10 Best Major Stocks to Buy According to Analysts

In this article, we will look at the 10 Best Major Stocks to Buy According to Analysts.

For some time now, the AI trade has dominated headlines, and retail investors have focused on niche themes like memory, photonics, and now robotics. This has meant that some of the best businesses in the US haven’t received as much attention as before, resulting in attractive entry points for investors.

This was also mentioned recently by Max Kettner, a Chief Multi-Asset Strategist at HSBC, on Bloomberg Television.

Kettner thinks the opportunity outside the AI universe is worth exploring. He points out that the median company’s earnings growth has improved, not just in the US but also in Europe and Japan. Yet investors are flocking to AI bottleneck plays, taking on enormous risks.

That’s the stuff that I think you want to lean into, play a bit more the broadening and actually play that it’s not just semi, it’s not just that AI infrastructure universe that’s doing well. It’s actually the median company.

The gap in stock performance left by the retail trend’s shift toward the AI trade is therefore worth exploring. It is like going back to the basics of investing, finding strong, durable, wide-moat businesses and investing in them. We therefore decided to look at the 10 best major stocks to buy according to analysts.

Photo by osamu nakazawa on Unsplash

Our Methodology

To compile our list of the 10 best major stocks to buy according to analysts, we reviewed the holdings of blue-chip and wide-moat ETFs to shortlist companies that have consistently demonstrated competitive advantages and leadership positions in their respective industries. These companies have a potential upside of at least 25% and are ranked in ascending order of their consensus potential upside.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Insider Monkey’s quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 599.2% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 372 percentage points (see more details here).

Note: All share price data is as of July 6, 2026.

10. Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM)

Potential Upside: 27%

On July 3, RBC Capital analyst Biraj Borkhataria reiterated a Hold rating on Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) stock and set a target price of $180. The firm’s price target reflects 32% upside from current levels, which sits just above the median analyst upside on Wall Street of 27%.

Earlier on June 23, the US Supreme Court allowed XOM to sue Cuban state-owned companies over properties seized decades ago under former leader Fidel Castro. The court ruled that Cuba’s government-owned companies cannot use legal protections that usually prevent foreign governments from being sued in US courts. This decision allowed the company’s case, filed in 2019, to move forward. Moreover, the 6-3 decision allows the oil giant to seek over $1 billion in compensation for assets seized during the 1960 Cuban Revolution. Exxon claimed that a Cuban company, CIMEX, illegally used a refinery and gas stations that had originally belonged to Standard Oil, which later became part of Exxon. The case will return to a lower court for further deliberations on CIMEX’s potential liability.

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) is one of the world’s largest integrated energy companies, with operations spanning oil and natural gas exploration, production, and refining. The company also manufactures fuels, petrochemicals, lubricants, and advanced plastics, while investing in lower-emission initiatives such as carbon capture and lithium production.

9. Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)

Potential Upside: 30.3%

On June 26, Keb Gawrelski from Wells Fargo reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a price target of $312. The revised price target suggests a further 22% upside from the current levels. This upside is consistent with the median Wall Street analyst estimate of 30.3%, based on 72 analysts covering the stock.

On June 25, the company announced that it is adding $13 billion to its planned investments in India. This will expand its artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure footprint in one of its fastest-growing markets. The announcement builds on the company’s earlier commitment to invest more than $35 billion in India by 2030. The e-commerce giant is aggressively expanding its operations in the Southeast Asian country, planning to open more than 20 new fulfillment centers and over 100 delivery stations across India this year.

Amazon is also progressing well in the space race, having launched 29 more Leo satellites on July 2. The company now has 396 total satellites deployed, with operations likely to begin later this year.

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) operates across e-commerce, digital content, advertising, and cloud computing. Its online and offline stores offer both in-house and third-party products, while its Amazon Web Services (AWS) division runs one of the world’s largest data center networks.

8. CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME)

Potential Upside: 32.5%

On July 6, Analyst Alex Kramm from UBS reiterated a Hold rating on CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) while cutting his price target on the stock. The analyst lowered his price target on the shares from $310 to $260. The firm’s revised price target still offers a further 10% upside from here on.

The analyst sticks to his Hold rating due to a mix of positive and negative factors affecting the company. He lowered his short-term earnings forecast after June trading data came in weaker than expected. The data showed slightly weaker pricing and lower futures volumes, particularly in interest rate and energy contracts. According to the analyst, these trends could weigh on CME Group’s transaction revenue, even as trading activity remains above last year’s levels.

At the same time, Analyst Alex Kramm said that businesses such as IRS clearing and BrokerTec continue to perform well. However, he remains cautious about whether trading volumes can continue growing, citing increasing competition from perpetual futures and potential regulatory risks.

On the same day, Barclays also maintained its Hold rating on CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) with a price target of $316. The difference in price targets indicates that analysts are still divided on the company’s outlook.

CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) allows institutional participants to manage risk and trade futures, options, and indices across all major asset classes. The exchange offers highly regulated, cash-settled derivatives such as Bitcoin and Ethereum futures, as well as crypto-index products.

7. Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META)

Potential Upside: 36.9%

According to a report released on July 6, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Deepak Mathivanan maintained a Buy rating on Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) and a $750 price target. The firm’s price target is below the median Wall Street analyst price target of $818.66, based on 69 analysts covering the stock.

Ahead of a key trial scheduled for August, Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is facing increased legal pressure. In a court filing on July 6, the company said that four U.S states are seeking $1.4 ​trillion in penalties. The states allege that Instagram and Facebook were designed to be addictive for young users and misrepresented the safety of the platform.

The company argued that the proposed penalty is not supported by evidence and would be unprecedented in consumer protection cases. The August trial will address claims under both federal and state laws related to children’s online privacy and consumer protection. If the trial ends unfavorably for Meta Platforms, the company could face greater legal and regulatory risks. Such an outcome could also hurt investor sentiment, especially if it leads to significant financial or operational consequences.

Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) develops products that allow people to share and connect with their family and friends using PCs, mobile devices, VR headsets, and AI glasses. Some of its apps include Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. It operates in the Reality Labs and Family of Apps segments.

6. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Potential Upside: 43.2%

On July 1, Microsoft signed an agreement with Haleon for the use of Microsoft 365 Copilot and the joint development of AI applications across multiple business functions. Prior to this, on June 25, Brad Reback, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus, reiterated a Hold rating on Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) stock and set a target price of $400.

On the data center front, MSFT announced on June 23 that it had completed construction on its first data center in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. The facility was announced in May 2024 and was completed ahead of schedule. It is fully operational, and nearly 550 full-time employees are currently working in the facility. Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith said that Wisconsin’s data center is home to the world’s most powerful supercomputer. Additionally, Smith believes that this campus will help power the next generation of AI innovation globally and also create job opportunities locally. As a result, the company will see more investment in the region.

The AI tailwind continues to support the tech giant’s growth ambitions. With construction of the second facility in Mount Pleasant ongoing, MSFT estimates it will spend approximately $4.7 billion on data center construction in Wisconsin between 2024 and 2028.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is a global technology company that develops and sells a wide range of software, cloud services, devices, and business solutions, serving both individual users and enterprise customers worldwide. Its flagship products include Windows, Microsoft 365, Azure, LinkedIn, and Xbox.

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