We recently compiled a list of the 12 Best Small Cap AI Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Fastly Inc. (NYSE:FSLY) stands against the other small cap AI stocks.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy joined CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ on November 26 where he emphasized the need for a new group he has created, the Alpha Institute, which aims to advocate for pro-technology proposals. He highlighted the importance of focusing on long-term technological advancements, particularly in AI and quantum technology, which he believes are critical for America’s future competitiveness.
McCarthy noted that legislators often become bogged down in daily issues and fail to consider the long-term implications of their policies. He shared that three years ago, he initiated a course to educate members of Congress on AI and quantum technologies, recognizing their significance in various sectors such as energy and defense. He argued that without reforming processes like permitting and enhancing the energy grid, the US risks falling behind in the AI race.
Later on December 2, Jay Jacobs, head of US BlackRock Thematic and Active ETFs, joined ‘Halftime Report’ with CNBC’s Bob Pisani to discuss the key themes to watch in the ETF space heading into 2025. Jacobs emphasized that one major trend for 2025 will be the acceleration of AI infrastructure and its integration into consumer issues. He outlined 3 distinct stages of the AI theme: the build phase, where significant investments are made in infrastructure; the mass adoption phase across enterprises and individuals; and the transformation stage, which will see entirely new industries emerge from AI advancements.
Jacobs pointed out that during the build phase, ETFs focused on semiconductors, such as SOXX, and digital infrastructure like IDTT will benefit significantly. As companies adopt AI technologies, software names are expected to gain traction, leading to a transformation that could create new market opportunities over the next five to ten years.
Methodology
We sifted through media reports and ETFs to look for AI companies trading under $5 billion. That’s our definition of small-cap stocks. We then selected the 12 stocks that were the most popular among elite hedge funds and that analysts were bullish on. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q3 2024. The hedge fund data was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database which tracks the moves of over 900 elite money managers.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
A technician pointing at a projection of the company’s geolocation software.
Fastly Inc. (NYSE:FSLY)
Market Cap as of December 2: $1.27 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 14
Fastly Inc. (NYSE:FSLY) is an edge cloud platform provider that empowers businesses to deliver faster and more secure digital experiences. Its services, including content delivery networks, security solutions, and video streaming, cater to a range of industries such as technology, media, and finance. Using AI and machine learning, its platform optimizes content delivery, security, and performance.
A key highlight for Fastly Inc. (NYSE:FSLY) is the advancement of its AI accelerator, an innovative AI proxy designed to enhance the performance and cost-efficiency of LLM-powered applications. By expanding support to include Google Gemini, alongside OpenAI, the company aims to revolutionize the AI landscape.
The AI accelerator leverages Fastly Inc.’s (NYSE:FSLY) edge cloud platform to reduce latency for tasks like answering queries, which typically take several seconds on traditional cloud platforms. By optimizing request routing and utilizing the edge network, the accelerator significantly reduces the overall cost of AI solutions.
Overall FSLY ranks 9th on our list of the best small cap AI stocks to buy according to hedge funds. As we acknowledge the potential of FSLY as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than FSLY but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.