AI and Automation: The Long-Term Bull Case for Uber and CrowdStrike

While the S&P 500 has recovered from recent volatility to hit new record highs, select growth stocks like Uber Technologies and CrowdStrike remain significantly below their previous peaks. Market volatility has been driven largely by geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran, impacting commodities and oil, but the underlying growth drivers for these specific companies remain intact. Uber is pivoting toward autonomous solutions to optimize its cost structure. In 2025, the company reported $193.4 billion in gross bookings, but paid $85.4 billion to its 9.7 million human drivers. By integrating self-driving technology through partners like Waymo and Serve Robotics, Uber aims to capture a larger share of its gross bookings, potentially transforming its $5.2 billion adjusted non-GAAP profit. In the cybersecurity space, CrowdStrike is leveraging its AI-powered Falcon platform to protect enterprise cloud networks and identities. The platform processes over 1 trillion security incidents daily. The company recently introduced Next-Gen Identity Security to mitigate risks associated with AI agents, utilizing a 'zero standing privileges' architecture to limit potential damage from hijacked digital identities. For long-term investors, the shift toward automation and AI-centric security represents a structural growth opportunity that may outweigh current broad-market valuations.