Applied Materials vs. Intel: Which Tech Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?

Applied Materials and Intel represent different plays in semiconductor growth. Applied Materials supplies essential chip manufacturing equipment with strong profitability (24.7% net margin, $5.7B free cash flow) and a modest dividend. Intel is undergoing a capital-intensive transformation into a foundry business, currently unprofitable with negative free cash flow of $4.9B. The article recommends Applied Materials as the safer choice due to its financial stability, consistent profitability over 10 years, and lower business risk compared to Intel's uncertain transition.

09/11/2026, 8:15 AM • The Motley Fool

1 Big Reason Vertiv's New Acquisition Could Supercharge Its AI Dominance

Vertiv announced a $1.45 billion acquisition of Utility Innovation Holdings to expand into microgrid solutions and upstream power architecture for data centers. This move allows Vertiv to extend its dominance beyond server room cooling into grid-level power solutions, positioning it to capture a larger share of hyperscalers' capital expenditures. The company projects 40% annual earnings growth over three years, though risks remain if hyperscalers cut spending.

09/11/2026, 2:05 AM • The Motley Fool

Advanced Micro Devices vs. Nvidia: Which Semiconductor Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?

The article compares AMD and Nvidia as AI chip investments for 2026. While AMD shows strong growth with 34.3% revenue increase and successful partnerships, Nvidia dominates with 65.5% revenue growth, 55.6% net margins, and $96.7B in free cash flow. The author recommends Nvidia for long-term investors due to its superior scale, ecosystem depth, and industry lock-in, though AMD is presented as a reasonable lower-priced alternative.

09/10/2026, 2:31 PM • The Motley Fool

Set a Fair Starting Line, as Favorites Can Falter

The Motley Fool illustrates the importance of equal portfolio weighting by comparing The Trade Desk, which fell from 40-fold returns to under 4-fold after Amazon undercut its pricing, with Arista Networks, which surpassed it with 40-fold returns. The article emphasizes giving every stock a fair starting position and then backing winners while retiring underperformers, rather than loading up on perceived favorites.

09/07/2026, 3:19 PM • The Motley Fool

Prediction: Data Center Passes 70% of AMD's Revenue in 2027, Before the Helios Ramp Is Finished

AMD's data center segment is projected to exceed 70% of total revenue by mid-2027 as it grows at 107% year-over-year compared to 8% growth in other segments. With major customers like OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic deploying gigawatts of AMD's MI450 GPUs and Helios rack systems ramping through 2027, the data center business is expected to more than double in 2027. The prediction could be delayed if other AMD segments strengthen or disrupted if Helios shipments slip.

09/06/2026, 10:26 PM • The Motley Fool

This Vanguard ETF Is Up 27% This Year: Is It Still a Buy for Long-Term Investors?

The Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF (VGT) has surged 27% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the S&P 500. The fund's strong performance is driven by heavy exposure to chipmakers like Nvidia (17% of assets), Broadcom, Micron, and AMD, which are benefiting from AI infrastructure demand. With a 24.4% annualized return over the past decade and a low 0.09% expense ratio, the fund appears well-positioned for continued growth as the AI industry is projected to grow at 30.6% CAGR through 2033.

09/06/2026, 9:06 PM • The Motley Fool

Did Nvidia Just Say Checkmate to AMD and Intel?

Nvidia announced a $12.9 billion acquisition of Hugging Face, an open-source AI platform, to strengthen its position in the AI ecosystem. Combined with its entry into CPU markets traditionally dominated by Intel and AMD, the move poses competitive challenges to rivals. However, analysts note there is room for multiple players in the growing AI market, and Nvidia has pledged to keep Hugging Face neutral to maintain developer support across all compute providers.

09/06/2026, 6:10 PM • The Motley Fool

Could $10,000 Invested in Nvidia Today Make You a Millionaire?

