The AI Arms Race Is Shifting Again—These 2 “Picks and Shovels” Plays are Worth Adding to the Radar

3 weeks ago 8

Joey Frenette

Tue, March 17, 2026 astatine 11:26 AM CDT 4 min read

  • Nvidia (NVDA) announced $1 trillion successful Vera Rubin and Blackwell orders done 2027, yet the banal effect was muted astatine conscionable 1% higher, signaling imaginable valuation compression successful AI plays. Broadcom (AVGO) and ASML (ASML) connection complementary “picks and shovels” exposure.

  • Broadcom and ASML correspond underestimated plays successful the AI infrastructure buildout.

  • A caller survey identified 1 azygous wont that doubled Americans’ status savings and moved status from dream, to reality. Read much here.

The AI arms contention inactive seems to beryllium successful play arsenic the large AI information halfway buildout moves ahead, portion request for AI "compute" remains disconnected the charts. With Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) apical brag Jensen Huang taking to the signifier for the yearly GTC conference, there's definite to beryllium a batch of enactment successful the AI scene, particularly aft a reasonably turbulent commencement to the twelvemonth for galore of the names that are stuck astatine the pitstop aft a heated past 2 years.

With Huang pointing to $1 trillion successful Vera Rubin and Blackwell orders done 2027, it inactive feels similar there's country for a astonishment to the upside erstwhile it comes to the insatiable request for AI computing. Of course, specified a remark should person astir apt sent shares of Nvidia disconnected to the races.

After all, that's a jaw-dropping fig for the number-one "picks and shovels" play successful the full AI trade. While Nvidia banal did march conscionable northbound of 1% higher connected the day, I bash deliberation the absorption was rather muted. Indeed, Jensen Huang's bullish and upbeat commentary astir the AI country astatine ample mightiness not person arsenic overmuch of an interaction successful 2026.

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Have valuations yet caught up to the wide handbasket of AI plays? Or is the marketplace conscionable successful a spot of a digestion phase? It's intolerable to tell. Either way, it's worthy broadening one's horizons to spot what's retired determination arsenic valuations commencement to travel successful a bit.

In this piece, we'll cheque retired a brace of "picks and shovels" plays arsenic investors look beyond Nvidia for the missing pieces of the puzzle that tin assistance implicit the AI infrastructure buildout.

Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) is astir apt the 2nd banal that should beryllium connected immoderate investor's "picks and shovels" list. It's the customized silicon king and, successful my view, it has much runway than the likes of Nvidia, particularly fixed the absorption the large hyperscalers are headed.

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