As the world retools for AI, electrification, digital infrastructure, and productivity, several companies sit at the intersection of essential demand and improving unit economics.
The investment landscape continually evolves, presenting both challenges and opportunities for discerning investors.
This analysis aims to provide an informative perspective on these entities, highlighting their core businesses, competitive advantages, and the catalysts propelling their future growth.
Here are 10 companies that I like each possessing unique attributes and growth trajectories that position them for significant potential in 2026.
1. BWXT Technologies: Powering Progress with Nuclear Precision
While AI data centers capture headlines, the power needed to sustain them still depends on baseload reliability. BWXT Technologies stands squarely in that conversation.
The company is best known as the exclusive supplier of naval nuclear reactors for the U.S. Navy’s submarines and aircraft carriers, a franchise that provides multi-decade visibility and margin stability.
Beyond defense, BWXT also develops microreactors, medical radioisotopes, and nuclear fuel—adjacent markets that benefit from the same expertise in nuclear engineering and safety.
BWXT reported strong financial performance for Q3 2025, with revenue of $866.3 million and a record backlog of $7.4 billion, indicating strong future demand.
The acquisition of Kinectrics in May 2025 has expanded its service offerings and contributed to a significant increase in the commercial operations segment revenue.
Analysts generally have a “Buy” or “Strong Buy” rating on the stock, with an average 12-month price target of around $216.00 to $225.65, suggesting potential upside from current levels.
2. Nebius: A Cloud Upstart to Watch in the AI Era
Nebius positions itself as an emerging cloud and AI infrastructure provider focused on high-performance compute and developer-friendly services.
Because hyperscalers dominate broad public cloud, challengers often win by specializing—better price-performance for training clusters, tailored support for enterprise AI stacks, or regional partnerships that meet regulatory needs.
The long-term outlook for the stock is generally bullish among analysts due to its strategic position in the booming AI infrastructure market and significant contract wins with major tech companies like Microsoft and Meta.
Demand for AI data center capacity significantly outpaces supply, allowing Nebius to secure lucrative, long-term contracts. The company has a contractual backlog of over $20 billion, including major deals with Meta ($3 billion over five years) and Microsoft ($17.4+ billion through 2031). This provides strong revenue visibility for years to come.
Wall Street analysts maintain a “Strong Buy” consensus rating for NBIS, with average price targets suggesting significant upside from current levels (targets ranging from $164.20 to over $211).
3. Autodesk: Shaping the Digital Frontier of Design & Creation
Design sits at the front end of nearly every physical project. Autodesk has long been the software backbone of architects, engineers, and builders, and it continues to push cloud workflows that compress timelines and reduce rework.
Autodesk is a global leader in 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software, serving a vast array of industries including architecture, engineering, construction (AEC), manufacturing, and media.
The company’s Construction Cloud aims to connect the dots from design to build, while generative design and AI-driven assistants promise to accelerate iteration and improve outcomes. When you view the surge in e-infrastructure and transportation projects, Autodesk becomes a beneficiary with multiple vectors of demand.
As AI permeates drafting and coordination tasks, Autodesk’s role as workflow orchestrator should become more, not less, central.
Wall Street analysts rate Autodesk a “Moderate Buy,” with an average 12-month price target of around $370-$375, representing a potential upside of over 34% from the current price.
4. Hims & Hers Health: Revolutionizing Accessible Healthcare
Hims & Hers Health is transforming the way consumers access healthcare, specifically focusing on personal care and wellness categories like sexual health, hair loss, dermatology, and mental health.
Through its telehealth platform, the company provides direct-to-consumer access to licensed healthcare professionals, personalized treatments, and prescription medications delivered discreetly to patients’ homes.
This model addresses significant barriers to traditional healthcare, including convenience, cost, and stigma.
The company’s growth is driven by a subscription-based telehealth model that removes barriers to healthcare for conditions like hair loss, sexual health, and mental health. Expansion into weight management and personalized treatments (like compounded GLP-1 medications) has been a key recent growth area.
The current consensus rating is “Hold”, with the average 12-month price target around $45.50, which implies a potential upside of over 43% from the current price. However, opinions are split, with some analysts rating it as “Buy” or “Strong Buy” and others as “Sell”.
5. UiPath: Automating The Future of Work
UiPath is a global software company specializing in Robotic Process Automation (RPA), which empowers businesses to automate repetitive, rules-based tasks, thereby freeing human workers for more complex and creative endeavors.
Agentic Automation & AI Integration: The combination of rules-based automation (RPA) and AI (large language models) creates a unified, differentiated “agentic automation” platform, positioning it to benefit from the rise of AI agents.
Collaborations with major tech players like Microsoft, Nvidia, and OpenAI enhance its credibility and integrate its solutions into leading enterprise ecosystems.
Their continued investment in artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities enhances the intelligence of their bots, enabling automation of more sophisticated processes.
UiPath is well-positioned to capitalize on the accelerating global imperative for hyperautomation, becoming an indispensable tool for businesses seeking a competitive edge as AI becomes mainstream.
Analyst Sentiment: The general consensus among analysts is “Hold” on the stock, reflecting a “wait and see” approach as the market evaluates the success of the AI strategy. The average price target is around $15.85, suggesting a potential slight downside from the current price, though some bullish targets go up to $19.00.
6. Zeta Global: First-Part Data For A Cookieless Era
Zeta Global’s platform combines a scaled identity graph with a suite of marketing tools designed to unify first-party data, orchestrate campaigns, and measure outcomes. The company positions itself as a modern alternative to stitched-together point solutions, promising better performance at lower total cost.
