Top AI Stocks (December 2024) 

These AI stocks have been selected because they have a strong focus on AI as a central part of their business model rather than as a supplementary feature. Here’s the breakdown of the selection criteria:

Pure AI Focus: Companies like C3.ai are dedicated almost exclusively to AI solutions, which means they’re highly responsive to advancements and trends in AI.

Industry-Specific Applications: Stocks like Upstart Holdings (AI in finance) show how AI can transform traditional industries, offering investors exposure to disruptive AI applications in established sectors.

Growth Potential: With AI demand booming, companies like NVIDIA (essential for AI computing) and Palantir (AI for data analytics) are well-positioned to grow with the AI industry, drawing investors interested in scalability and future revenue growth.

Diverse AI Use Cases: Companies like SoundHound AI (voice recognition) highlight different facets of AI—voice, robotics, automation—showing that AI is a versatile technology with broad applicability.

• Revenue Growth (12 Months): 152.4%
• Gross Profit Margin: 72.7%
• R&D Expenses (12 Months): $6.83 billion
• Price-to-Sales (P/S) Growth Ratio: 0.4

NVIDIA is a leading technology company primarily known for its advancements in graphics processing units (GPUs) and artificial intelligence (AI). Their products are widely used in gaming, data centers, and AI applications, making them a significant player in the tech industry.

• Revenue Growth (12 Months): 24.5%
• Gross Profit Margin: 81.1%
• R&D Expenses (12 Months): $333.3 million
• Price-to-Sales (P/S) Growth Ratio: 2.5

Palantir Technologies specializes in big data analytics, offering software solutions to help organizations integrate, visualize, and analyze vast amounts of data. Their platforms are utilized by government agencies and commercial enterprises to drive insights and improve decision-making.

• Revenue Growth (12 Months): 21.7%
• Gross Profit Margin: 59.7%
• R&D Expenses (12 Months): $161.9 million
• Price-to-Sales (P/S) Growth Ratio: 0.8

C3.ai focuses on delivering AI software solutions for various industries, helping businesses accelerate their digital transformation. Their platform allows users to develop, deploy, and operate large-scale AI applications with ease.

• Revenue Growth (12 Months): 76%
• Gross Profit Margin: 60.7%
• R&D Expenses (12 Months): $47.027 million
• Price-to-Sales (P/S) Growth Ratio: 1.5

SoundHound AI is known for its innovative voice AI technology and conversational AI solutions. Their products enhance user interaction with devices through natural language processing and voice recognition.

• Revenue Growth (12 Months): 10.9%
• Gross Profit Margin: 74.6%
• R&D Expenses (12 Months): $182.2 million
• Price-to-Sales (P/S) Growth Ratio: 0.3

Upstart Holdings is a financial technology company that uses AI to improve access to credit. Their platform analyzes alternative data to provide more accurate credit assessments, helping lenders make better decisions.

• Revenue Growth (12 Months): 8.6%
• Gross Profit Margin: 53.7%
• R&D Expenses (12 Months): $51.34 million
• Price-to-Sales (P/S) Growth Ratio: 0.2

Riskified offers a fraud prevention platform for e-commerce businesses, utilizing machine learning to help merchants reduce fraud while increasing revenue. Their solutions allow online retailers to confidently approve more transactions.

When evaluating AI stocks, several key metrics provide crucial insights into a company’s performance and growth potential:

Revenue Growth Rate: Since AI is a rapidly expanding field, revenue growth is crucial for understanding how effectively a company is capturing market share and scaling its operations. High growth often signals strong demand and the company’s success in driving adoption of its AI solutions.

Gross Profit Margin: This metric is essential for assessing profitability and efficiency. A high gross profit margin indicates the company can generate profit while reinvesting in AI development, supporting both stability and continued innovation.

R&D Expenditure: AI companies require constant innovation to stay competitive. R&D spending reflects their commitment to advancing technology, staying ahead of rivals, and maintaining relevance in an evolving market.

Price-to-Sales Growth Ratio: For many AI companies that might not yet be profitable, this ratio is often more insightful than the P/E ratio. It provides a nuanced view of valuation by adjusting for revenue growth, showing how investors value the company’s revenue acceleration.

These metrics together provide a balanced view of growth, operational efficiency, market valuation, and commitment to AI development, which are key for evaluating AI-focused stocks.

AI stocks are shares of companies that primarily focus on developing and implementing artificial intelligence technologies and solutions. These companies can be involved in various sectors, including software, hardware, data analytics, and automation.

No, not all AI stocks are the same. Companies in the AI space vary significantly in their focus areas, business models, and growth trajectories. Some may specialize in hardware, while others focus on software or specific applications, such as healthcare or finance.

Investing in AI stocks carries risks, including market volatility, technological advancements that may outpace a company’s capabilities, and regulatory challenges. Additionally, many AI companies are still in their growth phases, which can lead to uncertainty regarding profitability.

While some AI companies may offer dividends, many are focused on reinvesting profits into growth and innovation rather than returning cash to shareholders. It’s essential to research individual companies to understand their dividend policies.