As AI stocks have surged, analysts point to several adjacent areas that could offer exposure without betting everything on the same few mega-cap names:
AI-adjacent infrastructure
Power & utilities — data centers are driving huge electricity demand, benefiting grid, nuclear, and power-generation companies the opportunities related to AI also include the power and resources sector, as higher electricity demand is driving new investment across power generation, energy storage, and grid infrastructure.
Data center hardware/networking and industrial suppliers tied to AI buildout AI capex is on track to exceed $500 billion across hyperscalers and chipmakers in 2026, with AI infrastructure names like Vertiv and Arista Networks, along with power-heavy utilities, seen as a distinct bucket from pure chipmakers or software plays.
Broader market rotation
Some strategists see gains broadening beyond the "Magnificent Seven" into other sectors, geographies, and company sizes markets are broadening, as compelling opportunities expand beyond the Magnificent Seven across geographies, industries and market capitalizations, moving from a binary environment dominated by U.S. tech toward a more balanced one
Non-U.S. and emerging markets are flagged as comparatively cheap emerging market equities show a macro tailwind and valuations at roughly a 40% discount to the US, pointing to possible outperformance in 2026, alongside renewed interest in European equities tied to defense, energy, and finance.
Diversified AI exposure
Rather than single stocks, thematic ETFs (e.g., robotics/AI-focused funds) are one way to spread risk across chipmakers, hyperscalers, software, and infrastructure buckets diversifying through AI-focused ETFs is one way to gain exposure across chip, cloud, software, and infrastructure names rather than concentrating in one stock
Other sectors seeing spillover
Fund managers also cite biotech, industrials, construction, and aerospace as benefiting from AI-driven productivity gains, not just companies that sell AI directly company earnings results have been particularly strong in areas of technology, industrials, biotech, construction, and aerospace
Worth flagging: this is general market commentary, not a recommendation — valuations across many of these areas are already elevated, and views differ on how much of the AI trade is durable versus bubble-prone. I'm not a financial advisor, so it's worth weighing this against your own research or a professional's advice before acting.
