On October 1, Keith Lerner, Chief Investment Officer at Truist Wealth, appeared on CNBC and stated that the shutdown fears are muted, and investors are not overly concerned right now. Discussing whether the shutdown is merely noise, or if there is other noise investors should either block out or pay attention to, Lerner specified that his word of the day, ‘noise’, was specific to the shutdown. He explained that historically, looking at the 20 past shutdowns, the S&P 500 has been flat and up 50% of the time during the actual shutdowns. He emphasized that while there may be short-term volatility, from a portfolio standpoint, investors should not make any real drastic changes. He predicted that in two weeks, earnings season starts again, and that will be the north star of the market.
The S&P saw a considerable gain during the most recent five-week shutdown under the Trump administration. But there are also worries about stagflation in the broader economy, particularly given a Moody’s data point that every week of the shutdown equates to about a tenth of a percent impact on quarterly GDP. Regarding this, Lerner conceded that the shutdown complicates the overall outlook, due to less data and the divergence between the labor market and other economic data. He countered the concern by noting that the Atlanta GDP estimate for the quarter is still around 3.9%, which implies that the shutdown doesn’t drastically change things. He still expects a bit of a pickup, but acknowledged that the shutdown just adds to some of the economic uncertainty in the short term.
Lerner also confirmed that the main theme for his firm’s bull market outlook is AI and tech. He stressed that a government shutdown is not likely to change the trajectory of tech and AI spending, which is where the strongest profit growth is. He concluded by addressing bubble fears: he noted that tech is up about 30% over the last year, which is still far from the closer to 100% on a year-over-year basis typically seen during true bubble periods, leading him to believe that there’s more to go in the sector.
That being said, we’re here with a list of the 12 best growth stocks to buy now.
Our Methodology
We sifted through the Finviz stock screener to compile a list of the top growth stocks. We then selected the 12 stocks that were the most popular among elite hedge funds and that analysts were bullish on. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q2 2025. The hedge fund data was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database.
Note: All data was sourced on October 9.
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 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
12 Best Growth Stocks to Buy Now
12. Infosys Limited (NYSE:INFY)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 30
Infosys Limited (NYSE:INFY) is one of the best growth stocks to buy now. On October 3, Infosys announced its collaboration with Telenor Shared Services/TSS to modernize TSS’s Human Resources/HR operations.
TSS is a global business services organization that provides systems, services, and support to Telenor Group. The core of this collaboration is the implementation of a new Oracle Fusion Cloud Human Capital Management/HCM solution to standardize HR processes and enhance both employee productivity and experience for TSS.
The project uses Infosys’ deep expertise in Oracle Cloud HCM implementations. HCM cloud solution will help TSS standardize and streamline processes, improve employee productivity, and harness the potential of embedded AI and cloud technology.
Infosys Limited (NYSE:INFY), together with its subsidiaries, provides consulting, technology, outsourcing, and digital services in North America, Europe, India, and internationally.
11. LiveRamp Holdings Inc. (NYSE:RAMP)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31
LiveRamp Holdings Inc. (NYSE:RAMP) is one of the best growth stocks to buy now. On October 1, LiveRamp announced the debut of new AI capabilities, including agentic tools, segmentation, and search. The company introduced these solutions to its platform to use its data collaboration network and deliver superior customer outcomes, with customers accessing the new tools in accordance with their organization’s AI policies.
LiveRamp is now the first platform to grant autonomous AI agents governed access to its data collaboration network. By connecting the trillions of signals from its network, LiveRamp enables secure, intelligent data collaboration at scale for the agentic ecosystem, powering multi-agent collaboration throughout the entire marketing lifecycle.
LiveRamp’s new agentic orchestration permits marketers to connect their own or partner agents via APIs. With controlled access to LiveRamp’s identity, segmentation, activation, measurement, clean rooms, and insights from 900 partners, marketers can utilize their preferred agents to make faster, better decisions.
LiveRamp Holdings Inc. (NYSE:RAMP) is a technology company that operates a data collaboration platform in the US, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, and internationally.
10. NextNav Inc. (NASDAQ:NN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 33
NextNav Inc. (NASDAQ:NN) is one of the best growth stocks to buy now. On September 25, NextNav announced the successful closing of an agreement to acquire additional Lower 900 MHz band licenses. The licenses were acquired from Telesaurus Holdings GB LLC and Skybridge Spectrum Foundation. This transaction enhances NextNav’s spectrum position and operational leadership within the Lower 900 MHz band.
This closing followed an earlier action by the Federal Communications Commission/FCC. Specifically, on June 20 this year, the FCC issued an order granting its consent to the assignment of 128 active M-LMS A-block licenses to NextNav. These acquired active low-band spectrum licenses operate in the same Lower 900 MHz band as all of NextNav’s existing licenses.
By using this licensed low-band spectrum and the global 5G ecosystem, NextNav is positioned to deliver an accurate, reliable, and resilient 3D PNT solution. The solution is intended to act as a wide-scale terrestrial complement and backup to GPS, protecting national security, public safety, and the economy.
