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The AI Investing Pulse

February 12th, 2026

In this Week’s Edition:

1. Analysis - February's top AI stocks: what analysts are watching

2. Stock Ideas - Forget the sell-off: three AI stocks for 2026

3. News - Wall Street’s rapid dump signals risk-off positioning

4. Startups - Investors pile into voice AI

5. Trends - BlackRock’s 2026 outlook: AI dominates

6. Other News - How AI could reshape foreign policy

7. Video - Big investors push AI firms to focus on returns, not just spending

February's Top AI Stocks: What Analysts Are Watching

As we settle into February 2026, the market's focus has narrowed sharply on the durability of the AI spending boom. While volatility continues to test investor nerve, the consensus among major financial institutions, from Bank of America to Morgan Stanley, is that the infrastructure cycle is far from over.

This month, we've consolidated the top AI stock selections from leading analysts, banks, and media publications to identify where the "smart money" is positioning across the AI landscape.

The Consensus View: Infrastructure Kings

Cross-referencing February's analyst "Best of" lists reveals a clear consensus: hardware remains the bedrock of the AI investment thesis. Multiple firms, including Zacks, Bank of America, and Wolfe Research, have reiterated high-conviction calls on the chipmakers building the physical backbone of AI infrastructure.

Nvidia Corporation $NVDA ( ▲ 0.68% )  

Sector: Technology
AI Stack: Hardware & Infrastructure
AIIP Ranking: Fundamental

Analyst Coverage
Wolfe Research names Nvidia its top AI selection for 2026, citing the ramp of Blackwell and Rubin GPU architectures as catalysts. Bank of America includes Nvidia among its top six large-cap recommendations, arguing that data-centre demand has significant runway remaining.

Lam Research Corporation $LRCX ( ▲ 0.82% )  

Sector: Technology
AI Stack: Hardware & Infrastructure
AIIP Ranking: Watchlist

Analyst Coverage
Lam Research appears on both Zacks' "Best AI Stocks to Buy Now" and Bank of America's 2026 chip list. As a critical supplier of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, analysts view Lam as a supply chain exposure to the broader chip expansion.

Micron Technology $MU ( ▼ 0.7% )  

Sector: Technology
AI Stack: Hardware & Infrastructure
AIIP Ranking: Watchlist

Analyst Coverage
Highlighted by Nasdaq as a DRAM leader essential for AI servers and by Zacks for its memory solutions, Micron is addressing the critical memory bandwidth bottleneck in AI scaling.

Software & Platforms: The Enterprise Race

Shifting to software, analysts are focusing on companies that can successfully monetize generative AI in the enterprise market.

Microsoft Corporation $MSFT ( ▲ 1.18% )  

Sector: Technology
AI Stack: Application & Edge
AIIP Ranking: Fundamental

Analyst Coverage
Morgan Stanley maintains Microsoft as its "top pick" for generative AI in large-cap software, arguing it is in "pole position" to capture IT wallet share throughout 2026. Wedbush echoes this positioning, listing MSFT as a name set to "dominate 2026".

Palantir Technologies $PLTR ( ▼ 1.35% )  

Sector: Technology
AI Stack: Data & Integration
AIIP Ranking: Fundamental

Analyst Coverage
Zacks lists Palantir as a top enterprise platform selection, and Wedbush includes it in its "dominate 2026" basket of enterprise software names.

AppLovin $APP ( ▲ 3.31% )  

Sector: Technology
AI Stack: Application & Edge
AIIP Ranking: Fundamental

Analyst Coverage
The Money Lab podcast highlights AppLovin for February, citing its Axon AI ad-tech engine as a key differentiation driver in programmatic advertising.

Retail & Niche Selections: Robotics and Infrastructure

Retail-focused outlets like NerdWallet are examining companies further down the supply chain in physical infrastructure and robotics applications.

Symbotic Inc. $SYM ( ▲ 3.59% )  

Sector: Industrials
AI Stack: Application & Edge
AIIP Ranking: Watchlist

Analyst Coverage
Selected by NerdWallet for its AI-powered warehouse robotics systems, Symbotic represents the application of AI in industrial automation and logistics optimization.

Hut 8 $HUT ( ▲ 9.55% )  

Sector: Technology
AI Stack: Power & Cooling
AIIP Ranking: Momentum

Analyst Coverage
NerdWallet highlights Hut 8 for its pivot to AI-focused digital infrastructure and high-performance computing facilities.

Final Take

February's analyst coverage reveals a clear investment thesis: AI infrastructure remains the dominant theme, with hardware manufacturers leading the charge. From Nvidia's GPU dominance to Micron's memory solutions and Lam Research's semiconductor equipment, the chipmakers continue to attract the highest institutional conviction.

In software, enterprise AI monetization is the key battleground, with Microsoft and Palantir capturing analyst attention for their ability to translate AI capabilities into recurring revenue streams. Meanwhile, niche plays in robotics (Symbotic) and digital infrastructure (Hut 8) reflect growing interest in AI's expansion beyond core compute.

The overarching message from Wall Street this month: despite market volatility, the foundational build-out of AI infrastructure is far from complete and the analysts are betting accordingly.

