4 Brilliant Stocks to Buy in September

Key Points

• Nvidia and TSMC are well-positioned to benefit from massive AI spending.

• Alphabet trades at a relatively low valuation despite its success.

• The Trade Desk is going through a rough patch, but should recover.

• 10 stocks we like better than Nvidia ›

As we enter September, investors are beginning to shift their mindsets, reviewing their portfolios' performance so far in 2025 and considering what 2026 may hold. However, there are still some bargains available in the stock market, so investors need to be mindful that they're not leaving potential returns on the table by ignoring the current market conditions.

I've identified four stocks that I believe could deliver excellent returns throughout the remainder of 2025 and into 2026, and are worth buying now.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue »

Image source: Getty Images.

Nvidia

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has long been listed as a best buy due to its role in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. Its graphics processing units (GPUs) provide the key computing muscle that powers these models, and their use has spiked over the past few years.

During its fiscal 2026 second-quarter conference call, Nvidia made it clear that the spending on AI infrastructure isn't slowing down. In fact, CEO Jensen Huang said he expects the total capital expenditures of the four major AI hyperscalers to exceed $600 billion in 2025. Moreover, over the next five years, he anticipates $3 trillion to $4 trillion in total AI infrastructure spending.

Although that may be an optimistic projection, Nvidia stands to benefit even if its market opportunity is only half that much. As a result, Nvidia stock still appears to be a great one to buy and hold throughout the AI arms race.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) has a bullish outlook for many of the same reasons that Nvidia does, but it's a less aggressive investment pick. Taiwan Semiconductor is the leading third-party contract chipmaker worldwide, fabricating chips for companies such as Nvidia, Apple, Broadcom, and Advanced Micro Devices.

Nvidia is likely its fastest-growing customer, but if another company emerges and overtakes Nvidia by offering better hardware for AI training and inference, chances are that Taiwan Semiconductor will still manufacture those chips. This makes TSMC an excellent stock to buy and hold, and it's also trading at a reasonable valuation.

TSM PE Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts.

At 23.7 times forward earnings, Taiwan Semiconductor is actually slightly cheaper than the broader market (as measured by the S&P 500 index), which trades now at 24 times forward earnings. With Taiwan Semiconductor growing its top line at a 44% pace in the second quarter, it makes for an excellent stock pick.

Alphabet

If Taiwan Semiconductor looks reasonably valued, then Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) looks downright cheap at 21.4 times its expected forward earnings.

GOOGL PE Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts.

That's a significant discount to the broader market, yet Alphabet, the parent company of Google and other brands, is doing quite well. In Q2, its revenue rose 14% year over year, and diluted earnings per share (EPS) rose 22%. It appears to be in a strong position, though many investors feared that the rising use of generative AI would sap its Google Search revenues.

Alphabet has proven itself to be a worthy competitor in the AI revolution, and the predictions of its downfall seem to be proving unfounded.

The Trade Desk

Lastly, there is The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD), an advertising technology platform. The Trade Desk has faced some challenges in migrating clients to its AI-first platform, Kokai. This has caused some issues for the business along the way, and in Q2, The Trade Desk posted growth of 19% -- its slowest growth rate ever outside of one quarter during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To make matters worse, its Q3 growth rate is expected to be just 14%. This downbeat outlook led investors to sell the stock off heavily. It's now down by about 60% from its all-time high.

However, there are still significant tailwinds blowing in the ad tech space, and The Trade Desk remains a leader in it. I'm confident the company will be able to turn things around over the long term, which would make purchasing the stock at today's lower price a smart move.

Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now?

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Keithen Drury has positions in Alphabet, Broadcom, Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Apple, Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.