Beyond Tech Giants: Which AI US Stocks Are Worth Holding Long-Term in 2026

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The market widely expects the Federal Reserve to begin a rate-cutting cycle between 2025 and 2026, with a loose financial environment driving AI investment diffusion deeper into the industry chain. AI development is entering a shifting phase, with investment focus moving from the chip end to downstream infrastructure, energy, and commercial applications.

The AI-optimized cloud (IaaS) market size is expected to grow from $7 billion in 2024 to $38 billion in 2026. During the same period, the AI application software market size is expected to grow from $84 billion to $270 billion.

This shift is creating new investment opportunities, providing fresh ideas for finding the next batch of AI US stocks with long-term value.

Key Points

• AI investment opportunities are expanding and no longer concentrated only in large tech companies.
• Professional AI cloud providers, such as CoreWeave, meet AI’s special needs for high-performance computing.
• Companies with low-cost power, such as IREN, have strong competitive advantages in the AI computing era.
• Companies integrating AI technology into daily business applications, such as Shopify, help small and medium enterprises improve efficiency.
• Investors can consider adding these companies to their portfolios for diversified investment.

AI Infrastructure: Professional Cloud Service Track

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As AI capital expenditure enters a super cycle, demand for computing power is growing explosively. However, not all cloud services can meet the stringent requirements for AI model training and inference. This creates enormous growth space for professional AI cloud providers. Market forecasts show astonishing expansion speed in this track.

CoreWeave (CRWV.US): Focused AI Cloud Provider

CoreWeave is a standout in this track. It does not aim to replace Amazon AWS or Microsoft Azure but plays an “expert” role in AI computing power by providing highly specialized services.

Traditional cloud giants offer “all-purpose” services, where their broad service ecosystems sometimes limit flexible access to top-tier GPUs. For AI companies pursuing ultimate performance and efficiency, a purely AI-built infrastructure is crucial.

CoreWeave’s competitive advantages are reflected in its significant differences from general cloud platforms. It focuses on providing optimal solutions for AI workloads, attracting many customers needing high-performance computing.

In addition, CoreWeave always stays ahead in hardware deployment. Through close cooperation with NVIDIA, it has become one of the fastest cloud providers to offer top-tier computing power.

• First cloud provider to offer NVIDIA H200 GPUs
• First AI cloud provider to offer NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 systems

This rapid response to the latest technology makes it the preferred platform for AI startups and research institutions, helping it lock in long-term, high-value customers. Its straightforward pricing model, such as about $49.24 per hour for an 8x H100 GPU instance, also provides customers with clear cost expectations.

AI Energy Supply: New Opportunities Driven by Power for Computing

AI’s exponential growth is facing a hard physical constraint: electricity. AI training requires round-the-clock high-performance computing, bringing enormous power consumption. In some areas with concentrated AI data centers, wholesale electricity prices have even risen 267% in the past five years. Electricity costs currently account for about 90% of data center hosting costs, making companies with low-cost, sustainable power able to build extremely high competitive barriers.

This trend directly links energy assets to computing power value. Companies that can control energy costs essentially hold the core competitiveness in the AI era.

IREN Ltd (IREN.US): Transformer from Mining to AI Computing Power

IREN Ltd. is a typical representative in this field. The company initially engaged in Bitcoin mining, which accumulated valuable experience in acquiring low-cost renewable energy and building efficient data centers. Now, IREN is transforming its unique “power advantage” into a “computing power advantage,” successfully entering the AI cloud computing market.

IREN’s core competitiveness lies in its extremely low energy costs, about $0.05 per kWh. This cost advantage provides a solid profit foundation and market competitiveness for its AI computing services. Although the AI business is still in its early stages, its growth potential is huge.

The company is actively expanding its AI infrastructure. IREN is using its existing data centers in Canada for high capital efficiency transformations to undertake AI computing demand.

• Prince George Site: 50MW capacity
• Horizon 1 Site: 50MW capacity

Looking ahead, IREN has a strong transaction reserve of 50 to 100 MW and expects to announce new sites and customers in 2025. This vertical integration model from energy to computing power positions IREN in a unique niche in the fierce competition for AI infrastructure, with long-term growth potential.

AI Commercialization Applications: US Stock Recommendations Worth Watching

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If infrastructure and energy are the “soil” for AI development, then commercialization applications are the “fruits” grown on that soil. The ultimate value of AI technology lies in its ability to solve real business problems. As AI penetration increases, companies that can seamlessly integrate AI into products and create direct value for customers will have enormous growth potential and are key directions for finding quality US stock recommendations.

Surveys show astonishing AI adoption speed among small and medium enterprises. Nearly two-thirds (64.7%) of US small businesses are already using or trialing AI tools. AI adoption rates have rapidly climbed from 55% in 2023 to 78% in 2025. This indicates that providing easy-to-use AI solutions for enterprises is a huge market opportunity.

Shopify (SHOP.US): Exemplar of AI Applications Empowering E-Commerce

Among many AI application companies, Shopify (SHOP.US) is an outstanding exemplar and a US stock recommendation worth watching. It does not simply add AI features but deeply integrates AI into every link of its e-commerce ecosystem, empowering millions of small and medium merchants.

Shopify’s core AI suite, including Shopify Magic and AI assistant Sidekick, transforms complex AI technology into practical tools accessible to merchants. Merchants can use these tools to:

• Generate professional product descriptions and blog posts with one click.
• Automatically create and optimize email marketing campaigns.
• Improve customer service efficiency through smart chatbots.
• Obtain data-based business insights and operational suggestions.

This strategy turns AI from an abstract concept into a direct driver for improving merchant operational efficiency and sales. Many merchants have achieved significant results through Shopify’s AI tools, making it a highly attractive US stock recommendation.

Shopify’s success demonstrates the enormous commercial potential of AI at the application layer. It achieves its own growth by helping customers succeed, forming a powerful positive cycle. For investors seeking long-term opportunities in the AI field, Shopify is a US stock recommendation that cannot be ignored. It proves the feasibility of AI commercialization and is a quality US stock recommendation worth holding long-term.

Building a future-oriented AI investment portfolio should not bet only on tech giants. In professional cloud infrastructure, energy supply, and commercialization applications, there exists a “second tier” of companies with high growth potential, offering diversified choices for capturing long-term AI dividends. After due diligence, investors can consider adding these companies to their watchlists. Platforms like Biyapay that support multi-channel funding can help investors conveniently allocate US stock assets for more balanced risk and return.

Risk Disclaimer: High growth comes with high risks. These companies face high capital expenditures, intense market competition, and over-reliance on specific customers (such as CoreWeave’s dependence on Microsoft). Investors must conduct independent in-depth research and risk assessment.

FAQ

Why Not Directly Invest in NVIDIA and Other Tech Giants?

Investing in these companies achieves portfolio diversification. They focus on niche markets underserved by giants, such as professional AI cloud services or low-cost energy. This creates unique growth opportunities and serves as an effective complement to giant investments.

What Are the Main Investment Risks for These Companies?

Main risks include high capital expenditures, intense market competition, and dependence on a few major customers. For example, CoreWeave’s business is closely tied to Microsoft. These factors may affect future profitability and stock price stability.

How to Choose Among Infrastructure, Energy, and Application Companies?

Investors’ choices depend on their investment strategy. Infrastructure stocks (like CoreWeave) have high growth potential but high risk. Energy stocks (like IREN) are long-term layouts based on physical constraints. Application stocks (like Shopify) have value directly linked to commercial landing and profitability.