Money Is Quietly Rotating Out of the AI Trade. These 3 Unexpected Stocks Just Hit All-Time Highs.

It has been a rough stretch for the market's artificial intelligence (AI) favorites. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped more than 4% last Friday -- its biggest single-day decline since April 2025 -- led by a steep sell-off in chip stocks. And the index fell nearly 2% more on Wednesday. Yet that same day, even as the S&P 500 slid 1.6%, 22 of its stocks hit new 52-week highs -- and 11 of them reached all-time highs.

Three of those record-setters stand out: off-price retailer The TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX), beverage giant Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), and energy drink specialist Monster Beverage (NASDAQ: MNST). TJX's record reaches back to its initial public offering in 1987, Coca-Cola's to its 1919 listing, and Monster's to its days as Hansen Natural (before it changed its name to Monster Beverage in 2012). And as of this writing, Coca-Cola and TJX have pushed to fresh highs again in Thursday's session. Notably, the small-cap Russell 2000 index has also outperformed the Nasdaq on the pullback's worst days.

Here's a closer look at what's working at each company -- and what their new highs may say about where money is moving.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. The TJX Companies

TJX, the company behind the T.J. Maxx and Marshalls chains, reported results for its fiscal first quarter of 2027 (the period ended May 2, 2026) last month. Net sales rose 9% year over year to $14.3 billion, and comparable sales increased 6%, with every division growing both comparable sales and customer transactions. HomeGoods led the way with a 9% comparable sales increase. And earnings per share jumped 29% to $1.19.

Management also raised its full-year outlook and now expects fiscal 2027 earnings per share of $5.08 to $5.15, up 7% to 9% on a non-GAAP (adjusted) basis.

"Throughout our 50-year history, we believe that the flexibility and resiliency of our business model and our wide customer demographic have been tremendous advantages that have allowed us to successfully navigate through many types of macroeconomic and retail environments," said TJX CEO Ernie Herrman during the company's fiscal first-quarter earnings call.

Investors are paying up for that consistency, with shares trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of about 32 as of this writing.

2. Coca-Cola

But the rotation isn't only lifting retailers. Coca-Cola's first-quarter results, reported in late April, showed steady demand across the beverage giant's portfolio. Organic revenue (which excludes currency swings, acquisitions, and divestitures) grew 10% year over year, alongside 3% growth in unit case volume -- a gauge of demand that strips out pricing.

Profitability was arguably the bigger story. Coca-Cola's operating margin expanded to 35% from 32.9% in the year-ago quarter, helping adjusted earnings per share rise 18% to $0.86.

There's also the dividend, which Coca-Cola raised in February for a 64th consecutive year. The stock yields about 2.5%, and shares trade at a price-to-earnings ratio of about 26.

3. Monster Beverage

Monster's record may be the most surprising of the group, because the company isn't acting like a defensive stock. In the first quarter, reported in early May, Monster's net sales jumped 26.9% year over year to $2.35 billion -- the first time the company has topped $2 billion in sales in a first quarter. Net sales to customers outside the U.S. surged 44.9% to about $1.06 billion -- about 45% of total sales and the highest share in the company's history for a single quarter.

That growth carried to the bottom line, with operating income climbing 28.1% to $730 million and earnings per share rising 27.6% to $0.58. Of course, the quarter wasn't perfect. Monster's gross margin slipped to 55% from 56.5% a year earlier, weighed down by geographic sales mix and higher aluminum can and freight costs.

Monster shares trade at a price-to-earnings ratio of about 44 as of this writing -- a far richer valuation than that of its beverage peer Coca-Cola.

What the rotation means for investors

So, what should investors make of this?

I don't think these record highs are a timing signal to dump AI stocks. Market leadership rotates constantly, and chip stocks recovered some ground earlier this week before falling again.

Instead, the takeaway may be that diversification is working the way it's supposed to. While the market's most popular trade tumbled, businesses selling marked-down apparel and everyday beverages quietly set records, steadying portfolios that owned them alongside high-flying tech names.

Daniel Sparks and his clients have no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Monster Beverage and TJX Companies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.