In this article, we will discuss: 10 Best Stocks to Buy According to Billionaire Jeffrey Talpins.
As of July 2026, Jeffrey Talpins, the founder of the hedge fund Element Capital Management, was worth $2.8 billion. He is the chief investment officer and the chief executive officer of Element Capital. Talpins set up Element Capital in 2005, which makes the fund relatively young when compared to some of the other names in the industry. The fund is an alternative investment manager that focuses on macro investing.
As of the first quarter of 2026, the fund disclosed holdings worth $1 billion in its 13F filings. This marked a sharp jump over the year ago figure of $402 million. When it comes to hedge funds, most media coverage focuses on well known names such as Ken Griffin’s Citadel, DE Shaw’s DE Shaw, or Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square. However, Element Capital, while not as widely discussed, nevertheless carries a punch when it comes to returns.
This fact was clear through Institutional Investor’s 2025 Rich List. In this list, Element Capital ranked in 12th place and was tied in the ranking with Joseph Edelman’s Perceptive Advisors. The ranking came courtesy of Jeffery Talpings raking in a cool $900 million during the year, which placed him higher than Tiger Global’s Chase Coleman, who brought in $800 million.
So which stocks were in the fund’s latest 13F filings? Take a look below to find out!
Jeffrey Talpins of Element Capital
Our Methodology
For this article, we scanned Element Capital Management’s Q1 portfolio and picked its top holdings. Puts, calls, and ETF holdings were ignored. 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. Our 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).
10. Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)
Element Capital’s Stake: $6 million
Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) is one of the largest and most important defense manufacturers in America. Its shares are up by 16.4% over the past year and by 9.8% year-to-date. Jefferies discussed the firm on June 25th as it cut the share price target to $575 from $595 and kept a Hold rating on the stock. The bank commented that Lockheed Martin Corporation’s upcoming second quarter earnings could see its revenue grow by 5%, but added that it now expects the firm to miss analyst estimates for earnings due to weaker margins in its aeronautics and space business.
With global warfare moving increasingly towards drones, as demonstrated by Ukraine’s gains against Russia, Lockheed Martin Corporation made an important announcement on June 3rd. This announcement saw the firm use a container launched missile to destroy a drone. In late May, the firm won more than $350 million in contracts for Foreign Military Sales customers.
Greenskeeper Asset Management discussed Lockheed Martin Corporation in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“Rounding out our top performers in the first quarter were our defense holdings: Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) +25% and General Dynamics (GD) +2%. Ongoing global conflicts and the fraying of the NATO alliance continue to underscore the critical need for sustained investment in national defense. Beyond their defense segments, both companies reached a historic milestone this quarter with the successful Artemis II mission—the first crewed flight around the moon since 1972. Lockheed Martin was responsible for the Orion crew module and the spacecraft’s complex flight software, while General Dynamics provided the essential emergency radios and transponders that linked the astronauts to mission control. With the crew now safely home, we can officially declare: ‘mission accomplished.'”
9. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)
Element Capital’s Stake: $6.1 million
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is another major defense contractor. Its shares are up by 8% over the past year and are down by 6.3% year-to-date. Several analysts discussed the firm in June. For instance, Citi slashed the share price target to $587 from $628 and kept a Buy rating on the stock. Citi’s coverage came as part of its focus on the defense sector ahead of the second quarter earnings season. Discussing the firms along the lines of aerospace and non-aerospace stocks, the bank remarked that the aerospace firms could post big earnings beats but disappoint with guidance raises.
Jefferies commented on Northrop Grumman Corporation first on May 26th and then on June 26th. On the 26th of May, it remarked that the aerospace company was experiencing cost pressures from its B-21 program and rising capital expenditures. As a result, it cut Northrop Grumman Corporation’s share price target to $628 from $742. Then, in June, it further reduced the price target to $580 and commented that the firm should keep its full-year 2026 guidance unchanged.
8. DuPont de Nemours (NYSE:DD)
Element Capital’s Stake: $7.3 million
Chemicals giant DuPont de Nemours (NYSE:DD)’s shares are up by 53% over the past year and by 14% year-to-date. One of the more regular commentators on the firm has been RBC Capital. It discussed the firm on November 18th, according to The Fly, and remarked that DuPont de Nemours’s electronics division spinoff could prove to be beneficial for the firm. RBC cut the share price target to $48 from $100 and kept an Outperform rating as part of its coverage. Then, on January 21st, it raised the share price target to $51 from $48 and kept the rating unchanged. More recently, Citi kept a Buy rating and raised the share price target to $170 from $68 in a major bump ahead of the firm’s second quarter earnings.
