The stock markets have a hard act to follow in 2026 after setting record highs in 2025. As of the market close on Dec. 30, 2025, the S&P 500 was up by about 17.5% for the year, while the Nasdaq had gained 21.5% and the Dow was up 14.1%.
While it’s hard to predict what’s in store for 2026, some stocks seem poised to keep pushing higher. Which ones will be the top performers in 2026? GOBankingRates asked ChatGPT — and the stocks it picked include some of the hottest names on Wall Street.
Here are the top four stocks picked by ChatGPT, along with its key points about the picks and what other experts have to say.
Nvidia (NVDA)
The first stock pick on ChatGPT’s list was Nvidia. Here were its strengths, risks and what to keep an eye on, per ChatGPT.
- Strengths: It’s considered a “top growth stock” thanks to its leadership in graphics processing units (GPUs) for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. “As long as data center build-out and AI compute demand continue, NVDA could benefit,” ChatGPT said.
- Risks: It has a very high valuation, and there’s also supply chain/export/competitive risk. “If AI hype slows, the multiple could contract,” ChatGPT explained.
- What to keep an eye on in 2026: Earnings growth, new GPU launches, data center contract pipeline and margin trends.
Not everyone believes Nvidia’s momentum is sustainable. Among the skeptics is Chad Cummings, an attorney and CPA at Cummings & Cummings Law who previously worked in finance and tax with American Airlines, PwC and JPMorgan Chase.
“The Nvidia train is running out of steam,” he told GOBankingRates. “We are advising clients to exit their positions before year-end. Its growth depends on hyperscalers continuing unsustainable data center expansion. One slowdown or energy bottleneck unravels the narrative.”
Read More: Self-Made Millionaires Suggest 5 Stocks You Should Never Sell
Check Out: 9 Low-Effort Ways To Make Passive Income (You Can Start This Week)
Microsoft (MSFT)
Next up on ChatGPT’s list was Microsoft, and it cited these strengths, weaknesses and key factors to keep an eye on.
- Strengths: It’s considered a leading AI infrastructure/cloud play moving into 2026 with a “strong recurring revenue base” and “large market share in cloud, enterprise and AI tools,” per ChatGPT.
- Risks: Its stock growth could decelerate due to “valuation crowding,” meaning shares might soon be seen as overvalued.
- What to keep an eye on in 2026: Growth in Microsoft’s cloud computing service business, as well as continued AI product launches.
Despite Microsoft’s robust growth and strong AI position, Cummings called the company “particularly worrisome” because of potential legal and performance problems.
“Embedding AI in core enterprise tools without clear indemnity invites securities fraud, employment discrimination and professional malpractice claims,” he said. “Several memes have been making the rounds on finance blogs … showing that Microsoft’s integration of AI into Excel produces comedically false mathematical results.”
Alphabet (GOOGL)
The parent company of Google also made ChatGPT’s list. Here are some key things to note.
- Strengths: Growth in its ad/search business, along with potentially lucrative AI investments, are key strengths.
- Risks: Ad revenue could slow, while the company’s ambitious, innovation-focused Moonshot Factory business “might not pay off” in 2026.
- What to keep an eye on in 2026: Ad revenue trends, cloud growth and new product/AI service announcements.
Many analysts remain bullish on Alphabet’s prospects. In November, Loop Capital analyst Rob Sanderson changed his rating from a “Hold” to a “Buy” on the stock, per TheStreet.
His reasoning for the upgrade was that Google has proved that its dominance isn’t going anywhere, as reported by TheStreet.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
Last on the list for ChatGPT was Advanced Micro Devices. Here are some of its key strengths and risks, as well as what investors should eye in 2026.
- Strengths: It’s seen AI/data center revenue growth and recent large contract wins.
- Risks: It faces competition from companies such as Nvidia and Intel, along with “margin pressure” and “execution risk,” per ChatGPT.
- What to keep an eye on in 2026: Data-center GPU revenue growth and contract announcements.
In a recent analysis, The Motley Fool predicted that Advanced Micro Devices will become a trillion-dollar company by 2030. To get there, its market cap (currently about $350 billion) will have to rise by around 185% over the next four years.
To back up its claim, The Motley Fool pointed to a deal the company recently signed with OpenAI to deploy six gigawatts of AMD data center chips by 2030. It also praised AMD’s CPU/GPU business for PCs, which has “steadily gained market share over the past decade.”
More From GOBankingRates
- Nearly 1 in 3 Americans Hit by a Costly Holiday Scam, Norton Survey Shows -- How To Avoid This
- Here's What Retirees Wasted the Most Money On in 2025 -- and How To Avoid It in 2026
- How Middle-Class Earners Are Quietly Becoming Millionaires -- and How You Can, Too
- 6 Safe Accounts Proven to Grow Your Money Up to 13x Faster
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: We Asked ChatGPT What the Top-Performing Stocks of 2026 Will Be: Do Investing Experts Agree?