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^{IMPORTANT LEGAL DISCLAIMER}

^{Not Investment Advice: This content is provided by AI Investing Pulse for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice, a personal recommendation, or an invitation or inducement to engage in any investment activity. Not Regulated: AI Investing Pulse is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom, is not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or any state securities regulator in the United States, and is not registered with the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) or any provincial securities commission in Canada. Methodology Disclosure: The AIIP Index scores and rankings mentioned in this article are generated by a proprietary quantitative methodology based on publicly available financial data. Our full methodology is explained in the "About AIIP" section below. These scores are objective system outputs, not recommendations or endorsements. Risk Warning: Investing in stocks involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance of stocks, scores, or rankings is not indicative of future results. Stock prices can decline as well as rise, and you may lose some or all of your invested capital. Third-Party References: References to analyst opinions, bank research, media publications, or the term "picks" refer to third-party selections, not AIIP recommendations. We aggregate this information for educational analysis only. Seek Professional Advice: Always consult a qualified, regulated financial professional who understands your personal circumstances before making any investment decisions. Consider your individual financial situation, risk tolerance, investment objectives, and time horizon.}

TOP AI STOCKS PERFORMANCE

TOP AI ETFs PERFORMANCE

AI STOCKS IDEAS

Forget the sell-off: three AI stocks for 2026 — Yahoo Finance
A volatility-ready shopping list focused on fundamentals, revenue momentum and competitive moats.

Broadcom vs Meta: which one is better? — 24/7 Wall St.
A head-to-head on two different AI routes: Broadcom riding hyperscaler capex and custom silicon demand, while Meta leans on strong earnings and AI-driven product performance, each with distinct risk factors.

AI STOCKS & ETFs NEWS

Wall Street’s rapid dump signals risk-off positioning — Yahoo Finance
A large, fast sale of a major equity stake is being read as risk management amid uncertainty, with analysts flagging potential near-term pressure if similar de-risking continues.

Alphabet taps debt markets, including a rare 100-year bond, to fund AI — Trending Topics
Alphabet’s reported $20 billion bond issuance, featuring an uncommon 100-year tranche, underscores how Big Tech is leaning on debt to support massive AI infrastructure plans.

Should you trust AI with your money? — IO+
Experts argue AI can boost speed and efficiency in personal finance, but it should complement, not replace, human judgement, especially when markets get unpredictable.

AI stocks turn choppy as hyperscaler capex surges — MSN
With hyperscaler AI spend projected to soar through 2026, infrastructure-linked names are holding up better than software, as investors debate the payoff timeline for eye-watering capex.

AI STARTUPS

Investors pile into voice AI — Newcomer
Voice is back in focus as funding heats up, with major rounds pointing to a race for emotionally aware, high-fidelity voice agents that can operate across support, sales and consumer experiences.

Can AI replace the VC analyst? — Tech in Asia
AI is reshaping deal sourcing, diligence and pattern-spotting, but the piece argues the hardest parts of venture, trust, networks and conviction under uncertainty, remain stubbornly human.

Runway raises $315m at a $5.3b valuation to push “world models” — Tech Funding News
Runway’s new Series E financing positions it to deepen investment in world-model research and broaden product capabilities across creative and enterprise use cases.

TRENDS

BlackRock’s 2026 outlook: AI dominates — BlackRock
A macro view of AI as an economic force, from the ripple effects of corporate AI spend, to financing dynamics and why traditional diversification may behave differently in an AI-led cycle.

Five telecom AI trends to watch in 2026: autonomous networks — The Fast Mode
Telecoms are moving towards AI-driven autonomy, with agentic operations, contextual intelligence and stronger governance becoming key to proactive service assurance and cross-domain optimisation.

OTHERS

How AI could reshape foreign policy — Harvard Gazette
A grounded look at AI’s upside for policymaking alongside real risks, including cyber escalation and misinformation, and why governance capacity may lag technical progress.

Fidji Simo on ads in ChatGPT and ending “Code Red” — Sources
OpenAI’s CEO of Applications discusses potential ad integration, privacy positioning and signals around new model releases, pointing to revenue diversification beyond subscriptions and enterprise.

VIDEO

Big investors push AI firms to focus on returns, not just spending — Yahoo Finance
Institutional voices are getting louder on capital discipline, questioning open-ended cash burn and pressing for clearer monetisation and shareholder-return frameworks.

^{IMPORTANT LEGAL DISCLAIMER}

^{Not Investment Advice: This content is provided by AI Investing Pulse for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice, a personal recommendation, or an invitation or inducement to engage in any investment activity. Not Regulated: AI Investing Pulse is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom, is not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or any state securities regulator in the United States, and is not registered with the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) or any provincial securities commission in Canada. Methodology Disclosure: The AIIP Index scores and rankings mentioned in this article are generated by a proprietary quantitative methodology based on publicly available financial data. Our full methodology is explained in the "About AIIP" section below. These scores are objective system outputs, not recommendations or endorsements. Risk Warning: Investing in stocks involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance of stocks, scores, or rankings is not indicative of future results. Stock prices can decline as well as rise, and you may lose some or all of your invested capital. Third-Party References: References to analyst opinions, bank research, media publications, or the term "picks" refer to third-party selections, not AIIP recommendations. We aggregate this information for educational analysis only. Seek Professional Advice: Always consult a qualified, regulated financial professional who understands your personal circumstances before making any investment decisions. Consider your individual financial situation, risk tolerance, investment objectives, and time horizon.}

^{About AIIP - The AIIP Index tracks 173 AI-focused public companies across the full AI stack, serving as our benchmark for sector performance. All scores are proprietary and calculated using data from Finbox (powered by S&P Global Intelligence). AIIP Total Score (0–100) combines metrics for sales and EPS growth, financial quality, and valuation to assess overall business strength. AIIP Relative Strength (RS) Score measures a stock’s price performance relative to the AIIP 173 AI stocks. Ranking Status is based on score combinations: Fundamental: Total Score ≥ 70, RS < 80. Momentum: RS ≥ 80, Total Score < 70. Watchlist: Total Score ≥ 70 and RS ≥ 80.}