My aunt Carol, a retired librarian who now spends her days meticulously cataloging her collection of porcelain thimbles, called the other day, convinced that artificial intelligence was going to steal her thimbles. Not physically, of course. She imagined some sort of digital thimble replica, sold on Etsy by a teenager in Estonia. It sounded ridiculous, even for Carol. But the anxiety, that’s what got me thinking. Because if Carol’s worried about AI and thimbles, what are investors doing, exactly?
Turns out, they’re panicking. The S&P North American Technology Software Index, which sounds like something they invented to justify a quarterly newsletter, is down over 30%. It’s a bear market for software, apparently. Which feels…dramatic. Like the industry is suddenly having a midlife crisis, buying a motorcycle, and listening to a lot of Steppenwolf.
Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, says it’s illogical to think AI will replace software. Which, from a man whose company makes the chips that power this AI, feels a little like the fox complimenting the henhouse. But he’s right, in a way. It’s not about replacement; it’s about…complication. Like adding another layer of frosting to an already excessively frosted cake. And, as someone who once spent an entire afternoon trying to program a VCR, I can attest to the inherent complications of technology.
Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush, thinks the selling is overdone. He believes companies aren’t going to abandon decades of investment in software for something shiny and new. Which is what I tell myself when I resist upgrading my operating system. It’s not stubbornness; it’s…pragmatism. And, apparently, it’s a buying opportunity. So, let’s look at a few stocks, shall we? Because, while Carol is worried about digital thimbles, some of us are trying to make a little money.
Microsoft: The Beige Fortress
The Cybersecurity Fortress
CrowdStrike. They secure things. Which is good, because everything seems to be getting hacked these days. They have this platform called Charlotte, which sounds suspiciously like a character from a Jane Austen novel. But apparently, it’s very good at protecting against cyberattacks. And now they’re protecting against attacks by AI. Which feels…meta. The stock is down 25%, trading at 22 times sales. Ives has a $600 price target, implying a 44% upside. It’s slightly more exciting than Microsoft. Like sensible shoes with a little bit of sparkle.
Snowflake: The Data Snow Globe
Snowflake. They manage data. Which is like trying to organize a room full of dust bunnies. But they do it in the cloud. Which makes it sound…less messy. They have analytics tools and data warehousing solutions. Which sounds incredibly boring. But apparently, it’s essential for AI. The stock is down 35%, trading at 13 times sales. Ives has a $270 price target, implying a 51% upside. It’s starting to feel like a real opportunity. Like sensible shoes with a lot of sparkle.
Salesforce: The Customer Relationship Monolith
Salesforce. They pioneered customer relationship management. Which is a fancy way of saying they keep track of who buys what. They’ve been doing it for decades. They have a vast ecosystem of tools and solutions. Which sounds…overwhelming. But apparently, it’s incredibly valuable. The stock is down 44%, trading at 25 times earnings. Ives has a $375 price target, implying a 103% upside. It’s starting to feel like a gamble. Like sensible shoes with a flashing neon sign.
Palantir Technologies: The Data Mystery
Palantir. They provide data mining and AI solutions to governments and enterprises. Which sounds…secretive. They developed this Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP). Which sounds like something out of a spy movie. They claim it delivers proven ROI. Which is what everyone always claims. The stock is down 36%, trading at 210 times earnings. Which is…expensive. Ives has a $230 price target, implying a 70% upside. He thinks it could become a trillion-dollar company. Which sounds…optimistic. But then again, so did my aunt Carol when she started collecting thimbles.
So, there you have it. Five stocks. A little bit of beige, a little bit of sparkle, and a whole lot of data. Whether it’s a good investment or not, I have no idea. But it’s something to think about while you’re trying to program your VCR. Or cataloging your thimbles.
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2026-02-14 11:13