and Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) for the development of augmented reality display technology and AI glasses. The companies reported that they would scale up the commercialisation of AI glasses, with the research and development focusing on advanced optical technologies.
In a separate development, Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) received a rating update from Barclays on June 11. The firm lifted the price target on the stock to $590 from $500 and maintained an Overweight rating on the shares, telling investors in a research note that the firm raised its estimates for wafer fab equipment. It stated that the capex cycle is “much stronger across the board”, adding that over $200B in sales looks likely in 2027, but the “world has moved to 2028 already”.
Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) provides materials engineering solutions used to produce semiconductors and also focuses on the design, production, development, and servicing of critical wafer fabrication tools used for customers for the manufacture of semiconductors. The company’s operations are divided into the following segments: Semiconductor Systems and Applied Global Services (AGS).
2. Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 154
Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) is one of the best AI memory stocks to buy in 2026. Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) announced on June 9 the appointment of Dr. Alexis Black Björlin to its board of directors. In a separate development, Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) received a rating update from RBC Capital on June 15. The firm lifted the price target on the stock to $1,200 from $525 and reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares.
It told investors in a research note that the firm raised its estimates on the stock to take into account its stronger pricing and volume assumptions. The firm added that the current DRAM upcycle is in its 12th quarter, and RBC Capital sees a credible path to another 5-6 quarters of expansion as capex trends and GenAI demand continue to be robust while the shift to inferencing/Agentic AI is driving secular growth in Memory content.
Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) provides innovative memory and storage solutions. Its operations are divided into the following segments: Compute and Networking Business Unit (CNBU), Mobile Business Unit (MBU), Embedded Business Unit (EBU), and Storage Business Unit (SBU).
1. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 275
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is one of the best AI memory stocks to buy in 2026. Reuters reported on June 17 that the United States government awarded $500 million on Wednesday to startup SandboxAQ, which is backed by NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), for the development of new chemicals and materials for domestic semiconductor manufacturing. This includes alternatives to PFAS and rare earth imports, and the award is part of President Donald Trump’s move to allocate research funds under the CHIPS Act. Reuters also provided additional context, reporting that this effort previously funded a $150 million investment in new chip manufacturing tools and a $2 billion investment in quantum computing.
For reference, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) released financial results for fiscal Q1 2027 on May 20, reporting record revenue of $81.6 billion for the quarter, up 20% from the previous quarter and up 85% from a year ago. GAAP and non-GAAP gross margins were 74.9% and 75.0% for the quarter, respectively, while GAAP and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share were $2.39 and $1.87, respectively.
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) designs and manufactures computer graphics processors, chipsets, and other multimedia software. It operates in the Compute & Networking and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) 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.
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