Instead of a sharp drawdown, equities have largely worked through a correction via time. Major indices have moved sideways to modestly lower over the past six months as concerns around AI capital spending and more recently, geopolitical risk, particularly the conflict involving Iran, have weighed on sentiment and positioning.
The consolidation has shaken some investors out of the theme and reset expectations, but the underlying trend in AI investment and adoption remains intact.
Recent data points reinforce the scale of demand. Anthropic is reportedly generating roughly $30 billion in annualized revenue now, while OpenAI is approaching $25 billion. These figures reflect real enterprise and platform-level adoption.
Spending by large technology companies continues to validate this demand. Meta Platforms (META) alone is paying approximately $1.6 billion annually for Anthropic model access, underscoring the importance of AI capabilities across its product ecosystem. At the same time, Meta has raised its capital expenditure guidance to $115–$135 billion for the year, one of the largest capex programs globally. Similar spending patterns are evident across other hyperscalers.
This level of investment is flowing through multiple layers of the value chain, and the range of investment opportunities is rich across infrastructure and application niches. Most notably, the Magnificent 7 stocks are at the most attractive levels in a decade. Today, the group trades at just a 20% premium to the broader S&P 500, versus a median of 44% over that time.
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Intel Shares Surge as Domestic Production Ramps
At the infrastructure level, semiconductor and hardware providers remain central. Nvidia (NVDA) and Broadcom (AVGO) continue to benefit from sustained demand for compute. With the geopolitical pressures slowly easing, both Broadcom and Nvidia shares are firming up. Both companies are now trading at truly compelling levels following the period of consolidation, with Broadcom at 31x forward earnings and EPS growth forecasts at 49% annually, while Nvidia is at just 23x forward earnings, with profit growth projected at 39% annually.
Meanwhile, Intel (INTC) has emerged as a leader in the sector, as semiconductor production has begun to move stateside amid broader concerns about localizing the supply chain. Intel stock is already blasting ahead to new highs, ahead of the market and sector as investors clamor for shares.
At the same time, companies tied to data center construction and systems integration, such as Comfort Systems USA (FIX), are seeing strong order flow tied directly to this buildout. Comfort Systems represents the kind of very niche companies that continue to benefit from less expected, but still critical infrastructure. FIX stock is also pushing new highs today.
Power demand is increasingly relevant. Large-scale AI data centers require significant and reliable electricity supply, with individual facilities often consuming hundreds of megawatts and now gigawatts. This is driving incremental investment across the energy complex, including distributed generation and renewables. Vehicles such as Invesco Solar ETF (TAN) and companies like Bloom Energy (BE) are leveraged to this trend, particularly where grid constraints necessitate alternative solutions.
Bloom Energy is an especially interesting company, as one of the world's leaders in solid oxide fuel cells, Bloom offers a next-generation energy infrastructure technology. Sales are expected to grow at 60% this and next year and the stock, like many of the other names mentioned here, is coiling and on the verge of a major breakout.
Solar stocks are a group I have been keen on for nearly a year now, as the theme continues to run under the radar. Solar, while it may need considerable physical space to install the panels, has become increasingly efficient and easy to spin up compared oil, gas and nuclear, while battery technology continues to advance. The TAN ETF has been consolidating in a bull flag and a breakout above resistance could be the start of another major leg higher.
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The Magnificent 7 Stocks Remain Core AI Winners
At the application layer, the largest technology platforms remain the primary demand drivers and beneficiaries. The Magnificent Seven have traded sideways over the past several months, reflecting a combination of valuation digestion and increased scrutiny around returns on AI investment. However, earnings growth remains solid, balance sheets are strong, and capital deployment continues at scale.
From a market perspective, the combination of stable fundamentals and softer sentiment has improved the risk-reward profile. Valuations across several of these names have compressed relative to their growth outlook, while earnings estimates have generally held firm or moved higher.
The current environment reflects a normalization in expectations rather than a deterioration in the underlying trend. AI-related capital spending, infrastructure buildout, and enterprise adoption continue to expand, supporting earnings across a broadening set of industries.
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Access AI Boom 2.0 now, absolutely free >>Intel Corporation (INTC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Comfort Systems USA, Inc. (FIX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Invesco Solar ETF (TAN): ETF Research Reports
Bloom Energy Corporation (BE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
