In this article, we will take a look at the 12 Best Most Active Stocks to Buy Right Now.
Stocks went on a wild ride before stabilizing at the start of the 3rd week of 2026 following Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s statements claiming that President Trump was attempting to pressure the central bank into decreasing interest rates with the prospect of a criminal prosecution. The S&P 500 fell 0.4% for the week, while the Dow dropped 0.3%. At the same time, the Nasdaq finished down 0.7% for the week. Speaking on market outlook over this, Jim Lebenthal, chief markets strategist at Cerity Partners stated the following on CNBC:
“The impact of Chairman Powell being under investigation is likely a long-term impact, meaning it’s not going to change interest rates in the near term; it’s not going to change inflation in the near term.”
Back in 2025, the markets mostly ignored the President’s attempts to put pressure on the Fed, which went on to decrease interest rates three times as inflation steadied. However, the Fed is generally projected to postpone additional cuts when it meets later this month, waiting to observe how the inflation outlook and economy evolves this year.
Meanwhile, on December 9, the Labor Department reported that nonfarm payrolls climbed by 50,000 in December, falling short of analyst forecasts of 73,000. However, the unemployment rate fell to 4.4% in the same month, from 4.5% the previous month.
This drop in the unemployment rate, combined with a modest decline in job gains, rekindled investor confidence that the economy continues to fare well and will eventually improve.
Our Methodology
For this list, we sifted through ETFs, such as the iShares S&P 500 ETF, and picked blue chip stocks with the highest 3-month average volumes. For each holding, we have also added the hedge fund sentiment, as of Q3 2025, which was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database.
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).
12. PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)
Avg Volume: 7.58 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 68
PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) ranks among the best most active to buy right now. JPMorgan raised PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) from Neutral to Overweight on December 10, increasing its price target to $164 from $151. The boost comes after Pepsico’s recent press release highlighting initiatives to increase shareholder return, which featured early guidance for 2026.
Analyst Andrea Teixeira claimed that PepsiCo’s enhanced strategic plan “should position PEP to drive HSD total shareholder return (TSR) in 2026,” and that its stock would continue to trade “at a steep high-teens discount” to reputable competition.
JPMorgan also highlighted that, while there have been no major deviations in the company’s business objectives, which were primarily based on Pepsico’s existing programs, progressively higher productivity targets combined with improved top-line growth provide a solid outlook. The firm added that the integration of Siete and Poppi in the second half of the year, as well as improved Alani Nu distribution, “sets the company up for better organic top-line performance.”
One of the most well-known names in the world, PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) is an American multinational company involved in the food, snack, and beverage sectors.
11. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY)
Avg Volume: 15.59 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 76
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) ranks among the best most active to buy right now. On January 7, UBS upgraded Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) to Buy from Neutral, raising its price target to $65 from $46. Analyst Michael Yee noted a severely skewed risk/reward ratio to the potential in the latter half of 2026, with three to four key triggers that may propel the stock up as much as 25%.
The firm highlighted that Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) will face loss of exclusivity challenges up to 2028, resulting in consensus reservations and a fairly low price-to-earnings ratio of 9x. Despite these obstacles, UBS estimates that the current stock price reflects the majority of the $20-30 billion LOE damage projected through 2028, albeit failing to account for future positive developments.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) also showed recent findings at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, highlighting updates on its lymphoma treatments, including the experimental drug golcadomide and the CAR T cell therapy Breyanz.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and manufactures innovative medicines to treat serious diseases. Its medicines fall into various therapeutic classes, including hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, and neuroscience.
10. Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK)
Avg Volume: 13.45 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 92
Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) ranks among the best most active to buy right now. With a raised price target of $130 per share, BMO Capital Markets upgraded Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) to Outperform on December 18, stating that the pharmaceutical company is working on a portfolio that can continue growth beyond the loss of exclusivity for the widely used cancer medication Keytruda later in the decade.
Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) reported a Gardasil sales beat in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, its first in over a year, easing a major stock overhang. Gardasil sales estimates for fiscal 2026 have already been drastically reduced during the last two years, according to BMO, thus resetting expectations and potentially allowing for upside.
BMO also predicts higher commercial performance from emerging products like Enflonsia, Reblozyl, and Welireg. The firm cited a significant difference between its own 2026 sales expectation for Enflonsia and current consensus forecasts, stating that previous success with similar medications warrants an improved revenue outlook.
Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is a healthcare company that offers human health pharmaceuticals, veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines & health management solutions and services.
9. Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM)
Avg Volume: 15.58 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 93
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) ranks among the best most active to buy right now. On January 9, UBS reaffirmed its Buy rating and $145 price target for Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), citing the company’s underrated global refining capabilities. Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) holds roughly 4.1 million barrels per day of refining capacity over 15 refineries around the globe, with four in the US and 11 with ownership equity.
UBS notes that these refining facilities offer financial stability and act as an intrinsic hedge against falling crude prices, noting that every $1 per barrel improvement in prospective refining margin contributes $800 million to ExxonMobil’s energy-related earnings.
The firm anticipates that indicative refining margins in the first half of 2026 will be roughly $3 per barrel more than in the first half of 2025, resulting in an anticipated FCF as high as $5,005 million for ExxonMobil’s energy products division from 2026 to 2029.
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) is an integrated energy company that explores for, produces, and refines oil and natural gas, while also operating a large chemical business.
8. Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT)
Avg Volume: 19.02 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 104
Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) ranks among the best most active to buy right now. Truist Securities boosted its price target for Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) to $127 from $119 on December 17, retaining a Hold rating on the retail giant’s shares. The firm emphasized Walmart’s solid performance across all business areas, highlighting the company’s sustained top-line growth as its value offering continues to appeal to price-conscious consumers.
According to Truist, Walmart’s expanding convenience alternatives are allowing the company to gain greater market dominance from higher-income consumers, positioning it to compete with an increasing number of other retailers in the industry.
Meanwhile, BMO Capital reiterated its Outperform rating for the retail giant after speaking with the company’s investor relations team in New York City in December. The firm noted a number of major investor interest themes discussed during the meetings, namely Walmart’s goals for 2026 and the impact of AI on multiple aspects of the retailer’s business activities.
Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) ranks as the world’s largest brick-and-mortar retailer, with over 100,000 stores. The company’s sectors include Walmart US, Walmart International, and Sam’s Club, which provide a wide range of products, including clothes, electronics, and home furnishings.
7. The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA)
Avg Volume: 8.33 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 106
The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) ranks among the best most active to buy right now. On January 6, Bernstein SocGen Group boosted its price target for The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) to $277 from $267, while maintaining an Outperform rating on the company’s shares. The firm named Boeing its “top pick in the US for 2026,” saying that the aerospace company had made great progress in resolving major challenges with its 737 and 787 plane programs in the last six months.
Bernstein SocGen also praised Boeing’s noticeable recovery in its defense division, citing “few new charges” along with the company’s F-47 contract win as encouraging developments.
Meanwhile, on December 29, Tigress Financial Partners maintained its Buy rating and $275 price target for The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), highlighting the company’s position as a “uniquely leveraged global aerospace and national-security growth engine.” The firm cited Boeing’s Q3 2025 results, which indicated a comeback in deliveries and an expanding backlog, resulting in faster earnings and financial growth.
The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) is a global aerospace leader that designs, manufactures, and supports commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense systems, and space technologies.
6. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM)
Avg Volume: 8.33 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 120
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) ranks among the best most active to buy right now. In response to JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM)’s fourth-quarter earnings, TD Cowen reaffirmed its Buy rating and $400 price target for the bank on January 14. Following the fourth-quarter earnings announcement from JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM), TD Cowen reiterated its Buy rating and $400 price target for the bank. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) reported earnings per share of $5.23, compared to the expected $4.86. The company’s revenue also topped expectations, reaching $46.77 billion versus $46.25 billion. The earnings beat was mostly attributed to reduced costs and lower core provision expenses.
Despite the solid earnings figures, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) shares plummeted 4% following the release, owed in part to investment banking fees falling short of estimates for the quarter. Analyst Steven Alexopoulos described the downturn as “unwarranted,” pointing to a “very constructive backdrop” for investment banking activity and loan rise in 2026.
Meanwhile, RBC Capital analyst Gerard Cassidy stated that JPMorgan’s diverse business strategy and important investments over the last decade had resulted in both a “fortress balance sheet” and a “highly profitable diversified banking model.” Under CEO Jamie Dimon’s direction, RBC anticipates that JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) should “continue to reward long-term shareholders with above-average profitability and returns in the future.”
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) is a multinational financial services company that offers investment banking in addition to consumer and small business financial services.
5. Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)
Avg Volume: 77.98 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 120
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) ranks among the best most active to buy right now. On January 8, Piper Sandler reaffirmed its Overweight rating and $500 price target for Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), stating that investment portfolios ought to keep “at least slightly Overweight” holdings in the company’s shares.
Piper Sandler stated that, even with its strong long-term prospects, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) doesn’t necessarily merit “especially high conviction” unless the company improves its financial reporting for growing segments. The firm emphasized the necessity for further “quantifiable financial evidence” regarding Tesla’s FSD technology and robo-taxi efforts.
