These AI stocks have seen the biggest jump in popularity among the pros
π€ AI stocks have become the top category for increased ownership among active U.S. equity mutual funds according to Bank of America.
π Palantir Technologies led the ranking with fund ownership climbing from 7% to 32% in one year.
πΎ Hardware and infrastructure players like Arista Networks and Western Digital gained popularity due to data center build-out demand.
βοΈ Broadcom and GE Vernova each saw roughly a 16-percentage-point increase in fund ownership holdings.
π Amphenol and AppLovin each experienced an approximately 12-percentage-point rise in ownership breadth.
π Major platforms like Meta Platforms and Netflix increased in appeal as managers link AI to future advertising and productivity growth.
π The analysis is based on a monthly review of holdings in actively managed U.S. large-cap equity mutual funds.
π Bank of America defines "ownership breadth" as the percentage of active funds holding a specific stock.
β οΈ The data represents a bottom-up composite view to gauge how professional portfolio managers position themselves in equities.
π This report was published on March 10, 2026, highlighting recent shifts from the previous year.
- Defense tech play Palantir Technologies led the ranking with ownership among active large-cap mutual funds climbing to 32% from just 7% a year ago.
- Broadcom and GE Vernova both registered roughly 16-percentage-point increases in fund ownership, while Amphenol and AppLovin each climbed by about 12 percentage points.
- Networking and infrastructure players such as Arista Networks and Western Digital made the list, reflecting strong investor demand for companies tied to the build-out of data centers and AI computing.
- Large technology platforms such as Meta Platforms and Netflix saw ownership breadth rise as fund managers increasingly view AI as a key driver of future growth in areas such as advertising, content recommendation and productivity tools.
- The article focuses exclusively on positive investor sentiment, noting a rise in ownership breadth without addressing any potential overvaluation or downside risks for companies like Arista Networks.
- There are no negative catalysts, earnings misses, or competitive threats mentioned in the provided text for anet or its peers.