NextNav Inc. (NASDAQ:NN) provides positioning, navigation, and timing/PNT solutions in the US. The company serves Wi-Fi, telecom, public safety, location apps, and critical infrastructure industries.
9. Novartis (NYSE:NVS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 34
Novartis (NYSE:NVS) is one of the best growth stocks to buy now. On September 30, Novartis announced the US FDA approval of its drug, Rhapsido (remibrutinib). This oral pill is approved for use in adult patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria/CSU whose symptoms persist despite treatment with H1 antihistamines.
Rhapsido is a pill taken twice daily and is significant because it is the first oral, targeted Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor/BTKi to be FDA-approved for CSU, offering a non-injectable option that does not require routine lab monitoring. Rhapsido targets the core mechanism of CSU, which is a mast cell-driven condition thought to be caused by immune dysregulation.
The drug works by blocking the activity of the BTK protein in immune cells, which in turn helps to inhibit the release of histamine and other proinflammatory mediators. This is a crucial development for the 1.7 million people in the US living with CSU, as over half of them remain symptomatic even with increased doses of standard antihistamines, and fewer than 20% of eligible patients currently receive existing injectable treatments.
Novartis (NYSE:NVS) researches, develops, manufactures, distributes, markets, and sells pharmaceutical medicines in Switzerland and internationally.
8. Samsara Inc. (NYSE:IOT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 41
Samsara Inc. (NYSE:IOT) is one of the best growth stocks to buy now. On October 1, Evercore ISI analyst Kirk Materne upgraded Samsara to Outperform from In Line with a price target of $50, up from $45. Evercore ISI believes that Samsara has a positive long-term future, citing its ability to exceed and raise financial expectations.
In the past month, Samsara reported its FQ2 2026 financial results, where the company’s ARR reached $1.6 billion, which was a 30% year-over-year increase. Customers with ARR of $100,000-plus accounted for 59% of the entire ARR.
Samsara also added a record 17 new customers with $1 million-plus ARR, which generated over 20% (~$350 million) of total ARR. The company’s Q2 revenue was $391 million, up 30% year-over-year. For Q3, Samsara expects revenue between $398 and $400 million, reflecting 24% growth.
Samsara Inc. (NYSE:IOT) provides solutions to connect physical operations data to its connected operations platform in the US and internationally.
7. Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 62
Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) is one of the best growth stocks to buy now. On October 2, Amgen announced that its landmark Phase 3 VESALIUS-CV clinical trial met its dual primary endpoints, confirming that Repatha (evolocumab) significantly reduced the risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events/MACE in high-risk individuals without a prior history of heart attack or stroke.
This makes Repatha the first and only PCSK9 inhibitor demonstrated to reduce cardiovascular events for both primary and secondary prevention. The trial’s dual primary endpoints were both reported as statistically and clinically significant, with no new safety signals observed. The full results are scheduled for presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions on November 8.
The VESALIUS-CV trial was a global, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study that enrolled over 12,000 high-risk adults with known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease/ASCVD or high-risk diabetes, but no history of heart attack or stroke.
Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) discovers, develops, manufactures, and delivers human therapeutics worldwide. The company serves healthcare providers, including physicians or their clinics, dialysis centers, hospitals, and pharmacies.
6. Natera Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 66
Natera Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) is one of the best growth stocks to buy now. On September 30, Natera announced the publication of a validation study for its personalized molecular residual disease test, Signatera, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology – Precision Oncology/JCO PO. The peer-reviewed manuscript features results from the largest-ever ctDNA study in testicular cancer and showed that Signatera outperformed standard-of-care serum tumor markers/STMs in prognostic evaluation.
The multicenter, retrospective study evaluated circulating tumor DNA/ctDNA as a prognostic biomarker for patients with germ cell tumors/GCTs, specifically testicular cancer, which accounts for ~95% of all GCTs and is the most common malignancy in men aged 15-35. The study analyzed 324 plasma samples from 74 patients with testicular cancer across stages I-III.
Signatera was used to assess ctDNA levels before, during, and after treatment to determine its association with event-free survival. Testicular cancer management is often complicated by the limited utility of conventional STMs, which can lead to unnecessary chemotherapy. Findings showed that Signatera-positivity was significantly associated with shorter EFS, highlighting its unique value to reliably detect molecular residual disease and predict clinical outcomes.
Natera Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) is a diagnostics company that provides molecular testing services worldwide. It serves independent laboratories, national & regional reference laboratories, medical centers & physician practices, research laboratories, and pharmaceutical companies.
5. Cadence Design Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CDNS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 68
Cadence Design Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CDNS) is one of the best growth stocks to buy now. On September 25, Cadence Molecular Sciences (or OpenEye), which is a business unit of Cadence Design Systems, announced the launch of ROCS X, an AI-enabled virtual screening solution. The new solution is designed to allow scientists to conduct 3D searches of trillions of synthetically accessible drug-like molecules, unlocking multi-trillion molecule virtual screening capability.