Meanwhile, Truist Securities reduced its price target for Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) to $439 from $444 on January 5, following Tesla’s announcement that it delivered 418,000 vehicles in Q4 2025, lagging behind both consensus forecasts and Truist’s own estimates. Despite the supply delay, Tesla’s shares remained resilient, which Truist saw as indicative of a “better than feared” market response.
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) designs, develops, manufactures, leases, and sells EVs, and energy generation and storage systems in the US, China, and internationally through two segments: Automotive and Energy Generation & Storage.
4. Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER)
Avg Volume: 18.35 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 143
Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) ranks among the best most active to buy right now. On January 6, BofA Securities reaffirmed its Buy rating on Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) with a $119 price target, noting the company’s key position in the autonomous vehicle (AV) sector. The firm sees NVIDIA’s autonomous vehicle activities as crucial to Uber’s prospects, pointing out that Nvidia is a powerful partner working with Uber on expediting the deployment of Level 4 autonomous technology.
According to BofA Securities, Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) would have greater opportunities of purchasing and renting autonomous vehicles for its network in the event that various AV manufacturers produced Level 4 vehicles. In addition, this would give consumers methods to monetize their AVs through Uber’s platform.
Melius Research, on the other hand, downgraded Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) from Hold to Sell, citing concerns about increased competition in the AV industry, which might have an impact on Uber’s market share. Melius stated that Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) has set itself up as a demand aggregator for future AV competitors through partnerships and investments, but cautioned that AV competition is expected to increase in 2026 and beyond, potentially reducing returns even with Uber’s partnership strategy.
Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) is a prominent global supplier of ride-hailing, food delivery, and freight services. Since its inception, the company has revolutionized urban transportation by bringing drivers and passengers together via its mobile app.
3. Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX)
Avg Volume: 45.12 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 154
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) ranks among the best most active to buy right now. Monness, Crespi, Hardt reiterated its Neutral rating for Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) on January 15, prior to the company’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings report on January 20. Monness believes Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) will reach its Q4 revenue target of $11.989 billion and roughly match its EPS estimate of $0.58.
Monness forecasts Q1 2026 revenues of $12.398 billion, up 18% year-over-year, and EPS of $0.81, with Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) likely to provide projections for 2026 in its future earnings release.
On the other hand, the NFLX stock climbed only 5% in 2025, lagging its peers. The streaming giant saw selling pressure in the fourth quarter, which persisted following its December statement of plans to buy Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion. The acquisition plan drew opposition from Paramount Skydance, which made an all-cash offer of $30 per share for the entirety of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is a global entertainment company offering a subscription-based streaming service for TV shows, movies, documentaries, and games.
2. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V)
Avg Volume: 6.16 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 179
Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) ranks among the best most active to buy right now. On December 24, Baird reiterated its Outperform rating on Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) with a $425 price target based on the company’s announcement of a $500 million financing for its litigation escrow account, which will result in revisions to the rate of conversion of its class B-1 and B-2 common stock into class A common stock.
According to Baird’s analysis of the arrangement, the litigation escrow funding establishes a pool for bank-covered litigation while also reducing bank stakes in Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) by cutting share conversion rates.
Baird maintained optimism around Visa Inc. (NYSE:V), dubbing it a “high-quality compounder” that is trading at its 2022-2025 relative low next-twelve-months PE ratio versus the S&P 500.
Additionally, Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) has widened its USDC stablecoin settlement capabilities to US financial firms, allowing selected banking partners to settle payments with Circle’s digital dollar stablecoin.
Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is a digital payments technology company that operates a global payment network, connecting consumers, merchants, and financial institutions to facilitate electronic transactions.
1. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Avg Volume: 186.97 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 234
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) ranks among the best most active to buy right now. Mizuho reaffirmed an Outperform rating and $245 price target for NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) on December 29, following the company’s announcement of a $20 billion nonexclusive licensing agreement with Groq. As part of the agreement, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) will be given permission to utilize Groq’s inference Language Processing Units (LPUs), semiconductors designed to run massive language models with ultra-low latency, while Groq founder Jonathan Ross, President Sunny Madra, and other personnel will join Nvidia’s roster.
NVIDIA’s licensing of Groq’s LPU IP is focused on inference, the process that converts Al models into real-time applications, where Nvidia currently leads the space.
Meanwhile, analysts at Bernstein believe the $20 billion investment is appropriate for NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) to extend its market position as inference scales, particularly if Groq’s architecture provides significant advantages that NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) can now exploit while possibly restricting competitor access to the technology.
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) designs and sells specialized processors, initially for gaming but now also crucial for AI, data centers, professional visualization, and the automotive industry.
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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