Buy These 5 AI-Focused Stocks to Tap Double-Digit Short-Term Upside

The artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure space recently gathered steam, with DeepSeek-related fears turning out to be overblown. The global shift toward digitization creates opportunities in various markets, including 5G, blockchain and AI. Companies are adopting generative AI, machine language (ML), blockchain and data science faster to gain a competitive advantage.Here we recommend five AI-focused stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank that have the potential to provide double-digit returns in the short term. These stocks are: HubSpot Inc. HUBS, Okta Inc. OKTA, Adobe Inc. ADBE, NICE Ltd. NICE and Teradata Corp. TDC. Each of our picks currently carries either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks in the past month.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchHubSpot Inc.Zacks Rank #1 HubSpot provides a cloud-based customer relationship management platform for businesses in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. HUBS is witnessing steady multi-hub adoption from enterprise customers in the premium market. Pricing optimization in HUBS’ starter edition is leading to solid client additions in the lower end of the market. The integration of HubSpot AI, which includes state-of-the-art features, such as AI assistance, AI agents, AI insights and ChatSpot, is driving more value to customers. HUBS’ seat pricing model lowers the barrier for customers to get started with its business and mitigates pricing friction for upgrades. The growing adoption of inbound applications is a tailwind.HubSpot has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 15.4% and 15%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.1% in the last 60 days.Lucrative Short-Term Price Upside for HUBS SharesThe short-term average price target of brokerage firms for the stock represents an increase of 39.7% from the last closing price of $542.41. The brokerage target price is currently in the range of $645-$930. This indicates a maximum upside of 71.5% and no downside. Okta Inc.Zacks Rank #2 Okta operates as an identity partner in the United States and internationally. OKTA offers a suite of products and services used to manage and secure identities, such as Single Sign-On, which enables users to access applications in the cloud or on-premises from various devices. OKTA leverages AI through its Okta AI platform, which enhances security while improving user experience and simplifying administration. Key applications include Identity Threat Protection, Log Investigator, and Auth for GenAI. This AI-enabled platform is integrated with OKTA’s Workforce Identity and Customer Identity Clouds.OKTA’s Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication provides a layer of security for cloud, mobile, web applications and data, while API Access Management enables organizations to secure APIs. Access Gateway enables organizations to extend Workforce Identity Cloud, and Okta Device Access enables end users to securely log in to devices with Okta credentials. OKTA has expected revenue and earnings growth rates of 9.4% and 16.7%, respectively, for the current year (ending January 2026). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 2.8% over the last 60 days. Impressive Price Upside Potential for OKTA StocksThe average short-term price target of brokerage firms represents an increase of 29.9% from the last closing price of $95.43. The brokerage target price is currently in the range of $75-$148. This indicates a maximum upside of 55.1% and a downside of 21.4%. Adobe Inc.Zacks Rank #2 Adobe has extensively implemented AI applications across its flagship products, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, and Premiere. Earlier this year, ADBE introduced generative AI-driven Adobe Firefly. Moreover, Adobe Acrobat and Reader AI Assistant help users summarize documents and answer questions, saving time and helping them accomplish tasks faster.Using its new AI-driven cloud-based platform, ADBE is also diversifying into digital marketing services, offering data mining services that help businesses measure page views, purchases and social media sites. Adobe Marketing Cloud enables marketers to deliver personalized web experiences across multiple devices, manage multichannel campaigns and optimize media monetization. ADBE has launched Adobe Express, an application for quick editing effects. Leveraging generative AI, this tool is useful for short-form video content like Instagram Reels. Adobe also launched an AI-based Express app for iOS and Android.Adobe has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 9.5% and 11.8%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1.2% in the last seven days. Huge Price Upside Potential for ADBE StocksThe average short-term price target of brokerage firms represents an increase of 35.2% from the last closing price of $365.79. The brokerage target price is currently in the range of $280-$605. This indicates a maximum upside of 65.4% and a downside of 23.5%. NICE Ltd. Zacks Rank #2 NICE is benefiting from the continued strength of its cloud business, expansion of its customer base and AI-powered solutions. Increased adoption of NICE’s CXone platform saw large enterprises integrating AI tools to enhance customer experience. The success of AI products like autopilot and copilot, along with a growing partner ecosystem, is expanding NICE’s market reach. Investments in automation, analytics and AI-powered contact centers is strengthening its competitive edge. NICE’s focus on operational efficiency and product enhancements is bolstering its cloud leadership. Also, NICE remains well-positioned for steady growth with AI-driven customer engagement solutions.NICE has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 7% and 11.2%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1.6% in the last 90 days. Attractive Price Upside Potential for NICE SharesThe average short-term price target of brokerage firms represents an increase of 33.9% from the last closing price of $153.41. The brokerage target price is currently in the range of $161-$300. This indicates a maximum upside of 95.6% and no downside.Teradata Corp.Zacks Rank #2 Teradata is benefiting from strong cloud ARR growth. TDC’s AI and hybrid cloud innovations, supported by strategic partnerships with NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Google are strengthening its market position. TDC’s advanced AI solutions, particularly in Customer Experience AI, are in high demand as businesses prioritize data-driven insights. TDC’s expertise in providing scalable, cloud-based analytics positions it well in expanding markets like AI, data centers, and digital transformation. These solutions aim to provide secure, scalable, and cost-effective AI development environments, with a focus on integrating AI into existing data infrastructure.Teradata has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 2% and 8.3%, respectively, for the next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next-year earnings has improved 0.9% in the last 90 days. Solid Price Upside Potential for TDC StocksThe average short-term price target of brokerage firms represents an increase of 19.5% from the last closing price of $21.59. The brokerage target price is currently in the range of $21-$35. This indicates a maximum upside of 62.1% and no downside.One Big Gain, Every Trading DayTo help you take full advantage of this market, you’re invited to access every stock recommendation in all our private portfolios - for just $1.Zacks private portfolio services that closed 256 double and triple-digit winners in 2024 alone. That’s about one big gain every day the market was open. Of course, not all our picks are winners, but members have seen recent gains as high as +627% +1,340%, and +1,708%.Imagine how much you could profit with a steady stream of real-time picks from all our services that cover a number of strategies to suit a variety of investing and trading styles.See Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Teradata Corporation (TDC): Free Stock Analysis Report Adobe Inc. (ADBE): Free Stock Analysis Report Nice (NICE): Free Stock Analysis Report HubSpot, Inc. (HUBS): Free Stock Analysis Report Okta, Inc. (OKTA): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks