Top 10 Artificial Intelligence Penny Stocks To Watch in 2026

Stock Ticker	Company	Performance (YTD)
NASDAQ: NBIS	Nebius Group N.V.
NASDAQ: RR	Richtech Robotics Inc
NASDAQ: AMCI	AMC Robotics Corp
NASDAQ: DVLT	Datavault AI Inc
NASDAQ: GCT	GigaCloud Technology Inc
NASDAQ: SOUN	SoundHound AI, Inc
NASDAQ: QUBT	Quantum Computing Inc
NASDAQ: RGTI	Rigetti Computing Inc
NYSE: QBTS	D-Wave Quantum Inc
NYSE: IONQ	IONQ Inc

10 Best AI Stocks for January 2026

My best AI stocks to watch are:

• Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ: NBIS) — The “Neocloud” GPU Infrastructure Stock
• Richtech Robotics Inc. (NASDAQ: RR) — The AI Service Robotics Stock
• AMC Robotics Corp. (NASDAQ: AMCI) — The Newly-Listed Low Float AI Robotics Stock
• Datavault AI Inc. (NASDAQ: DVLT) — The Tokenization + Data Monetization AI Flyer
• GigaCloud Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: GCT) — The AI-Optimized Commerce & Logistics Stock
• SoundHound AI, Inc (NASDAQ: SOUN) — The Post-Spike AI Voice Stock
• Quantum Computing Inc (NASDAQ: QUBT) — The NASA Contract Quantum Computing Stock
• Rigetti Computing Inc (NASDAQ: RGTI) — The Quantum Leader Off Its Highs
• D-Wave Quantum Inc (NYSE: QBTS) — The Quantum Stock That Still Holds Up
• IONQ Inc (NYSE: IONQ) — The Higher-Priced Quantum Leader

AI was one of the most explosive sectors in 2025. Despite early-year volatility and a round of selling tied to trade war headlines, the broader market has shown surprising strength. Big Tech names are leading again, and AI-related companies remain at the center of the action.

The key difference now? We’re seeing a more selective market. Traders are focusing on companies with real traction — whether it’s enterprise adoption, cloud infrastructure, or government contracts. Momentum is still here, but the setups are tighter. That’s why it’s more important than ever to approach this sector with discipline and a defined plan.

AI penny stocks can offer massive potential in the right conditions, especially when paired with the right chart. But not every AI play is a winner. Volatility is part of the game — and for traders, that’s a good thing. Just make sure you’re trading based on patterns, not promises.

Here’s the AI stock cheatsheet:

• What is the most promising AI stock?

A sector leader like NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the best bet for the most promising AI stock. But remember, we’re traders, not investors. So the stocks on this list are ones we’re watching for short-term moves, not predictions of which will lead stock exchanges in 2030.

• What are the top 3 AI stocks to buy now?

My top 3 AI stocks to buy now (as long as their price action is strong) are NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA), Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE: PLTR), and Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA).

• Which company is most advanced in AI?

NVIDIA is the most advanced publicly traded company in AI, that’s why it’s the sector leader. But other leading tech stocks like Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), and Meta (Facebook) are all safe bets to pull ahead at some point.

• Which Artificial Intelligence stocks have a “Strong Buy” analyst rating?

Analysts tend to love these tech leaders — NVIDIA, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), and Meta (Facebook). Many analysts have rated all of these stocks as “strong buys.”

Before you send in your orders, take note: I have NO plans to trade these stocks unless they fit my preferred setups. This is only a watchlist.

The best traders watch more than they trade. That’s what I’m trying to model in this article. Pay attention to the work that goes in, not the picks that come out.

Sign up for my NO-COST weekly watchlist to get my latest picks!

Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ: NBIS) — The “Neocloud” GPU Infrastructure Stock

My first AI penny stock pick is Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ: NBIS).

Read more: Is NBIS the Best Undervalued AI Stock?

Nebius is one of the most direct picks-and-shovels AI plays on the market: GPU-heavy cloud infrastructure for companies that need compute in an age of strained capacity.

The company’s core pitch is simple: build and operate AI-optimized data center capacity, then sell that compute to enterprises and model builders at a time when demand keeps outrunning supply.

