Dan Ives, the global head of technology research at Wedbush, is a notable advocate for AI trading on Wall Street. He often likens the current AI boom to being, say, in the second or third inning of a long game, or like a party that stretches from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. His enthusiastic comments reflect his colorful style, particularly in the choices he makes.
Despite the lively illustrations, Ives’ insights are credible; many of his past recommendations have indeed proven accurate. Following a recent downturn in tech stocks, analysts are focusing on three stocks that they believe will thrive in the AI landscape. Let’s dive into those.
Dan Ives’ Top Stock: Nvidia (NVDA)
Ives’ top recommendation is Nvidia (NVDA), a leader in semiconductors and currently the most valuable public company. Founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, whom Ives refers to as the “Godfather of AI,” Nvidia has transformed computer graphics and developed the GPU (graphics processing unit), which plays a pivotal role in high-performance gaming and graphic-heavy applications. Over time, GPUs have also become vital for AI functions, ranging from model training to handling tasks in data centers.
Today, Nvidia boasts a market cap of $4.4 trillion, with its stock soaring an astonishing 1,211% over the last five years. Year-to-date, it has climbed 35%.
Despite fierce competition, Nvidia excels financially, reporting a revenue CAGR of 44.06% and a staggering 66.66% for sales. Recently, in its third quarter of fiscal 2026, the company reported a revenue of $57 billion—that’s a 62% increase year over year. The core data center revenue also jumped 66% to $51.2 billion, and earnings rose 67% to $1.30 per share, exceeding the expected $1.26.
Operationally, net cash for the quarter stood at $23.8 billion, an increase from $17.6 billion compared to the previous year. Nvidia finished this quarter with $60.6 billion in cash against a modest short-term debt of $999 million.
As a result, analysts view NVDA stock as a consensus Strong Buy, with an average price target of $252.33, indicating a potential upside of around 42%. Out of the 48 analysts with coverage, 44 recommend a “strong buy,” two a “fair buy,” one a “hold,” and one a “strong sell.”
Dan Ives’ Next Pick: AMD (AMD)
Next on Ives’ list is Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), which ranks second in a market where Nvidia holds the top spot. Established in 1969, AMD has diversified its portfolio, supplying hardware and some software across various sectors, including GPUs, CPUs, and specialty hardware.
The company’s market cap is currently around $350.1 billion, with AMD stock rising 76% year-to-date and a whopping 119% over the last five years.
While AMD’s performance metrics differ slightly from larger rivals, the company has still shown a solid upward trend with revenue and earnings growing at rates of 29.94% and 28.93%, respectively, on a compounded basis over the past five years. Their progress continued in the latest quarter, where they exceeded analyst expectations.
In Q3 2025, AMD reported a total revenue of $9.25 billion, marking a 36% increase year over year. Notably, the data center business generated $4.3 billion, up 22% annually, while the gaming division delivered a 73% surge to $4.0 billion.
Earnings per share also increased by 30% to $1.20, beating the expected $1.17. With $4.81 billion in cash at this period’s end, AMD has healthy liquidity, significantly overshadowing its short-term debt of $873 million and long-term debt of $2.35 billion.
Taking all this into account, analysts have rated AMD as a ‘Moderate Buy,’ with an average price target of $291.29, suggesting about 41% upside potential. Among the 43 analysts covering the stock, 28 recommend a “strong buy,” while 12 suggest holding.
Dan Ives’ Final Choice: Palantir (PLTR)
Lastly, we have Palantir (PLTR), a company that earned Ives the title, “Messi of AI.” Under the leadership of Alex Karp and backed by Peter Thiel, Palantir specializes in big data analytics and AI-based decision-making platforms, servicing both government and commercial sectors.
With a market cap of $386.7 billion, PLTR has surged more than double in value this year, experiencing a 120% rise year to date and a staggering 586% over five years.
The stock’s increase stems from strong financial results, with quarterly profits surpassing expectations for two straight years.
In Q3 2025, Palantir reported revenue of $1.2 billion, a 62.8% increase from the previous year. Earnings surged 110% to $0.21 per share, exceeding the anticipated $0.17.
For the nine-month period ending September 30, net cash from operations jumped to $1.36 billion, compared to $693.54 million from the previous year, with a cash balance of $1.62 billion—well above its short-term debt of $46.3 million.
However, analysts have rated PLTR stock as a Hold, primarily due to its lofty valuation following a notable rally. An average price target of $192.67 suggests roughly 18% upside potential. Among the 21 analysts, 4 have given a “strong buy,” 14 a “hold,” while 3 suggest selling.
