Tech Stocks Volatility and AI Investment Opportunities
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Should l Buy ORCL?
Source: Fool
- Oracle's Strong Growth: In Q3 of fiscal 2026, Oracle's cloud computing revenue surged 44% year-over-year to $8.9 billion, driving overall sales up 22% to $17.2 billion, indicating robust customer demand for AI infrastructure and solidifying its market position.
- ServiceNow's Platform Advantage: Despite a more than 30% drop in ServiceNow's stock price in early 2026, its Q1 sales grew 22% year-over-year to $3.8 billion, with a projected 22% growth in subscription sales for Q2, demonstrating its competitiveness in the AI era.
- Atlassian's Market Performance: Atlassian achieved a 23% year-over-year revenue increase to $1.6 billion in Q2 2026, with RPO reaching $3.8 billion, reflecting enhanced user engagement with its AI product Rovo and strengthening its competitive position.
- Increased Investment Appeal: The significant stock price declines of Oracle, ServiceNow, and Atlassian have drawn investor attention to their current valuation levels, with all three companies viewed as worthwhile AI growth stocks to buy and hold for the long term, reflecting market recognition of their future growth potential.
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Analyst Views on ORCL
Wall Street analysts forecast ORCL stock price to rise
34 Analyst Rating
25 Buy
9 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 176.280
Low
180.00
Averages
309.59
High
400.00
Current: 176.280
Low
180.00
Averages
309.59
High
400.00
About ORCL
Oracle Corporation offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. The Company operates through three businesses: cloud and license, hardware and service. Its cloud and license business is engaged in the sale, marketing and delivery of its enterprise applications and infrastructure technologies through cloud and on-premise deployment models including its cloud services and license support offerings, and its cloud license and on-premise license offerings. Its hardware business provides infrastructure technologies including Oracle Engineered Systems, servers, storage, industry-specific hardware, operating systems, virtualization, management and other hardware-related software to support diverse IT environments. Its services business provides services to customers and partners to help maximize the performance of their investments in Oracle applications and infrastructure technologies.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Tech Stocks Volatility and AI Investment Opportunities
- Oracle's Strong Growth: In Q3 of fiscal 2026, Oracle's cloud computing revenue surged 44% year-over-year to $8.9 billion, driving overall sales up 22% to $17.2 billion, indicating robust customer demand for AI infrastructure and solidifying its market position.
- ServiceNow's Platform Advantage: Despite a more than 30% drop in ServiceNow's stock price in early 2026, its Q1 sales grew 22% year-over-year to $3.8 billion, with a projected 22% growth in subscription sales for Q2, demonstrating its competitiveness in the AI era.
- Atlassian's Market Performance: Atlassian achieved a 23% year-over-year revenue increase to $1.6 billion in Q2 2026, with RPO reaching $3.8 billion, reflecting enhanced user engagement with its AI product Rovo and strengthening its competitive position.
- Increased Investment Appeal: The significant stock price declines of Oracle, ServiceNow, and Atlassian have drawn investor attention to their current valuation levels, with all three companies viewed as worthwhile AI growth stocks to buy and hold for the long term, reflecting market recognition of their future growth potential.
See More
Hyperscalers Accelerate AI Infrastructure Investments
- Surge in Capital Expenditure: By 2026, the top five U.S. hyperscalers, including Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle, and Amazon, are projected to collectively invest $720 billion in AI infrastructure, marking a significant shift of AI technology from experimental phases to becoming a backbone of the global economy, reflecting strong confidence in future markets.
- Intensifying Market Competition: As demand for AI computing power skyrockets, hyperscalers must significantly invest in new data centers to avoid becoming mere utilities, ensuring they can deliver advanced services and maintain market share amidst fierce competition.
- Investment Strategy Divergence: Microsoft and Alphabet's AI infrastructure spending is closely aligned with their high-margin application layers, effectively attracting users and accelerating revenue growth, while their competitors' expenditures are more about maintaining existing market shares, lacking immediate growth drivers.
- Focus on Infrastructure Development: A substantial portion of the funding will be allocated to constructing data centers specifically designed for AI workloads, which will surpass traditional cloud campuses in power and cooling capabilities, ensuring they can meet the rapidly increasing demands of AI in the future.
See More
Top 5 U.S. Hyperscalers Project $720 Billion in 2026 Capital Expenditures
- Surge in Capital Expenditures: In 2026, Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle, and Amazon are projected to collectively invest $720 billion in AI infrastructure, reflecting a strong demand for AI computing power and indicating a shift from experimental phases to becoming a backbone of the global economy.
- Infrastructure Investment Trends: The majority of this funding will be allocated to constructing data centers specifically designed for AI workloads, which will surpass traditional cloud campuses in power density and cooling sophistication, ensuring a competitive edge in the market.
- Microsoft and Alphabet's Advantages: The investments by Microsoft and Alphabet are closely aligned with high-margin application layers that can quickly convert into revenue, while their competitors' spending is more about maintaining existing market share, lacking immediate growth potential and facing greater risks.
