Earlier on August 29, Bob Keiser, Aspire Strategist Portfolios co-chief investment officer and senior market strategist, joined CNBC’s ‘Closing Bell Overtime’ to talk about the impact of a Fed cut on the economy and the state of growth. Keiser suggested that the earnings growth continues to be in large-cap and growth stocks. This is a position that Keiser and his firm have been bullish on for two years. The justification for this strategy is that these segments have been, and continue to be, where the earnings growth resides. When asked if an interest rate cut would change this view, Keiser stated that a cut would definitely help the macro story, but he also noted that the market, as shown by Fed fund rate predictions, is already pricing in an over 80% chance of a September cut and two cuts by the end of this year, suggesting a rate cut won’t move the macro needle that much.
Given the overrepresentation of certain large tech stocks in the S&P 500, Keiser agreed that investors should accept this as the new normal and get used to the fact that the top 10 stocks in the S&P comprise about 40% of the market cap. He provided a fundamental reason for this concentration: the growth slice of the S&P 500 is the only sector this year expected to post four quarters of double-digit earnings growth on top of four quarters of double-digit growth from last year. Furthermore, consensus expectations project another year of four consecutive quarters of double-digit earnings growth for this sector next year, confirming there is a fundamental reason why investors have embraced these stocks and are being rewarded.
That being said, we’re here with a list of the 12 best performing large cap stocks to buy.
Methodology
We sifted through the Finviz stock screener to compile a list of the top large-cap stocks that were trading between $10 billion and $200 billion with high year-to-date performances of over 40%. We narrowed down our selection to stocks with the most hedge fund ownership. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of their year-to-date performance. We’ve also added the hedge fund sentiment for each stock, as of Q2 2025.
Note: All data was sourced on September 29.
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 Performing Large Cap Stocks to Buy
12. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ALNY)
Market Capitalization as of September 29: $58.66 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 58
Year-to-Date Performance as of September 29: 90.17%
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ALNY) is one of the best performing large cap stocks to buy. On September 29, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals announced new data analyses from the HELIOS-B Phase 3 study of its RNAi therapeutic, called AMVUTTRA (vutrisiran), presented at the Heart Failure Society of America/HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting 2025.
The findings showed a reduction in gastrointestinal/GI events, which is a multisystem manifestation of transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis cardiomyopathy/ATTR-CM. Compared to placebo, treatment with vutrisiran led to a 42% lower rate of GI events in the overall population, a 37% lower rate in the vutrisiran monotherapy group, and a 49% lower rate in the group treated with tafamidis at baseline.
Importantly, individual symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting saw reductions of greater than 50% across all three groups, with the lower rate of GI events observed as early as three months into treatment. Vutrisiran is an RNAi therapeutic that achieves rapid knockdown of transthyretin/TTR, approved for treating the cardiomyopathy of wild-type or hereditary ATTR-CM and the polyneuropathy of hereditary ATTR-PN in adults.
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ALNY) is a biotech company that discovers, develops, and commercializes therapeutics based on ribonucleic acid interference.
11. Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LITE)
Market Capitalization as of September 29: $11.36 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 59
Year-to-Date Performance as of September 29: 93.66%
Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LITE) is one of the best performing large cap stocks to buy. On September 24, Lumentum Holdings announced the expansion of its Optical Circuit Switch/OCS product line with the new R64 platform, designed for AI data centers. The R64 is an OCS based on Lumentum’s proven MEMS technology and will initially launch as a 64×64-port product to serve lower-port-count applications.
Lumentum is scheduled to feature the new product at the ECOC exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark, which will take place from September 29 to October 1. The R64 complements the company’s existing high-port count R300 OCS 300×300 port product. The R64 uses decades of Lumentum’s in-house engineering expertise in MEMS technology, which is widely used in telecom applications and is supported by a deep patent portfolio and over one trillion field mirror operating hours.
R64 OCS includes very low power consumption, at less than 150 W for a switch carrying over 100 Tbps of optical traffic, and offers an 80% power reduction compared to packet-based switches. It provides exceptional optical performance due to MEMS technology, which avoids active mediums, resulting in low insertion loss and almost no polarization dependence. The platform offers flexible optical design, allowing scaling to 72×72 ports, uni- or bi-directional operation, and full any-to-any fiber connectivity.
Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LITE) manufactures and sells optical and photonic products internationally. It operates through two segments: Cloud & Networking and Industrial Tech.
10. Joby Aviation Inc. (NYSE:JOBY)
Market Capitalization as of September 29: $13.70 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31
Year-to-Date Performance as of September 29: 96.80%
Joby Aviation Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is one of the best performing large cap stocks to buy. On September 29, the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority/RAKTA, Joby Aviation, and Skyports Infrastructure announced a long-term collaboration to launch a passenger air taxi service network in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah/RAK by 2027.
The partnership brings together RAKTA’s governmental support, Skyports’ expertise in developing vertiport infrastructure, and Joby’s all-electric vertical takeoff and landing/eVTOL aircraft to design, develop, and operate RAK’s first air taxi service. The new service aligns with RAK’s 2030 Mobility Master Plan to meet the growing demand for fast and convenient transport.
The service is expected to begin with an inter-emirate corridor, connecting Joby’s planned service in Dubai with RAK, which is a major step in advancing the UAE’s air mobility vision. The corridor will connect to landmark hospitality developments in RAK, including Al Marjan Island, where the new Wynn Al Marjan is set to open in 2027, and Jebel Jais.
Joby Aviation Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is a vertically integrated air mobility company that builds electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft optimized for air transportation as a service in the US and Dubai.
9. AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)
Market Capitalization as of September 29: $15.41 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31
Year-to-Date Performance as of September 29: 100.59%
AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) is one of the best performing large cap stocks to buy. On September 25, AeroVironment announced the appointment of Johnathan Jones as Senior Vice President of Cyber and Mission Solutions/CMS. In this new role, Jones will lead the direction and operations of the CMS group to focus on strengthening AV’s advanced cyber, mission-enabling, and national security capabilities for US government and defense customers.
Johnathan Jones is a seasoned defense executive and US Air Force veteran with over two decades of experience in the position. He began his career as an officer in the US Air Force, supporting multiple space missions before separating at the rank of Captain. For the past 19 years, he has served in various leadership roles at AV.
Most recently, he was instrumental in the integration of more than 550 employees from the Defense and Interagency Services Business Unit/DISBU, establishing CMS as a cornerstone within AV’s Space Cyber and Directed Energy/SCDE segment. Jones earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace science engineering, graduating summa cum laude. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration.
AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) designs, develops, produces, delivers, and supports robotic systems and related services for government agencies and businesses in the US and internationally.
8. Cloudflare Inc. (NYSE:NET)
Market Capitalization as of September 29: $76.17 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 59
Year-to-Date Performance as of September 29: 102.99%
Cloudflare Inc. (NYSE:NET) is one of the best performing large cap stocks to buy. On September 26, Cloudflare announced a new partnership with Giga, which is a joint initiative of UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union/ITU for helping governments connect every school to the Internet worldwide. The partnership will use Cloudflare’s global network and its Speed Test solution to provide UNICEF with real-time data to better measure and monitor school Internet connectivity.
The global digital divide remains a significant challenge, with an estimated 1.3 billion children lacking home Internet access and nearly 50% of students unable to use the Internet daily at school. To address this, Cloudflare will conduct up to 10 million availability tests per month directly from schools to collect data on Internet speed, latency, and affordability.
The data will power Giga’s live open-source platform, Giga Maps, providing governments, the private sector, and civil society groups with the necessary insights to develop strategies, plan investments, and track progress toward bringing the Internet to underserved communities. Cloudflare’s global network, which includes data centers in over 330 cities worldwide, is positioned to minimize latency and provide accurate, real-time assessments globally to support Giga’s goal of universal school connectivity.
Cloudflare Inc. (NYSE:NET) is a cloud services provider that delivers several services to businesses worldwide. The company provides an integrated cloud-based security solution to secure a range of platforms, and website & application security products.
7. Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE:TME)
Market Capitalization as of September 29: $13.67 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31
Year-to-Date Performance as of September 29: 109.07%
Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE:TME) is one of the best performing large cap stocks to buy. On September 23, Tencent Music Entertainment Group announced that its Board of Directors approved the appointment of Jeanette Kim Yum Chan, an independent director, as a member of the audit committee. The appointment became effective on the same day.
Chan served as an independent director and, for Hong Kong Listing Rules purposes, an independent non-executive director of the TME Board since September 2022. She worked at Airwallex (Cayman) Limited, a global cross-border payments company, since 2019, and currently serves as its chief legal, compliance, and risk officer.
Before joining Airwallex, Chan was the managing partner of the China practice at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, an international law firm, from 1986 to 2019. Her practice focused on cross-border M&A and private equity investments, with a focus on JV transactions in the telecom, IT, and media markets in the Asia Pacific region. Chan holds several legal qualifications and can practice law in New York, British Columbia, and Hong Kong, and is a non-practising solicitor of England and Wales.
Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE:TME) is an online music entertainment platform that provides music streaming, online karaoke, and live streaming services in the People’s Republic of China.
6. Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd. (NASDAQ:CRDO)
Market Capitalization as of September 29: $25.26 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 48
Year-to-Date Performance as of September 29: 117.24%
Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd. (NASDAQ:CRDO) is one of the best performing large cap stocks to buy. On September 24, Credo Technology Group introduced its 224G PAM4 SerDes Intellectual Property/IP on TSMC’s industry-leading N3 process technology. The new IP offering is designed to provide the foundation for high-bandwidth, low-latency 1.6Tbps port connectivity solutions.
These solutions are critical for the deployment of next-gen AI, cloud computing, and hyperscale applications. The 224G per lane data transmission effectively doubles the data rate of Credo’s 112G PAM4 IP predecessor. The acceleration helps customers efficiently design cutting-edge connectivity solutions at 1.6T network speeds to scale massive, compute-intensive AI workloads.
The 1.6Tbps networking market is projected to reach $13 billion by 2028, with the market ramp beginning at the end of this year, according to Alan Weckel of the 650 Group. Credo’s SerDes IP family offers a range of signaling options spanning 28G to 224G, along with reach options including long reach plus/LR+, long reach/LR, medium reach/MR, and very short reach plus/VSR.
Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd. (NASDAQ:CRDO) provides various high-speed connectivity solutions for optical and electrical Ethernet and PCIe applications in the US, Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, and internationally.
5. Symbotic Inc. (NASDAQ:SYM)
Market Capitalization as of September 29: $31.73 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 17
Year-to-Date Performance as of September 29: 126.61%
Symbotic Inc. (NASDAQ:SYM) is one of the best performing large cap stocks to buy. On September 23, Symbotic announced a partnership on September 23 to roll out new battery technology for Symbotic’s SymBot autonomous mobile robots. The enhanced battery technology is designed to improve the performance and durability of Symbotic’s industry-leading warehouse automation system, to advance the company’s vision to reimagine the supply chain.
The new power solution provides 6x more energy capacity and is 40% lighter than the ultracapacitors currently used in SymBot mobile robots. The reduction in the overall weight of the power supply and increase in energy capacity enhance system reliability by extending the bots’ window of operability. Furthermore, the technology delivers an unparalleled cycle life, estimated to be at least 10x that of traditional Lithium-ion technology.
For larger, connected systems, the increased energy allows bots to perform substantially more work, be teleoperated for longer, and travel significantly further between charges, boosting flexibility, speed, and efficiency in moving goods. Symbotic began using this technology in production on a limited basis in June 2025. The company anticipates fully incorporating the batteries into new SymBot production starting in September 2025.
Symbotic Inc. (NASDAQ:SYM) is an automation technology company that develops technologies to enhance operating efficiencies in modern warehouses.
4. Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM)
Market Capitalization as of September 29: $92.86 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 66
Year-to-Date Performance as of September 29: 127.14%
Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM) is one of the best performing large cap stocks to buy. On September 29, Newmont Corporation announced a planned leadership succession. Tom Palmer, who has served as Chief Executive Officer/CEO since 2019, will resign from the Board of Directors and as CEO on December 31 this year.
