On August 21, Matthew Miskin, Manulife John Hancock Investments’ co-chief investment strategist, joined ‘The Exchange’ on CNBC to discuss the market levels and where investors can find quality stocks. Miskin acknowledged that today’s market reminds people that it was anticipating rate cuts. He noted that the economy was accelerating in August, based on recent PMI data, which caused a sell-off in the market. He believes that there is value in the stocks that are currently being sold off, particularly high-quality stocks, which he thinks have been underappreciated in terms of earnings growth and will make a comeback in H2 of the year. Miskin recommended that investors return to these quality stocks, using their strong balance sheets, high return on equity, and favorable profit margins to navigate the volatility.
Miskin identified several sectors where investors can find quality stocks, with tech being the poster child. He pointed to its strong earnings growth, balance sheets, and profit margins. While he admitted that valuations in the tech sector are rich, he asserted that its earnings growth is among the best in the world. He also mentioned the communication services sector as having a similar story. Furthermore, he saw potential in industrials and cited high-quality companies that are benefiting from the on-shoring capital expenditure boom across the country. He emphasized that the broader market has reached the limits of multiple expansion, and the key driver for returns from now on will be earnings growth.
That being said, we’re here with a list of the 12 best QQQ stocks to buy right now.
Our Methodology
We sifted through the Invesco QQQ exchange-traded fund (ETF) holdings to find the 12 best 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, which tracks the moves of over 1000 elite money managers.
Note: All Data was Sourced on September 1.
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 QQQ Stocks to Buy Right Now
12. Synopsys Inc. (NASDAQ:SNPS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 66
Synopsys Inc. (NASDAQ:SNPS) is one of the best QQQ stocks to buy right now. On September 3, KeyBanc analyst Jason Celino raised the firm’s price target on Synopsys to $660 from $610, while keeping an Overweight rating on the shares ahead of quarterly results. This will be the first quarter at the company where it will report its combined financials and guidance, inclusive of the recently closed Ansys deal. KeyBanc expects Ansys to contribute ~$100 million in Q3 2025, and ~$750 million in FY2025.
Earlier this year, Synopsys reported a revenue of $1.6 billion in Q2, which was a 10% increase year-over-year. The company’s backlog grew by $400 million quarter-on-quarter and reached $8.1 billion. As of the end of the quarter, Synopsys had $14.3 billion in cash and short-term investments and $10.1 billion in debt.
Design Automation revenue particularly reached $1.12 billion, which marked a 6% year-over-year increase. The Design IP segment saw a 21% revenue increase and made $492 million. This growth was attributed to strong demand for high-speed SerDes IP and other interface IP. Synopsys generated ~$220 million in free cash flow during the quarter.
Synopsys Inc. (NASDAQ:SNPS) provides electronic design automation software products used to design and test integrated circuits. It operates in 2 segments: Design Automation and Design IP.
11. CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 66
CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) is one of the best QQQ stocks to buy right now. On August 28, Scotiabank analyst Patrick Colville lowered the firm’s price target on CrowdStrike to $440 from $480, while maintaining a Sector Perform rating on the shares. The firm continues to be impressed with the company’s delivery following its Falcon Outage Incident in July 2024. However, the firm does remain cautious and barely increased its revenue target for FY2026.
This sentiment followed the company’s FQ2 2026 earnings report, where CrowdStrike Holdings’ total revenue grew by 21% year-over-year to $1.17 billion, with subscription revenue at $1.10 billion, which itself was a 20% increase. The professional services revenue also stood at a record $66 million. Net new Annual Recurring Revenue/ARR reached a record $221 million. The ending ARR stood at $4.66 billion, which was a 20% increase.
The combined ARR from its Cloud, Next-Gen Identity, and Next-Gen SIEM products exceeded $1.56 billion, growing over 40% year-over-year. The company’s cash position remains strong, with a record $4.97 billion in cash and cash equivalents. It also reported a record Q2 free cash flow of $284 million, representing 24% of revenue.
CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) provides cybersecurity solutions. Its unified platform provides cloud-delivered protection of endpoints, cloud workloads, identity, and data through a SaaS subscription-based model.
10. Cadence Design Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CDNS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 68
Cadence Design Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CDNS) is one of the best QQQ stocks to buy right now. On August 27, Cadence Design Systems finalized its acquisition of the Arm Artisan Foundation IP business. The acquisition includes standard cell libraries, memory compilers, and general-purpose I/Os (GPIOs) that are optimized for advanced process nodes at leading foundries.
The newly acquired assets will enhance Cadence’s existing design IP portfolio, which already features a strong collection of protocol and interface IP, memory interface IP, and SerDes IP for advanced nodes. The acquisition reflects Cadence’s goal to improve customers’ time to market and optimize the cost, power, and performance of SoC designs.
For the current year, the acquisition is expected to be immaterial to both revenue and earnings. Cadence is a market leader in AI and digital twins, and its computational software is used to accelerate engineering design from silicon to systems. In 2024, the Wall Street Journal recognized Cadence as one of the world’s top 100 best-managed companies.