In May, DuPont de Nemours reported its first quarter earnings to post $1.7 billion in net sales and $0.55 in adjusted earnings per share. The results saw the firm beat analyst estimates of $1.687 billion and $0.48. Investors were impressed with the results as the shares closed 8.4% higher on May 5th.
7. Pinterest Inc. (NYSE:PINS)
Element Capital’s Stake: $8.2 million
Commerce platform and discovery engine Pinterest Inc. (NYSE:PINS)’s shares are down by 38% over the past year and by 16.9% year-to-date. Most of the firm’s troubles in 2026 can be traced to its earnings. For instance, Pinterest Inc.’s shares closed a whopping 16.8% higher on February 13th after the firm reported its earnings on February 12th. The results saw the firm post $1.32 billion in revenue and $0.67 in earnings per share to miss analyst estimates of $1.33 billion and $0.69. Additionally, Pinterest Inc.’s shares also guided $951 million to $971 million in Q1 revenue, which missed analyst estimates of $980 million.
The narrative did improve following the first quarter earnings. Pinterest Inc.’s shares closed 6.9% higher on May 5th after it posted $1 billion in revenue and $0.27 in earnings per share to beat analyst estimates of $966 million and $0.23. The revenue also sat at the high end of the guidance provided during the Q4 results.
TimesSquare Capital U.S. Mid Cap Growth Strategy discussed Pinterest, Inc. in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“For the Communication Services sector, we prefer to invest in media and services companies that are either well placed from an advertising perspective for their target audience or that provide differentiated services. Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS) is an image-based social media platform. We exited our position following slower-than-expected fourth-quarter results and cautious guidance, attributed to advertising pullbacks by retailers impacted by tariffs. Its shares were down -44% while held in the quarter. The combination of softer-than-expected results along with lackluster forward guidance led us to liquidate the position.”
6. CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME)
Element Capital’s Stake: $8.9 million
CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) is a financial services company that operates options trading markets. Its shares are down by 16.3% over the past year and by 12.3% year-to-date. Several analysts discussed the firm in June. For instance, Rothschild bumped the stock’s rating to Buy from Neutral and increased the share price target to $323 from $316. The financial firm outlined that CME Group Inc. stood to benefit from the growing interest in retail trading and prediction markets and added that the recent pullback in the shares could provide an attractive entry opportunity. On June 17th, Piper Sandler reiterated an Overweight rating and a $320 share price target for CME Group Inc.. It discussed the company’s recent management shuffle, through which its CEO is due to retire and be replaced by the CFO.
A day later, Keefe Bruyette commented on CME Group Inc.’s retail exposure and remarked that concerns about overexposure were excessive. The financial firm added that the trading markets firm could benefit from higher volume in the year’s second half.
Alpha Wealth Insiders Fund discussed CME Group Inc. in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“Business: CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) is the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace. It operates several of the most prominent exchanges globally, providing a platform for market participants to manage risk and capture opportunities across virtually every major asset class.
Insider Buying/Selling: Director Shepard continue to buy shares, most recently 1470 at $297.38 on 3-26-26 .
Recent News: CME Group has already released preliminary volume data for the first quarter, which suggests a significant revenue beat is possible. Continued tensions and a specific “Iran-Strait of Hormuz deadline” set by the Trump administration have kept energy and metals markets in a state of high activity. WTI Crude prices near $110/barrel drove energy contracts to a record single-day high of 8.3 million in early March. Interest Rate Uncertainty: As the CME FedWatch Tool shows markets pricing out Fed rate cuts, interest rate futures reached a record ADV of 5.7 million contracts internationally.
Our Thesis: This is a near monopoly and one of the few ways to play hedging volatility in an uncertain world. We’ve owned it off and on for years. It has a place in our long term portfolio as well as our trading account.”
5. Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MU)
Element Capital’s Stake: $9.8 million
Courtesy of the AI wave, Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) is one of the hottest stocks on the market. Its shares are up by 713% over the past year and by 209% year-to-date. The firm is one of three companies globally that are capable of manufacturing high-end memory chips that are used in AI GPUs. Micron Technology Inc. diversified its market from technology to automotive on July 1st after it announced an agreement with General Motors to provide it with memory and storage products.
A couple of days earlier, on June 29th, the firm’s role in the global memory industry saw it facing a lawsuit. As memory prices have surged due to high demand from AI GPUs, Micron Technology Inc. was hit with a lawsuit that accused it of tightening the market in order to raise memory prices. On June 24th, the firm reported its fiscal third quarter earnings, which saw its $41.46 billion in revenue and $25.11 in earnings per share beat analyst estimates of $35.84 billion and $20.78. Micron Technology Inc.’s shares closed 15.7% higher on June 25th.
4. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)
Element Capital’s Stake: $10.6 million
Technology giant Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s shares are up by 103% over the past year and by 14% year-to-date. The shares closed 9.9% higher on April 30th after the firm reported its first quarter earnings on the 29th. The results saw Alphabet Inc. post $109 billion in revenue and $2.62 in adjusted earnings per share to beat analyst estimates of $107 billion and $2.63. Crucially, Alphabet Inc.’s Google Cloud revenue of $20.03 billion also beat analyst estimates of $18.05 billion. Banking giant Morgan Stanley discussed the firm on June 30th. It reiterated an Overweight rating and raised the share price target to $415 from $375. As part of its coverage, the bank discussed Alphabet Inc.’s fundamentals and commented that they appeared to be improving to create a tactical buying opportunity.
Part of the optimism surrounding Alphabet Inc. is due to its AI products. On this front, a report from the Financial Times suggested on June 28th that the firm had restricted social media giant Meta’s access to its Gemini model due to high usage. Alphabet Inc.’s cloud backlog also doubled to more than $460 billion in the first quarter.
3. Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META)
Element Capital’s Stake: $22.8 million
Social media giant Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META)’s shares are among the weakest performers in its mega cap peers. They are down by 18.8% over the past year and by 10% year-to-date. Piper Sandler discussed the firm on June 25th as it reiterated an $800 share price target and an Overweight rating on the shares. The financial firm remarked that Meta Platforms Inc. might be able to benefit from the untapped potential of agentic artificial intelligence and business agents. Piper Sandler’s discussion focused on the social media and software firm’s Business Agent platform, which is an AI powered agent available on the firm’s social media and connectivity platforms.
On July 3rd, Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg made important remarks about agentic AI. The executive, according to recordings quoted by Reuters, remarked that the “trajectory of the agentic development over at least the last four months hasn’t really accelerated in the way that we expected.” Zuckberg also shared that the timing of Meta Platforms Inc.’s latest layoffs appeared to be suboptimal.
2. Wix.com Ltd. (NASDAQ:WIX)
Element Capital’s Stake: $29.9 million
Wix.com Ltd. (NASDAQ:WIX) is another software stock that has struggled in today’s AI era. The shares are down by 69% over the past year and by 51% year-to-date. Banking giant JPMorgan discussed Wix.com Ltd.’s shares on June 18th. It cut the share price target to $62 from $86 and kept an Underweight rating on the shares. The coverage came as part of JPMorgan’s evaluation of the broader internet sector. Wix.com Ltd. also made key announcements related to artificial intelligence in June. The firm teamed up with Microsoft and OpenAI to provide its products in the two software companies’ product ecosystem.
Wix.com Ltd.’s deal with OpenAI is focused on agentics. It allows users to transform a business idea from the conceptual stage into a revenue generation platform. The partnership with Microsoft brings Wix.com Ltd.’s Wix application into the software giant’s Microsoft 365 Copilot platform to enable users to access Wix through the chat option.
1. T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS)
Element Capital’s Stake: $56.9 million
Telecommunications giant T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS)’s shares are down by 25.3% over the past year and by 11% year-to-date. The past couple of months have been nothing but eventful for the firm due to its partnership with SpaceX. Soon after SpaceX listd its shares for trading, word started to spread that the firm might have to acquire T-Mobile US, Inc.. One such report came from TD Cowen, with analyst Gregory Williams suggesting on June 25th that the carrier would be the first choice for SpaceX for an acquisition should the space networking firm decide to make such a move. The next day, on the 26th, a Reuters report suggested that SpaceX had told investors that it planned to launch a retail mobile service through Starlink. Between the 26th and 30th, T-Mobile US, Inc.’s shares dropped by 8%.
Another report, from The Wall Street Journal, suggested that Deutsche Telecom might be interested in a merger with T-Mobile US, Inc.. Deutsche is already a majority shareholder in the telecommunications company.
Carillon Eagle Growth & Income Fund discussed T-Mobile US, Inc. in its fourth quarter 2025 investor letter:
“T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS) lagged amid uncertainty surrounding the strategic direction of one of its largest competitors. A new CEO at the competing company appears to have a more aggressive posture, which could pressure net subscription additions for T‑Mobile. However, in historical times of elevated switching behavior, T‑Mobile has tended to gain market share due to its well‑established value proposition.”
READ NEXT: 33 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 15 Stocks That Will Make You Rich in 10 Years.
