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.
| # | Ticker / Play | Type | Entry | Stop | Target | Conv. | Risk | 1-wk | 1-mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NVDA long | Stock | $224-230 | $215 | $270 | 9 | 6 | 65% | 72% |
| 2 | PANW Sep 5 $400 calls | Options | ~$13-15 | $7 | $25+ | 8 | 7 | 58% | - |
| 3 | CRM long | Stock | $248-256 | $233 | $295 | 7 | 7 | 52% | 60% |
| 4 | CRWD long | Stock | $225-232 | $212 | $265 | 7 | 7 | 52% | 60% |
| 5 | MSFT long | Stock | $500-508 | $490 | $540 | 7 | 5 | 55% | 65% |
| 6 | PLTR long | Stock | $182-188 | $174 | $215 | 6 | 8 | 48% | 55% |
| 7 | NET long | Stock | $304-312 | $294 | $338 | 6 | 6 | 48% | 55% |
| 8 | TSM long | Stock | $424-430 | $415 | $455 | 6 | 5 | 50% | 58% |
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.