<div id="readability-page-1"><div> <h2>Key Points</h2><ul><li>With considerable momentum already behind the stock, that isn't likely to have a material effect on investor sentiment.</li><li>Yet it enhances the company's reputation as an enterprise to watch.</li><li>10 stocks we like better than Argan ›</li></ul>Inclusion in a famous family of stock indexes was the fuel propelling Argan's (NYSE: AGX) equity to a double-digit gain on Monday. The industrial construction specialist, already a popular investment thanks to its involvement in artificial intelligence (AI) build-outs of data centers, saw its share price rise by nearly 13% that trading session.<h2>One of 600</h2>After market close on Friday, S&amp;P Dow Jones Indices -- a key business unit of financial information and data company S&amp;P Global -- announced a raft of changes to its indexes. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an &#34;Indispensable Monopoly&#34; providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vZy5mb29sY2RuLmNvbS9lZGl0b3JpYWwvaW1hZ2VzLzg2MDA1MS95b3VuZy1wZXJzb24tYXQtYS1kZXNrLXVzaW5nLWEtcGMtYW5kLXRhYmxldC1jb21wdXRlci1zaW11bHRhbmVvdXNseS5qcGcmdz03MDA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="700" height="466" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vZy5mb29sY2RuLmNvbS9lZGl0b3JpYWwvaW1hZ2VzLzg2MDA1MS95b3VuZy1wZXJzb24tYXQtYS1kZXNrLXVzaW5nLWEtcGMtYW5kLXRhYmxldC1jb21wdXRlci1zaW11bHRhbmVvdXNseS5qcGcmdz03MDA"/>Image source: Getty Images. Argan was tapped to join the S&amp;P SmallCap 600 index. It was one of 16 such &#34;graduations&#34; in a class that included stocks such as rideshare company Lyft, dating website operator Match Group, and Sphere Entertainment. Argan, along with most of the others, will formally become an index component before market open on Monday, March 23.<h2>Good timing</h2>Despite a third-quarter earnings report that missed the consensus analyst revenue estimate -- and therefore led to a brief sell-off -- Argan's stock has done extremely well lately. It's in the right business at the right time with its AI data center activity, and it should also benefit from the Trump administration's desire to build out American infrastructure. I don't think the S&amp;P SmallCap 600 will make investors any more bullish on the stock than they already are, though it's inarguably a feather in Argan's cap. <h2>Should you buy stock in Argan right now?</h2> Before you buy stock in Argan, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Argan wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $534,008!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,090,073!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 949% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 190% for the S&amp;P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of March 9, 2026. Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Lyft and S&amp;P Global. The Motley Fool recommends Match Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. </div></div>

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Argan's stock (NYSE: AGX) surged nearly 13% after being included in the S&P SmallCap 600 index, enhancing its reputation as a notable investment. Despite a recent earnings report that missed revenue estimates, the company benefits from its involvement in AI data center projects and potential infrastructure developments. However, analysts suggest considering other stocks recommended by The Motley Fool, as Argan was not among their top picks.

Why Argan Stock Topped the Market Today