AI was one of the most explosive stories of 2025 ā and itās still commanding headlines in 2026. Even with the recent pullback, AI stocks are some of the most exciting to trade based on enterprise deployments, cloud infrastructure, and government-backed buildouts. Thatās where Iām looking for the next tradable moves.
If you want to know what Iām looking for ā check out my free webinar here!
Here are three AI penny stocks Iām watching right nowā¦
3 AI Penny Stocks to Watch in January
| Stock Ticker | Company | Performance (YTD) |
| NASDAQ: NBIS | Nebius Group N.V. | |
| NASDAQ: AMCI | AMC Robotics Corp | |
| NASDAQ: DVLT | Datavault AI Inc |
The market has narrowed, but momentum hasnāt died ā itās just picky. Traders are rewarding concrete catalysts (funding, contracts, product rollouts) and punishing fluff. That puts these three on my screen:
- Clear, near-term news drivers (funding, partnerships, guidance).
- Strong sector alignment (chips, automation, voice AI).
- Liquid price action with definable levels for risk.
These arenāt stocks that Iām necessarily buyingā¦
These are stocks that Iām watching.
Want the whole list of AI penny stocks?
10 Top AI and Quantum Computing Penny Stocks for January 2026
Iām watching the following three picks extra closelyā¦
Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ: NBIS) ā The AI Infrastructure Deal Stock
Nebius just rewired its story into something the market understands instantly: AI compute at scale, with name-brand counterparties.
The headline that lit the fuse was its multi-year Microsoft agreement for dedicated AI infrastructure coming out of its New Jersey buildout. Then it added another major validation: a multi-year AI compute deal with Meta. Thatās the playbook for 2026 ā sign capacity, build capacity, finance capacity, repeat.
That last part matters. Nebius is in ābuild mode,ā which means big capex and periodic fundraising risk. The market will trade this stock like a pulse check on two things: how quickly capacity turns into revenue, and how much dilution is needed to keep the expansion on schedule.
Read more: Is NBIS the Best Undervalued AI Stock?
Why itās on my list:
- Narrative + sponsorship + scale. When the tape wants real AI spend, infrastructure names tend to get the love ā but only if the company shows it can execute without constant shareholder pain.
What Iām watching next:
- Updates on data center timelines and when the biggest contracts translate into booked revenue
- Additional hyperscaler / AI lab deals (or customer concentration risk showing up)
- Any new capital raise terms and how the market reacts
Technically, the stock had a blowoff run into the low-$100s and above earlier in Q4, then cooled off hard and spent a lot of time chopping around the $80ā$100 zone. If it can reclaim the upper end of that range and hold, the path back toward the prior highs opens up. If it loses the lower end, this can reset fast into the next āwhere buyers actually defendā area.
AMC Robotics Corp. (NASDAQ: AMCI) ā The New-Lister Low-Float Robotics Stock
AMCI is a classic new-name momentum setup: low float, headline-driven, and volatile enough to make or break you in a day.
The company has positioned itself as an AI-driven safety and robotics solutions play. The tape cares less about the pitch deck and more about the catalyst flow ā and lately that flow has been messy. The company put out a Japan-related supplier framework update, then told readers to disregard those Japan releases. That kind of thing is exactly why this stays on a watchlist and not a āset it and forget itā hold.
Still, the reason itās here is simple: AMCI can move like crazy when the crowd shows up. Fresh listings with a tight float can squeeze on momentum alone, especially when the robotics theme gets hot.
Why itās on my list:
- New listing + low float + robotics is the perfect recipe for tradable chaos. If this market gives you a risk-on week, AMCI is the type that can go from dead to vertical fast.
What Iām watching next:
- Clarification and follow-through after the ādisregardā notice (credibility matters)
- Volume trends: does liquidity stick around or disappear overnight?
- Any real commercial deployment confirmations that go beyond frameworks and updates
Technically, it ripped into the low-teens during the initial surge, then started chopping in the upper-single-digits to around $10 as early traders took profits. If it can reclaim and hold the $10 area, it can set up another run toward the prior spike zone. If it loses the upper-single-digits, it can unwind quickly into the mid-single-digits where the next real dip-buyer attempt usually shows up.
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Datavault AI Inc. (NASDAQ: DVLT) ā The Patent-and-PR Microcap AI Flyer
DVLT is a microcap built for headline cycles.
It pitches AI-driven data valuation and monetization, mixing in IP, tokenization-style language, and partnership-driven PR. Recently, itās been pushing a cluster of catalyst-style headlines: new patents tied to blockchain-driven licensing and monetization, a CES 2026 presence tied to its acoustics/WiSA portfolio, and other promotional-style initiatives.
This is the kind of stock that can catch fire when the market wants āAI lottery tickets.ā Itās also the kind of stock that can collapse when the market stops caring.
And the chart shows that clearly. DVLT had a big run into the $4 area in late October, then round-tripped hard and fell back to well under $1 ā a full mania-to-reality reset. Heading into January, itās basically in ācan this base at all?ā territory.
Why itās on my list:
- Itās a pure traderās stock. If the tape rotates into speculative AI again, DVLT can go parabolic. If not, it can grind lower or go nowhere for weeks.
What Iām watching next:
- Whether any IP/licensing talk turns into measurable commercial traction
- CES headlines: do they produce real follow-through or just a one-day pump?
- Any financing/dilution risk (microcaps love to raise at the worst times)
Technically, the $1 area is the psychological line in the sand. If it can reclaim $1 and build above it, you can start talking about a base and upside targets back into the $1.50ā$2 zone. If it canāt hold the $0.70ā$0.80 area, it risks bleeding into lower liquidity pockets where moves get exaggerated fast.
Bottom Line
AI stock trading rewards momentum and disciplineā¦
- Nebius is the real AI infrastructure deal story with big-name counterparties
- AMCI is a low-float robotics wild card with headline sensitivity
- DVLT is a classic microcap AI flyer that lives and dies by narrative
Iāll let price confirm ā and Iāll trade the plan, not the story.
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