Three AI stocks—Astera Labs, Credo Technology Group, and Sanmina—are positioned to potentially join the S&P 500 following the December 21 rebalance. Astera Labs, with a market cap near $45 billion, builds connectivity chips like Scorpio fabric switches. Credo Technology Group, valued at $33 billion, develops high-speed copper and optical products for data centers. Sanmina, however, has a market value of $9.3 billion, which falls below the S&P 500 minimum threshold despite its role in manufacturing electronic hardware.
Other AI companies are showing strong revenue growth and profitability. Western Digital earns about $14.5 billion from hard disk drives and storage platforms. Vertiv Holdings maintains a $15 billion backlog for power and liquid cooling systems. Palantir Technologies generates $3.2 billion from government clients and $2.9 billion from commercial clients using its Artificial Intelligence Platform.
ServiceNow, Infomart, and Palantir are converting spending into real earnings. ServiceNow's AI business crossed $1 billion in annual contract value in Q2 2026, with a market cap of about $114 billion. Infomart posted earnings growth of 76.5% year over year using AI-OCR tools. Palantir's platforms, including Foundry, Gotham, and Apollo, serve a wide range of clients with a market value near $442.4 billion.
Global adoption of AI is expanding across retail and education sectors. In India, festive online retail is expected to grow 25 percent to $15 to $16 billion. NielsenIQ found 92 percent of Indian consumers use AI while shopping. Google research indicates shoppers make over eight online searches and watch nearly eight videos during their journey. Infobip's AgentOS helps customers track orders and recover abandoned carts.
LG Uplus partnered with South Korea's Ministry of Education and Theori Korea to train AI and security students. The initiative creates special curricula and competitions for middle and high school students. LG Uplus provides network and AI practice tools, while Theori Korea offers hands-on training. Forty-eight students from four regions recently competed in a security contest at LG Science Park in Seoul.
Consumer and institutional attitudes toward AI vary significantly. A Signicat survey found 79 percent of financial providers are ready to handle AI-initiated account applications, but only 14 percent of consumers feel comfortable letting AI open financial products. Many consumers prefer to control the process and keep their digital identity safe.
Retail investors are increasingly turning to AI for portfolio management. An eToro survey of 1,000 U.S. traders found 41 percent use or plan to use AI for investment choices. Interest is higher among investors aged 18 to 44, rising to 71 percent. Nearly 60 percent would let AI adjust positions and place trades, while about 11 percent plan to increase holdings in AI-related stocks.
Meta's AI shopping assistant, Muse, could challenge Amazon's advertising dominance by comparing prices and picking products. Amazon states its advertising business has not been meaningfully affected so far. Amazon has over 400 million users on Alexa for Shopping and is developing agent-driven commerce tools to compete in this space.
Market volatility continues to impact tech stocks. The Nasdaq Composite fell about 5.3% in October 2026, its worst monthly drop since March 2025. Investors expressed worry about the high cost of AI infrastructure and whether tech companies will earn returns on those investments. Amazon and Intel financial updates added to the uncertainty, with the index closing at 25,437 points.
Security measures are evolving to support AI deployment. OKX revealed it has used AI and large language models for automated penetration testing for over a year, following a Binance hack where about $6.3 billion was stolen. A study found 82% of leaders push AI agents into production without full tools, but tokenization helps security teams enable rather than block projects by replacing sensitive values with substitutes.
Key Takeaways
- Astera Labs, Credo Technology Group, and Sanmina are potential S&P 500 additions after the Dec. 21 rebalance.
- Astera Labs has a market cap of about $45 billion and builds Scorpio fabric switches for AI systems.
- Credo Technology Group trades at 28 times forward earnings with a market value of $33 billion.
- Sanmina's $9.3 billion market value is below the S&P 500 minimum despite its data center hardware role.
- Western Digital earns about $14.5 billion from hard disk drives and data center storage platforms.
- Vertiv Holdings has a $15 billion backlog for power and liquid cooling systems for data centers.
- Palantir generates $3.2 billion from government and $2.9 billion from commercial clients using its AI Platform.
- ServiceNow's AI business crossed $1 billion in annual contract value in Q2 2026 with a $114 billion market cap.
- Infomart posted earnings growth of 76.5% year over year using AI-OCR tools for document automation.
- Meta's Muse AI shopping assistant could challenge Amazon's advertising dominance as Amazon develops agent-driven commerce tools.
3 AI Stocks Eyeing S&P 500 Inclusion in December
Astera Labs, Credo Technology Group, and Sanmina are three AI companies that could join the S&P 500. The next rebalance takes effect Dec. 21. Astera Labs has a market cap of about $45 billion, well above S&P's $22.7 billion minimum. Credo was named a possible addition in September 2026 and trades at 28 times forward earnings. Sanmina moved to the S&P MidCap 400 in June 2026 but its $9.3 billion market value is below the S&P 500 minimum.
3 AI Stocks That Could Soon Join the S&P 500
Astera Labs, Credo Technology Group, and Sanmina are positioned as possible S&P 500 additions. The rebalance should take effect Dec. 21. Astera Labs builds connectivity chips like Scorpio fabric switches for AI systems. Credo develops high-speed copper and optical connectivity products for AI data centers. Sanmina manufactures electronic hardware for data centers and acquired ZT Systems' manufacturing business.
