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12-Day Investment Playbook: 12 Stocks to Buy Before 2026

  //stocks-investing.news-articles.net/content/202 .. tment-playbook-12-stocks-to-buy-before-2026.html
  Published in Stocks and Investing on Monday, December 15th 2025 at 23:58 GMT by The Motley Fool

12 Days of Investing: My Top 12 Stocks to Buy Before 2026
An MSN Money feature that pulls together a month‑long investment playbook based on the latest earnings, technology trends, and macro‑economic signals.

What the article is all about

The piece is written by a frequent contributor to MSN Money’s “Investing” section and presents a carefully curated list of 12 individual stocks that the author believes are set for substantial upside through the next few years—specifically, before 2026. Each day of the author’s 12‑day investment experiment is dedicated to one of the picks, and the post offers a quick‑fire rundown of why each company is worth watching, what price target the author has set, and what catalysts could kick the price into the next range.

The article is structured around a concise table that lists:

While the table itself is the eye‑catcher, the meat of the piece lies in the accompanying commentary. The author also links to company‑specific investor presentations, recent earnings releases, analyst reports, and related macro‑articles (for instance, a Bloomberg story on the AI‑in‑chip race or a regulatory update on U.S. EV subsidies). These hyperlinks add depth for the reader who wants to dig deeper into each recommendation.

The 12 stocks and their rationale

Below is a high‑level snapshot of the twelve names the author recommends, broken into the core sectors that are driving the near‑term growth narrative.

1. NVIDIA – Powering the AI Revolution

NVIDIA’s GPUs remain the backbone of deep‑learning workloads, and the company’s transition to its latest Ada‑architecture GPUs has already been reflected in a 60 % YoY revenue jump. The author highlights the $280 target price, citing the projected 25 % CAGR for AI‑related GPU sales. The linked Bloomberg article explains how the company is leveraging its GPUs for cloud providers and how its “AI for Everyone” strategy could bring in new enterprise clients.

2. Tesla – Accelerating the EV & Energy Transition

Tesla is positioned to dominate the global EV market as battery costs fall and production ramps up. With the company targeting a $1,000 share price by 2026, the author argues that the Solar Roof and Powerwall verticals will serve as significant revenue diversifiers. A cited Reuters piece on the new 4680 cell production timeline reinforces the optimism around cost reductions.

3. Microsoft – The AI‑Enabled Cloud

Microsoft’s Azure is the second‑largest cloud provider, and the company’s Copilot suite is already integrated into Office and Power Platform. The target of $550 stems from an expected 30 % increase in AI‑based revenue streams. An analyst note from Bloomberg adds that Microsoft’s AI subscription licensing could become a major recurring revenue engine.

4. Alphabet – The AI & Search Giant

Alphabet continues to monetize its dominant search position while aggressively investing in AI through the Gemini model. The author’s $420 target is grounded in a projected 15 % CAGR for its Google Cloud unit, supported by a TechCrunch article about the firm’s partnership with OpenAI to deploy LLMs on its infrastructure.

5. Amazon – The Dual‑Engine of Growth

Amazon’s AWS continues to outpace the traditional e‑commerce side, with a forecasted 20 % growth in AI‑driven logistics and serverless computing. The author sets a $500 target price, citing a recent WSJ profile on Amazon’s expansion into grocery and pharma verticals.

6. Apple – Services & Wearables Fuel Expansion

While the iPhone is still the core driver, Apple’s Services and Wearables arms are now in double‑digit growth. The $200 target price reflects an expected $150 bn revenue stream by 2026, with a cited Apple Investor Relations slide that outlines Apple Silicon adoption across its device ecosystem.

7. NextEra Energy – Green Energy Leadership

As global net‑zero mandates tighten, NextEra’s solar‑and‑wind portfolio stands to benefit. The $130 target is based on a projected 8 % CAGR for renewable capacity, and a linked SEC filing provides insight into the company’s net‑zero goal by 2045.

8. Shopify – E‑commerce Platform

Shopify has captured the small‑to‑mid‑enterprise (SME) e‑commerce market. Its API marketplace and expansion into international markets create a strong moat, with a $180 target driven by a $30 bn revenue forecast in 2026.

9. Square – Cash App & Crypto

Square’s Cash App has become a top digital wallet and a significant source of Bitcoin trading. The $90 target reflects the author’s belief that cryptocurrency integration will keep the user base growing, supported by a CNBC article on Square’s recent Bitcoin mining push.

10. Salesforce – Cloud‑Native CRM

Salesforce’s Einstein AI and customer 360 platform are poised to capture enterprise AI spend. The author’s $170 target is anchored by a Reuters article highlighting the firm’s $14 bn annual recurring revenue growth.

11. Moderna – mRNA Beyond Vaccines

Moderna’s mRNA platform is expanding into therapeutics and gene therapy, with a pipeline of 20+ candidates. A linked Nature review provides credibility to the technology’s clinical potential, justifying the $110 target price.

12. CrowdStrike – AI‑Driven Cybersecurity

CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform leverages AI for threat detection. The author’s $140 target price is backed by an analyst note showing a 25 % YoY increase in customer churn and a projected $5 bn ARR by 2026.

How to Use This 12‑Day Playbook

The author explicitly advises treating the list as a short‑term, high‑frequency set of trades: “Buy on Day 1, hold for 3–6 months, then reassess.” Each stock comes with a price target and a time horizon (usually 18–36 months). The article also recommends staying mindful of the risk column—most names face sector‑specific headwinds such as chip shortages (NVIDIA), regulatory scrutiny (Tesla), or data‑privacy concerns (Google).

For those who want deeper dives, the article links to:

• Company investor deck – e.g., NVIDIA’s Q2 2024 Investor Deck.
• Earnings call transcripts – e.g., Tesla’s Q3 2024 earnings.
• Analyst research – e.g., a Goldman Sachs report on Microsoft’s AI strategy.
• Macro articles – e.g., a Financial Times piece on the U.S. EV subsidies.

Bottom Line

The MSN Money article distills a multi‑sector, multi‑growth story into a simple, day‑by‑day framework. Whether you’re a seasoned trader or a casual investor, the 12‑stock list offers a balanced mix of high‑growth tech, renewable energy, and emerging fintech. The author’s thorough referencing to earnings data, analyst commentary, and macro‑trends lends credibility to each pick, while the daily cadence encourages disciplined monitoring.

If you’re planning a 12‑day swing‑trade cycle or simply want to keep an eye on companies that could hit new highs by 2026, this post provides a concise, actionable starting point—and the hyperlinks take you straight to the source material so you can validate the numbers for yourself.