2 AI Stocks Poised to Surge After February 26, Not Nvidia

When most investors think AI stocks, one name dominates the conversation: Nvidia. But big market moves don’t always come from the most obvious ticker. In the days following February 26, attention often shifts as companies report results, guidance changes, or new product milestones catalyze fresh positioning across the AI ecosystem. If you’re looking beyond Nvidia for high-upside AI exposure, two companies stand out for their potential to benefit from accelerating demand for AI infrastructure and enterprise adoption.

Below are two AI-linked stocks that could see meaningful upside after February 26—driven by fundamentals, not hype.

Why After February 26 Matters for AI Stocks

Late February is frequently a turning point for technology stocks because the market digests a dense stretch of earnings, management commentary, and sector-wide guidance changes. That matters in AI because there are several moving pieces investors continuously reprice:

• AI infrastructure spend (chips, networking, servers, storage, power, cooling)
• Enterprise AI adoption (software platforms, data workflows, AI assistants)
• Cloud capex trends (hyperscalers building AI data centers at scale)
• Competitive shifts (new accelerators, networking standards, and AI model efficiency breakthroughs)

While Nvidia sits at the center of AI compute, many of the strongest second-order opportunities show up in adjacent winners—companies that help connect AI clusters, move data faster, and operationalize AI inside businesses.

Stock #1: Broadcom (AVGO)

Why Broadcom is an AI winner without being the AI chip stock

Broadcom has quietly become one of the most important companies in modern computing. Its role in AI is less about consumer headlines and more about the plumbing that makes AI data centers work: high-speed networking, custom silicon, and infrastructure software.

AI clusters don’t run on GPUs alone. They require fast, reliable data movement between thousands of processors. That’s where Broadcom shines through its exposure to:

• Networking silicon that enables high-throughput connectivity inside data centers
• Custom accelerators (ASICs) designed for hyperscalers running specific AI workloads
• Enterprise infrastructure software that supports backbone IT operations

Potential catalysts after February 26

Broadcom can benefit from a post-February reset in investor expectations as the market looks for confirmation that AI spending is broadening beyond one vendor. Here are a few reasons AVGO could catch a strong bid:

• AI capex diversification: As hyperscalers expand AI capacity, they also invest heavily in networking, switching, and customized compute to optimize cost and performance.
• Custom silicon momentum: Large cloud players increasingly pursue custom chips to reduce reliance on any single architecture and tailor hardware to their model stacks.
• Infrastructure picks and shovels demand: Even if AI model training becomes more efficient, overall usage is rising, which keeps pressure on data center bandwidth and throughput.

What to watch before buying

Broadcom is not a small and explosive stock; it’s a mega-cap with strong institutional ownership. That can mean less day-to-day volatility, but also a durable trend if earnings and guidance confirm AI-driven growth. Key things to monitor:

• Management commentary on AI-related revenue and backlog
• Cloud customer concentration and any shifts in purchase timing
• Margins (custom silicon can be strategic, but investors watch profitability closely)

If AI infrastructure spend remains elevated into the spring, Broadcom is positioned as a core beneficiary because it serves the connectivity and customization layer that AI cannot scale without.

Stock #2: Microsoft (MSFT)

Why Microsoft is one of the best pure plays on enterprise AI adoption

If Nvidia is the compute engine of AI, Microsoft is one of the leading platforms turning AI into everyday business productivity. Through Azure and its rapidly expanding AI copilots, Microsoft sits at the intersection of:

• Cloud infrastructure (Azure AI services and massive compute availability)
• Enterprise software distribution (Microsoft 365, Teams, Dynamics)
• Developer and data tooling (GitHub, Azure DevOps, data platforms)

That combination matters because the next phase of AI isn’t just model training—it’s deployment at scale. Enterprises want AI embedded in workflows: writing, summarizing, analyzing, coding, customer support, sales operations, and security monitoring.

Potential catalysts after February 26

After late-February market repositioning, investors often rotate toward companies demonstrating measurable AI monetization. Microsoft has multiple potential tailwinds:

• Copilot monetization: As more organizations roll out copilots, Microsoft can capture incremental per-user revenue while increasing platform stickiness.
• Azure growth durability: AI workloads can drive additional cloud usage via storage, networking, and managed services—not just raw compute.
• Enterprise trust and compliance: Large organizations tend to adopt AI faster when it’s delivered by vendors with deep compliance, security, and admin controls.

In other words, Microsoft doesn’t need to win the AI model race outright to win financially. It needs to keep doing what it does best: package powerful technology into a product enterprises pay for.

What to watch before buying

Microsoft is a premium-quality compounder, but investors still need to track a few key variables that can affect near-term performance:

• AI margins over time: Early AI deployments can be compute-heavy, and the market will watch for efficiency improvements.
• Azure growth rates: The stock can react if cloud growth accelerates or decelerates versus expectations.
• Competitive dynamics: Pricing pressure or feature parity in AI assistants could influence adoption rates.

If you believe AI becomes a default feature inside enterprise software—not an add-on—Microsoft is among the most direct, liquid ways to express that view.

How These Picks Differ From Nvidia (and Why That’s the Point)

Nvidia remains a dominant force in AI compute, but owning AI doesn’t have to mean owning the most crowded trade. Broadcom and Microsoft offer exposure to different, potentially underappreciated parts of the AI value chain:

• Broadcom benefits when AI clusters scale and require more bandwidth, switching, and custom silicon optimization.
• Microsoft benefits when businesses operationalize AI through cloud services and productivity software.

This diversification matters because AI is not one market—it’s a full stack. Often, the biggest moves come when investors realize growth is widening from compute into networking, platforms, and monetized applications.

Bottom Line: Two AI Stocks to Watch Closely After February 26

If you’re searching for AI upside beyond Nvidia, Broadcom (AVGO) and Microsoft (MSFT) are two high-quality names with strong positioning for the next leg of AI adoption:

• AVGO targets the critical infrastructure layer that makes AI data centers function at scale.
• MSFT targets the enterprise adoption layer where AI turns into recurring software revenue.

As the market digests late-February developments and refocuses on durable AI winners, these two stocks are well placed to participate in the next surge—without relying on the same narrative everyone is already pricing into the obvious leader.

Note: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consider your risk tolerance and do your own research before investing.

Published by QUE.COM Intelligence | Sponsored by Retune.com Your Domain. Your Business. Your Brand. Own a category-defining Domain.