3 AI Stocks Worth Watching Before S&P 500 Update
Astera Labs, Credo Technology Group, and Sanmina are three AI stocks that may enter the S&P 500 after the Dec. 21 rebalance. Astera Labs has a market cap near $45 billion and a forward P/E of about 45 times. Credo's market value of $33 billion exceeds the S&P minimum and it trades at 28 times forward earnings. Sanmina's $9.3 billion market value is below the threshold despite its role in data center hardware manufacturing.
3 AI Stocks With Strong Revenue Growth Potential
Western Digital, Vertiv Holdings, and Palantir Technologies are highlighted as AI stocks with at least 20% revenue growth. Western Digital sells hard disk drives and data center storage platforms, earning about $14.5 billion. Vertiv builds power and liquid cooling systems for data centers and has a $15 billion backlog. Palantir uses its Artificial Intelligence Platform to help governments and businesses analyze data, earning about $3.2 billion from government and $2.9 billion from commercial clients.
3 AI Stocks Converting Spending Into Real Earnings
ServiceNow, Infomart, and Palantir Technologies are three profitable AI stocks. ServiceNow's AI business crossed $1 billion in annual contract value in Q2 2026 and has a market cap of about $114 billion. Infomart uses AI-OCR tools to automate document tasks and posted earnings growth of 76.5% year over year. Palantir's platforms like Foundry, Gotham, and Apollo serve government and commercial clients with a market value near $442.4 billion.
LG Uplus partners with South Korea to train AI and security students
LG Uplus signed an agreement with South Korea's Ministry of Education and Theori Korea to build AI and security talent. The partnership will create special curricula, competitions, and expert lectures for middle and high school students. LG Uplus will provide network and AI practice tools, while Theori Korea will offer hands-on training. Forty-eight students from four regions competed in a recent security contest at LG Science Park in Seoul.
Financial providers ready for AI agents but consumers still wary
Signicat found that 79 percent of financial providers are ready to handle AI-initiated account applications. However, only 14 percent of consumers feel comfortable letting AI open financial products for them. Many consumers still want to control the process and keep their digital identity safe. Consumers trust financial institutions more than AI providers with their personal information.
Retail investors are turning to AI for portfolio help
A survey of 1,000 U.S. retail traders by eToro found that 41 percent use AI or plan to for investment choices. Among investors aged 18 to 44, interest rises to 71 percent. Nearly 60 percent would let AI adjust positions and place trades. About 11 percent plan to increase their holdings in AI-related stocks this year.
AI is changing festive shopping in India
India's festive online retail is expected to grow 25 percent to 15 to 16 billion dollars across 180 million shoppers. A study by NielsenIQ found 92 percent of consumers already use AI while shopping and 96 percent are open to AI tools. Google research shows festive shoppers make over eight online searches and watch nearly eight videos during their journey. Infobip's AgentOS helps customers track orders, handle returns, and recover abandoned carts using AI.
Meta's AI shopping agent could challenge Amazon's ads
Meta's AI shopping assistant called Muse could threaten Amazon's retail and advertising dominance. AI agents that compare prices and pick products may weaken Amazon's sponsored placements. Amazon says its advertising business has not been meaningfully affected so far. Amazon has over 400 million users on Alexa for Shopping and is developing agent-driven commerce tools.
Nasdaq drops 5.3% in October 2026 over AI spending fears
The Nasdaq Composite fell about 5.3% in October 2026, its worst monthly drop since March 2025. Investors grew worried about the high cost of AI infrastructure and whether tech companies will earn returns on those investments. Amazon and Intel financial updates added to the uncertainty. The index closed at 25,437 points on October 30 after falling roughly 2.9% that day.
OKX uses AI to test security after Binance hack
OKX revealed it has been using AI and large language models for automated penetration testing for over a year. The announcement came after a user moved funds from Binance following its reported multibillion-dollar hack. Binance said it repaid about 90% of the roughly $6.3 billion stolen and planned to reopen withdrawals by November 1. OKX said it would review its security systems and learn from recent incidents at other exchanges.
Tokenization helps companies deploy AI agents faster
Enterprises are finding that tokenization and other data protection methods determine how quickly AI agents can move into production. Traditional encryption can make data too locked up for models to use, but tokenization replaces sensitive values with substitutes so data stays usable. Security reviews built for older practices are slowing down AI deployments. A study found 82% of leaders push AI agents into production without full tools and data, but tokenization helps security teams enable rather than block projects.
Sources
- These 3 AI Stocks Could Soon Enter the S&P 500. Are They Worth Buying Before the Move?
- These 3 AI Stocks Could Soon Enter the S&P 500. Are They Worth Buying Before the Move?
- These 3 AI Stocks Could Soon Enter the S&P 500. Are They Worth Buying Before the Move?
- 3 AI Stocks With At Least 20% Revenue Growth
- 3 AI Stocks With Earnings Growth Over 30%
- South Korea's LG Uplus Teams Up with Ministry of Education, Theori Korea to Cultivate AI and Security Talent
- Signicat Research Finds 79% of Financial Providers Ready for Agentic AI Onboarding, but Consumers Remain Hesitant
- Retail Investors Embrace AI in Portfolio Decisions
- Festive shopping gets smarter: How AI is changing the way consumers discover products, track orders and shop
- Meta's AI shopping agent threatens Amazon's lucrative advertising business
- Nasdaq Suffers Worst Monthly Decline Since March 2025 as AI Spending Concerns Hit US Tech Stocks
- OKX News: Exchange Reveals AI Security Testing Amid Binance Hack
- Tokenization helps enterprises move AI agents into production
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