3 Stocks to Buy in 2026 Before They Skyrocket

As we get past the first few trading days of 2026, it's clear that some stocks are bound to skyrocket throughout the year, potentially starting once fourth-quarter results from 2025 are announced. This will set the stage for what's coming next, and I think there are a few companies that will give upbeat guidance in the coming weeks that could cause their stocks to skyrocket.

The three that I'm watching are Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Nebius Group (NASDAQ: NBIS), and The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD). All three have huge potential for 2026, and I'm buying them now before the market repositions itself to value these stocks for what they should do in 2026.

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Nvidia

Nvidia is the world's largest company by market cap and has risen to this point thanks to its dominant graphics processing units (GPUs), the top option for artificial intelligence (AI) computing. The semiconductors are so popular that Nvidia has said it is sold out of cloud GPUs.

That shows that demand for its GPUs isn't set to dry up anytime soon, which bodes well and could indicate that Nvidia will uphold its already high expectations for 2026. And management hasn't included any sales to China in its guidance. That important region could be back in play later this year as Nvidia prepares to deliver chips approved for export.

We're still in the early innings of AI data center construction, and Nvidia is still the best way to invest in it. Nvidia is reporting fiscal fourth quarter 2026 earnings on Feb. 25, and I think the company's fiscal 2027 guidance will surprise many, making it a great stock to buy before it reports.

Nebius Group

Nebius is a stock that few have heard of, but those who have are excited about it. It purchases top-of-the-line GPUs from Nvidia and connects them to ready-to-use computing clusters in data centers that it owns or rents space from. The company is just getting started, but it's already seeing huge demand for its services.

In the third quarter, Nebius had impressive 355% year-over-year growth. With a $551 million annual run rate (ARR), it's not the biggest business in the world, but that could change very quickly.

The last time we heard from management, it dramatically hiked its 2026 revenue projection. It expects to have an ARR of $7 billion to $9 billion by the end of 2026. That's a monster increase from where it's at today, and investors could see the stock rise rapidly if it can deliver on this projection.

With the strong demand forecast for AI computing power, I wouldn't be surprised if Nebius increases its guidance again for the fiscal fourth quarter. Still, even if it doesn't, it looks ready to deliver impressive returns throughout 2026.

The Trade Desk

While it may be all sunshine and rainbows for Nvidia and Nebius, The Trade Desk didn't have as strong a 2025. It was among the worst-performing stocks in the S&P 500, after dropping the ball on the rollout of its new AI-powered ad buying platform. And it didn't have political advertising revenue in 2025 as it did in 2024, so the year-over-year comparisons were also more difficult.

In 2026, management should be able to resolve its platform issues and not have to deal with the comparisons with year-ago political spending. This should allow investors to see how impressive the business really is, causing the stock to skyrocket.

Right now, it's a pretty good bargain, trading for less than 18 times forward earnings. For reference, the S&P 500 as a whole trades for 22.4.

TTD PE Ratio (Forward), data by YCharts; PE = price to earnings.

This makes the stock a great value play, especially if it can keep up its strong double-digit growth like it has over its entire life as a public company. I think The Trade Desk is well-positioned for 2026, and investors should buy shares before the market gets interested again.

Keithen Drury has positions in Nvidia and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.