Key Points
If you’ve got $1,000 on the sidelines, now could be the perfect time to put that to work in the market. There are several compelling investment opportunities out there, and I think Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) represent some of the best stocks to invest in right now.
I’m bullish on their remaining 2026 prospects, and if these three could return to a normal valuation range, the stocks will deliver phenomenal returns.
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Image source: Getty Images.
Microsoft
Prior to 2026, Microsoft was always mentioned among the AI leaders. It has a solid cloud computing platform with Azure that allows clients to build and run AI applications using countless generative AI models from different vendors. It also has a thriving AI business of its own, with Copilot being integrated into its Microsoft Office apps. During its latest quarter, Microsoft announced that its AI business was growing at a 123% rate with a $37 billion annual run rate.
That’s the kind of return on investment investors are looking for, and with massive momentum, it seems like Microsoft should be checking all of the AI investment boxes, allowing the stock to trade near all-time highs. But that’s not what’s happening. Microsoft’s stock is down around 15% from its all-time high and is trading at a historically attractive valuation.
MSFT Price to CFO Per Share (TTM) data by YCharts.
I think now represents a perfect time to invest in Microsoft stock because if it rallies to normal valuation levels, there are 30% to 40% gains to be had in a short time frame.
Meta Platforms
Sticking with the theme of unloved stocks, Meta Platforms is also lagging its peers. If you thought Microsoft stock was cheap at less than 20 times operating cash flow, Meta Platforms looks like a steal.
META Price to CFO Per Share (TTM) data by YCharts.
Meta Platforms is the parent company of social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads. All of these platforms generate a huge amount of money through ad sales, and this business unit doesn’t get enough credit for how strong it is. Instead, the market wants to focus on Meta’s hefty AI investments and the money that it’s burning through at Reality Labs. While these are fair gripes, the market has lost sight of how strong Meta is even with these major ongoing investments.
If even one of these long-shot investments, like its AI glasses, pans out, Meta will be a massive winner. But in the meantime, its ad business is still growing rapidly (overall revenue growth was 33% in its latest quarter, mostly driven by increased ad revenue) thanks to improvements from Meta’s AI research. If it can continue innovating to improve ad sales, Meta looks like a genius investment by itself, with major upside from one of its other bets.
Nvidia
At the world’s largest company, it may be hard for investors to envision Nvidia going much higher, but it has all the makings of a stock that can do just that. Its revenue growth is accelerating, and it posted a jaw-dropping 85% growth rate in its latest quarter. That shows major demand for its graphics processing units (GPUs), which have been the primary computing unit deployed by hyperscalers throughout most of the AI build-out.
The AI build-out continues to gain momentum, with Nvidia projecting that the data center capital expenditures will rise to $1 trillion in 2027. That’s just the beginning, as they expect that figure to reach $3 trillion to $4 trillion annually at a global scale by 2030. If that projection pans out, there will be massive growth in store for Nvidia over the next few years, making it a smart stock to buy now.
With the stock trading for an attractive 23.6 times forward earnings, I think it’s a smart stock to buy now.
Don’t miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity
Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you’ll want to hear this.
On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a “Double Down” stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you’re worried you’ve already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it’s too late. And the numbers speak for themselves:
- Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you’d have $567,836!*
- Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you’d have $59,318!*
- Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you’d have $439,847!*
Right now, we’re issuing “Double Down” alerts for three incredible companies, available when you join Stock Advisor, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon.
*Stock Advisor returns as of June 5, 2026.
Keithen Drury has positions in Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
