This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.
Key Points
- Google parent Alphabet has a relatively easy path to reaching a market cap of $3 trillion.
- It's a similar story for Amazon, which (like Alphabet) has a major AI tailwind at its back.
- Meta Platforms' ticket to join the $3 trillion club could be paid partly by success in the AI glasses market.
Two's a party, three's a crowd.
If that old saying is true, there's a crowd at the top of the stock market. Only three stocks currently sport market caps of $3 trillion or more: Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL).
But I think it could get more crowded at the top in the not-too-distant future. Here are three stocks I predict will join the $3 trillion club alongside Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple.
1. Alphabet
Google parent Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) has the easiest path to reaching a market cap of $3 trillion. The tech company's shares only need to rise another 20% or so to hit that mark. I think there's a reasonable chance that could happen next year.
If and when Alphabet does join the $3 trillion club, its Google Cloud unit will almost certainly be a key reason why. Google Cloud remains the fastest-growing among the top three cloud service providers, with its revenue soaring 32% year over year in the second quarter of 2025. Alphabet is ramping up its capital expenditures in 2025 in response to the strong demand for its cloud products and services, driven largely by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).
Speaking of AI, CEO Sundar Pichai said in Alphabet's Q2 update that the technology "is positively impacting every part of the business." Google Search is benefiting from the introduction of AI Overviews and AI Mode generative AI features. AI is helping advertisers boost conversion rates in their search campaigns. The AI-powered Veo text-to-video tool is making content creation easier for YouTube.
I suspect that Alphabet's market cap will be much higher than $3 trillion by the end of the decade. In addition to its core businesses, the company has other potential growth drivers. Waymo especially stands out, thanks to its leading position in the autonomous ride-hailing services (robotaxi) market.
2. Amazon
Amazon's (NASDAQ: AMZN) market cap is running neck-and-neck with Alphabet's. The e-commerce and cloud services giant doesn't face a tough climb to achieve a $3 trillion valuation.
As is the case with Alphabet, the AI tailwind propelling customers to the cloud is the most important factor for Amazon's growth. The company's Amazon Web Services (AWS) claims the highest market share among cloud platforms. Although AWS isn't growing as fast as some of its rivals, it doesn't have to for Amazon's revenue and profits to increase significantly.
Don't ignore Amazon's growth opportunity in e-commerce, though. Revenue and operating income for this business continue to grow by double-digit percentages. With most retail sales still generated in brick-and-mortar stores, Amazon should have plenty of room for growth.
Like Alphabet, Amazon has other big opportunities. Advertising has become an important source of revenue. The company plans to launch its Project Kuiper satellite internet service this year. Its Zoox subsidiary is a contender in the robotaxi market as well.
3. Meta Platforms
With a market cap hovering around $1.9 trillion, Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) has a greater challenge to join the $3 trillion club than Alphabet and Amazon do. However, I think it's only a matter of time before Meta takes its place beside its fellow members of the so-called "Magnificent Seven."
Meta makes most of its money from advertising on its Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp platforms. AI should continue to help the company boost its profits by recommending more relevant ads to users, increasing user engagement, and making content easier to create.
I think smart glasses could be a huge growth driver for Meta over the next few years. Sales for the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses are booming. The new Oakley Meta AI glasses appear to be a big hit. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes that glasses offer the ideal way to interact with AI. I agree -- and fully expect Meta will be one of the biggest winners in this rapidly emerging market.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of Meta's growth story is the company's significant investment in AI superintelligence. Should Meta succeed on this front, its market cap will almost certainly be much higher than $3 trillion in the future.
This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.
