These AI Stocks Have Seen the Biggest Jump in Popularity Among the Pros

These AI Stocks Have Seen the Biggest Jump in Popularity Among the Pros

CNBC – ETFs
CNBC – ETFsMar 10, 2026

Why It Matters

Rising professional ownership signals confidence that AI will drive earnings growth, prompting broader market reallocation toward technology firms. This shift may lift valuations and increase capital flows into AI‑centric equities.

Key Takeaways

  • Palantir ownership rose from 7% to 32% among funds
  • Broadcom and GE Vernova each gained ~16 percentage points
  • AI infrastructure firms like Arista and Western Digital featured
  • Meta and Netflix see AI-driven growth expectations
  • Professional investors shifting heavily toward AI-linked S&P 500 stocks

Pulse Analysis

The latest Bank of America composite reveals a pronounced tilt toward artificial‑intelligence exposure among actively managed large‑cap mutual funds. By tracking ownership breadth—a metric that captures the percentage of funds holding a given stock—the analysis highlights that AI‑linked names have outperformed traditional tech peers in attracting new capital. This shift reflects a broader industry consensus that AI will become a core revenue driver, prompting portfolio managers to rebalance away from legacy holdings toward firms positioned at the forefront of machine‑learning adoption.

Defence‑tech specialist Palantir topped the list, surging from a modest 7% fund ownership to 32% within twelve months, underscoring investors’ appetite for data‑analytics platforms that serve both government and commercial customers. Equally notable are semiconductor and connectivity leaders such as Broadcom, GE Vernova, Amphenol and AppLovin, each posting double‑digit jumps in fund presence. The inclusion of networking hardware providers Arista Networks and Western Digital signals confidence in the expanding data‑center ecosystem required to power AI workloads, while media giants Meta and Netflix are being re‑rated as AI beneficiaries for ad targeting and recommendation engines.

Looking ahead, the influx of professional capital into AI stocks could accelerate price appreciation and compress valuation spreads across the sector. However, heightened concentration also raises exposure to execution risk, regulatory scrutiny and the pace of AI monetisation. Investors will likely monitor earnings guidance, R&D pipelines and partnership announcements to gauge whether the enthusiasm translates into sustainable growth. As AI continues to permeate multiple industries, fund managers’ positioning today may set the benchmark for the next wave of technology‑driven market leadership.

These AI stocks have seen the biggest jump in popularity among the pros

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