As the opening act for the tech industry in 2026, the global technology community's annual flagship event, CES, will take place from January 6 to January 9.

For the capital markets, CES is far more than just a showcase of new products; it serves as a critical indicator for forecasting industry cycles over the next three to five years. The innovative technologies unveiled at the event often signal production schedules for the coming 6 to 12 months, directly impacting the visibility of orders and the performance potential of supply chain companies.

The most pivotal highlight of this year's CES will undoubtedly be the head-to-head competition among three semiconductor giants: NVIDIA Corporation(NVDA.US), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.(AMD.US), and Intel Corporation(INTC.US). Their keynote presentations are expected to define the pace and direction of AI development at the upstream level, providing investors with a clear beacon to navigate the latest trends amidst uncertainty.

Key Highlights from Chip Giants at CES 2026

• NVIDIA's Keynote:

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's presentation is expected to be a major draw at CES. Beyond the highly anticipated next-generation GPU graphics cards, Huang will delve into "Physical AI," showcasing how robots can achieve human-like perception and decision-making abilities.

Addressing the energy consumption bottleneck in AI computing power, NVIDIA's promotion of the 800V High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) architecture could become an industry standard, reshaping the data center power supply chain.

Wedbush Securities, led by renowned Wall Street tech bull Dan Ives, anticipates Huang will focus heavily on data centers, Physical AI, and robotics. Looking ahead to 2026, Huang is expected to discuss the latest advancements in the Cosmos foundational model platform, which aims to accelerate AI system development, and link this to autonomous technologies such as self-driving.

• AMD's Strategic Focus:

AMD CEO Lisa Su's keynote is also highly anticipated, with the market focusing on four strategic areas:

1. Computing Power Upgrade: Su is expected to release information on the MI400 series GPUs, a key weapon in AMD's challenge to NVIDIA in the data center market.
2. Zen 6 Architecture Processors: Often referred to as the "Intel killer," these processors utilize TSMC's 2nm process and are paired with the Ryzen 7 9850X3D chip, aiming to solidify AMD's leadership in the high-performance PC market.
3. Heterogeneous Integration Solutions: Su will showcase solutions integrating CPU, GPU, and NPU, aiming to demonstrate cost-performance advantages over Intel and Qualcomm amid the AI PC wave.
4. Complete AI Solutions: By integrating FPGA technology, AMD will define its "cloud-to-edge" AI solutions, highlighting unique ecosystem synergies.

• Intel's Presentation:

Intel's presentation will be delivered by Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Client Computing Group, Jim Johnson. The market expects a focus on the core of AI PCs, unveiling new-generation terminal devices and edge computing solutions powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors. Johnson will also delve into key platform technologies and explain how Intel plans to maintain its leadership in the PC ecosystem through strategic initiatives.

Investment Themes Behind CES 2026:

The investment opportunities behind this year’s CES revolve around the theme of "AI Forward," emphasizing the real-world application of artificial intelligence. This trend is driving the physical implementation of technologies like robotics and autonomous driving, while NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's focus on the 800V HVDC architecture has sparked demand for high-efficiency power distribution. For investors, two major areas of opportunity stand out:

1. Robotics and Autonomous Driving (Embodied Intelligence)

Robotics Sector

Logistics Robotics

• Amazon.com, Inc.(AMZN.US)
• Symbotic, Inc. Class A(SYM.US)– A leader in warehouse robotics
• Serve Robotics Inc(SERV.US) – Provides last-mile delivery robots for Uber Eats
• ATS Corporation(ATS.US) – Warehouse robotics
• Guardforce AI Co., Ltd.(GFAI.US)

Robotics Software

• NVIDIA Corporation(NVDA.US)
• PTC Inc.(PTC.US)
• Palladyne AI(PDYN.US)
• Mobilicom Ltd.(MOB.US)
• QUALCOMM Incorporated(QCOM.US)

Industrial Robotics

• Tesla Motors, Inc.(TSLA.US)
• Honeywell International Inc.(HON.US)
• Teradyne, Inc.(TER.US)
• Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.(LECO.US)

Robotics Automation

• Rockwell Automation, Inc.(ROK.US)
• Zebra Technologies Corporation Class A(ZBRA.US)
• Cognex Corporation(CGNX.US)
• UiPath, Inc. Class A(PATH.US) 
• Pegasystems Inc.(PEGA.US)
• Myomo, Inc.(MYO.US)

Medical Robotics

• Medtronic Plc(MDT.US)
• Stryker Corporation(SYK.US)
• Accuray Incorporated(ARAY.US) – Specializes in robotic radiosurgery systems
• Intuitive Surgical, Inc.(ISRG.US)– A global leader in surgical robotics
• PROCEPT BioRobotics Corp.(PRCT.US) – Surgical robotics supplier
• STEREOTAXIS INC(STXS.US) – A leader in electrophysiology robotic innovation
• Lifeward Ltd.(LFWD.US) – Rehabilitation robotics leader
• Vicarious Surgical, Inc. Class A(RBOT.US)– Minimally invasive surgical robots backed by Bill Gates
• Omnicell, Inc.(OMCL.US)– Pharmacy dispensing robots