While a $10,000 investment in Nvidia a decade ago would be worth $1.5 million today, turning $10,000 into $1 million from current levels would require Nvidia's market cap to exceed $500 trillion—an unrealistic scenario. However, Nvidia still has significant growth potential driven by AI chip demand, physical AI applications, and semiconductor market expansion. Analysts project the stock could reach $735 in five years (3.2x current price) based on 49% annual earnings growth, making it suitable as part of a diversified portfolio for long-term wealth building.

09/06/2026, 3:23 PM • The Motley Fool

Nvidia Is Near Its High While Its Biggest Chip Peers Sit 18% to 32% Below Theirs. These Are the Chip Stocks to Buy.

While Nvidia trades near its 52-week high with modest 2.6% discount, its AI chip competitors AMD, Micron, Broadcom, and Marvell trade 18-32% below their highs despite benefiting from the same wave of data center spending. The article argues these deeper discounts present better buying opportunities, particularly for Broadcom and Marvell, which recently raised growth outlooks despite market pessimism.

09/06/2026, 1:14 PM • The Motley Fool

Got $1,000? 3 Stocks Building the Physical Artificial Intelligence (AI) Era

As AI systems grow more powerful, investors can benefit from companies building physical infrastructure rather than just software. Three stocks stand out: Astera Labs provides semiconductor connectivity solutions, Modine manufactures cooling systems for data centers, and Flex offers manufacturing and systems integration services. The article recommends allocating $350 to Astera, $350 to Modine, and $300 to Flex.

09/05/2026, 6:15 AM • The Motley Fool

Prediction: Taiwan Semiconductor Stock Will Surge by 22% Before 2026 Ends

A Motley Fool analyst predicts Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) stock could surge 22% by the end of 2026, reaching a new all-time high. The prediction is based on expected $1.3 trillion in AI data center capital expenditures from major hyperscalers in 2027, which is not yet reflected in the stock price. TSM's dominant 70%+ market share in third-party foundry services positions it well to capitalize on this AI infrastructure growth.

09/04/2026, 3:30 PM • The Motley Fool

Is Marvell Technology a Millionaire-Maker Stock?

Marvell Technology has delivered extraordinary returns (180% this year, 230% over 12 months) driven by its AI infrastructure business, but the article argues it is unlikely to be a millionaire-maker stock from current levels. With 79% of revenue from data centers and strong custom silicon growth targets, Marvell has solid fundamentals. However, high expectations are already priced in, it faces intense competition from Broadcom and others, and customer concentration creates volatility risk. The stock is recommended as a quality satellite position rather than a wealth-building core holding.

09/04/2026, 7:33 AM • The Motley Fool

Nvidia Stock Investors Need to Know These Circular Financing Details

The article highlights circular financing as a significant risk factor for Nvidia investors, suggesting this concern is one reason why Nvidia stock is trading at relatively lower valuations. The piece examines financial details that investors should understand when considering Nvidia as an investment.

09/04/2026, 6:30 AM • The Motley Fool

Nvidia Just Delivered a Massive Warning to AMD and Intel Stock Investors

Nvidia reported strong Q2 fiscal 2027 results with 106% revenue growth, driven by data center dominance. The company is aggressively expanding into the server CPU market with its Vera CPU, expecting $20 billion in revenue by 2026 and more than doubling in fiscal 2028. This poses a significant threat to AMD and Intel, which currently dominate the server CPU space but are growing at slower rates. Nvidia's Arm-based architecture is gaining market share as Arm-based CPUs are expected to capture 90% of the server CPU market by 2029.

09/03/2026, 8:23 PM • The Motley Fool

Prediction: Nvidia Stock Will Outperform AMD Through 2028

The article argues that Nvidia will outperform AMD through 2028 despite AMD's strong 2026 performance. Nvidia's revenue growth of 106% significantly exceeds AMD's 50% growth, driven by Nvidia's dominant data center focus versus AMD's slower-growing consumer division. Additionally, AMD trades at 62x forward earnings (nearly 3x more expensive than Nvidia), suggesting AMD must grow into its valuation while Nvidia remains undervalued relative to the market.

09/03/2026, 5:30 AM • The Motley Fool