The ecosystem is centered on the Zeta Marketing Platform (ZMP), which unifies three critical areas:
1. Identity (CDP+): A customer data platform that consolidates disparate data points into a single view of a consumer.
2. Intelligence (Athena): An AI engine, recently enhanced through a strategic partnership with OpenAI, that provides “agentic” capabilities like Insights (conversational analytics) and Advisor (automated campaign optimization).
3. Activation: Tools for omnichannel engagement across email, SMS, push notifications, and paid media
Earnings are forecasted to grow significantly (over 143% per year), and the company aims for over $2 billion in revenue by 2028, with a long-term goal of 20% CAGR through 2028.
While currently unprofitable on a GAAP basis, the company has been reducing losses and is focusing on expanding EBITDA margins (targeting 30% by 2030) and free cash flow conversion.
Analyst Sentiment: Wall Street analysts rate the stock a “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $27.25, representing an upside from the current price.
7. IREN: The Mining The Digital Gold Standard with Sustainable Power
The company is an vertically integrated data center company that has successfully transitioned from a pure-play Bitcoin miner into a major AI Cloud Service Provider (CSP).
IREN owns and operates high-performance data centers powered by 100% renewable energy. It controls the entire infrastructure stack—from land and substations to specialized GPU clusters—allowing it to scale faster than competitors reliant on third-party providers.
As of January 2026, the company is at a strategic inflection point, leveraging its massive power-secured sites to support the global surge in AI infrastructure demand.
AI Cloud Services: Rapidly becoming the dominant driver, anchored by a $9.7 billion, 5-year contract with Microsoft announced in late 2025.
Bitcoin Mining: Traditionally 95%+ of revenue, this remains a core cash-flow generator used to fund data center expansions.
Earnings per share (EPS) are forecasted to grow by over 227% in the coming year, rising from roughly $0.43 to $1.41.
Price Targets: The average 12-month analyst target is $83.00, representing an ~80% upside from the current price of ~$46.00.
8. EOSE Energy Enterprises – Renewable Energy Dominion
Eos Energy Enterprises (EOSE) is an Edison, New Jersey-based manufacturer of zinc-powered battery energy storage systems (BESS). Founded in 2008, the company specializes in long-duration storage (3–12+ hours) as a safer, more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion technology.
Unique Zinc-Based Technology: Eos offers a non-flammable, sustainable, and US-made alternative to lithium-ion batteries for 3-12 hour discharge applications, which is a key selling point for data centers and utilities.
Eos Energy generates revenue primarily through the sale of its energy storage systems and related services. Despite recent record quarterly revenues, the company continues to report substantial net losses and negative operating cash flow. The company raised over $855 million in late 2025 through notes and stock offerings to shore up its balance sheet and fund manufacturing expansion.
Massive Revenue Growth: Analysts forecast revenue to grow by over 230% in 2026, driven by record orders and a commercial pipeline valued at over $22 billion as of late 2025.
Commercial Momentum: As of early 2026, the company maintains a commercial pipeline valued at approximately $22.6 billion, driven largely by demand from utilities and AI data centers requiring long-duration grid resiliency.
Eos Energy is focused on scaling its U.S. manufacturing capacity and expanding its commercial pipeline for long-duration energy storage solutions, especially for data centers and AI infrastructure support. The company reported record revenue in Q3 2025 and aims for positive gross margins by Q1 2026.
Analysts have a consensus “Hold” rating for the stock, with an average price target of $12.44, which suggests a potential downside from the current price.
9. AtkinsRealis – Infrastructure Powerhouse
AtkinsRéalis is a fully integrated professional services and project management firm that provides consulting, engineering, and construction services across various sectors. The company has ceased bidding on high-risk, lump-sum turnkey (LSTK) construction projects and is focusing on higher-margin engineering services and the growing nuclear market.
The company has focused on high-demand sectors, particularly Nuclear (including CANDU reactor life extensions and SMR development) and Engineering Services. Demand in these areas is driven by global energy transition, decarbonization efforts, and aging infrastructure needs.
The company reported a record backlog of $21 billion in Q3 2025, driven by strong demand in nuclear and infrastructure markets. The shift in business mix has improved profitability. The target for the high-margin Engineering Services segment is an EBITDA margin of 17% to 18% by 2027.
Analyst Consensus: The stock holds a consensus “Strong Buy” rating from analysts, with no “Hold” or “Sell” ratings as of January 2026.
Price Targets: The average 12-month analyst price target is approximately $119.15 CAD, suggesting a potential upside of around 30% from the current price.
9. Netflix – A Global Streaming Giant
Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) remains the dominant global streaming service and presents a strong long-term investment opportunity driven by profitability and strategic expansion into advertising and live events.
Profitability and Margins: The company is generating significant free cash flow and expanding its operating margins. Management aims to triple operating profit by 2030.
Analysts project double-digit revenue and EPS growth for the next several years, with the company targeting an estimated $1 trillion market capitalization by 2030.
Content Dominance: A robust content strategy and global brand recognition help Netflix maintain its market leadership despite intense competition from rivals like Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.
Analysts hold a “Moderate Buy” consensus, expecting continued double-digit revenue growth and significant margin expansion in the coming years
Conclusion
And there we have it, 10 stocks I like in 2026.
By navigate the complexities of the modern financial landscape, identifying companies poised for substantial growth by 2026 becomes a cornerstone of strategic investing.
Their robust business models, innovative technologies, and strong market positioning suggest a compelling outlook for continued expansion.
However, exercising prudence and conducting thorough individual research remains paramount for any investment decision. The journey to prosperity is often paved with careful consideration and a clear understanding of both the opportunities and the inherent risks.
By maintaining an informed perspective and diversifying intelligently, investors can strategically position their portfolios to capture the growth engines of tomorrow.
Nothing here is considered financial advice and ALWAYS DO YOUR RESEARCH !