Three Leading ETFs I'm Eager to Invest in Heavily in 2026, Even with Numerous Affordable Stocks on My Watchlist
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 11 2025
0mins
Should l Buy AMD?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Investment Strategy for 2026: The author plans to allocate half of their retirement contributions to ETFs in 2026, focusing on the Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF, Vanguard Real Estate ETF, and Ark Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF as key investments.
Small Cap Stocks Outlook: Small cap stocks, particularly those in the Russell 2000 index, are currently undervalued compared to large caps, and lower interest rates in 2026 could help close this valuation gap.
Real Estate Investment Potential: The Vanguard Real Estate ETF is highlighted as a promising investment due to its exposure to REITs and a 4% dividend yield, especially as the real estate sector is expected to recover.
AI Investment via ETFs: The Ark Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF is favored for its focus on smaller AI stocks, providing a way to invest in the AI revolution without extensive research on individual companies.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy AMD?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on AMD
Wall Street analysts forecast AMD stock price to fall
33 Analyst Rating
25 Buy
8 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 341.540
Low
210.00
Averages
289.13
High
377.00
Current: 341.540
Low
210.00
Averages
289.13
High
377.00
About AMD
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. is a global semiconductor company. The Company is focused on high-performance computing and artificial intelligence (AI). Its segments include Data Center, Client and Gaming, and Embedded. Data Center segment includes AI accelerators, microprocessors (CPUs) for servers, graphics processing units (GPUs), accelerated processing units (APUs), data processing units (DPUs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and Adaptive system-on-Chip (SoC) products for data centers. Client and Gaming segment includes CPUs, APUs, chipsets for desktops and notebooks, discrete GPUs, and semi-custom SoC products and development services. Embedded segment includes embedded CPUs, APUs, FPGAs, system on modules (SOMs), and Adaptive SoC products. It markets and sells its products under the AMD trademark. Its products include AMD EPYC, AMD Ryzen, AMD Ryzen PRO, Virtex UltraScale+, among others.
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.
AMD's Q1 Earnings Preview Highlights Key Growth Areas
- Data Center Growth: Analyst Jeff Pu reiterated his Buy rating on AMD and raised his price target to $465, expecting the company's data center CPU business to grow by 55% and 48% YoY in 2026 and 2027, respectively, indicating a strong position in the rapidly expanding AI sector.
- MI 455 AI Accelerator Progress: Pu noted that AMD's upcoming MI 455 AI accelerator is expected to start shipping in Q3, with demand from multi-GW customers like OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic anticipated to remain strong into 2027 and 2028.
- Competition with Nvidia: While the MI 455 has not yet shipped, there is significant anticipation regarding the upcoming MI 550's comparison to Nvidia's Rubin Ultra line, with Pu suggesting that the MI 500 remains in development for a 4-die packaging design, enhancing AMD's competitive edge.
- Potential Partnership Announcement: There may be an announcement regarding a partnership with Anthropic, as recent job listings indicate the company is seeking a research engineer with ROCm expertise, suggesting a deepening collaboration that could open new business opportunities for AMD.
See More
Zyphra Launches Zyphra Cloud, a Full-Stack AI Platform Powered by AMD
- Platform Launch: Zyphra has announced the launch of Zyphra Cloud, a full-stack AI platform powered by AMD Instinct™ MI355X GPUs and TensorWave infrastructure, aimed at providing developers and enterprises with advanced capabilities for building and deploying AI systems.
- Serverless Inference Service: The Zyphra Inference service, debuting with Zyphra Cloud, is a serverless inference service that supports frontier open-weight models such as DeepSeek V3.2, Kimi K2.6, and GLM 5.1, combining custom kernels and novel long-context inference algorithms to deliver high throughput and low latency performance.
- Expansion Capabilities: Zyphra Cloud is designed to expand into a broader integrated platform, with upcoming features including distributed post-training services, reinforcement learning, and fine-tuning, providing a unified environment for building, training, and deploying AI systems.
- Market Positioning: The launch of Zyphra Cloud signifies Zyphra's further development in the AI space, with CEO Krithik Puthalath stating that the platform will deliver the performance and efficiency required for real-world workloads, driving innovation in AI applications for enterprises.
See More
Apple, Amazon, and TSMC Deliver Earnings Triple Plays
- Earnings Highlights: Apple, Amazon, and TSMC have all achieved a 'triple play' this quarter, delivering growth in earnings, revenue, and guidance, which underscores strong market demand and business resilience, further solidifying their leadership positions in their respective industries.
- Market Reaction: Investors reacted positively to the earnings reports from these three companies, driving stock prices higher, which reflects a renewed confidence in tech stocks and may attract more capital inflows into the technology sector.
