Every business that uses digital technology is trying to figure out how they can use artificial intelligence to deliver better products, a more enjoyable customer experience, greater productivity and many other improvements. So it’s no wonder that investors are seeking artificial intelligence stocks for $100-plus.
Why $100-plus?
Of the 73 tech stocks in the S&P 500, 46 have share prices over $100.
Share prices over $100 were a badge of honor for tech stocks during the crazy growth of 2020 and 2021. That three-digit price tag was a way of communicating legitimacy and strength as investors piled into more speculative trades.
That thinking holds for artificial intelligence stocks, too. The three following companies may not be tech names, but they command attention with their share prices.
| MTD | Mettler-Toledo | $1,465 |
| BLK | BlackRock | $632 |
| DE | Deere & Co. | $384 |
Mettler-Toledo (MTD)
Source: Shutterstock
Mettler-Toledo (NYSE:MTD) manufactures precision instruments for several industries but is considered part of the S&P 500’s healthcare sector.
That makes sense. Its revenue from lab-related businesses accounted for 58% of its overall revenue in Q4. Its sales grew 15% year-over-year in the fourth quarte. Its industrial business also did well in Q4. That unit’s sales increased 11% year-over-year and accounted for 38% of the company’s sales.
An example of how Mettler-Toledo uses AI in its business is AIWizard, the company’s solution for evaluating thermal analysis tools and identifying thermal events.
“Using a trained neural network built into the STARe software, the AIWizard autonomously identifies and evaluates all thermal effects measured by DSC,” Mettler-Toledo’s website states.
BlackRock (BLK)
Source: David Tran Photo / Shutterstock.com
BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) has been on a losing streak for five years. BLK stock gained 12.1% over this period, significantly less than the index’s 41.4% return during the same period.
An MBA student at Harvard wrote a paper in November 2018 entitled BlackRock: Is the Future of Investing in Machine Learning?
“BlackRock has taken many steps to address the AI revolution in the near term. First, the BlackRock Lab for Artificial Intelligence was established in winter 2018 to ‘augment our current teams and accelerate our efforts to bring the benefits of these technologies to the entirety of the firm and to our clients,’ said COO Rob Goldstein,” the MBA student wrote.
One product that BlackRock has been using to make better decisions is Aladdin, which stands for Asset, Liability, Debt and Derivative Investment Network. Using massive computing power, Aladdin can capture details of trades, estimate the value of portfolios in real-time, and measure risk.
Aladdin is generating tremendous revenue for the company’s technology services business. In 2020, it’s estimated that the tool generated $1.1 billion of sales for BLK.
AI won’t replace BLK’s human investors, but it will allow those making the calls to analyze more data more quickly. Time is money.
Deere & Co. (DE)
Source: mark stephens photography / Shutterstock.com
I’ve always been fascinated with Deere & Co.’s (NYSE:DE) efforts to automate farming. The manufacturer of agricultural equipment’s focus on technology goes back to the 1990s when it acquired NavCon, a company specializing in satellite-directed guidance systems. It went on to create an internet-based GPS tracking system.
That was the start of its attempt to automate farming.
I found an interesting article from April 2022 by TNW contributor Tristan Greene. In it, he describes how AI could help farmers save time and money. For example, using AI, a farmer’s tractor could identify and cull weeds in real-time while autonomously handling tilling simultaneously, producing time and labor savings and increasing productivity.
Soon the company will be taking orders for its autonomous tractor, meaningfully boosting its top and bottom lines
Last quarter, Deere’s revenue increased 32% to $12.65 billion, and its net income climbed 117% year-over-year to $1.96 billion, Its operating margin climbed 7.7 percentage points to 19.9%.More impressive is that it generated significant growth from its construction business. That’s often an afterthought for investors.
Despite the good news, Deere stock has barely gained any ground in the past year, as it has fallen 75 during that period.
On the date of publication, Will Ashworth did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
