In this article, we will be taking a look at the 10 Most Widely Held Stocks by Individuals in 2026.
Despite continuous global unrest, strong corporate profits are boosting market confidence. According to a May 6, 2026, Reuters article, more than two-thirds of the way through the first-quarter reporting season, S&P 500 businesses are predicted to produce their largest quarterly earnings increase in over four years. S&P 500 earnings are anticipated to have increased by 28.2% in the first quarter over the previous year, according to LSEG Data & Analytics. Binky Chadha, chief U.S. equities strategist at Deutsche Bank, described the performance as “arguably the strongest in two decades” when excluding one-time variables like tax cuts and favorable comparisons.
The momentum is expected to continue throughout the year. LSEG IBES data shows that full-year 2026 earnings are projected to increase 22.6%, while estimates for the next three quarters have steadily moved higher since April 1. In addition, analysts’ projections for future 12-month U.S. earnings have climbed more than 10% since the start of the year, according to LSEG Datastream.
The strength in earnings is broad-based across the market. According to LSEG IBES, nine of the eleven S&P 500 sectors are anticipated to report higher first-quarter earnings, with eight sectors likely to expand by at least 10%. Goldman Sachs projects that five hyperscalers will spend $751 billion on capital expenditures in 2026, indicating that artificial intelligence is still a significant contributor to this expansion. Deutsche Bank verified this trend, reporting a 50% increase in first-quarter earnings for businesses in the AI ecosystem.
Investors are keeping a careful eye on geopolitical developments at the same time. Jeffrey Solomon stated on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on May 18 that the Iran war and its effects on oil prices continue to be the market’s top concerns. However, he said that because both parties have significant financial motivations to prevent a protracted interruption to the world economy, the issue might be handled sooner than anticipated.
With that said, let’s now take a look at the most widely held stocks by individuals.
Our Methodology
For our methodology, we tracked the stocks with the highest number of hedge fund holders, as monitored by the Insider Monkey database. From that list, we selected stocks with an analyst upside of more than 20%, along with companies that had recent news and developments. We then picked the 10 best stocks and ranked them in ascending order based on their total number of hedge fund holders as of Q4 2025.
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 498.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 303 percentage points (see more details here).
Here is our list of the 10 most widely held stocks by individuals in 2026.
10. Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 111
Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is one of the most widely held stocks by individuals on this list.
TheFly reported on May 19 that Argus increased its price target on AMAT to $500 from $420 while reaffirming a Buy rating following the company’s stronger-than-expected second quarter results. The firm highlighted AMAT’s favorable long-term outlook, supported by rising AI-related chip demand and increased domestic semiconductor manufacturing initiatives.
In a separate major development, on May 20, Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) revealed that Broadcom will participate in its EPIC platform as a strategic innovation collaborator focused on advancing next-generation semiconductor packaging solutions for AI systems. The partnership aims to support the growing need for faster and more energy-efficient computing infrastructure as artificial intelligence workloads continue expanding worldwide. Through the collaboration, Broadcom will gain access to AMAT’s research and development ecosystem, including its global innovation facilities and the upcoming EPIC Center in Silicon Valley.
The companies plan to jointly accelerate the commercialization of advanced chip packaging and heterogeneous integration technologies designed to improve interconnect density, bandwidth, and overall system performance. AMAT also emphasized that the EPIC platform is intended to strengthen cross-industry cooperation between equipment providers, semiconductor companies, and system designers to shorten development timelines and help bring emerging AI-related semiconductor technologies into high-volume manufacturing more efficiently.
Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is a global leader in materials engineering solutions and supplies the equipment, software, and services used to manufacture advanced semiconductor chips and displays worldwide.
9. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 113
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) is among the most widely held stocks by individuals.
TheFly reported on May 14 that RBC Capital restarted coverage of TMO with a Sector Perform rating and assigned a $490 price objective. The firm pointed to improving conditions across the company’s end markets while also noting concerns surrounding the sustainability of TMO’s long-term organic growth expectations above 7%.
Separately, on May 18, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) announced the launch of a new bioanalytical and biomarker laboratory in Gothenburg, Sweden, located within GoCo Health Innovation City. The facility strengthens the company’s worldwide laboratory network and is designed to support pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies throughout every stage of drug development. Equipped with advanced analytical technologies and Good Laboratory Practice capabilities, the site will provide services ranging from preclinical research to post-commercialization testing.
The laboratory also supports complex therapeutic areas, including cell and gene therapies, antibodies, peptides, and oligonucleotides. TMO stated that the expansion is intended to address increasing demand for sophisticated drug development solutions as therapies become more advanced and data-intensive. The new Sweden-based facility complements the company’s existing bioanalytical operations in the United States and China while reinforcing its broader investment strategy within the European life sciences sector.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) is a global leader in scientific services and laboratory solutions, providing analytical instruments, diagnostics, biopharma services, and life sciences products worldwide.
