Best 3 Drone Stocks to Buy Now in 2026
An emerging theme in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is here.
Most investors assume that droids mainly refer to warfare.
The category is much bigger.
Here are the best 3 drone stocks to buy now in 2026.
Drones are typically thought of as military use cases. But growth segments include:
- Agriculture & farming
- Infrastructure inspection (energy/utility lines, railways, oil/gas, etc.)
- Logistics & delivery
- Construction, mapping, surveying
- Public safety & emergency response
- Consumer media & entertainment
- Defense & security
For the latter, the pentagon plans to increase spending on drones and anti-drone weapons.
This emerging trend is already in motion and large investors are piling in.
But it’s not the pure-play drone-makers where the big opportunity lies. It’s in the picks-and-shovel plays where hidden value exists.
The 4 layers of drones can be thought of as:
- 1. Hardware and platforms – including drones, sensors, & batteries
- 2. Navigation and control – think GPS, autopilot, & software
- 3. Data capture and processing – imaging, AI analysis
- 4. Application and services – defense, delivery, & inspection
The droid ecosystem is wide. And smart investors are clued-in to smaller under-the-radar companies levered to this theme.
Today, we’ll unpack top-tier and emerging players in the drone space.
When you follow the money, huge opportunities emerge.
Best 3 Drone Stocks to Buy Now in 2026
When it comes to great stocks, the winners aren’t always obvious.
They’re hidden across the layers.
The number 1 top drone stock is Tower Semiconductor (TSEM). The $23.5 billion market cap semiconductor player is levered to themes including silicon photonics, LiDAR, and sensors.
The equity has had a blistering performance with YTD gains of 75%.
One of the major reasons for this outperformance is the fact that annual EPS estimates keep climbing.
Here we can see that FY 2026 EPS stands at $2.99 and is expected to more than double to $6.59 in FY 2028:
While the company isn’t cheap, trading at a forward P/E of 63.9…it’s been in the crosshairs of institutional investors all year.
Beginning last summer at a share price of $42, the stock has been pushed higher week after week by persistent green money flows.
This is the hallmark signal for finding tomorrow’s winning stocks…EARLY:
Data is beautiful…and profitable!
Let’s keep going.
The number 2 drone stock to own in 2026 is Keysight Technologies (KEYS). The $59 billion market cap communications equipment player has surged an incredible 66% in 2026.
Part of the reason is due to Keysight being levered to offensive drone and counter-drone defenses, RF communications testing, and Radar EW (electronic warfare).
When you study the revenue estimate trends for KEYS, it becomes very clear that this company is in growth mode.
Below details how FY 2026 sales are projected to reach $6.63 billion and balloon to $7.56 billion in 2028.
This is while the forward P/E stands at 35.1.
The stairstep revenue-growth pattern highlights the big opportunity:
When sales are booming, you can bet that institutional players are involved. And they are…big time.
A wall of inflows has pushed the stock up all year beginning at $170 per share. This is the predictive power of non-stop green inflows:
Traders using MoneyFlows analytics have an edge…it’s like having your own stock market radar.
Let’s do one last one.
The number 3 top drone stock for 2026 is Viavi (VIAV). This company is a bit riskier as the market cap just climbed to $12 billion.
The navigation/defense exposed player trades at a forward P/E of 45.3, making it a bit expensive.
Viavi acquired Inertial Labs in December 2024 which gives the company more exposure to unmanned drone markets.
In 2026, the stock surged an incredible 148%. When you peel back the earnings picture, it helps us understand why.
Note how a year ago FY 2026 EPS estimates stood at $.54 and have since jumped to $.84.
Zoom out to FY 2028 and Wall Street analysts project $1.23 in EPS:
Investors buy stocks to share in future profits. Our money flow indicators have revealed relentless appetite from institutions all year.
The share price has risen from $10 per share to over $44 since we first noted rare inflow signals.
Folks, this is the stairway to heaven formation. All great performing stocks have smart money piling in:
Lastly, I’ve created a drone basket called TOKAV including Tower Semi. (TSEM), On Semi (ON), Keysight (KEYS), Analog Devices (ADI), and Viavi Solutions (VIAV) to showcase this powerful drone theme. (disclosure I hold a long position in ADI in a managed account)
The group has gained a staggering 129% over the last year:
There’s big outperformance to be found when you know where to look.
Institutions hold the hidden key.
Go with the flows!
If your portfolio isn’t trouncing the market in 2026, you need better research.
MoneyFlows is your edge to hidden themes, hiding under the surface.
Join other serious investors by joining MoneyFlows.
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AND don’t miss my drone deep-dive conversation with Jason Bodner on this important post. We breakdown the wide droid eco-system and outlier stocks to be aware of!
You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here.
***Lastly, join co-founder Jason Bodner LIVE, May 14-16, 2026, at the MoneyShow Masters Symposium in Dallas, TX. As he presents: Finding Stocks the Market Hasn’t Priced In: Our Quantitative Stock-Picking Machine.
You don’t want to miss this! Click the image below to reserve your spot.
