Dan Ives has named Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) as his five preferred technology plays into 2027. The newly launched Yorkville Ives coverage puts all five on Outperform, based on Ives’ view that investors are still underestimating the scale of the AI investment cycle. He describes the current AI build-out as only the ‘third inning of a nine-inning game’, with a potential $4tn technology spending wave ahead.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) remains Ives’ favourite disruptive technology play but is separate from his top 5 list.
Ives’ top 5 picks
1. Nvidia — AI infrastructure leader
Ives sees Nvidia as the foundational compute platform for the AI economy. Importantly, he believes demand is broadening beyond hyperscalers to sovereign AI programmes, enterprises and model developers. Nvidia’s consensus revenue forecast implies roughly 91% growth in 2027, while the shares trade on about 25x forward earnings.
2. Microsoft — AI + cloud + enterprise
Ives highlights Microsoft’s $678bn commercial remaining performance obligations, with RPO growth of 25% excluding OpenAI, as evidence that AI demand is spreading across the wider enterprise. Consensus expects revenue growth of about 18% in 2027 and 20% in 2028.
3. Palantir — AI software’s high-growth bet
Ives sees Palantir as a major beneficiary of enterprises deploying AI into real-world operations. The attraction is exceptional growth and margins, but valuation is the obvious risk: the stock trades around 85x forward earnings. Consensus revenue growth is approximately 42% for 2027.
4. Apple — the AI upgrade cycle
Ives believes Apple is entering a ‘new phase of its ecosystem’, with AI potentially stimulating device upgrades and strengthening services. The problem for investors is that expectations are already high: Apple trades around 35x forward earnings, despite consensus revenue growth of only about 10.5% in 2027.
5. CrowdStrike — cybersecurity’s AI beneficiary
Ives expects AI agents to expand the attack surface and push cybersecurity’s share of IT budgets higher, potentially from around 5% towards 10% over three years. CrowdStrike’s revenue is forecast to grow roughly 22% in 2028, but the valuation is extreme at more than 200x forward earnings.
How to invest in technology stocks: A UK beginner’s guide 2026
Who is Dan Ives?
Dan Ives is one of Wall Street’s best-known technology analysts and was a long-standing managing director at Wedbush Securities, where he built a reputation for highly bullish calls on technology and AI stocks. He has been particularly influential on Apple, Tesla, Nvidia and the broader AI investment boom, often taking a more aggressive stance than the wider analyst community.
In 2026, Ives launched Yorkville Ives, a new investment and research venture focused on technology and disruptive innovation. The platform is designed to extend his investment research beyond traditional equity research, with a focus on identifying the companies he believes will lead the next wave of technological change.
His 2027 stock picks form part of this new venture’s investment outlook.
Valuation and quality snapshot
| Stock | 2026 YTD | 3-year return | 2027E rev growth | Fwd PE | Gross margin | Op. margin | ROCE | ROE |
| Nvidia | +28% | +436% | 91% | 25x | 74.7% | 65.2% | 71.3% | 117.2% |
| Microsoft | +10% | +66% | 18% | 25x | 67.9% | 46.8% | 26.3% | 34.0% |
| Palantir | +7% | +1,098% | 42% | 85x | 84.8% | 42.8% | 26.0% | 38.1% |
| Apple | +23% | +93% | 10% | 35x | 48.7% | 33.2% | 66.2% | 148.8% |
| CrowdStrike | +133% | +560% | 22%* | 208x | 75.2% | -2.5% | -1.8% | 1.5% |
*2028 revenue growth. Returns are total returns and vary slightly by measurement date. Financial metrics are latest available.
Ives’ 2027 picks: 2026 YTD performance
Ives vs Wall Street consensus
| Stock | Ives target | Consensus target | Ives upside* | Consensus upside* |
| Nvidia | $300 | $329 | +26% | +38% |
| Microsoft | $615 | $588 | +16% | +11% |
| Palantir | $250 | $196 | +29% | +1% |
| Apple | $400 | $328 | +19% | -3% |
| CrowdStrike | $335 | $238 | +26% | -10% |
*Calculated against October 2026 market prices; consensus targets from current analyst databases.
Ives’ upside view
Sharesify investor verdict
For UK retail investors, Nvidia offers the strongest combination of growth, margins and valuation. Microsoft is arguably the more balanced quality play. Palantir offers extraordinary growth but demands perfection; CrowdStrike has already delivered enormous returns and carries the biggest valuation risk. Apple is the least dependent on explosive AI growth but also has the lowest projected growth.
The key takeaway is that Ives five preferred technology plays into 2027 are bets on the continuation—not the beginning—of the AI investment cycle. For investors using a Stocks & Shares ISA, these are therefore better viewed as high-quality but already heavily re-rated global growth stocks rather than cheap AI opportunities.
Disclaimer: The author Steven Frazer has a personal interest in Nvidia and Palantir.
You might also like:
