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As everybody knows by now, artificial intelligence (AI) has been Wall Street’s shiny new toy in 2023, with companies speaking on the technology in a snowballing fashion.

And it’s easy to understand why, as the technology undoubtedly has a bright future and allows us to achieve feats that otherwise felt impossible.

Interestingly enough, three companies – Palo Alto Networks PANW, Arista Networks ANET, and Apple AAPL – all stand to be big beneficiaries of the technology.

For those interested in gaining exposure to the technology, let’s take a closer look at each.

Arista Networks

In late April, Arista Networks unveiled a new cloud-delivered, AI-driven network identity service for enterprise security and IT operations. The stock is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), with the revisions trend particularly notable for its current fiscal year.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The company has been a consistent earnings performer, exceeding both top and bottom line expectations in 14 consecutive quarters. Just in its latest release, ANET posted a 6% EPS beat and reported revenue 3.5% above expectations.

As we can see in the chart below, the company’s revenue growth has been rapid over the last several years.

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Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks, a current Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), operates Cortex, the company’s integrated suite of AI-driven, intelligent products for the Security Operations Center (SOC). Analysts have raised their earnings expectations across the board.

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Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The company’s growth profile is impossible to ignore, with estimates suggesting 70% earnings growth in its current fiscal year (FY23) on 25% higher revenues. And looking ahead to FY24, estimates allude to an additional 16% growth in earnings and a 21% revenue climb.

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Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Apple

Apple has seemingly become a ‘Dark Horse’ in the AI race, with many not recognizing the company’s exposure. While the tech titan hasn’t unveiled any ground-breaking technology, it’s quietly been implementing AI features, including an improved iPhone autocorrect model.

Apple shares are undoubtedly pricey, with the current 31.7X forward earnings multiple sitting well above the 24.8X five-year median. Still, investors have had no issue forking up the premium given the company’s rock-solid standing, with AAPL shares up nearly 50% in 2023.

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Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The company has long been viewed as a cash flow king, and for understandable reasons; Apple generated roughly $25.6 billion in free cash flow throughout its latest quarter. Strong cash flows allow companies to pay down debt, shell out dividends, and fuel growth.

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Bottom Line

With the rapid rise of interest in AI technology, it’s no surprise that several notable technology giants stand to benefit.  

While the technology is still in its early phases, the long-term potential has investors ecstatic, seeing a massive opportunity to reap some gains.

And all three stocks above – Palo Alto Networks PANW, Arista Networks ANET, and Apple AAPL – stand to be big beneficiaries of the technology.

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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.



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