Defense Robotics

• AeroVironment, Inc.(AVAV.US)
• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.(KTOS.US)
• Lockheed Martin Corporation(LMT.US)
• Northrop Grumman Corp.(NOC.US)
• Boeing Company(BA.US)
• General Dynamics Corporation(GD.US)
• Teledyne Technologies Incorporated(TDY.US)
• RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION(RTX.US)
• Textron Inc.(TXT.US)
• L3Harris Technologies Inc(LHX.US)
• Elbit Systems Ltd(ESLT.US)
• Nauticus Robotics, Inc.(KITT.US)

Consumer Robotics

• iRobot(IRBT.US) – Known for robotic vacuum cleaners

Service Robotics

• Richtech Robotics Inc. Class B(RR.US) – Develops cleaning, food delivery, and cooking service robots

Autonomous Driving

The autonomous driving sector is one of the most promising areas to watch at CES 2026. Key players across component suppliers, mapping software, Robotaxi developers, mobility service providers, and automakers are positioned to benefit from this trend.

Component Suppliers

• Mobileye Global, Inc. Class A(MBLY.US)
• Innoviz Technologies Ltd.(INVZ.US)
• NVIDIA Corporation(NVDA.US)
• Ouster, Inc.(OUST.US)
• Luminar Technologies Inc Ordinary Shares - Class A(LAZR.US)
• Aeva Technologies, Inc. (AEVA.US)
• Tuya Inc.(TUYA.US)
• MicroVision, Inc.(MVIS.US)
• Arbe Robotics Ltd.(ARBE.US)
• Hesai Group(HSAI.US)

Mapping and Software Providers

• Aurora Innovation, Inc. Class A(AUR.US)
• LeddarTech Holdings Inc.(LDTDF.US)

Robotaxi Developers

• Tesla Motors, Inc.(TSLA.US)
• Pony AI Inc.(PONY.US)
• WeRide Inc. Sponsored ADR(WRD.US)
• Baidu, Inc. Sponsored ADR Class A(BIDU.US) (Apollo)
• Amazon.com, Inc.(AMZN.US) (Zoox)
• Alphabet Inc. Class A(GOOGL.US) (Waymo)

Mobility Service Providers

• Uber Technologies,Inc.(UBER.US)
• Lyft(LYFT.US)
• didi(DIDIY.US)

Automakers

• Tesla Motors, Inc.(TSLA.US) 
• NIO(NIO.US) 
• LI Auto(LI.US)
• XPENG INC.(XPEV.US) 
• Lucid(LCID.US) 
• Rivian Automotive, Inc. Class A(RIVN.US) 

2. 800V HVDC Power Architecture (AI Infrastructure)

NVIDIA recently outlined its vision for gigawatt-scale AI factories at the Open Compute Project Global Summit, emphasizing the importance of 800V HVDC architecture. This technology is set to revolutionize data center power systems, and NVIDIA has announced over 20 partners across three key areas: GaN/SiC power chips and modules, power system components, and power system solutions.

Silicon Suppliers

• Analog Devices, Inc.(ADI.US)
• Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited(AOSL.US)
• Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.(MPWR.US)
• Navitas Semiconductor Corp Ordinary Shares - Class A(NVTS.US)
• ON Semiconductor Corporation(ON.US)
• Power Integrations, Inc.(POWI.US)
• STMicroelectronics NV Sponsored ADR RegS(STM.US)
• Texas Instruments Incorporated(TXN.US)
• RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORP(RNECY.US)
• ROHM CO LTD(ROHCY.US)
• EPC and Richtek Technology

Power System Component Suppliers

• Flex Ltd(FLEX.US)
• GE Vernova Inc.(GEV.US)

Data Center Power System Providers

• Eaton Corp. Plc(ETN.US)
• GE Vernova Inc.(GEV.US)
• VERTIV HOLDINGS LLC(VRT.US)
• MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP(MIELY.US)
• SIEMENS AG(SIEGY.US)
• ABB, Hitachi Energy, Heron Power, and Schneider Electric

Foxconn also detailed its 40 MW Kaohsiung No. 1 Data Center in Taiwan, which supports 800V DC. Industry pioneers like CoreWeave, Inc. Class A(CRWV.US), Lambda, Nebius Group N.V. Class A(NBIS.US), Oracle Corporation(ORCL.US) Cloud Infrastructure, and Together AI are also designing 800V-capable data centers.

Additionally, VERTIV HOLDINGS LLC(VRT.US) unveiled its space-, cost-, and energy-saving 800V DC MGX reference architecture, a comprehensive power and cooling infrastructure. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.(HPE.US) announced its support for NVIDIA Kyber and NVIDIA Spectrum-XGS Ethernet scaling technology, part of the Spectrum-X Ethernet platform.

Conclusion

CES 2026 is not just another tech exhibition—it marks a pivotal turning point for the global technology industry as it transitions from "cloud computing" to "physical intelligence." Industry giants are working together to open a new chapter for AI.

For investors, this is a test of both vision and patience. While the financial impact of these new technologies may not be reflected in earnings until the second half of 2026, and individual stock performance will ultimately depend on fundamentals like orders and profitability, those who can identify and position themselves ahead of these trends stand to become the biggest winners in the AI wave of 2026.