The flames of war are flying in the US-Iran, and the stock market is howling everywhere? Wall Street finds a "safe haven": these tech giants!

Last week, due to the escalating conflict between the US and Israel, international oil prices surged to their highest level since 2024, causing the market to sell off as investors factored in the risks of prolonged regional conflict into stock prices. During this tumultuous time, Wall Street analysts provided recommendations: some tech giants can provide a safe haven for those who must continue to hold stocks. Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at US Bank Wealth Management, said that artificial intelligence (AI) trading has a clear "structural tailwind," and investments in mega-data center operators will increase by 30% by 2026. While there are still uncertainties in the market, he said, "We believe this is a story that can continue to develop and has vitality." "Tech Defense Pillars" Against this backdrop, DA Davidson managing director Gil Luria described Microsoft and Apple as "major defense pillars" and necessities. He further explained that even in an economic slowdown, consumers will continue to purchase iPhones, just as enterprises will continue to use Microsoft's Windows and Azure cloud. Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush specializing in tech stocks, also emphasized this point, noting that Microsoft's backlog of orders worth up to $625 billion and Apple's "massive cash flow" are key buffers against market fluctuations. Alphabet, Google's parent company, is seen as a stable third choice, thanks to its stable business model. However, Luria remains skeptical of companies like Meta that are "more sensitive to economic conditions." This is mainly because Meta relies almost entirely on advertising revenue, with advertising revenue accounting for about 98% of its total income. While Microsoft and Alphabet have enterprise cloud businesses as buffers, Meta is highly vulnerable to cuts in marketing budgets for small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, other analysts on Wall Street have a more bullish outlook on Amazon, believing that its retail and AWS cloud services offer significant profit potential. Michael Sayers, vice president of Rockland Trust, said, "Looking at all the pieces, Amazon's attractiveness has reached unprecedented levels." Conflict and National Defense On the other hand, as global conditions become increasingly dire - with oil prices soaring and major stock indices taking a hit from escalating attacks from the US and Israel against Iran, cybersecurity and defense departments are becoming crucial public utilities. Luria stated that companies like Palantir, CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks are at the forefront of "active" defense strategies. Ives described Palantir as the "default platform" for the US Department of Defense, while CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks provide AI-driven tools needed to combat "AI adversaries." "Integrating artificial intelligence into defense logistics is no longer optional, but a necessary condition for modern procurement," analysts pointed out. Ives also noted that as governments around the world realize the necessity of real-time intelligence, niche companies like Planet Labs and Voyager are experiencing significant growth in demand for geospatial data and secure communication services. For investors, these technology companies closely related to government provide a rare stable investment area. This article was reprinted from "Financial Alliance" and was written by Huang Junzhi; Edited by Feng Qiuyi.