Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the global technology landscape and driving a new wave of enterprise software spending. Companies across industries, from manufacturing to healthcare to retail and financial services, are increasingly investing in generative AI, large language models (LLMs), AI agents, intelligent automation, cloud platforms and data analytics to improve productivity, enhance customer experiences and streamline operations.
The AI boom is benefiting a wide range of software companies including Arista Networks ANET, Unity software You, HubSpot HUBS and Samsara IOT integrating AI into their platforms to enhance product capabilities, improve customer outcomes and strengthen competitive positioning.
Before we discuss the stocks in detail, let’s delve deeper into the trends.
Table of Contents
Software companies are benefiting from increasing enterprise AI spending
Software companies are benefiting from strong AI adoption by embedding intelligent co-pilots and automated agents into existing platforms and moving from simple subscription models to consumption-based pricing. They are also using AI to dramatically accelerate their software development cycles while expanding their data infrastructure capabilities to meet increasing business needs.
The continued strength of AI-driven software spending was a key catalyst. Companies are increasingly turning to solutions such as speech recognition, telehealth platforms, learning management systems, infrastructure monitoring software and spend management tools. Collaboration platforms, communication software and online education services are also seeing steady demand as workplaces and learning environments continue to evolve.
The pace of AI investment continues to accelerate. Gartner predicts global AI spending will reach $2.59 trillion in 2026, a 47% increase from last year, driven by higher investments in AI infrastructure, cloud services and enterprise software. End-user spending on AI models and platforms is also expected to reach $64 billion in 2026, up 63.4% from $39 billion in 2025. Spending on generative AI models is expected to increase by 117%, while spending on AI platforms is expected to increase by 36.9% in 2026.
Another important trend is the rise of agent AI. Software providers are adopting usage-based AI pricing models, accelerating software development with AI coding tools, and strengthening AI governance and compliance capabilities. The demand for multi-cloud interoperability is increasing so that companies can seamlessly connect AI models and business systems. These trends position leading software companies to benefit long-term from increasing AI adoption.
The story continues
Our selection
Unity software is benefiting significantly from the increasing adoption of AI in the interactive content industry. Unity’s AI-driven products like Vector and Unity AI accelerate game development, improve personalization, and drive user and developer growth. With 90% of game developers already using AI in their workflows and new Unity signups up 20% quarter-over-quarter, Unity is at the heart of this transformation. In the first quarter of 2026, Strategic’s revenue increased 35% year-over-year, and AI-powered tools are driving both user and creator growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the Zacks Rank #1 company (Strong Buy)’s fiscal 2026 earnings is $1.03 per share, which has remained unchanged over the past 30 days. This corresponds to a growth of 19.77% compared to the previous year. You can see You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Unity Software Inc. Price and Consensus
Unity Software Inc. Price and Consensus
Unity Software Inc. price consensus chart | Quote from Unity Software Inc
HubSpot is benefiting significantly from increasing AI adoption and positioning the company for further growth. In the first quarter of 2026, the company highlighted that HubSpot’s AI-first strategy is driving measurable growth, with AI-driven products such as Customer Agent, Prospecting Agent and Data Agent seeing rapid adoption and usage. Active Core Seat users grew 90% year-over-year, and credit usage for AI features increased 67% quarter-over-quarter. Customers are integrating AI into their daily workflows, driving real results like improved CRM accuracy and higher support resolution rates.
This Zacks #1 company’s Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings is $13.11 per share, which has remained unchanged over the past 30 days. This represents a year-on-year growth of 35.15%.
HubSpot, Inc. Price and Consensus
HubSpot, Inc. Price and Consensus
HubSpot, Inc. Price Consensus Chart | HubSpot, Inc. Quote
Arista Networks is benefiting from the increasing adoption of AI, which is driving unprecedented demand for high-speed network solutions. In the first quarter of 2026, Arista Networks achieved the largest market share in high-speed switching over 10 Gigabit Ethernet, primarily due to its robust cloud and AI networking strategy. With more than 100 customers deploying 800 Gigabit Ethernet and an increased AI revenue target of $3.5 billion for 2026, Arista’s innovative products such as the Etherlink portfolio and XPO Optics are driving growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company’s fiscal 2026 earnings is $3.64 per share, up a penny over the past 30 days. This corresponds to a growth of 22.15% compared to the previous year.
Arista Networks, Inc. Price and Consensus
Arista Networks, Inc. Price and Consensus
Arista Networks, Inc. price consensus chart | Quote from Arista Networks, Inc
Samsara Benefits from increasing adoption of AI across the physical economy and positions itself for further upside. As AI moves from digital to physical applications, Samsara’s Connected Operations Platform leverages IoT hardware and AI to deliver real-time insights and automate workflows for asset-intensive industries. Customers are increasingly turning to AI-driven solutions such as video-based security, waste intelligence and ground intelligence that help reduce costs, improve safety and increase operational efficiency. With an ARR of more than $2 billion and strong growth across major customer segments, Samsara’s focus on operational AI and new products drives sustained, scalable growth.
The Zacks Rank #2 Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings is 75 cents per share, which has remained unchanged over the past 30 days. This represents a year-on-year growth of 33.93%.
Samsara Inc. Price and Consensus
Samsara Inc. Price and Consensus
Samsara Inc. price consensus chart | Quote from Samsara Inc
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This article was originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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