- Industry Impact: The robust performance of these companies not only enhances their market valuations but may also lead to upward revisions in earnings expectations for other tech firms, creating a virtuous cycle that could further drive the recovery of the entire industry.
- Future Outlook: As the global economy gradually recovers, the success stories of Apple, Amazon, and TSMC may inspire other companies to adopt similar growth strategies, fostering innovation and investment that drive long-term growth.
See More
Micron's Stock Soars 12% After Launching High-Capacity SSD
- Stock Surge: Micron announced the shipment of its highest-capacity solid-state drive, leading to a 12% stock increase on Tuesday, pushing its market cap past $700 billion for the first time and positioning it among the top 10 U.S. tech companies, indicating strong market demand for its products.
- Outstanding Annual Performance: Micron's stock has surged 125% this year and 700% over the past 12 months, reflecting the company's robust performance amid a global memory shortage and the AI boom, further solidifying its market position.
- Soaring Memory Demand: The rapid development of artificial intelligence has led to a surge in memory demand, resulting in a global shortage, with chipmakers like Nvidia and AMD driving growth for Micron and other memory manufacturers due to their need for high-performance AI processors.
- Cost Optimization for Data Centers: Micron's senior vice president stated that the newly launched solid-state drives provide data center operators with a critical new lever to improve rack-level total cost of ownership, especially as power availability becomes a defining constraint for scaling AI infrastructure.
See More
Markets Hit New Highs, AI Infrastructure Leads the Charge
- Market Performance: On Tuesday, markets continued to rise without new escalations in the Middle East conflict, with West Texas Intermediate crude down about 4% and the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield slightly lower, indicating increased investor confidence in the market.
- Tech Stocks Lead: Chipmakers like Intel, SanDisk, and Micron saw double-digit percentage gains, driving a strong overall performance for technology stocks, with Amazon, Broadcom, Alphabet, and Qnity hitting new 52-week highs, reflecting robust performance in AI-related stocks.
- Strong Earnings Boost Materials: The materials sector emerged as the top performer in the S&P 500, with DuPont being the biggest mover due to its strong earnings report, highlighting investor confidence and interest in the materials industry.
- Robotic Surgery System Progress: Johnson & Johnson announced that its Ottava robotic surgery system achieved primary endpoints in clinical studies for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedures, which is expected to support FDA approval for multiple upper abdominal surgeries, further solidifying its position in the robotic surgery market.
See More
Rockwell Automation Surges on Strong Q2 Earnings Beat
- Strong Earnings Performance: Rockwell Automation reported a fiscal Q2 earnings per share of $3.30, exceeding analyst expectations of $2.88, with revenue of $2.24 billion surpassing the forecast of $2.16 billion, indicating robust market demand and operational efficiency.
- Upgraded Outlook: The company raised its fiscal 2026 profit outlook, reflecting confidence in future performance, which is likely to further boost investor sentiment and stock price.
- Competitor Struggles: Huntington Ingalls saw an 11% drop in shares despite free cash flow projections of $500 million to $600 million, falling short of the consensus estimate of $569.7 million, highlighting increasing competitive pressures in the industry.
- Positive Market Reaction: Other companies like DuPont and Waters Corp also saw stock price increases due to better-than-expected earnings, indicating a recovering market confidence in the manufacturing and technology sectors.
See More
AMD's Q1 Earnings Preview Highlights Key Growth Areas
- Data Center Growth: Analyst Jeff Pu reiterated his Buy rating on AMD and raised his price target to $465, expecting the company's data center CPU business to grow by 55% and 48% YoY in 2026 and 2027, respectively, indicating a strong position in the rapidly expanding AI sector.
- MI 455 AI Accelerator Progress: Pu noted that AMD's upcoming MI 455 AI accelerator is expected to start shipping in Q3, with demand from multi-GW customers like OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic anticipated to remain strong into 2027 and 2028.
- Competition with Nvidia: While the MI 455 has not yet shipped, there is significant anticipation regarding the upcoming MI 550's comparison to Nvidia's Rubin Ultra line, with Pu suggesting that the MI 500 remains in development for a 4-die packaging design, enhancing AMD's competitive edge.
- Potential Partnership Announcement: There may be an announcement regarding a partnership with Anthropic, as recent job listings indicate the company is seeking a research engineer with ROCm expertise, suggesting a deepening collaboration that could open new business opportunities for AMD.
See More
Zyphra Launches Zyphra Cloud, a Full-Stack AI Platform Powered by AMD
- Platform Launch: Zyphra has announced the launch of Zyphra Cloud, a full-stack AI platform powered by AMD Instinct™ MI355X GPUs and TensorWave infrastructure, aimed at providing developers and enterprises with advanced capabilities for building and deploying AI systems.