- Intensifying Market Competition: As AI models rapidly evolve, any breakthrough by one hyperscaler forces others to follow suit to prevent customer migration, driving accelerated infrastructure investments across the entire industry.
See More
U.S. Hyperscalers Project $720 Billion Capex in 2026 for AI Infrastructure
- Capex Scale: By 2026, the top five U.S. hyperscalers, including Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle, and Amazon, are projected to collectively invest $720 billion in capital expenditures, reflecting a strong demand for AI infrastructure and marking a shift from experimental technology to a backbone of the global economy.
- Investment Drivers: As the appetite for AI computing power surges, companies are no longer debating whether to adopt AI but rather how quickly they can integrate new workflows into their core operations, creating a feedback loop that compels hyperscalers to invest heavily in data centers to avoid becoming mere utilities in a competitive landscape.
- Spending Allocation: The $720 billion will primarily fund the construction of factories and data centers specifically designed for AI workloads, expected to surpass traditional cloud campuses in power density and cooling sophistication, while also addressing power infrastructure and designing custom silicon chips to mitigate GPU supply bottlenecks.
- Market Competition Dynamics: Microsoft and Alphabet stand out due to their AI infrastructure spending being closely aligned with high-margin application layers, while other competitors focus more on maintaining existing market shares, lacking the impetus for short-term growth, which may leave them at a disadvantage in the AI economy.
See More
Analysis of Cloud Computing ETF Performance
- SKYY Fund Performance: The First Trust Cloud Computing ETF (SKYY) is down 10% year-to-date but up 20% over the past year, currently priced around $118, indicating its stability in the cloud computing sector, particularly as AI capital expenditures attract infrastructure-heavy investors.
- WCLD Fund Volatility: The WisdomTree Cloud Computing Fund (WCLD) has declined 22% year-to-date and 12% over the trailing year, trading near $27, primarily impacted by AI disruption concerns, reflecting the vulnerability of pure-play software companies amid market fluctuations.
- CLOD Fund Positioning: The Themes Cloud Computing ETF (CLOD) launched as a lower-cost thematic fund, down 14% year-to-date but up 1% over the past year, currently priced around $28, providing a new option for cost-sensitive investors despite its shorter trading history.
- Market Trend Analysis: Enterprise digital transformation and AI-driven infrastructure spending are propelling cloud demand; however, profit pressures and interest rate sensitivity faced by pure software companies create divergent performance across different ETF types, necessitating investors to choose funds based on their risk tolerance.
See More
Top Software Executives Join OpenAI Amid AI Disruption
- Executive Exodus: Several top executives from Salesforce, Snowflake, and Palantir have recently joined OpenAI, highlighting the challenges faced by the software industry amid AI disruption, particularly driven by attractive compensation packages and existing corporate relationships.
- Enterprise Customer Growth: OpenAI's enterprise customer base is projected to grow from 40% to 50%, indicating a strategic shift towards the enterprise segment, which is expected to leverage the newly acquired executives' industry connections to drive business expansion.
- Intensified Industry Competition: The competition for talent among AI giants has intensified, particularly for executives with sales and go-to-market experience, showcasing the significant impact and allure of the AI sector on traditional software companies.
- Market Performance Decline: The software industry has faced severe stock price declines due to concerns over AI disruption, with the iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF down nearly 20% year-to-date, reflecting a pessimistic outlook on the sector's future.
See More
Tech Stocks Volatility and AI Investment Opportunities
- Oracle's Strong Growth: In Q3 of fiscal 2026, Oracle's cloud computing revenue surged 44% year-over-year to $8.9 billion, driving overall sales up 22% to $17.2 billion, indicating robust customer demand for AI infrastructure and solidifying its market position.
- ServiceNow's Platform Advantage: Despite a more than 30% drop in ServiceNow's stock price in early 2026, its Q1 sales grew 22% year-over-year to $3.8 billion, with a projected 22% growth in subscription sales for Q2, demonstrating its competitiveness in the AI era.
- Atlassian's Market Performance: Atlassian achieved a 23% year-over-year revenue increase to $1.6 billion in Q2 2026, with RPO reaching $3.8 billion, reflecting enhanced user engagement with its AI product Rovo and strengthening its competitive position.
- Increased Investment Appeal: The significant stock price declines of Oracle, ServiceNow, and Atlassian have drawn investor attention to their current valuation levels, with all three companies viewed as worthwhile AI growth stocks to buy and hold for the long term, reflecting market recognition of their future growth potential.
See More
Hyperscalers Accelerate AI Infrastructure Investments
- Surge in Capital Expenditure: By 2026, the top five U.S. hyperscalers, including Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle, and Amazon, are projected to collectively invest $720 billion in AI infrastructure, marking a significant shift of AI technology from experimental phases to becoming a backbone of the global economy, reflecting strong confidence in future markets.