A major narrative driver has been its multi-year Microsoft capacity agreement, tied to its New Jersey data center buildout, plus the fact Nebius has been able to raise serious capital to keep expanding.

Heading into Jan 2026, the chart is the story. NBIS ripped into the $140 area in early October 2025, then the AI infrastructure trade cooled off and it gave back a big chunk of the move. It’s been trading more like an euphoria unwind and base attempt than a straight trend.

Why I Like It

NBIS is a legit AI infrastructure ticker, not a vibes-only app layer story. When the market wants backbone names again, these tend to lead because they’re closer to the actual AI spend.

Trade Potential:

• Bullish Scenario: If NBIS can reclaim the upper $80s into $90s and hold, it puts the stock back into trend-repair mode, with room to work toward the $110 area and eventually the $130s–140s if AI infra momentum returns.
• Bearish Scenario: If it loses the low $80s and can’t bounce, the next downside zones are the $70s, then the $50s–60s as the bigger zoomed-out support area.

Richtech Robotics Inc. (NASDAQ: RR) — The AI Service Robotics Stock

My second AI penny stock pick is Richtech Robotics Inc. (NASDAQ: RR).

Richtech is a high-beta robotics name tied to the robots in the real world trade: service robots, commercial automation, and the broader AI-meets-physical-labor theme.

This stock tends to move on product demos, distribution chatter, and robotics adoption headlines. It has leaned into showcasing newer platforms to keep the story hot.

Technically, RR is a clean bubble-popped chart. It ran into the $7 zone in early October 2025, then reversed and bled back into the $3 range, down roughly 50%+ from the peak. That’s classic small-cap momentum behavior: huge run, then a long unwind where every bounce turns into an exit ramp.

Read more: Richtech Robotics Faces Decline Amidst Corporate Changes and Stock Volatility

Why I Like It

Robotics is a theme that comes in waves. RR href="/quote/RR /" data-stock="RR ">RR is the kind of ticker that can go quiet, then rip on one press release and one risk-on week. It’s built for watchlists, not blind conviction.

Trade Potential:

• Bullish Scenario: A reclaim of the $4 area, then a push through $5-ish, could bring momentum back and set up a run toward $6–7 where the old peak supply sits.
• Bearish Scenario: If it loses the $3 area, it risks sliding toward $2.50, then the $2 zone as the next place buyers might actually defend.

AMC Robotics Corp. (NASDAQ: AMCI) — The Newly-Listed Low Float AI Robotics Stock

My third AI penny stock pick is AMC Robotics Corp. (NASDAQ: AMCI).

AMCI is a freshly hot, low-float robotics ticker that trades more like a momentum vehicle than a mature fundamentals story.

Read about what’s driving AMCI’s latest moves.

The pitch is AI-driven robotics and safety solutions, but the reason it’s on a Jan 2026 watchlist is simple: it moves. Big volume, big swings, and lots of trader attention because newer listings can turn into squeeze machines.

TA-wise, this isn’t a months-ago high story like quantum names. It’s a debut spike and digestion story. AMCIref="/quote/AMCI /" data-stock="AMCI ">AMCI ran hard in mid-December 2025, then cooled off and started chopping as early buyers took profits.

Why I Like It

New listings plus low float plus robotics is the perfect recipe for chaos. It’s not about marrying the stock; it’s about tracking when the tape is active and when it’s dead.

Trade Potential:

• Bullish Scenario: If AMCIref="/quote/AMCI /" data-stock="AMCI ">AMCI can get back above the $10 area and hold, it puts the debut-highs back in play, with room toward the low-teens if the squeeze crowd returns.
• Bearish Scenario: If it loses the upper-single-digits area, it can unwind fast toward the mid-single-digits, where the next real dip-buyer zone tends to show up.

Datavault AI Inc. (NASDAQ: DVLT) — The Tokenization + Data Monetization AI Flyer

My fourth AI penny stock pick is Datavault AI Inc. (NASDAQ: DVLT).

Datavault pitches an AI-driven data valuation and monetization story, mixing data infrastructure language with IP updates, tokenization angles, and headline catalysts that traders love.

