We recently compiled a list of the 7 Most Popular AI Penny Stocks Under $5. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Perfect Corp. (NYSE:PERF) stands against the other popular AI penny stocks under $5.
An Analysis of AI Breakthroughs
Artificial intelligence has become increasingly important for businesses and industries to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving economy. Grand View Research reported that the global AI market was valued at $196.63 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 36.6% from 2024 to 2030 and reach $1.81 trillion by the end of the forecast.
Tech giants are driving AI adoption. Wall Street’s favorite GPU maker experienced significant growth, with its market cap surpassing $3 trillion on the back of strong demand for GPUs. In March, the Blackwell platform was introduced which featured the GB200 super chip, further dominating the AI chip market. This chip can train AI models with over a trillion parameters, which is essential for developing advanced large language models (LLMs).
This advancement of natural language processing in AI is a significant breakthrough. AI language models are integrated into the business world and beyond. Expert economists Joseph Briggs, and Devesh Kodnani report that the ability of AI tools to generate human-quality content is a huge milestone, bridging the communication gap between humans and machines. According to Goldman Sachs’ investment advisors, these AI tools could be valued at $7 trillion in the next 10 years, contributing to a 7% increase in global GDP.
A recent study from Stanford University found that businesses train AI models faster than academic institutions. In 2023, the industry-trained AI neared 51 significant machine learning models, while academia managed only 15. This trend persisted in 2024 despite rising training costs. ChatGPT 4, the latest model of ChatGPT, cost about $80 million to train. Google’s Gemini Ultra cost around $191 million.
OpenAI’s approach to fostering collaborative partnerships instead of competing directly with tech giants makes it an exceptional model. Macquarie’s Fred Havemeyer (lead software equity research analyst) praised GPT 4 for its “emotional intelligence”. The growing demand for AI chips, exemplified by OpenAI’s use of over 1.7 trillion parameters in its GPT 4 model, will further help NVIDIA and other AI chip manufacturers grow.
On August 20, Bloomberg reported that OpenAI is releasing a feature that will allow businesses to use their company data to customize GPT 4 so that it can be trained on additional information for niche tasks. This is an example of letting companies fine-tune the AI model to act as a customer-service chatbot for their subject areas. According to DeepL CEO, Jarek Kutylowski, specialised AI models are essential for companies to grow vertically.
PwC reported that the global AI market could contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, surpassing the combined output of China and India. It will also be responsible for a 26% boost in local GDPs. 45% of total GDP gains by this period will come from AI consumption. It will drive economic benefits through efficiency improvements for enhanced productivity, automated routine tasks, and higher-value work. Goldman Sachs reported that the average increase in productivity with the use of AI is 25%.
Some big economic gains from AI in 2030 will come from China with a 26% boost to GDP, and North America with a 14.5% boost, accounting for almost 70% of the global economic impact. The impact of AI is evident when we see instances like half of CNBC Disruptor 50 companies incorporating AI into their core operations. 34 companies consider it critically important to their revenue, while 13 identify generative AI as a key sales driver.
By 2025, 97 million people are expected to be employed in AI-related roles, many people have also lost their jobs to AI. Bloomberg reported that more than 130,000 employees have been laid off across over 400 companies this year. This number is still down by 40% compared to the layoffs of 2023. Companies find this is the only way to cut costs and are hence ramping up investments in AI.
There are also concerns about AI leading to a safer space for scammers due to its ability to create convincing fake images and messages. Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffet says that AI scamming will be the next big ‘growth industry’.
Most analysts and experts are bullish on AI over the long term. According to Goldman Sachs analysts, many businesses plan on spending over $1 trillion on AI infrastructure in the upcoming years. In August, Nicole Peng, senior vice president of mobility at Canalys suggested that the AI industry could potentially be recession-proof. This is because AI advancements are not just ‘improvements’ on existing businesses, but rather fill an unavoidable consumer demand for increased efficiency and improved solutions for companies.
The AI industry is booming and every industry and company has been disrupted since the launch of ChatGPT. Finding untapped AI stocks with huge growth potential is a challenge right now and this is where we come in. Let’s now look at the best AI penny stocks to buy now according to hedge funds.
Our Methodology
To compile our list, we sifted through ETFs, online rankings, and Reddit threads to compile a list of 12 AI penny stocks. We then selected the 7 stocks that were the most popular among elite hedge funds and that analysts were bullish on. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q2 2024.
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).
A fashion model in a stunning and stylish outfit leveraging augmented reality beauty and fashion tech.
Perfect Corp. (NYSE:PERF)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 9
Perfect Corp. (NYSE:PERF) is a global SaaS artificial intelligence and augmented reality company, helping businesses sell their beauty and fashion products. It uses cloud-based AI technology that lets people try on makeup, jewelry, and clothes online without putting them on, making online shopping immersive. The company has an expansive client base including some major brands like L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, and Sephora.
In Q2 2024, Perfect Corp. (NYSE:PERF) generated $13.91 million in revenue, representing 9.60% year-over-year growth. The earnings per share for the quarter were $0.01.
AI-AR cloud solutions and the company’s mobile app subscription business drove growth. The subscription revenue contributed 92.8% to the total revenue. The mobile app’s active subscribers surged by 18.3% year-over-year, reaching an all-time high of over 919,000.
Growth was also driven by additional categories and increased popularity of GenAI technologies for AI creation and editing features for photos and video. Since Q1 2024, the customer base increased by 20 brand clients, achieving a total of 686 brand clients with over 774,000 SKUs for makeup, skincare, eyewear, and jewelry products by the end of June.
In Q2, the company launched the world’s first HD skin analysis solution capable of detecting 2x higher precision when doing AI skin analysis on a user’s face. The improved AI model can handle more input data from high-definition smartphone cameras. Other significant strides include the ability to seamlessly transfer makeup looks from images, and the option to virtually try on multiple jewelry items simultaneously.
Perfect Corp. (NYSE:PERF) is executing well on its expansion and its technological innovations such as the HD skin analysis solution are going to help it grow meaningfully in the future. It is one of the best AI penny stocks to buy now. It is held by 9 hedge funds as of June 30.
Overall PERF ranks 4th on our list of the most popular AI penny stocks to buy under $5. While we acknowledge the potential of PERF as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PERF but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