- Intensifying Market Competition: As demand for AI computing power skyrockets, hyperscalers must significantly invest in new data centers to avoid becoming mere utilities, ensuring they can deliver advanced services and maintain market share amidst fierce competition.
- Investment Strategy Divergence: Microsoft and Alphabet's AI infrastructure spending is closely aligned with their high-margin application layers, effectively attracting users and accelerating revenue growth, while their competitors' expenditures are more about maintaining existing market shares, lacking immediate growth drivers.
- Focus on Infrastructure Development: A substantial portion of the funding will be allocated to constructing data centers specifically designed for AI workloads, which will surpass traditional cloud campuses in power and cooling capabilities, ensuring they can meet the rapidly increasing demands of AI in the future.
See More
Top 5 U.S. Hyperscalers Project $720 Billion in 2026 Capital Expenditures
- Surge in Capital Expenditures: In 2026, Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle, and Amazon are projected to collectively invest $720 billion in AI infrastructure, reflecting a strong demand for AI computing power and indicating a shift from experimental phases to becoming a backbone of the global economy.
- Infrastructure Investment Trends: The majority of this funding will be allocated to constructing data centers specifically designed for AI workloads, which will surpass traditional cloud campuses in power density and cooling sophistication, ensuring a competitive edge in the market.
- Microsoft and Alphabet's Advantages: The investments by Microsoft and Alphabet are closely aligned with high-margin application layers that can quickly convert into revenue, while their competitors' spending is more about maintaining existing market share, lacking immediate growth potential and facing greater risks.
- Intensifying Market Competition: As AI models rapidly evolve, any breakthrough by one hyperscaler forces others to follow suit to prevent customer migration, driving accelerated infrastructure investments across the entire industry.
See More
U.S. Hyperscalers Project $720 Billion Capex in 2026 for AI Infrastructure
- Capex Scale: By 2026, the top five U.S. hyperscalers, including Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle, and Amazon, are projected to collectively invest $720 billion in capital expenditures, reflecting a strong demand for AI infrastructure and marking a shift from experimental technology to a backbone of the global economy.
- Investment Drivers: As the appetite for AI computing power surges, companies are no longer debating whether to adopt AI but rather how quickly they can integrate new workflows into their core operations, creating a feedback loop that compels hyperscalers to invest heavily in data centers to avoid becoming mere utilities in a competitive landscape.
- Spending Allocation: The $720 billion will primarily fund the construction of factories and data centers specifically designed for AI workloads, expected to surpass traditional cloud campuses in power density and cooling sophistication, while also addressing power infrastructure and designing custom silicon chips to mitigate GPU supply bottlenecks.
- Market Competition Dynamics: Microsoft and Alphabet stand out due to their AI infrastructure spending being closely aligned with high-margin application layers, while other competitors focus more on maintaining existing market shares, lacking the impetus for short-term growth, which may leave them at a disadvantage in the AI economy.
See More
Analysis of Cloud Computing ETF Performance
- SKYY Fund Performance: The First Trust Cloud Computing ETF (SKYY) is down 10% year-to-date but up 20% over the past year, currently priced around $118, indicating its stability in the cloud computing sector, particularly as AI capital expenditures attract infrastructure-heavy investors.
- WCLD Fund Volatility: The WisdomTree Cloud Computing Fund (WCLD) has declined 22% year-to-date and 12% over the trailing year, trading near $27, primarily impacted by AI disruption concerns, reflecting the vulnerability of pure-play software companies amid market fluctuations.
- CLOD Fund Positioning: The Themes Cloud Computing ETF (CLOD) launched as a lower-cost thematic fund, down 14% year-to-date but up 1% over the past year, currently priced around $28, providing a new option for cost-sensitive investors despite its shorter trading history.
- Market Trend Analysis: Enterprise digital transformation and AI-driven infrastructure spending are propelling cloud demand; however, profit pressures and interest rate sensitivity faced by pure software companies create divergent performance across different ETF types, necessitating investors to choose funds based on their risk tolerance.
See More
Top Software Executives Join OpenAI Amid AI Disruption
- Executive Exodus: Several top executives from Salesforce, Snowflake, and Palantir have recently joined OpenAI, highlighting the challenges faced by the software industry amid AI disruption, particularly driven by attractive compensation packages and existing corporate relationships.
- Enterprise Customer Growth: OpenAI's enterprise customer base is projected to grow from 40% to 50%, indicating a strategic shift towards the enterprise segment, which is expected to leverage the newly acquired executives' industry connections to drive business expansion.
- Intensified Industry Competition: The competition for talent among AI giants has intensified, particularly for executives with sales and go-to-market experience, showcasing the significant impact and allure of the AI sector on traditional software companies.
- Market Performance Decline: The software industry has faced severe stock price declines due to concerns over AI disruption, with the iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF down nearly 20% year-to-date, reflecting a pessimistic outlook on the sector's future.
See More
