The Best Stock to Invest $100 in Right Now

Here's a stock I've been looking at that almost nobody talks about, and I honestly think that's what makes it so interesting for a small $100 trade. Tuya (NYSE: TUYA) trades around $2.15 a share, yet it holds over $1 billion in cash, carries no debt, and made major moves at CES 2026 that could shape future developments in smart technology.

Tuya is one of the quiet backbones behind many smart devices worldwide. It runs an AI cloud platform that enables brands and developers to build connected products such as smart lights, cameras, thermostats, appliances, and security systems without building the entire software infrastructure from scratch.

The easiest way I can explain it is this: Tuya is like the Android of IoT. It powers the system behind the system. And the scale is larger than most people realize.

As of September 2025, Tuya had more than 1.62 million registered developer accounts spread across more than 200 countries. That kind of global reach in the smart device ecosystem is incredibly difficult to replicate.

AI platforms and pet companions

When digging into what this company has to offer, CES 2026 was when my view of Tuya started to change. The company showed up with a clear vision that felt bigger than being a behind-the-scenes IoT platform. Tuya unveiled a new Software-Hardware-Platform Physical AI ecosystem, signaling a push toward AI that doesn't just live on screens but actively interacts with the real world.

The highlight was Hey Tuya, a multi-agent AI life assistant that some outlets compared to a real-world Jarvis -- the fictional AI from the Marvel universe. Powered by Tuya's Physical AI Engine and OmniMem long-term memory, it can learn user habits, understand environments, and coordinate devices to deliver proactive services -- and it's already live for global testing.

Tuya also introduced Aura, its first AI pet companion robot, and partnered with Robopoet on a cellular-enabled AI companion device designed for always-connected use beyond the home.

Personally, for me, an AI pet companion seems bold, but it's not a gimmick. It looks like early proof that Tuya is evolving into a company positioned to shape how AI impacts daily life -- even if it's as a pet!

Tuya's stock price vs. company fundamentals

What really makes this stock stand out is the disconnect between its price and its fundamentals. This is not the typical sub-$3 stock that is drowning in debt and bleeding cash. Tuya reported generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) net profit of $15 million in Q3 2025, which was a major swing from losses the year before. Gross margins hit 48.3%, and the balance sheet is borderline ridiculous for a company trading at this price.

Tuya has about $1.026 billion in cash and zero debt, which represents roughly 85% of its market cap. In other words, you are getting the AI cloud platform, the developer ecosystem, and the company's Physical AI ambitions for what feels like pennies on the dollar.

The honest risk is that revenue growth is still modest. But profitability has arrived, and the balance sheet is fortress-level.

For $100, you are getting around 45 shares of a profitable, cash-rich AI platform that the market still seems to be ignoring, and sometimes the best opportunities are the ones hiding in plain sight.

Image source: Getty Images.

Micah Zimmerman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.