With shares surging over 18% Friday, SoundHound AI (NASDAQ:SOUN) is one of the hottest stocks today, on the back of an amazing surge this year. With increases of around 252% in the past six months and over 235% in the past three months, the stock is up667% year-to-date.

By means of its conversational artificial intelligence technology, the company is transforming customer service and fostering expansion in both consumer and corporate industries. Developed over two decades, its own Polaris platform offers a competitive advantage by having minimal hosting costs and great accuracy. With the implementation in more than 10,000 restaurant locations and alliances with top EV producers worldwide, SoundHound's technologies are becoming popular in the restaurant and electric vehicle industries.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with SOUN.

In terms of finances, the company showed great scaling ability in the third quarter of 2024 by posting an 89% year-over-year income rise, therefore lowering consumer concentration threats. SoundHound keeps a strong balance sheet with a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.4% despite operational losses linked to R&D and marketing expenditures.

SoundHound's leadership position provides long-term development potential as the use of AI-driven products keeps widening. Its quick developments make SOUN stock the focus for investors looking for chances in artificial intelligence-driven innovation.