ROCS X achieves its breakthrough scale and efficiency by building on the Cadence Orion Molecular Design Platform. It unites the proven OpenEye OMEGA conformer generation and ROCS (Rapid Overlay of Chemical Structures) virtual screening software products with an AI-enabled 3D search engine. The system can create 3D representations of molecules along with electrostatics, which delivers a performance increase of at least three orders of magnitude over current approaches
The ROCS X technology was developed and validated through a collaboration with Treeline Biosciences, which is a biotechnology firm focused on serious medical conditions like cancer. In validation testing, ROCS X was compared to the traditional FastROCS enumerated search and found 97% identical molecules from a set of 1,000. The technology enables customers to search over a thousand times more molecules in the synthon space.
Cadence Design Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CDNS) is a technology company that provides software, hardware, and other services worldwide.
4. Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 92
Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is one of the best growth stocks to buy now. On October 7, Merck & Co. announced the completion of its acquisition of Verona Pharma (NASDAQ:VRNA). Verona Pharma is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Merck. The acquisition is valued at ~$10 billion and was executed under the terms of an agreement where Merck, through a subsidiary, acquired all outstanding shares of Verona Pharma.
The acquisition strengthens and complements Merck’s cardio-pulmonary portfolio with the addition of Ohtuvayre (ensifentrine). Ohtuvayre is a first-in-class selective dual inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 3 and 4 (PDE3 and PDE4) and was approved by the US FDA in June 2024 for the maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/COPD in adult patients.
It is the first novel inhaled mechanism for COPD maintenance treatment in more than 20 years. Ohtuvayre is also currently being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.
Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) operates as a healthcare company worldwide. The company offers human health pharmaceuticals for various areas under several brands. It also provides veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines & health management solutions and services.
3. Snowflake Inc. (NYSE:SNOW)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 100
Snowflake Inc. (NYSE:SNOW) is one of the best growth stocks to buy now. On October 2, Snowflake announced Snowflake Cortex AI for Financial Services. This comprehensive suite of AI capabilities and partnerships is designed to empower financial services companies to unify their data ecosystems and securely deploy AI models, applications, and agents using that data.
A key feature is the inclusion of rigorous security and compliance controls required by regulated industries. A central component of the new offering is the Model Context Protocol/MCP Server, which is now available in public preview. This managed server enables organizations to easily and securely leverage their proprietary data along with third-party data from Snowflake partners.
Customers can then use this MCP Server to connect their data with various apps and agent platforms to build context-rich AI agents and apps that operate seamlessly across the data and AI ecosystems. The Cortex AI for Financial Services ecosystem provides access to high-quality, trusted data from leading financial data providers and publishers.
Snowflake Inc. (NYSE:SNOW) is a technology company that provides a cloud-based data platform for various organizations in the US and internationally.
2. Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 115
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is one of the best growth stocks to buy now. On October 9, RBC Capital analyst Tom Narayan maintained a Buy rating on Tesla and set a price target of $500.00. This rating came ahead of the company’s Q3 2025 earnings report. As for Q2, Tesla reported making $22.50 billion in total sales. This represented an 11.78% decline year-over-year.
However, the company’s automotive revenue saw a 19% sequential increase, with total vehicle deliveries improving by 14%. The company generated $146 million in free cash flow. Despite these gains, costs were impacted by tariffs, resulting in a sequential cost increase of $300 million for both the automotive and energy sectors, with further increases anticipated.
Additionally, the impending expiration of consumer credits for residential storage by the end of the year poses challenges to the energy business. The company anticipated potentially rough quarters ahead due to the loss of US incentives and the inherent risks of being in the early stages of autonomy development.
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) designs, develops, manufactures, leases, and sells electric vehicles and energy generation & storage systems in the US, China, and internationally.
1. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 119
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is one of the best growth stocks to buy now. On October 7, Eli Lilly and Company announced new data from the LUCENT-3 Phase 3 open-label extension study demonstrating that its drug, Omvoh (mirikizumab-mrkz), is the first and only interleukin-23p19 (IL-23p19) antagonist to provide patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis/UC with sustained, long-term comprehensive outcomes for up to four years.
The results showed benefits across multiple symptomatic, clinical, endoscopic, histologic, and quality-of-life measures, including in patients who had previously failed a biologic or advanced therapy (27% of the study population). The LUCENT-3 study evaluated patients who achieved clinical remission with Omvoh after one year in the Phase 3 LUCENT-2 study.
The long-term safety profile of Omvoh in patients with moderately to severely active UC remained consistent with its known profile, with no new safety signals observed. Among patients who completed one year of blinded Omvoh maintenance therapy in LUCENT-2 and continued into LUCENT-3, 12% reported a serious adverse event, and 7% discontinued treatment due to an adverse event.
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals in the US, Europe, China, Japan, and internationally.
While we acknowledge the potential of LLY to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LLY and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now.
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