AI Stock Picks Today: NVDA, PANW, CRM and More - Trade Ideas for August 28, 2026

Today's AI stock trade ideas: August 28, 2026

A cascade of blowout earnings from Nvidia, Salesforce, and CrowdStrike sent the Nasdaq up 1.6% and the S&P 500 up 0.7% Thursday, reigniting confidence in the AI trade across hardware, software, and security. Scores below reflect the setup quality on this specific day: Conviction rates how clean the trade looks (1-10), Risk rates how much can go wrong (10 = extreme), and the probability columns are rough estimates for the idea working within that time window.

1. Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA): LONG

Nvidia delivered its most powerful quarter in months and the market responded in kind: shares surged nearly 9% Thursday after the company projected fiscal-year revenue growth of roughly 70%, well above most analyst models, according to Bloomberg. The chip giant also returned a record $26 billion to shareholders last quarter, with management signaling further capital return increases, per Yahoo Finance. Raymond James followed with a new Street-high target of $515, citing 125% upside. The technical setup is clean: NVDA is 5% above its 20-day moving average, momentum is fresh, and this is not yet an overextended chase. A close back below $215 - the prior moving average support - is the line that invalidates this trade.

2. Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW): Sep 5 $400 calls

PANW reports Q4 fiscal 2026 results after the close on September 1 - four days away. The consensus is for revenue around $3.35 billion, up 32% year over year, per Nasdaq.com. The $400 calls expiring September 5 (the first weekly after the print) last traded around $13-15, giving direct exposure to the earnings catalyst with a defined loss. The thesis is simple: CrowdStrike already delivered a blow-out quarter this week confirming enterprise cybersecurity budgets are expanding; if PANW matches even a portion of that beat, the $400 strike comes in-the-money. Cut the position in half below $7 before the print if the broader market softens; earnings remain a binary risk regardless of sector tailwinds.

3. Salesforce (NYSE: CRM): LONG

Salesforce posted Q2 FY2027 results Wednesday that blew past every major estimate: adjusted EPS of $5.90 crushed the $3.27 consensus by 80%, and its Agentforce AI product line hit $1.5 billion in annualized revenue, up 240% year over year, per CNBC. Shares are now 26% above their 20-day moving average, which is extended - the idea here is to buy any intraday dip toward $248-256 rather than chasing the open. If AI agent adoption continues at this pace, the stock merits a fresh multiple. A close below $233 would signal the gap is filling and invalidates the trade; target is $295 on continued AI growth momentum.

4. CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD): LONG

CrowdStrike reported Q2 calendar 2026 revenue of $1.47 billion, up 25.8% year over year, with Q3 guidance of $1.53 billion at the midpoint beating estimates by 0.7%, per StockStory. The stock has continued higher in Thursday's session as Nvidia's earnings remove any remaining doubt about enterprise AI and security spending. At roughly 10% above its 20-day moving average, the setup is somewhat extended but the earnings gap is well-defended. Stop is a close below $212; target is $265 as the market prices in sustained cybersecurity spend.

5. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT): LONG

Microsoft is the lower-risk AI mega-cap in today's line-up: up nearly 30% over the past month as Azure AI demand has repeatedly exceeded guidance, and trading just 3% above its 20-day moving average - tight enough to the trend line to offer a reasonable entry without chasing. The risk score of 5 reflects broad diversification, deep liquidity, and a balance sheet that limits downside. Trade invalidates on a close below $490; target is $540 on continued AI cloud growth confirmed by Nvidia's earnings commentary about hyperscaler demand.

More on the radar

• PLTR long ($182-188 entry, $174 stop, $215 target): Palantir's Q2 results on August 4 showed 93% revenue growth to $1.94 billion with guidance raised to $8.15 billion for the year, per CNBC. Maven platform approaching $1B annual recurring revenue. Momentum is real; vol at 114% annualized means small position sizing is mandatory.
• NET long ($304-312 entry, $294 stop, $338 target): Cloudflare is up 10.5% over five days, carried higher by the same enterprise security spend theme that drove CrowdStrike's beat. The setup sits just above the 20-day moving average, offering a clean technical entry.
• TSM long ($424-430 entry, $415 stop, $455 target): Taiwan Semiconductor is the direct picks-and-shovels beneficiary of Nvidia's accelerating AI buildout. Low 24% annualized vol, tight to both moving averages, and Nvidia's guidance is about as direct a demand signal as TSMC gets.

Charts: top ideas

Nvidia (NVDA) - daily

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) - daily

How we score these

Conviction (1-10): reflects the strength of the setup - combining the clarity of the catalyst, how well the price action confirms the idea, and how far entry is from the stop. A 9 is a rare, high-confidence call; a 6 is worth watching but requires more patience.

Risk (1-10): rates how much can go wrong - high implied volatility, an imminent binary earnings event, thin float, or a counter-trend trade all push this higher. A Risk score of 8+ means the position should be sized very small.

Probability columns: rough estimates of the trade working within that window, factoring in the catalyst timeline, momentum, and historical behavior after similar setups. A 65% one-week probability does not mean 65% of the gain is guaranteed - it means the directional call works that often in comparable situations. The other 35% of the time you hit the stop.

These are short-term trade ideas for informational purposes only, not investment advice. Trading stocks and options carries substantial risk of loss, including the total loss of capital. Probabilities and scores are estimates, not guarantees. Do your own research and size positions to your own risk tolerance.