3 Millionaire-Maker Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy Now
2026-09-03 08:30
•Micah Zimmerman •The Motley Fool
••••• •••• Axe Cap view
Why SA Investors Should Watch AI Infrastructure Stocks with Care
Three US-listed AI infrastructure names highlight growth but limited direct local plays make rand exposure key.
The AI boom often focuses on software giants, but real bottlenecks lie in the infrastructure that runs these data centers. Companies like Astera Labs and Credo Technology are growing revenues by 90-270%, driven by connectivity and cable tech that keep AI servers humming. Vertiv’s power and cooling dominance, especially in liquid cooling, shows how demand for efficient data centers is intensifying. South African investors won’t find direct JSE equivalents capturing these niche segments yet. Instead, you’re effectively placing a bet on how the rand holds up against the dollar since these companies are all dollar earners with US-listed stocks. If the rand weakens, which tends to happen amid global risk or local instability, your returns could suffer even if revenue headlines look great. The AI infrastructure surge is exciting but also tightly linked to global tech capital and supply chains, so patience is essential here. this is just our opinion and not financial advice
Watch USD/ZAR closely—consider hedging rand exposure if investing offshore in AI infrastructure plays. Avoid local big-tech proxies like Naspers or Prosus for now; they focus more on platforms than raw AI hardware. Wait for local names to emerge or for a more stable rand before adding direct US AI infrastructure stocks.
- USD/ZAR
- Astera Labs (ALAB)
- Rand depreciation hurting dollar-denominated returns
- Customer concentration risk at Credo Technology impacting revenue stability
6/10
The article highlights three AI infrastructure stocks—Astera Labs, Credo Technology, and Vertiv—that address critical bottlenecks in AI data center scaling. Astera Labs specializes in connectivity solutions with 93% YoY revenue growth and a $6.5B Amazon warrant agreement. Credo Technology manufactures active electrical cables with 272% YoY growth but faces customer concentration risks. Vertiv dominates power and cooling systems with a $15B backlog and strong positioning in liquid cooling demand.
Our take is based on reporting first published by The Motley Fool.