3 of the Fastest-Growing Stocks on the Planet in 2026

It's been an incredible three-year run for the stock market. From the beginning of 2023 through the end of 2025, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite have gained 45%, 78%, and 122%, respectively.

Although several catalysts have fueled this rally, including the prospect of lower interest rates and better-than-expected corporate earnings, it's the outperformance of growth stocks that's truly led the charge. Hot next-big-thing trends, such as the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution and the arrival of quantum computing, have investors dreaming of sky-high addressable markets.

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In 2026, some of the fastest-growing stocks on the planet are expected to deliver triple-digit sales growth. However, eye-popping sales growth doesn't necessarily mean these stocks are worth buying.

AST SpaceMobile: Estimated sales growth of 311% in 2026

The first supercharged growth stock that's bound to turn heads in the new year is satellite-based cellular broadband services provider AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS). If the consensus of Wall Street analysts proves correct, sales for AST SpaceMobile will climb almost 1,200% in 2025, to $57.3 million, before launching another 311% in 2026 to $235.6 million.

What AST offers is a potential game-changing solution for telecom companies. While other companies have previously attempted to provide global broadband cellular coverage, their service required the use of specialized and expensive phones.

AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird satellites are designed to work with existing smartphone technology to provide 4G and 5G cellular broadband service. Without the need for any new technology, AST offers a seamless transition for existing wireless operators.

Furthermore, AST SpaceMobile has done a phenomenal job of securing partnerships with brand-name wireless operators. According to the company, it's working with more than 50 global mobile network providers that cover nearly 3 billion combined cellular subscribers. Instead of launching an expensive rival network and having to procure its customers, AST has wisely partnered with the big boys and given itself a clear path to a parabolic revenue increase.

However, AST SpaceMobile's success will depend on its ability to launch its satellites in a timely manner, as well as on maintaining a consistent production cost profile. If BlueBird satellites become costlier to produce, this would be expected to adversely impact AST's bottom line.

Despite AST SpaceMobile's game-changing long-term potential, its current valuation of $33.3 billion, as of this writing on Jan. 8, leaves virtually no room for error.

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Rigetti Computing: Estimated sales growth of 169% in 2026

Another hyped company that can lay claim to being one of the fastest-growing stocks on the planet in 2026 is quantum computing pure-play stock Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI). If Rigetti generates $7.6 million in estimated full-year sales for 2025, the $20.5 million consensus for 2026 would represent revenue growth of 169%!

At one point in 2025, shares of Rigetti had soared more than 5,000% on a trailing 12-month basis. This astronomical gain was fueled by the expectation that quantum computing will become one of Wall Street's hottest trends over the next decade. Rigetti's quantum computers offer clients the ability to run rapid, simultaneous calculations capable of solving complex problems that classical computers can't tackle. Boston Consulting Group pegged the global addressable opportunity for quantum computing at between $450 billion and $850 billion by 2040.

The buzz surrounding Rigetti Computing is also being fueled by some of the brand-name partnerships and clients it's landed. For instance, cloud infrastructure service clients for Amazon and Microsoft have both gained access to Rigetti's quantum computers.

While the excitement surrounding quantum computing is palpable, it's also, arguably, unwarranted. Rigetti Computing and its peers are still in the very early stages of commercializing their quantum computers and services. Most analysts agree that it will take years before this technology becomes a more cost-effective solution for practical problem-solving, compared to classical computers.

Beyond the heightened prospect of the quantum computing bubble bursting at some point in 2026, Rigetti Computing's price-to-sales (P/S) ratio is virtually impossible to justify. Even if investors model sales three years from now, Rigetti's P/S ratio would be well above 30, which has historically been the arbitrary line in the sand that indicates the presence of a bubble and/or an unsustainable valuation.

Nebius Group: Estimated sales growth of 521% in 2026

However, the fastest-growing high-profile stock on the planet in 2026 may be up-and-coming AI company Nebius Group (NASDAQ: NBIS). Wall Street analysts expect sales for Nebius to have risen by 373% in 2025 to nearly $556 million, with a 521% increase to an estimated $3.45 billion this year.

Demand for AI infrastructure is off the charts. The ability for software and systems to make split-second decisions without human intervention is a game-changing innovation that analysts at PwC believe can add over $15 trillion to global gross domestic product by 2030.

With demand for AI compute overwhelming supply, Nebius Group is having little issue finding clients to lease its AI-powered data centers. This includes a $17.4 billion, five-year deal with Microsoft, as well as a deal valued at around $3 billion, also spanning five years, with Meta Platforms.

Additionally, Nebius Group is more than just AI hardware. It provides a fully managed software service that's optimized for AI and machine learning platforms. Nebius also holds an 83% stake in subsidiary Avride, an autonomous driving and delivery robotics company. In other words, it's truly embraced the rise of AI.

However, there's the real possibility of AI suffering the same bubble-bursting fate as quantum computing. Despite otherworldly demand for AI infrastructure, most businesses haven't come close to figuring out how to optimize this technology to maximize their sales and profits. Every next-big-thing trend for three decades has navigated its way through a bubble-bursting event, suggesting AI will (eventually) follow suit. An AI bubble-bursting event would probably weigh heavily on Nebius Group's stock.

Nebius is also expected to lose money for the foreseeable future. While its jaw-dropping growth has investors mesmerized, this could quickly change if Wall Street's indexes undergo a correction.

Sean Williams has positions in Amazon and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.