Three Overlooked AI Stocks That Could Be Big Winners by 2026

As AI hype fades and deployment comes in, the real winners might not be the biggest names, but the companies that are simply incorporating intelligence into the existing workflows that firms rely upon.

A number of stocks that are currently undervalued are gradually putting themselves in a position where they can realize significant gains by the year 2026, provided that AI adoption becomes more practical, cost-focused, and integrated with operations.

UiPath: From Software Bots to AI Workforce Manager

UiPath was one of the earliest firms to be forgotten when the generative AI came to the forefront. Being a specialist in robotic process automation, it was logical to think that eventually, AI agents would replace the software bots that perform the repetitive tasks.

However, that belief does not take into account the real-world enterprise automation’s economy and infrastructure.

In fact, for many rule-based processes, software bots are still considerably less expensive and more efficient than AI agents, and UiPath is the one that already provides the governance, security, and orchestration layers that enterprises need. Rather than AI displacing the UiPath, the company is getting control over it.

The new platform, called Maestro, is meant to be a control center for the hybrid digital workforce, which will intelligently assign tasks to either AI agents or traditional bots, depending on the cost and complexity.

The orchestration of AI agents in the market is becoming very essential, as more vendors are bringing out their AI agents. UiPath is strategically positioned in the AI stack due to its prowess in handling such complexity.

With the stock trading somewhere around five times the projected 2026 sales, even slight growth acceleration could lead to a remarkable upside by 2026.

GitLab: AI as a Growth Catalyst

GitLab has been put together with the AI skeptic’s group, mainly because of the fear that AI might take the place of human developers, and would weaken the seat-based subscription model. In reality, just the opposite is the case.

GitLab’s revenue has grown by 25% to 35% quarterly during the last two years, which is a strong indication that AI activity in software development is not only getting bigger, but also that it is not a threat to the software development activity.

The company has a comprehensive DevSecOps platform that offers a single solution for the entire software building, securing, and deploying process. AI tools make the developers work more efficiently so that the company can sell more, increase the number of people using the software, and expand the seats.

GitLab is also starting to offer a mixed model of seat-based and usage-based pricing for its customers that will make its revenues more closely aligned with AI-enhanced development tools.

Its Duo Agent is a developer-centric AI tool that assists with coding, task management, and collaboration facilitation directly in the developers’ workflows. The demand for Duo is on the rise, which increases the average revenue per user and further solidifies GitLab’s value proposition.

The stock’s valuation of below six times the forward fiscal 2027 sales is out of sync with the company’s fundamentals, specifically since they have a gross margin of high 80% and a strong growth rate. If the company continues to execute well, GitLab could experience a significant turnaround by 2026.

Adobe: AI at the Core

Skepticism regarding the impact of AI on Adobe’s creative software dominance has been one of the company’s challenges. However, instead of a decrease in demand, AI has been a major factor in Adobe’s continuous growth.

The company reported about 10% to 11% revenue growth throughout fiscal 2025, and has recently indicated over 10% growth in annual recurring revenue for fiscal 2026 as its forward guidance.

The AI strategy of Adobe is based on the concept of integration, and not on the concept of reinvention. The Firefly multimodal model from Adobe is the backbone in the company’s AI portfolio, alongside access to third-party models from OpenAI and Alphabet.

This creates a more robust creative suite for Adobe users without forcing them to leave their comfort zones. The AI-empowered products such as Acrobat AI Assistant and GenStudio marketing platform are further integrated into AI-driven professional work processes.

The sharp increase in the consumption of credits for generative AI in the current quarter indicates that customers are getting more involved and probably would change their usage tiers upwards over a period of time.

Although AI has not been a primary contributor to the growth, it has indirectly powered Adobe’s pricing and customer retention strategies. Adobe is trading at around 15 times forward earnings, yet it is still regarded as a steady earnings compounder that may catch the market by surprise with impressive returns in 2026.

Why the Market May Be Underestimating These Stocks

The unifying factor among UiPath, GitLab, and Adobe is not dazzling AI promises, but is the execution of them. These firms are installing AI only where it brings measurable value, keeps the expenses under control, and the customer loyalty is enhanced.

As large companies move from pilot projects to wide scale deployment, the platforms that can manage, secure, and monetize AI workflows may be worth much more than what the market currently believes.

The firms that will reap the benefits of the next wave of AI may be those that don’t make the loudest announcements, but the ones that quietly provide the infrastructure that the businesses rely on every day.

The AI hype is going down, and this is a good time for investors who are willing to wait for a long time and have these names on the list, since they could be among the winners in the market by 2026. UiPath, GitLab, and Adobe are all in a position where they can profit, as AI shifts its focus from being a fantasy to being a source of productivity and efficiency.