Dan Niles' 2026 Stock Picks: Balancing Growth and Defense

Dan Niles, a well-known fund manager, has chosen five stocks for 2026 that he believes will do well in different market conditions.

The stock market has gone up a lot in the past few years, but not because companies are making more money.

Instead, investors are willing to pay more for the same profits, making stocks expensive.

Niles thinks the market might be in for some changes, so he picked a mix of companies.

Cisco is a networking company that helps connect AI data centers.

Apple is late to the AI trend but has a loyal customer base.

Boeing has a huge backlog of orders and is expected to improve its cash flow.

Nike is going through a turnaround with new management.

Impinj makes tiny chips used for tracking inventory, and this technology is becoming more important.

Niles believes that having a mix of these types of companies will help his portfolio do well in both good and bad market conditions.