If I Had to Start Over With $1,000 in Tech Stocks Today, Here's Exactly What I'd Buy

Key Points

Alphabet a leader in nearly every key technology trend that will shape the future.

Nvidia has multiple growth opportunities.

Apple continues to demonstrate just how strong its product and services ecosystem is.

• 10 stocks we like better than Apple ›

Some people think they need a ton of money to get started investing. That's not the case at all. Fractional shares allow you to invest in great companies with little upfront cash. You can also find attractive stocks with affordable share prices on a modest budget.

If I had to start over with just $1,000, I'd focus on tech stocks. Why? The tech sector has been the best way to obtain market-beating returns over the last 20 years. I suspect that will remain true over the next decade and beyond. And here's exactly which tech stocks I'd buy with $1,000 right now.

Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »

1. Alphabet

Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is my top pick. The main reason I like Google's parent so much is that it's a leader in nearly every key technology trend that I expect will shape the future.

You probably won't be surprised to learn that artificial intelligence (AI) is the technology I think will be most impactful. Alphabet is an AI pioneer, forging the way for the current AI renaissance. More importantly, the company is well-positioned to benefit from the rising adoption of AI in multiple ways.

Google Cloud is the fastest-growing of the big three cloud service providers. Gemini consistently ranks among the most powerful AI models. Alphabet has incorporated generative AI throughout its products, including Google Search and its Workspace productivity suite, boosting revenue and profitability in the process. The company's Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) are in such high demand for AI applications that Google has begun selling the chips to external customers for the first time.

Alphabet also stands at the vanguard of two technologies that could see explosive growth over the next few years -- autonomous driving and quantum computing. Alphabet's Waymo unit operates the world's first autonomous ride-hailing service, having served over 20 million rides to date. Google Quantum AI has achieved two major quantum computing milestones and is working to build a large-scale multi-purpose quantum computer.

2. Nvidia

It would be hard to omit Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) from the list. The company's graphics processing units (GPUs) remain the gold standard for training and deploying AI models. Even with rising competition, Nvidia doesn't appear to be in any danger of being knocked off its perch.

The company's AI moat runs deep. Nvidia's rapid development cycle enables it to introduce new, more powerful chips faster than rivals. Its CUDA software platform, which enables applications to harness the power of GPUs, is so widely used that Nvidia's technology is incredibly sticky.

Like Alphabet, Nvidia is a leader in self-driving vehicle technology. Although it doesn't operate an autonomous ride-hailing service as Waymo does, the company's autonomous driving technology is used by top carmakers including China's BYD (OTC: BYDDF) (OTC: BYDDY), General Motors (NYSE: GM), Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz (OTC: MBGYY), Rivian (NASDAQ: RIVN), and Volvo (OTC: VLVLY).

Robotics is another huge market opportunity for Nvidia. The company's Isaac Sim robotics simulation platform allows customers to test robot software before deploying it in the real world. Its Jetson platform enables advanced AI to run on robots.

3. Apple

Buying one share each of Alphabet and Nvidia would take a little over $600 at current prices. What would I do with the remaining amount of my initial $1,000, assuming I didn't use fractional trading? I'd scoop up a share of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL).

Admittedly, I don't expect that Apple will deliver the level of growth that Alphabet and Nvidia will. However, I think that Warren Buffett was right when he said in 2020 that Apple is "probably the best business I know in the world."

Apple continues to demonstrate just how strong its ecosystem is. CEO Tim Cook described the demand for the new iPhone 17 as "extraordinary." The company's services revenue reached an all-time high in the quarter ending March 28, 2026. Apple saw double-digit percentage revenue growth across every geographic region.

I fully expect that Apple will emerge as a major player in the lucrative AI smart glasses market. The company reportedly plans to unveil its first devices in late 2026 with a full launch in early 2027.

Should you buy stock in Apple right now?

Before you buy stock in Apple, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Apple wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $471,827! Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,319,291!

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 986% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 207% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.

**Stock Advisor returns as of May 11, 2026. *

Keith Speights has positions in Alphabet and Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends BYD Company and General Motors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.