3 No-Brainer Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy With $400 Right Now

Sep 29, 2024 at 9:08 AM

Unlocking the Future: 3 AI Stocks Poised to Dominate the Next Decade

The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is reshaping the global landscape, and savvy investors are positioning themselves to capitalize on this transformative shift. As the AI market continues to soar, three companies have emerged as frontrunners, offering investors a unique opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this technological renaissance.

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Amazon: The Cloud Giant Fueling AI's Exponential Growth

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has firmly established itself as the leading public cloud platform, operating data centers worldwide and providing the essential infrastructure for AI development. As the demand for AI-driven applications skyrockets, the data center needs are set to expand exponentially. According to analysts at Bain, the cost of a large data center could surge from $1-4 billion today to a staggering $10-25 billion within the next five years. This trend will drive more businesses and developers to rely on deep-pocketed hyperscale cloud providers like Amazon, and the company is investing heavily to meet this growing demand.Amazon's cloud computing platform, Amazon Web Services (AWS), has seen a resurgence in growth, with sales increasing by 19% in the second quarter. While this is slower than its biggest competitors, it represents an acceleration after growth fell to just 12% in the middle of last year. The company's dominance in e-commerce, driven by its Prime membership program, coupled with its strong profits from retail media advertising and seller services, positions it as a formidable player in the AI-driven future. Additionally, Amazon's efforts to optimize its logistics network have translated into robust operating margin expansion over the past year, further strengthening its position.At a current price of around $195 per share, Amazon's stock trades at 42 times free cash flow and an enterprise-value-to-sales ratio of 3.3, which are near the low end of its historic range. Considering the accelerating growth in sales and the positive trend in free cash flow, the stock presents an attractive investment opportunity for those seeking to capitalize on the AI revolution.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing: The Unparalleled Chipmaking Powerhouse

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM), or TSMC, is the world's largest chipmaker, boasting unrivaled capabilities in transistor printing on silicon. As the leading chipmaker, TSMC has established a virtuous cycle, where its dominant market position allows it to heavily invest in the next generation of manufacturing technology, further solidifying its competitive edge.TSMC's position as the industry's premier chipmaker has made it the go-to choice for the biggest tech companies in the world, including Nvidia. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has praised TSMC, stating that his company uses TSMC because it is the best in the industry "by an incredible margin." While Nvidia could theoretically use another manufacturer, it would result in lower performance and higher costs, underscoring TSMC's indispensable role in the AI ecosystem.As the demand for custom AI chips from the world's leading tech giants continues to surge, TSMC stands to benefit from its unique position. The company's management targets a 53% gross margin, but the potential in the near term could be much higher as it navigates the increasing demand on its limited resources. Analysts project that TSMC's earnings will grow at an average annual rate of over 20% for the next five years, making the stock an exceptional value at its current price of around $180 per share, which trades at just 22 times analysts' consensus earnings expectations for 2025.

UiPath: The Automation Trailblazer Revolutionizing Workflows

UiPath (NYSE: PATH) is the market leader in robotic process automation (RPA), a technology that replaces repetitive tasks with software. As businesses seek to improve efficiency, UiPath's capabilities continue to evolve, and the development of automation software becomes increasingly accessible, the company has experienced strong growth.UiPath's Business Automation Platform helps enterprises identify new opportunities for streamlining their workflows using AI. Once the company lands a new customer, it can often expand its business with that customer as it uncovers additional ways to optimize the customer's operations. This is reflected in the company's impressive dollar-based net retention rate of 115% in the second quarter, indicating that the average UiPath customer spent 15% more than the previous year.While UiPath has faced some challenges recently, with competition curbing its overall growth and higher stock-based compensation weighing on its earnings, there are reasons to be optimistic about the company's future. The market for robotic process automation is poised to grow by 40% per year through 2030, driven by the cloud service model, an area where UiPath is seeing great success. Additionally, the company's 115% dollar-based net retention rate and 19% increase in remaining performance obligations suggest that it can accelerate its growth in the years ahead.At a current price of around $12.60 per share, UiPath's stock trades at approximately 30 times forward adjusted earnings estimates. With strong operating leverage and double-digit revenue growth on the horizon, the company's earnings growth has the potential to justify this valuation, making it a compelling investment opportunity for those seeking exposure to the AI-driven automation revolution.