- Serverless Inference Service: The Zyphra Inference service, debuting with Zyphra Cloud, is a serverless inference service that supports frontier open-weight models such as DeepSeek V3.2, Kimi K2.6, and GLM 5.1, combining custom kernels and novel long-context inference algorithms to deliver high throughput and low latency performance.
- Expansion Capabilities: Zyphra Cloud is designed to expand into a broader integrated platform, with upcoming features including distributed post-training services, reinforcement learning, and fine-tuning, providing a unified environment for building, training, and deploying AI systems.
- Market Positioning: The launch of Zyphra Cloud signifies Zyphra's further development in the AI space, with CEO Krithik Puthalath stating that the platform will deliver the performance and efficiency required for real-world workloads, driving innovation in AI applications for enterprises.
See More
Apple, Amazon, and TSMC Deliver Earnings Triple Plays
- Earnings Highlights: Apple, Amazon, and TSMC have all achieved a 'triple play' this quarter, delivering growth in earnings, revenue, and guidance, which underscores strong market demand and business resilience, further solidifying their leadership positions in their respective industries.
- Market Reaction: Investors reacted positively to the earnings reports from these three companies, driving stock prices higher, which reflects a renewed confidence in tech stocks and may attract more capital inflows into the technology sector.
- Industry Impact: The robust performance of these companies not only enhances their market valuations but may also lead to upward revisions in earnings expectations for other tech firms, creating a virtuous cycle that could further drive the recovery of the entire industry.
- Future Outlook: As the global economy gradually recovers, the success stories of Apple, Amazon, and TSMC may inspire other companies to adopt similar growth strategies, fostering innovation and investment that drive long-term growth.
See More
Micron's Stock Soars 12% After Launching High-Capacity SSD
- Stock Surge: Micron announced the shipment of its highest-capacity solid-state drive, leading to a 12% stock increase on Tuesday, pushing its market cap past $700 billion for the first time and positioning it among the top 10 U.S. tech companies, indicating strong market demand for its products.
- Outstanding Annual Performance: Micron's stock has surged 125% this year and 700% over the past 12 months, reflecting the company's robust performance amid a global memory shortage and the AI boom, further solidifying its market position.
- Soaring Memory Demand: The rapid development of artificial intelligence has led to a surge in memory demand, resulting in a global shortage, with chipmakers like Nvidia and AMD driving growth for Micron and other memory manufacturers due to their need for high-performance AI processors.
- Cost Optimization for Data Centers: Micron's senior vice president stated that the newly launched solid-state drives provide data center operators with a critical new lever to improve rack-level total cost of ownership, especially as power availability becomes a defining constraint for scaling AI infrastructure.
See More
Markets Hit New Highs, AI Infrastructure Leads the Charge
- Market Performance: On Tuesday, markets continued to rise without new escalations in the Middle East conflict, with West Texas Intermediate crude down about 4% and the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield slightly lower, indicating increased investor confidence in the market.
- Tech Stocks Lead: Chipmakers like Intel, SanDisk, and Micron saw double-digit percentage gains, driving a strong overall performance for technology stocks, with Amazon, Broadcom, Alphabet, and Qnity hitting new 52-week highs, reflecting robust performance in AI-related stocks.
- Strong Earnings Boost Materials: The materials sector emerged as the top performer in the S&P 500, with DuPont being the biggest mover due to its strong earnings report, highlighting investor confidence and interest in the materials industry.
- Robotic Surgery System Progress: Johnson & Johnson announced that its Ottava robotic surgery system achieved primary endpoints in clinical studies for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedures, which is expected to support FDA approval for multiple upper abdominal surgeries, further solidifying its position in the robotic surgery market.
See More
Rockwell Automation Surges on Strong Q2 Earnings Beat
- Strong Earnings Performance: Rockwell Automation reported a fiscal Q2 earnings per share of $3.30, exceeding analyst expectations of $2.88, with revenue of $2.24 billion surpassing the forecast of $2.16 billion, indicating robust market demand and operational efficiency.
- Upgraded Outlook: The company raised its fiscal 2026 profit outlook, reflecting confidence in future performance, which is likely to further boost investor sentiment and stock price.
- Competitor Struggles: Huntington Ingalls saw an 11% drop in shares despite free cash flow projections of $500 million to $600 million, falling short of the consensus estimate of $569.7 million, highlighting increasing competitive pressures in the industry.
- Positive Market Reaction: Other companies like DuPont and Waters Corp also saw stock price increases due to better-than-expected earnings, indicating a recovering market confidence in the manufacturing and technology sectors.
See More
