We recently compiled a list of the 11 AI News and Ratings You Shouldn't Miss. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Onto Innovation Inc. (NYSE:ONTO) stands against the other AI stocks.

DeepSeek has quickly gained attention in AI with its R1 model, which delivers high performance at a lower cost. The company has introduced innovations to improve efficiency and accessibility in AI development. DeepSeek's fast growth, despite having a small team, shows the increasing trend of AI-driven businesses scaling with minimal human resources. Its success also shows the broader shift toward open-source AI models, especially in China, where competition is driving faster innovation and more cost-effective solutions.

UBS’s Insights on DeepSeek R1 and AI Investment Strategies

In a report posted by UBS on January 31, the UBS CIO analyzed the impact of DeepSeek’s R1 model on financial markets and AI investment strategies. The firm expects continued capital spending by hyperscalers, benefiting semiconductor companies, and recommended diversified exposure across AI’s value chain. The declining cost of training large language models is driven by algorithmic advancements and hardware improvements, with R1 increasing AI adoption. Hardware scaling also remains important alongside algorithmic progress to support AI infrastructure investments.

In addition, China continues to play a significant role in AI innovation, with companies like Alibaba developing competitive models. UBS maintained a positive view of Chinese internet firms due to their ability to offer customizable, cost-effective AI solutions. The firm also highlighted the rise of AI-driven startups, emphasizing investment in firms with proprietary data or strong customer retention.

Furthermore, the rapid development of AI software suggests prioritizing physical infrastructure investments over traditional software. AI’s ability to self-improve introduces unpredictability, leading UBS to recommend structured products for volatility exposure while avoiding non-physical assets lacking a competitive advantage.

UBS believes that despite fluctuations, AI investment remains solid, with major tech firms expected to increase capital spending in 2025. AI adoption is also rising, supporting cloud growth and monetization. While volatility may be there due to economic and regulatory factors, AI’s long-term outlook remains positive, with both high-cost and low-cost models expected to coexist.

For this article, we selected AI stocks by reviewing news articles, stock analysis, and press releases. We listed the stocks in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment taken from Insider Monkey’s database of 900 hedge funds.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A technician observing a macro defect inspection process, the precision of the company's systems.

Onto Innovation Inc. (NYSE:ONTO)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 34

Onto Innovation Inc. (NYSE:ONTO) develops process control and metrology solutions for semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging industries. On February 7, TipRanks reported that Needham analyst Charles Shi reaffirmed a Buy rating on Onto Innovation with a $230 price target, due to strong growth prospects.

The company’s recent performance met expectations, and new NAND orders along with increasing demand for High Bandwidth Memory are expected to drive growth, especially in late 2025. While concerns over wafer fab equipment demand are still there, the report signals a positive shift, with only minor adjustments anticipated in 2025 estimates.

Overall ONTO ranks 6th on our list of AI stocks in news that investors shouldn't miss. While we acknowledge the potential of ONTO as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ONTO but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

 

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap.

 

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.