This is one of those microcap AI names where the catalyst stack matters more than the income statement: patents, partnerships, ecosystem tie-ins — anything that can spark a narrative run.

DVLT is also a clean example of the late-2025 microcap unwind. It ran hard into late October 2025 around the $4 area, then gave back most of the move and fell back to well under $1, down something like 80% from the peak. That’s not a normal pullback — that’s mania to reality.

Is Datavault AI Stock A Buy Right Now?​

Why I Like It

This is a pure trader’s stock: huge range, tons of emotion, and the ability to go parabolic if the market decides it wants AI plus crypto-adjacent lottery tickets again. Not safe, but watchlist-worthy.

Trade Potential:

• Bullish Scenario: A reclaim of $1 then $1.50 would be the first sign it’s rebuilding a base, with upside targets at $2 and then the $3+ zone if momentum gets stupid again.
• Bearish Scenario: If it loses the $0.70 area, the next shelves are $0.50, then prior low zones where liquidity can get sketchy fast.

GigaCloud Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: GCT) — The AI-Optimized Commerce & Logistics Stock

My fifth AI penny stock pick is GigaCloud Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: GCT).

GigaCloud isn’t a model maker. It’s a platform plus logistics story, where the AI angle shows up through optimization, automation, and data-driven execution inside a B2B marketplace.

This one tends to move more on earnings and guidance than pure AI hype, which makes it a different kind of AI-adjacent watchlist name. When the market is punishing zero-profit story stocks, real business names like this can hold up better.

Technically, GCT has been the opposite of the quantum unwind. It’s been trading near its recent highs around the 40 area, after a longer arc where it cratered earlier in 2025 and then ground higher into year-end.

Why I Like It

If you want something that can still move but isn’t only momentum vapor, GCT fits. It’s more execution and valuation than one headline up 200%, which can be a nice ballast inside an AI watchlist.

Trade Potential:

• Bullish Scenario: Holding the high-30s to 40 area and pushing to fresh highs could set up the next leg toward the mid-40s as the next big zoom-out target.
• Bearish Scenario: If it loses the high-30s, watch 35-ish as the next support zone, and then around 30 as the bigger line in the sand.

SoundHound AI, Inc (NASDAQ: SOUN) — The Post-Spike AI Voice Stock

My sixth AI penny stock pick is SoundHound AI, Inc (NASDAQ: SOUN).

SoundHound AI is building the infrastructure that powers how people and machines communicate across industries.

The company develops independent voice AI systems used in cars, TVs, IoT devices, restaurants, and customer service platforms across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

From natural language understanding to real-time voice interaction, SOUN is becoming a foundational name in conversational AI.

But heading into Jan 2026, the tape is telling a different story than the marketing deck.

SOUN peaked in the mid-October 2025 risk-on frenzy and is now roughly 50% off those highs. That’s the post-spike reality: heavy overhead supply, failed bounces, and a chart that needs time to heal before it can be trusted on the long side.

The bull case is still straightforward: conversational AI plus enterprise automation is real, and SOUN remains a high-beta ticker that can rip on any headline cycle. The bear case is just as simple: this is a broken runner until it proves otherwise.

Why I Like It

It’s a proven momentum name with a real product story — and right now it’s priced like the hype came out. If markets rotate back into aggressive AI beta, SOUN is the kind of ticker that can go from dead to violent fast.

Trade Potential:

• Bullish Scenario: A reclaim of the $13 area, followed by strength through the $15–16 zone, would be the first real momentum signal, with room toward the $18–22 supply area from the October blowoff.
• Bearish Scenario: If the $10 level breaks and can’t quickly reclaim, the risk is a fade into the single digits, where the next real support tends to live.

Quantum Computing Inc (NASDAQ: QUBT) — The NASA Contract Quantum Computing Stock

My seventh AI penny stock pick is Quantum Computing Inc (NASDAQ: QUBT).

QUBT is still a headline-driven quantum name, but it stands out because the story is tied to real work, not just buzzwords. The NASA subcontract angle matters because government-linked projects can keep a small-cap name on scanners for weeks when traders rotate back into quantum.

