3 Tech Stocks Positioned for the Next Leg of the Bull Market

Key Points

• Broadcom’s AI networking and custom silicon exposure could accelerate earnings later in 2026.
• Oracle’s cloud infrastructure backlog positions the stock for stronger second-half revenue recognition.
• Uber’s margin expansion and free cash flow growth make profitability, not autonomy, the real catalyst.

The first few trading days of January have reminded investors that we’re still operating in a manic market. Each of the major indexes has closed at a new all-time high in January, and as of the market opening on Jan. 8, all the indexes were positive for the year. That could confirm the January effect, which would keep the bull market running.

However, there have been several red days to dampen the bullish sentiment. Many of the same themes from 2025 continue to bubble up: interest rates, earnings durability, and valuation risk. Growth is still growth, but it looks like a year where many stocks may rally more on liquidity and capital gains as opposed to earnings growth and dividend payouts. 

But periods of uncertainty often create opportunities. In 2026, this means investors may want to consider stocks where the most important catalysts are likely to emerge later in the year, at which point there should be more clarity on the macroeconomic story. 

Volatile starts to the year may test investor patience, but they can also reward those who focus on when growth is likely to materialize. With that in mind, long-term investors can look for technology stocks with clear second-half growth drivers that may be underappreciated today.

Broadcom: AI Monetization Is a Second-Half Story

Broadcom Inc. NASDAQ: AVGO stock climbed 45% in 2025. That gain was supported by the TradeSmith Health Indicator, a volatility-based metric that’s had AVGO stock in the Green Zone for most of 2025.

Broadcom’s diversified model, which spans semiconductors and infrastructure software, provides cash flow stability during periods of market volatility. 

Heading into its fourth quarter earnings report, the stock was on track for even bigger gains.

However, it dropped sharply after issuing forward guidance that pointed to some softness in gross margin percentage in 2026.

That appears to be a short-term concern. Broadcom’s key role in the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure story provides a strong reason to believe that the second half of 2026 could be very strong.

Specifically, the company’s exposure to custom AI accelerators and networking components should lead to stronger momentum as enterprise and hyperscaler spending ramps later in the year. That could be one reason why analysts are forecasting 18% earnings growth for Broadcom in 2026.

That balance allows AVGO to invest through cycles while still returning capital to shareholders.

Part of that shareholder value comes in the form of a dividend. Broadcom has increased its dividend payout for 15 consecutive years, and for the last five years, the dividend has increased at an annual rate of over 12%.

Oracle: Cloud Infrastructure Momentum Builds Over Time

Oracle Corp. NYSE: ORCL had a volatile year that was fueled more by headlines than by fundamentals. The stock has plummeted over 34% in the three months ending Jan. 8, 2026. But when investors get past noisy headlines, a bull case emerges.

It starts with the fact that Oracle is no longer just a legacy software company. It’s become a key part of the cloud infrastructure ecosystem, where it is building a roster of enterprise clients that need high-performance workloads tied to AI and data-intensive applications.

However, unlike some cloud peers, Oracle’s growth story is less about headline-grabbing quarterly numbers and more about contract wins, backlog conversion, and capacity expansion.

Those are dynamics that aren’t likely to show up until new data centers come online and signed contracts move into revenue recognition.

If that occurs as expected, Oracle’s cloud growth could reaccelerate meaningfully in the second half.

Analysts are projecting 12% earnings growth in 2026. That supports a consensus price target of $304.94, which is over 60% above the ORCL stock price on Jan. 8.

Uber Technologies: Margin Inflection Is the Real Catalyst

Uber Technologies Inc. NYSE: UBER stock has already rewarded investors who believed in its path to profitability. UBER stock was up more than 34% in 2025. However, the company’s next phase may be even more important, and it has to do with what many perceive to be its biggest threat.

The bear case on Uber hinges on autonomous driving. The argument is simple: if Tesla perfects robotaxis, Uber faces an existential threat.

However, what this framing misses is that Uber doesn’t need to own the vehicles to win. Its advantage is demand aggregation, pricing, routing, payments, and regulatory infrastructure. If autonomous fleets scale this year, Uber can become the distribution layer for that supply, reducing capital spending while likely improving margins. That’s why margin inflection, not autonomy itself, is the real catalyst.

In 2026, Uber’s story increasingly shifts from growth-at-all-costs to operating leverage, free cash flow, and margin expansion. Analysts are forecasting Uber to grow earnings at over 37% in the next 12 months. They also give UBER stock a consensus price target of $107.15, which marks a 21% gain from its price as of this writing.