3 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy at a Discount

If you're looking for artificial intelligence (AI) stocks that are trading at a discount to where they should be, look no further. As AI investing excitement has died down, some stocks associated with the trend have been a bit lackluster. This opens up a buying opportunity for long-term investors, as these stocks could easily come roaring back if investor sentiment turns around.

Three stocks trading at a deep discount that I think investors should buy now are Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU), Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). These three look like great buys now, and investors shouldn't waste any time loading up on them.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Micron

I'm going to say two things that normally aren't associated with each other: Micron is both the cheapest stock on this list and the best performer over the past year. The stock is up about 300% over the past year, yet trades for 6.8 times forward earnings.

During its latest quarter, Micron's revenue came in at $23.9 billion, up from $13.6 billion in the previous quarter and $8 billion during last year's quarter. For the next quarter, it expects $33.5 billion in revenue.

So, you have a company that is rapidly growing and trading at a huge discount. What more could you want? Investors must understand the industry that Micron is in, because everything makes more sense through that lens. Micron makes memory chips, which are in huge demand. Memory chips are a commoditized product, which means the price is affected by supply and demand.

Currently, demand is incredibly high, and supply is very low. Management told investors during its conference call that it could only fulfill about 50% to two-thirds of its orders to its clients. As a result, memory chip prices are soaring, and Micron is making a huge profit.

The stock is cheap now because the market is skeptical of the lasting effects of this demand wave. If it's short-term, then this low price is justified. But if this shortage lasts for several years, Micron's stock could soar as a result, making it a great one to buy now.

2. Nvidia

Nvidia is still the paragon of AI investing, and it hasn't slowed down at all. In Q4, its revenue rose 73% year over year, and in Q1, it's projecting 77% growth. In past years, growth rates like that would have caused a stock to be worth 30 to 40 times forward earnings, but Nvidia only trades for about 21.1 times forward earnings now.

NVDA PE Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts

For reference, the S&P 500 trades for 20.6 times forward earnings. With Nvidia trading at nearly a market-average premium and growing at nearly an 80% pace, investors need to realize that Nvidia's stock is a screaming deal, especially when you consider that demand for AI hardware is still growing and expected to last through at least 2030.

3. Microsoft

Microsoft is still an AI stalwart, even if its stock price says otherwise. There's nothing really to dislike about Microsoft's business. Its revenue rose 17% year over year during the past quarter, and earnings per share increased by 60%. That increase was due to both business success and its gain in investment from OpenAI.

Due to the large effect of the OpenAI investment, I like to value Microsoft's stock using the operating price-to-earnings ratio, as it ignores the effects of investment gains. From this standpoint, Microsoft's stock hasn't been this cheap since the start of the decade.

MSFT Operating PE Ratio data by YCharts

With Microsoft still thriving in the AI arms race and the stock trading at a historically low valuation level, it's time to load up on Microsoft shares and enjoy the rebound as it happens.

Keithen Drury has positions in Microsoft and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Micron Technology, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.