On December 18, Ryan Detrick, The Carson Group chief market strategist, joined ‘Squawk Box’ on CNBC to discuss the market expectations through year-end and the market formula for 2026. Detrick expressed confidence that the S&P 500 can reach new all-time highs before the end of the year, which is a move requiring roughly a 3% lift in the final eight and a half trading sessions. Detrick supported his bullish stance by highlighting a significant broadening of the market. He pointed out that even on a day when tech headlines were negative, the NYSE saw more 52-week highs than the previous day, and the number of stocks above their 50-day and 200-day moving averages actually increased. He noted that advance-decline lines remain solid and that high-yield corporate bonds are trading less than 1% away from all-time highs, suggesting that the recent volatility in tech and AI is not the first domino signaling a broader market collapse.
Detrick pointed out that broadening will likely be the theme for 2026. He characterized the recent tech weakness as a standard consolidation after a record-breaking 13-day win streak and noted that tech is simply back to where it was three months ago. Addressing historical patterns, Detrick acknowledged that a midterm year is typically the weakest in the four-year presidential cycle, often seeing a 17.5% peak-to-trough correction. He rejected the idea that the current bull market is old and explained that it has just entered its fourth year; over the last 50 years, bull markets of this age have lasted an average of eight years, with the shortest being five.
That being said, we’re here with a list of the 11 most active US stocks to buy according to analysts.
Our Methodology
We sifted through the Yahoo stock screener to compile a list of active US stocks that had high one-day volumes and average three-month volumes. We then selected 11 stocks that had an upside potential of over 30%. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of their upside potential. We have also added the hedge fund sentiment for each stock, as of Q3 2025, which was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database.
Note: All data was sourced on December 23.
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 427.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 264 percentage points (see more details here).
11 Most Active US Stocks to Buy According to Analysts
11. Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE)
Volume as of December 23: 12.017 million
Average Volume (3-Month): 17.396 million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 89
Average Upside Potential as of December 23: 31.29%
Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE) is one of the most active US stocks to buy according to analysts. On December 19, UBS analyst Jay Sole lowered the firm’s price target on Nike to $62 from $71 with a Neutral rating on the shares.
On the same day, Stifel analyst Peter McGoldrick also cut the firm’s price target on Nike to $65 from $68 while keeping a Hold rating on the shares. After the company released its FQ2 2026 financial results, the firm noted that Nike’s recovery remains inconsistent. While the quarter provided some upside and positive revenue growth, this was offset by a disappointing FQ3 outlook and a forecast for a low-single-digit decline in the topline. Given Nike’s current valuation premium compared to its footwear peers, the firm finds it difficult to justify a strong case for significant stock upside at this time.
A day before these ratings, Nike disclosed the FQ2 financial report, where the company achieved a total revenue increase of 1% year-over-year on a reported basis, which totaled $12.43 billion and exceeded estimates by $218.31 million. The company also made an EPS of $0.53, which beat guidance by $0.16. Performance across sales channels showed a shift toward wholesale, which grew by 8% globally. In contrast, Nike Direct revenues declined by 9%, weighed down by a 14% drop in Nike Digital and a 3% dip in physical Nike stores.
North America emerged as a major bright spot for the company, posting a 9% overall revenue increase fueled by a massive 24% surge in wholesale growth. Management remains optimistic about this market, citing strong consumer engagement and balanced growth between new and existing partners. In contrast, Greater China remains the company’s most significant challenge, with revenue plummeting 16% and Nike Digital sales in the region dropping by 36%. Other international regions also saw declines, with EMEA revenue down 1% and APLA revenue falling 4%.
Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE), together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, markets, and sells athletic and casual footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services for men, women, and kids in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Greater China, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America.
10. Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS)
Volume as of December 23: 37.243 million
Average Volume (3-Month): 83.346 million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 20
Average Upside Potential as of December 23: 31.42%
Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS) is one of the most active US stocks to buy according to analysts. On December 15, Stifel analyst Jonathan Siegmann initiated coverage of Ondas with a Buy rating and $13 price target. The firm believes that Ondas is positioned to lead the unmanned systems market. Stifel advised investors to overlook high current valuation multiples and suggested that these figures simply reflect the early stages of the drone industry’s disruptive integration into military operations.
Earlier on December 11, Needham analyst Austin Bohlig raised the firm’s price target on Ondas to $12 from $10, while maintaining a Buy rating on the shares. After two days of investor meetings with the CEO, the firm has grown increasingly optimistic about Ondas’ growth trajectory. Needham remains impressed by the company’s execution of both organic and inorganic strategies. Demand is now believed to be accelerating even faster than management projected during the Q3 2025 earnings call due to recent acquisitions and new contract wins.
In Q3 2025, Ondas Holdings reported record-breaking financial results that were headlined by a more than sixfold year-over-year revenue surge to $10.1 million. This growth was majorly driven by the Ondas Autonomous Systems/OAS division, which alone contributed $10 million. The company’s consolidated backlog doubled since the start of the year to $23.3 million, a figure expected to exceed $40 million by year-end. Consequently, management raised its full-year 2025 revenue target to ~$36 million and established an ambitious 2026 goal of ~$110 million.
Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS) provides private wireless, drone, and automated data solutions in the US and internationally. It operates through two segments: Ondas Networks and Ondas Autonomous Systems.
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