Zacks Highlights Top Software Stocks to Buy Amid AI Disruption

IGF, Salesforce, ServiceNow, AppLovin, The Trade Desk and HubSpot offer compelling long-term opportunities.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights several leading software companies that are well-positioned to benefit from the rise of AI, including iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF (IGV), Salesforce (CRM), ServiceNow (NOW), AppLovin (APP), The Trade Desk (TTD), and HubSpot (HUBS). Despite recent market volatility, these stocks offer attractive growth at reasonable valuations.

Why it matters

The software sector has faced significant pressure due to fears of AI disruption, leading to a broad selloff. However, many top software companies are actively integrating AI capabilities into their platforms, positioning them to be among the largest beneficiaries of the AI wave. This article highlights the growth potential and reasonable valuations of these leading software stocks.

The details

The article notes that while AI will likely reshape productivity and business processes, it does not mean the world's leading enterprise software companies are headed for obsolescence. In fact, many are integrating new AI capabilities into their platforms to expand the value they provide to customers. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF has fallen as much as 35% in the last couple of months, but the sector has begun to stabilize, and several leading software names are showing signs of recovery. The article highlights five attractive software stocks: Salesforce, ServiceNow, AppLovin, The Trade Desk, and HubSpot, which offer compelling combinations of growth and valuation.

  • The software sector has faced significant pressure over the past several months as fears of AI disruption swept through the market.
  • The iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF has fallen as much as 35% in just the last couple of months, with many individual components declining more than 50% over the same period.
  • Recently, however, the sector has begun to stabilize, and several leading software names are already showing signs of recovery.

The players

iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF (IGV)

An exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to the software industry.

Salesforce (CRM)

A leading customer relationship management (CRM) software company.

ServiceNow (NOW)

A provider of workflow automation and digital infrastructure tools for enterprises.

AppLovin (APP)

A digital advertising company that operates a powerful platform within the digital advertising ecosystem.

The Trade Desk (TTD)

A programmatic advertising platform that uses AI to optimize ad campaigns and audience targeting.

HubSpot (HUBS)

A customer relationship management (CRM) platform that is rapidly integrating AI across its products.

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The takeaway

The recent selloff in software stocks appears to have been driven largely by sentiment rather than any meaningful deterioration in fundamentals. Leading software companies like Salesforce, ServiceNow, HubSpot, AppLovin, and The Trade Desk remain well-positioned to benefit from the next wave of AI-driven productivity gains, offering compelling long-term opportunities for investors.