Wedbush (IVES) highlighted its top 10 tech predictions for 2026, which include tech stocks being up over 20% in 2026 and Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet’s (GOOGL) (GOOG) Google announcing a formal AI partnership around Gemini.
“Heading into 2026 the tech world and investors are both excited and nervous about the AI Revolution. On one hand this is a 4th Industrial Revolution taking shape with the US leading China on tech for the first in 30 years…while on the other hand the trillions of dollars needed to reach the heights of enterprise/consumer AI Revolution have caused nervousness and doubters among investors,” said analysts led by Dan Ives.
The analysts believe both sides can be right at the same time, and it “ultimately speaks to 2026 being an inflection point year for the AI Revolution buildout.”
Wedbush’s top 10 tech predictions for 2026
- The analysts said tech stocks will be up over 20% in 2026 as the 2nd/3rd/4th derivatives around the AI Revolution take shape across software/chips/infrastructure.
- Tesla (TSLA) will successfully launch Robotaxis in over 30 cities in 2026 and start to scalevolume production of Cybercabs, starting the true autonomous era for Elon Musk and company, the analysts added. Wedbush noted that its base case for Tesla is $600 and bull case is $800.
- Ives and his team said that Apple and Google will announce a formal AI partnership around Gemini that will cement a real AI strategy for Apple. This will ultimately be a subscription service launched in the Apple network and lead to iPhone maker achieving a $5Tmarket cap in 2026.
- The analysts said that, according to them, the best AI infrastructure acquisition candidate is Nebius (NBIS) and the company could get acquired by a hyperscaler in 2026 with Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet, and Amazon (AMZN) the likely buyers.
- Cybersecurity sector is one of the best outperforming subsectors of the tech landscape (expect mergers and acquisitions, or M&A) with Crowdstrike (CRWD) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Wedbush’s favorite cyber names.
- The analysts said Oracle (ORCL) successfully builds out its data center targets and starts to convert its massive Remaining Performance Obligations, or RPO, AI backlog and hits $250 per share in 2026 “despite the dark negative sentiment on the stock today.”
- The analysts added that the Trump Administration makes an equity investment in a quantum company — IonQ (IONQ) and Rigetti Computing (RGTI) top candidates — given the potential national security component to this technology versus China.
- “Microsoft hits its sweet spot in 2026 as more enterprises accelerate their AI strategic paths with Azure and Redmond. We see Microsoft as the top outperforming cloud software name in 2026,” said Ives and his team.
- The analysts noted that Nvidia (NVDA) continues to be the dominant AI chip in the world and gets further access to the Chinese market through U.S.-China trade negotiations. “The Street continues to way underestimate the demand drivers for Nvidia in 2026 with our $275 bull case for the stock,” the analysts added.
- Ives and his team said Palantir Technologies (PLTR) will expand its commercial AI success in 2026 with Artificial Intelligence Platform, or AIP, and be “one of the leaders of the software being front and center in the AI Revolution in 2026 on its way to a $1 trillion valuation over the next 2 to 3 years.”