On the 1-year chart, QUBT ran from the single digits into the low-$20s, then the quantum bubble popped in late October into November and the stock reset into the $10–$13 zone. That’s a big comedown, but it also creates a cleaner map: you can see where buyers have defended it and where sellers have stepped in.

Read more: QUBT’s Potential Under Scrutiny: What Lies Ahead?

Why I Like It

Quantum stocks trade like a theme. When the theme is hot, they spike. When it cools, they drop fast. I like QUBT here because the stock has already flushed the easy hype and is now sitting closer to levels where it can rebuild.

Trade Potential:

• Bullish scenario: Hold $10–$11, push back through $13–$14, then $16–$18 is the next major zone.
• Bearish scenario: Break $10 and a slide toward $8–$9 is possible. I wait for stability before getting interested again.

Rigetti Computing Inc (NASDAQ: RGTI) — The Quantum Leader Off Its Highs

My eighth AI penny stock pick is Rigetti Computing Inc (NASDAQ: RGTI).

Rigetti is one of the most recognizable “pure” quantum hardware names, which is why it acts like a leader when traders chase the sector. The problem is that leadership cuts both ways. When the quantum trade gets crowded, the spikes can be violent. When that crowd exits, the drops are just as fast.

On the 1-year chart, RGTI ripped into the $50s, then the bubble popped in late October into November and the stock fell back into the low-$20s. That’s a massive reset from the highs, and it changes the game from “chase” to “rebuild.” The key now is whether it can form higher lows instead of continuing to bleed.

Why I Like It

If I’m going to watch a quantum name, I want one the market already treats like a bellwether. RGTI fits that. It’s not a safe investment. It’s a high-volatility leader that can move sharply when the sector catches a bid again.

Trade Potential:

• Bullish scenario: Hold $20–$22 and work back above $26–$28. If that happens, $34–$36 is the next big zone traders will target.
• Bearish scenario: Lose $20 and the chart can unwind toward $16–$18. That’s where I’d want to see it stabilize first.

D-Wave Quantum Inc (NYSE: QBTS) — The Quantum Stock That Still Holds Up

My ninth AI penny stock pick is D-Wave Quantum Inc (NYSE: QBTS).

D-Wave tends to trade differently than some of the smaller quantum names because it’s built a reputation around products and platforms that businesses can actually test. That doesn’t make it “low risk,” but it does help explain why QBTS can sometimes hold up better when the sector sells off.

On the 1-year chart, QBTS surged into the $40s during the quantum run, then pulled back and has been holding in the mid-$20s lately. That’s still a big drop from the highs, but it’s also a sign the stock isn’t completely collapsing. The $20–$22 area stands out as the line in the sand, with resistance overhead around $30.

Why I Like It

I like the combination of a known sector name and a chart that’s not completely broken. If quantum gets hot again, QBTS is liquid enough to move with it, and the levels are easy to define.

Trade Potential:

• Bullish scenario: Hold $23–$25 and reclaim $28–$30. Then $34–$36 becomes a reasonable target zone.
• Bearish scenario: Lose $22–$20 and I expect a deeper reset toward $16–$18. I wait for a base.

IONQ Inc (NYSE: IONQ) — The Higher-Priced Quantum Leader

My tenth AI penny stock pick is IONQ Inc (NYSE: IONQ).

IonQ is the “big dog” in quantum for many traders. It’s better-known, widely covered, and it often becomes the reference point for the entire group. That doesn’t stop it from being volatile, but it does mean the stock tends to reflect broader investor appetite for the quantum theme.

On the 1-year chart, IONQ spiked into the $80 area during the sector’s peak, then the bubble popped in late October into November and it slid back into the $40s to $50s. That’s the story you need to respect heading into January: this is no longer a straight-up momentum run. It’s a cooled-off leader trying to find a new normal.

Why I Like It

If quantum catches a second wave, I’d rather watch the leader than chase the thinnest, most random names. IONQ is still speculative, but it’s the cleanest proxy for “quantum is back.”

Trade Potential:

• Bullish scenario: Hold $40–$45 and reclaim $50–$55. If that happens, $60–$65 is the next zone to watch.
• Bearish scenario: Lose $40 and a drop toward the low-$30s is possible. I’d wait for a base before stepping in.

*Past performance does not indicate future results