3 Top Tech Stocks to Buy in September

Key Points

• Alphabet is soaring after escaping its antitrust lawsuit with minimal penalties.

• Netflix has the growth to justify its high price tag.

• The Trade Desk is a compelling value after plunging nearly 70%.

• 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet ›

The year is racing by. September is the final month of the third quarter, which means that another slew of earnings reports will be headed our way soon. It also marks one of the final months before the proverbial "holiday season," where businesses settle in to wrap up the year and prep for a new one.

Investors who own many of the top technology stocks have done quite well thanks to the continued artificial intelligence (AI) boom currently taking place.

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While many top stocks have become a bit expensive, three names still represent enough value to make them strong buy recommendations for this month.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Alphabet

Tech giant and Google parent company, Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL), recently reached a new all-time high after it became apparent that the company wouldn't face any drastic penalties resulting from its high-profile antitrust litigation loss. That means no forced sale of Google Chrome or Android smartphone operating software, and it can still pay Apple to keep using Google as the iPhone's default search engine.

The resolved litigation removes a dark cloud over a company that, in most other aspects, is firing on all cylinders. Alphabet's cloud business is thriving on AI-fueled demand, and the company's AI application, Gemini, is thriving as one of the top apps on Apple's App Store. There are concerns that AI's ability to summarize and present information could divert users from Google's lucrative ad-fueled search engine business, but Google's revenue continues to grow. Meanwhile, the company's YouTube TV is growing in the streaming space, and there are additional long-term opportunities in quantum computing and self-driving vehicles.

All told, Alphabet currently trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 24 times this year's estimated earnings, and Wall Street anticipates roughly 15% annualized earnings growth for the next three to five years. That arguably makes the stock a bargain for the expected growth, something that is getting harder to find in this market, let alone for one of the world's most prominent technology companies.

2. Netflix

Despite the stock market's success, many consumers continue to struggle financially. Even if people stay home more, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), the world's largest streaming service, is likely to continue winning. Netflix has become a global streaming juggernaut, ending last year with over 301 million paid subscribers. The company made little money for years, but its continued subscriber growth eventually overtook its content spending. Now, Netflix is a cash cow with an impressive 24.7% net profit margin.

Netflix still appears to have a lot of growth left in its tank. The company's relatively new ad-supported membership is on pace to double Netflix's ad revenue this year. Also, Netflix is successfully pushing into live sporting events, streaming eye-catching content like boxing matches and National Football League games. These give Netflix a major draw as consumers continue a long-term trend of shifting from cable to streaming platforms.

Analysts estimate that Netflix will grow earnings by an average of almost 23% annually over the next three to five years. While the stock trades at 45 times its 2025 earnings estimates, a higher price tag than most stocks you'll find, such high growth expectations justify buying this proven streaming winner today and holding it for the years ahead.

3. The Trade Desk

The global advertising industry is worth approximately $1 trillion and is becoming increasingly digital as physical media like newspapers and magazines fade into the past. This trend has helped The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) become one of the world's leading ad-tech companies. Its platform allows brands to place digital ads on websites, apps, and other digital media, optimize them to their ideal target audience, and track and measure how their ads perform. It's an alternative to search engines and social media-massive digital ecosystems, but they come with little freedom or transparency.

Unlike the other two stocks above, The Trade Desk is reeling. Shares have fallen nearly 70% from their high. But considering that investors were paying over 200 times earnings to own the stock late last year, it makes a lot of sense that shares would crumble at the first sign of trouble. That trouble has arrived in the form of an increasingly uncertain economic outlook. Advertising is a sensitive industry; if brands feel that consumers don't have money to spend, they aren't going to advertise as much.

But the stock's valuation makes far more sense these days. The Trade Desk currently trades at just 25 times its estimated 2025 earnings. Historically speaking, the stock has outperformed the S&P 500 over its lifetime. I like the odds of that continuing over the long run for buyers at these levels if The Trade Desk can deliver the 20% annualized earnings growth that Wall Street analysts expect over the next three to five years.

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Justin Pope has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, Netflix, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.