Billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller has just bet on artificial intelligence and bought Amazon, metaplatforms and Alphabet. Could AI Stocks Still Deliver Big Returns in 2026?
Billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller has just bet on artificial intelligence and bought Amazon, metaplatforms and Alphabet. Could AI Stocks Still Deliver Big Returns in 2026?
When investing, it’s often a great idea to consider the moves of billionaire fund managers. They have proven their knowledge of the stock market over the years, so if they follow their example on certain occasions, you too could make a profit on the investment. However, this doesn’t mean you should always copy their moves. They may have a different risk tolerance than you or a shorter or longer investment horizon, for example.
And it’s important to remember that even these experts often disagree: while one billionaire may accumulate a particular stock, another billionaire may sell it or avoid it. That’s why it’s key to pay attention to their moves, but then consider your own strategy and budget before acting.
Today, I’m taking a look at the recent moves of Stanley Druckenmiller, who oversees $4 billion in 13F securities as head of the Duquesne Family Office. Managers of more than $100 million must declare the purchase or sale of these securities to the Securities and Exchange Commission quarterly, and this is great for us because it gives us a glimpse into the investment movements of these experts.
Let’s take a look at Druckenmiller’s latest moves and consider whether AI stocks can still deliver big returns in 2026.
Image source: Getty Images.
So first, it’s important to consider Druckenmiller’s background. The billionaire operated Duquesne Capital Management for 30 years and, during that time, had no losing years and earned an average annual return of 30%. Druckenmiller closed the fund about 15 years ago, but continues to manage money at the head of his family office.
Druckenmiller has invested in AI stocks in recent years, but surprised the market when he exited top-performing players. NVIDIA at the end of 2024 and Palantir Technologies in early 2025. And just one AI stock: Semiconductor manufacturing in Taiwan — is among the top five in its portfolio. The stock has a 5.2% weight in the portfolio to occupy fourth place.
Still, in the third quarter of last year, Druckenmiller made three moves that could be seen as a renewed shift toward top AI players. Here they are in detail:
Druckenmiller opened a position in Amazon(NASDAQ:AMZN)buying 437,070 shares. The stock now represents 2.3% of his portfolio.
He opened a position in Metaplatforms(NASDAQ: META)buying 76,100 shares. The stock represents 1.3% of Druckenmiller’s holdings.
The billionaire opened a position in Alphabet(NASDAQ:GOOGL)(NASDAQ:GOOG). He bought 102,200 shares and the shares represent 0.6% of his portfolio.
These stocks may not be Druckenmiller’s biggest holdings, but it’s clear he’s confident in the future of AI. Now the question is: could AI stocks still generate big returns in 2026?
It’s true that AI gamers have exploded in recent years and the ratings of many have also increased. But certain players, like Druckenmiller’s purchases, are still reasonably priced considering what I’m about to mention now.
AMZN PE Ratio Chart (Forward)
AMZN PE (Forward) Ratio Data from YCharts
We are still in the early stages of the AI ​​growth story. While training AI models has been a great advancement in recent times, we have yet to apply these models to real-life situations in any major way. This will involve inferences, or empowering the models through their “thinking” processes so that they can serve their purposes. We should see growth here across all industries, and going forward, robotics, telecommunications, and many other areas should keep the AI ​​growth engine running.
And even in the next few years, we may see a huge wave of growth. Nvidia boss Jensen Huang predicts that spending on AI infrastructure can reach up to $4 trillion.
The trends that technology companies have seen so far support these growth forecasts, with demand for artificial intelligence products and services having skyrocketed in recent quarters.
Of course, stocks may not continue to rise without any interruption, and it is impossible to predict when temporary pauses may occur. But, taking into account these points I’ve made, AI stocks could still generate great returns in 2026, and even if they don’t, they are well positioned to do so over the long term. That’s why for growth investors, it’s a great idea to follow billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller’s moves and pick up some reasonably priced AI stocks as we head into 2026.
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Adria Cimino has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool ranks and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, Palantir Technologies, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller has just bet on artificial intelligence and bought Amazon, metaplatforms and Alphabet. Could AI Stocks Still Deliver Big Returns in 2026? was originally published by The Motley Fool