Cadence Design Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CDNS) is a company that provides software, hardware, and other services worldwide.
9. Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 69
Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) is one of the best QQQ stocks to buy right now. On September 2, Avex, which is a Premier Shopify Partner, and Shopify, together, announced the launch of “Outgrown the Homegrown,” which is a new framework designed for enterprise and high-growth merchants. The multiphased program helps brands transition from outdated, custom commerce platforms to Shopify’s infrastructure.
The “Outgrown the Homegrown” framework is a structured, 4-month pathway that provides a predictable and de-risked migration process. According to Avex CEO John Surdakowski, the program allows businesses to reduce costs and modernize their e-commerce presence with confidence.
The effectiveness of this framework is demonstrated by the case of Quip, which is a brand that migrated from a costly and brittle system to Shopify in under 4 months. Post-migration, Quip experienced up to a 36% lower total cost of ownership and up to a 37% faster time-to-value, gaining access to 10,000+ integrations. Meredith Glansberg, CEO of Quip, noted that the partnership with Avex enabled them to move more quickly and take full advantage of the Shopify ecosystem.
Avex specializes in helping brands streamline their commerce operations across DTC, B2B, and in-store channels, offering services that include platform migrations, retention, CX, and CRO.
Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) is a commerce technology company that provides tools to start, scale, market, and run a business of various sizes in Canada, the US, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America.
8. Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 76
Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU)is one of the best QQQ stocks to buy right now. On August 22, JPMorgan lowered the price target on Intuit to $750 from $770, while keeping an Overweight rating on the shares following the earnings report. The company’s FY2025 is modestly above on a dollar basis, but slightly below consensus on a growth percentage basis. However, Intuit’s FQ4 2025 results did beat estimates despite a slight Mailchimp revenue contraction.
The company’s total revenue for FY2025 grew by 16%, which reached $18.8 billion. In the fourth quarter, revenue was $3.8 billion, which was a 20% increase. The company also saw an improvement in profitability, with FQ4 GAAP operating income of $339 million, a stark contrast to a loss of $151 million in the same period last year. Non-GAAP operating income was $1 billion, up 39% year-over-year.
The Consumer Group’s revenue grew 10% for FY2025. Within this segment, TurboTax Live revenue saw a remarkable 47% growth, and its customers grew by 24%. Credit Karma’s revenue also grew at 32% for the full fiscal year. The Global Business Solutions Group’s revenue increased by 18% in FQ4. QuickBooks All-in Accounting revenue grew 23% in Q4. Online Services revenue was up 19% in Q4, or 29% when excluding Mailchimp, which has been a drag on growth but is expected to return to double-digit growth by the end of FY2026. The Desktop Ecosystem revenue also saw a 10% increase in Q4.
Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) provides financial management, compliance, and marketing products & services. It has 4 segments: Small Business & Self-Employed, Consumer, Credit Karma, and ProTax.
7. Analog Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:ADI)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 79
Analog Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:ADI) is one of the best QQQ stocks to buy right now. On August 21, Truist raised the firm’s price target on Analog Devices to $249 from $219, while keeping a Hold rating on the shares. Before this sentiment was reported, the company also announced its Q3 2025 earnings report on August 20.
Revenue for the quarter was $2.88 billion, which marked a 25% year-over-year increase. This was driven by a robust demand across all its end markets, with every segment achieving double-digit growth year-over-year. The industrial segment, which makes up 45% of total revenue, grew 23%. The automotive segment, which represents 30% of revenue, grew 22%, while the communications and consumer segments, each at 13% of revenue, grew by 40% and 21%, respectively.
The company’s profitability also saw significant improvement, with the GAAP gross margin being 62.1%, up from 56.7% in the previous year, with a non-GAAP gross margin of 69.2%. The non-GAAP operating margin was 42.2%, a 1% increase year-over-year. The GAAP diluted EPS was $1.04, and the non-GAAP diluted EPS was $2.05, a 30% increase.
Analog Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:ADI) designs, manufactures, tests, and markets ICs, software, and subsystems products in the US, North & South America, Europe, Japan, China, and Asia.
6. Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 81
Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is one of the best QQQ stocks to buy right now. On August 20, Vijay Rakesh from Mizuho Securities downgraded Applied Materials to a Hold, with a price target of $170.00. Preceding this announcement came the company’s Q3 2025 earnings report, where Applied Materials recorded a strong demand for semiconductor systems and services.
The company’s total net revenue was ~$7.3 billion, which was an 8% increase year-over-year. This includes Semiconductor Systems revenue of $5.43 billion, which was up 10%; Applied Global Services revenue of $1.6 billion, up 1%; and Display revenue of $263 million. The company’s financial health is strong, with cash and cash equivalents of $5.4 billion and debt of $6.3 billion.
Applied Materials’ non-GAAP EP reached a record $2.48, which was a 17% increase year-over-year. The company’s CEO, Gary Dickerson, stated that the company is on track for its sixth consecutive year of revenue growth in FY2025, with a mid-single-digit growth rate expected. The company is also making strategic investments, including over $200 million in a new manufacturing facility in Arizona, and plans to more than double its advanced packaging business to over $3 billion in the coming years.
Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) provides manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries. The company has 3 segments: Semiconductor Systems, Applied Global Services, and Display.
5. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 82
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is one of the best QQQ stocks to buy right now. On August 29, Intel announced that it amended its CHIPS Act funding agreement with the US Department of Commerce. The new deal allows Intel to receive ~$5.7 billion in cash sooner than initially scheduled by removing certain project milestones.
The amended agreement also maintains some restrictions, preventing Intel from using the funds for dividends and share buybacks, or expanding operations in certain countries. As part of the overall agreement, the US government made a total investment of $11.1 billion in Intel, which consists of $2.2 billion in previously received grants and an $8.9 billion investment.
This investment gives the US government a 9.9% equity stake in Intel, with the company issuing 274.6 million shares to the government and providing an option to purchase up to 240.5 million more shares under specific conditions. Intel has also placed 158.7 million shares in an escrow account to be released once the government makes more CHIPS funds available for the Secure Enclave program, which aims to expand advanced chip manufacturing.
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells computing and related products and services worldwide.
4. Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 85
Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) is one of the best QQQ stocks to buy right now. On September 2, Morgan Stanley analyst Shane Brett downgraded Lam Research Corporation to Underweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $92, down from $94. Lam Research Corporation regained market share, led by NAND, China, and share gains at TSM.
Earlier in FQ4 2025, the company’s revenue for the quarter was $5.17 billion, which was a 9.6% increase from the previous quarter. The company also reported strong profitability, with a non-GAAP gross margin of 50.3%, up from 49.0% in the previous quarter. The company’s financial position also strengthened, with cash reserves increasing to $6.4 billion.
Deferred revenue grew to $2.681 billion, indicating strong future sales potential. The company’s non-GAAP operating income as a percentage of revenue rose to 34.4%. Lam Research also raised its forecast for the wafer fabrication equipment/WFE market for 2025 to $105 billion, attributing the increase to improved demand from China.
Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) designs, manufactures, markets, refurbishes, and services semiconductor processing equipment used in the fabrication of ICs in the US, China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
3. Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 105
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) is one of the best QQQ stocks to buy right now. Effective August 25, Qualcomm Incorporated announced key changes to its finance leadership. Neil Martin, who previously served as Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Accounting Officer, transitioned into the role of Senior Vice President, Corporate Development. In this new position, he will be responsible for the company’s M&A and other strategic growth initiatives.
Patricia Grech was appointed as the new Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. Grech has a long history with Qualcomm, having joined the company in 2006. Most recently, she held the position of Vice President, Finance and Controller. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and Finance from Miami University of Ohio and an MBA from The Ohio State University.
In her new role, Grech’s base salary is set at $380,546 per year. Starting in fiscal year 2026, her target bonus under the company’s Annual Cash Incentive Plan will increase to 35% of her base salary. She will also receive a promotion grant of restricted stock units valued at $85,000. In addition, she will continue to be a part of Qualcomm’s standard benefit programs.
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) develops and commercializes foundational technologies for the wireless industry worldwide. It has 3 segments: Qualcomm CDMA Technologies/QCT, Qualcomm Technology Licensing/QTL, and Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives/QSI.
2. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 156
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is one of the best QQQ stocks to buy right now. On September 3, Bloomberg reported that Apple is planning an upgrade to its Siri voice assistant, scheduled to launch in spring 2026. The company is developing a new AI-powered search feature, internally referred to as World Knowledge Answers, to transform Siri from a limited voice assistant into a complete answer engine.
The answer engine would be capable of providing detailed responses by pulling information from across the internet, similar to ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews. The goal is to integrate AI tech into Apple’s ecosystem, with plans to weave it into Safari and Spotlight searches on iPhones and Macs in future updates.
For this, Apple is testing various LLMs, which include Google’s Gemini AI and Anthropic’s Claude, while also training its own proprietary models for specific tasks. The move is a step for Apple to more directly compete with other major players in the AI search space.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and accessories worldwide.
1. Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 235
Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is one of the best QQQ stocks to buy right now. On September 2, Nvidia addressed what it called “erroneous chatter” regarding a supply shortage of its H100 and H200 AI chips. In a statement posted on X, the company denied reports that its high-end GPUs were “sold out” and asserted it has enough inventory to fulfill all customer orders without delay.
This denial came after its stock shares dropped by more than 3% following market speculation. The company’s clarification was also in response to recent comments made by CEO Jensen Huang during an earnings call, where he had alluded to strong market buzz about the chips being sold out due to high demand. Nvidia has since stated that while demand is indeed strong and cloud partners are renting out all available units, this does not mean the company is unable to fulfill new orders.
Nvidia further denied claims that the production of its China-exclusive H20 GPU, designed to comply with US export restrictions, was limiting the supply of its H100, H200, or its next-generation Blackwell products. The company confirmed that selling the H20 has no impact on the availability of its other products.
Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is a computing infrastructure company that provides graphics and compute & networking solutions in the US, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and internationally.
While we acknowledge the potential of NVDA 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 NVDA and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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