Should You Still Back the Big 7 — or Look Beyond?

The so-called Big 7 tech giants — Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Tesla — have driven most of the market gains for the past two years. AI, cloud, and chip hype made them the “Magnificent Seven.”

2025 YTD Performance – The Big 7 Tech Giants

Here’s how the market heavyweights have performed so far this year (as of October 2025):

CompanyTicker2025 YTD ReturnSource
NvidiaNVDA+40.8%StatMuse
Alphabet (Class A)GOOGL+41.7%StatMuse
Meta PlatformsMETA+28.0%StatMuse
MicrosoftMSFT+25.6%StatMuse
TeslaTSLA+16.0%StatMuse
AppleAAPL+7.7%Finance Charts
AmazonAMZN+3.5%Finance Charts

Summary:
Nvidia and Alphabet are still dominating the scoreboard, while Apple and Amazon lag behind. The so-called “AI boom” is still very much concentrated in a few names, not a broad market surge.

But cracks are showing.

Who’s Lagging

Right now, Amazon’s the weak link.

  • AWS growth is slowing — up 17.5% vs. Microsoft Azure’s 39% and Google Cloud’s 32%.
  • Margins are tighter, costs are heavier, and investors are starting to question whether Amazon’s still an AI leader or just a big logistics company with a cloud arm.
  • While Nvidia and Microsoft fly, Amazon’s barely moved this year.

Still, don’t write it off — big cycles often rotate. Amazon was the laggard in 2015 too, then doubled within two years.

Could There Be an Eighth?

Possibly.
Markets love fresh stories — and with AI sucking up $400bn+ in annual investment, new giants will form.
Watch for:

  • AI infrastructure (chip designers, energy firms, data-centre REITs)
  • Cybersecurity (CrowdStrike, Palo Alto, Darktrace)
  • Industrial AI (Siemens, Schneider Electric, ABB)

These sectors could give birth to “the next Nvidia” — just not where most people are looking.

If Your ISA’s Maxed Out

If you’ve filled your £20,000 ISA and still want exposure:

  • SIPP – long-term wrapper with tax relief (great if you can lock money away)
  • General Investment Account (GIA) – flexible, but taxable
  • Offshore broker accounts – for experienced investors who want full global access (EXANTE, Interactive Brokers, Saxo)
  • ETFs – cheaper, diversified access to the Big 7 and their challengers

For example:

  • WTAI (WisdomTree Artificial Intelligence UCITS ETF) – diversified AI exposure
  • VUSA (Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF) – classic US exposure
  • VWCE (Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF) – global balance

How I’d Play It

If I were setting up today:

  1. Keep core exposure to the Big 7 — corrections are part of the ride.
  2. Add AI infrastructure and cybersecurity exposure.
  3. Use a regulated broker with direct market access (DMA) and real custody, not a spread-betting app.

Platforms worth considering:

  • EXANTE – full custody, multi-asset, serious investors only.
  • Interactive Brokers – strong for ETFs and US exposure.
  • Hargreaves Lansdown / AJ Bell – ISA/SIPP focus, UK-regulated simplicity.

Bottom Line

Big 7 still dominate, but leadership always rotates. Don’t chase hype — build access and control.
If your ISA’s full, widen your reach — not your risk.

Deals that make sense. People you can trust. No spin.

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