• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

2

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998

3

Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds

1

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

2

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998

3

Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
Finance

Why Google and Amazon Top the List of the 6 Best Tech Stocks to Buy

By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 18, 2017, 6:30 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

At Warren Buffett’s annual Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) shareholders meeting in early May, the investor wistfully expressed his regret for missing out on the booming growth of America’s biggest companies, particularly Google and Amazon. But top tech investors have a message for Buffett and others: It’s not too late.

Google’s parent, Alphabet (GOOGL), is now the second-largest company in the S&P 500 (by market capitalization) after Apple (AAPL), followed by Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), and Facebook (FB), with a combined value approaching $3 trillion. Even Buffett marveled at how their business models, built on intellectual property rather than tangible assets, are “so much better” than the industrial core of yesteryear’s biggest companies.

Artificial intelligence—whether in self-driving cars, helpful household robots, or software that takes dictation flawlessly and then translates it into another language—is the IP making the most waves in technology right now. And many investors see Google as AI’s dominant force. “We look at Google’s AlphaGo victory as more important than the moon landing,” says Gavin Baker, manager of the $14.8 billion Fidelity OTC Portfolio, which invests largely in high-growth Nasdaq stocks and other tech firms. (AlphaGo is a “deep learning” computer program that prevailed last year over the world champion of the board game Go.) Even after Alphabet’s more than $100 billion market gain this year alone, the company trades at just 23 times expected 2017 earnings, compared with about 18.5 times for the S&P 500, and is growing much faster.

Nicolas Rapp
Nicolas Rapp

The big tech companies’ vast computing power makes it hard for others to challenge their dominance. Exhibit A of that phenomenon may be Amazon, which has seemed to have an electric fence repelling those who would go toe-to-toe with it. What’s more, “it doesn’t just have one business addressing a $1 trillion market opportunity, it has two,” says Ken Allen, manager of the T. Rowe Price Science & Technology Fund—its e-commerce business, and the cloud-computing services it sells to other companies. Allen thinks Amazon, now worth about $460 billion, will be “the first to [reach] $1 trillion in market cap.”

Another company likely to reap profits from the cloud, says Susan Hirsch, who manages the $4.3 billion TIAA-CREF Large-Cap Growth Fund: Adobe (ADBE). The Photoshop maker’s growth has accelerated since it switched to a cloud subscription model, and its revenue is expected to increase more than 20% this year.

Nicolas Rapp
Nicolas Rapp

It’s hard to predict who will be the first winner in driverless cars, the barely-past-imaginary industry that companies from Google to Ford are sprinting toward like predators. Baker invests in Tesla (TSLA) as well as Uber, one of several private companies that make up 3% of his fund. “I think my [future] grandchildren will find it deeply strange that human beings will be allowed to drive,” he says. Hirsch thinks Tesla could displace much of the traditional car industry by offering greater value and performance as technology costs come down. Still she acknowledges the risks of investing in Elon Musk’s as yet unprofitable company, and she keeps her stake relatively small: “It’s not a big bet, because it would give me an ulcer.”

For a tech play that’s less likely to upset their stomachs, many investors like semiconductor companies such as Nvidia (NVDA), whose chips are used in Tesla and other autonomous driving systems, smartphones, and more. Chipmakers are already among the market’s best performers this year, but Ankur Crawford of the Alger Spectra Fund thinks Broadcom (AVGO), at less than 16 times 2017 earnings, looks undervalued following its merger with Avago. The company supplies semiconductors for both Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxys, along with a host of Internet-of-things products. “It’s levered to all the right stuff,” she says.

PICKS:
Google (GOOGL)
Tesla (TSLA)
Amazon (AMZN)
Broadcom (AVGO)
Adobe (ADBE)
Nvidia (NVDA)

This article is part of Fortune’s 2017 Midyear Investor’s Guide feature. For our picks in other sectors, click on the links below:

  • Why Apple Is One of the 5 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy Now
  • How to Invest In Bonds Even if Interest Rates Rise
  • The 5 Best Stocks and ETFs to Invest in China and India Now
  • The 3 Best Oil Stocks to Buy Right Now—Even if Energy Prices Fall
  • The 3 Best Bank Stocks to Buy Now—Whether Tax Reform Happens or Not

This article appears as part of the Midyear Investor’s Guide package in the June 1, 2017 issue of Fortune.

About the Author
By Jen Wieczner
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Chad Hurley and Steven Chen wearing suits
SuccessWealth
YouTube’s founders split over $650 million when they sold to Google in 2006—had they held out, they could have taken a slice of $550 billion
By Preston ForeJuly 3, 2026
4 hours ago
Photo: Paris, france
Environmentclimate change
Brutal heatwave in France is killing 2,000 people per week, undertakers are overwhelmed, and health agency says there’s worse to come
By John Leicester and The Associated PressJuly 3, 2026
4 hours ago
Photo: World Cup fans drinking.
EconomyEconomics
On Wall Street, analysts increasingly don’t believe the U.S. government’s ‘misleading’ job numbers
By Jim EdwardsJuly 3, 2026
7 hours ago
U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters after signing an executive order dealing with automobile repairs with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin in the Oval Office at the White House on June 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
EconomyFed
Trump is already causing a headache for his new Fed chairman, saying the central bank’s board is ‘hostile’ and ‘doing the wrong thing’
By Eleanor PringleJuly 3, 2026
8 hours ago
A $75 billion valuation, 75 million global customers and on its way to America—Revolut is London’s disruptor extraordinaire
EuropeLetter from London
A $75 billion valuation, 75 million global customers and on its way to America—Revolut is London’s disruptor extraordinaire
By Kamal AhmedJuly 3, 2026
8 hours ago
Man in a black hat and jacket
InvestingSpace Exploration
Elon Musk can’t sell a single SpaceX share for a year—and then all the locks crack open at once
By Amanda GerutJuly 3, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
1 day ago
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
AI
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
11 hours ago
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
Economy
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
1 day ago
On Wall Street, analysts increasingly don’t believe the U.S. government’s 'misleading' job numbers
Economy
On Wall Street, analysts increasingly don’t believe the U.S. government’s 'misleading' job numbers
By Jim EdwardsJuly 3, 2026
7 hours ago
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
Success
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 2, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.