Palmer, only the 10th CEO in Newmont’s 104-year history, served the company for more than a decade, having joined in 2014 as Senior Vice President, Indonesia, and was named Executive Vice President/EVP and Chief Operating Officer/COO by 2016. Palmer will then serve as Strategic Advisor until his final retirement on March 31, 2026, to support a seamless transition.
Natascha Viljoen, Newmont’s current President and Chief Operating Officer/COO, will succeed Tom Palmer as President and CEO, and will also join the Board of Directors on January 1, 2026. She will become the first woman to lead Newmont in its more than 100-year history. Viljoen joined Newmont in 2023 as EVP and COO, bringing over 3 decades of global leadership experience.
Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM) produces and explores gold properties. It also explores for copper, silver, zinc, lead, and other metals.
3. AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU)
Market Capitalization as of September 29: $34.89 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 25
Year-to-Date Performance as of September 29: 200.22%
AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) is one of the best performing large cap stocks to buy. On September 29, Latin Metals announced that AngloGold Argentina Exploraciones S.A., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of AngloGold Ashanti, plans to commence drilling at the Organullo Gold Project in Salta Province, Argentina.
AngloGold Ashanti holds an Option to earn up to an 80% interest in Latin Metals’ Organullo, Ana Maria, and Trigal Gold projects. The initial Phase I program will consist of 10 drill holes and ~6,000m of drilling. Latin Metals expects the first drill results to be available in Q1 2026. AngloGold Ashanti’s drilling is targeting a multi-million-ounce, Tier 1 discovery, using the Salares Norte gold deposit (which has a proven and probable reserve of 3.4Moz grading 5.36 g/t gold as of 2024) as a technical analogy.
The program will focus on testing three previously unexplored, advanced argillic alteration zones identified along a 6km-long strike length. District-scale geophysical anomalies, structural interpretation, surface geochemical data, and hyperspectral data all support the potential for gold mineralization discovery. Latin Metals also reported that it has secured the rights to the Malena VII mining property in Salta Province, following an application submitted to the mining authorities.
AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) is a gold mining company in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. It primarily explores for gold, as well as by-products, including silver and sulphuric acid.
2. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS)
Market Capitalization as of September 29: $14.87 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 33
Year-to-Date Performance as of September 29: 233.89%
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) is one of the best performing large cap stocks to buy. On September 22, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced that Brian Shepard has been appointed as the company’s Chief Information Officer/CIO. In this role, Shepard will be responsible for all information technology of the company, which includes information security, information compliance, and data communications.
Shepard has over 30 years of experience in the information technology field, with the last 20 years spent at Kratos in various capacities, having been an integral part of the company since 2006. Since 2021, he has held the position of Vice President of IT.
Before joining Kratos, Shepard was the Director of Infrastructure of Haverstick Consulting, which Kratos acquired in 2006. Before his commercial business career, he served four years in the US Marine Corps. He holds a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Marymount University.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) is a technology company that provides technology, products, and systems & software for the defense, national security, and commercial markets in the US, other North America, the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, and internationally.
1. Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO)
Market Capitalization as of September 29: $17.20 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36
Year-to-Date Performance as of September 29: 448.80%
Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO) is one of the best performing large cap stocks to buy. On September 29, Oklo and Sweden’s Blykalla announced a transatlantic partnership to boost advanced nuclear technology and accelerate its commercialisation. The collaboration focuses on technology sharing, supply chain coordination, and regulatory knowledge exchange to accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors.
Under the joint technology development agreement, Oklo and Blykalla will share insights on materials, components, and non-nuclear supply chain sourcing. They will also exchange licensing best practices across the US and Sweden. The cooperation is expected to reduce costs and mitigate schedule risks in the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies.
Oklo further reinforced the collaboration by committing $5 million to co-lead Blykalla’s next investment round. Additionally, Oklo may supply select components for Blykalla’s direct use, enhancing a vertically integrated, cross-border supply chain. The two companies are developing distinct advanced reactor designs: Blykalla is working on a passively safe, highly compact 55MW lead-cooled fast reactor, known as SEALER, based on more than 25 years of research.
Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO) develops advanced fission power plants to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale to customers in the US.
While we acknowledge the potential of OKLO 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 OKLO and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now.
Disclosure: None.
