In this article, we will look at the 12 Most Widely Held Stocks by Hedge Funds in 2025.
On December 17, Lori Calvasina, RBC Capital Markets head of U.S. equity strategy research, appeared on CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ to talk about expectations from markets and earnings in the coming year.
She expects 2026 to be a good year, and added that she wishes the 5% drawdown we experienced a month or so ago had been a little more substantial to remove more froth, as there is still “a lot of angst” out there. Despite the need to be vigilant on certain things, she expects 2026 to be a good year at the end of the day. Calvasina also stated that we are still seeing some good numbers if we look at the rate of upward revision. While they are not as strong as the summer, there are still some healthy moves there.
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Calvasina further stated that there is considerable angst regarding the AI trade, but people are more inclined towards the cheaper sectors, areas where AI could enhance productivity in the long run, such as healthcare. Therefore, according to her, while people are nervous and are in risk management mode, they are also thinking constructively.
With these trends in view, let’s look at the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025
Our Methodology
We selected the top 12 stocks with the highest number of hedge fund holders as of Q3 2025, sourcing the hedge fund sentiment data from Insider Monkey’s database. The list is sorted in ascending order of hedge fund holders.
Note: All data was recorded on December 19.
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 Most Widely Held Stocks by Hedge Funds in 2025
12. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 140
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is one of the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025. Reuters reported on December 19 that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) announced on Friday that audits of its health services and pharmacy benefit units conducted by outside consulting firms would lead to operational changes, including increased automation and standardization of internal processes.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) CEO Stephen Hemsley stated that he committed to conducting a comprehensive examination of the key policies and processes within the company’s approaches to managed care practices and pharmacy benefits and services, and risk assessment, and told stakeholders in a letter sent on Friday that “the work is already well underway, adding that several action plans “have already been completed”, and that there are 23 such plans.
“Of the remaining actions, more than half will be finalized by the end of this year, and 100% will be finalized before the end of the first quarter next year,” he added.
Hemsley further stated in the letter that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) would share the results of the HouseCalls visit review in fiscal Q1 2026.
In a separate development, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) reported on December 18 that Optum Rx is continually modernizing the ways pharmacies are reimbursed for drugs, with three additional Pharmacy Services Administration Organizations (PSAOs), representing more than 17,000 community pharmacies, partnering with Optum Rx to employ cost-based contracts.
Management reported that the initiative marks the latest effort from Optum Rx to better support the role of community pharmacies, and that 100% of community and independent pharmacies in the Optum Rx network have shifted to the new reimbursement model.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) provides healthcare coverage, data consultancy, and software services. It operates through the OptumRx, OptumInsight, OptumHealth, and UnitedHealthCare segments.
11. Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 143
Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) is one of the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025. Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) received a rating update from Wedbush analyst Scott Devitt on December 19, who slashed the price target on the stock to $78 from $84 and maintained a Neutral rating on the shares.
In addition, Bernstein analyst Nikhil Devnani reaffirmed a Buy rating on Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) on December 18 and lifted the price target to $115.00 from $110.00. The analyst based the rating update on various factors, including the company’s strategic positioning in the developing autonomous vehicles landscape, growth outlook, and valuation.
Devnani noted that Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) is trading at a discounted multiple compared to its earnings power despite competitive noise and increased headlines from peers like Tesla, Waymo, and Zoox, which points towards the market’s overreaction to near-term AV concerns.
He added that the long-term market is expected to paint a fragmented picture among AV players, a structure that Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) can benefit from because of its platform scale and balance-sheet flexibility. This makes the recent pullback a favorable entry point for investors, according to the analyst.
Devnani further stated that while Uber Technologies, Inc.’s (NYSE:UBER) ongoing investments in its core Mobility and Delivery operations and autonomous vehicle partnerships may constrain incremental margins temporarily, the prospect is likely to support stronger EBITDA outperformance and solid gross bookings growth over time.
Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) operates as a technology platform that offers ride services and merchant delivery service providers for food, groceries, meal preparation, and other delivery services. The company’s operations are divided into Delivery, Mobility, and Freight. The Delivery segment allows users to order food, while the Mobility segment provides access to Mobility Drivers who provide rides in various vehicles. The Freight segment connects Carriers and Shippers.
10. Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 154
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is one of the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025. Morgan Stanley slashed the price target on Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) to $120 from $150 on December 18, maintaining an Overweight rating on the stock. The firm stated that the media and entertainment industry is heading into 2026 with “solid fundamental momentum”.
The rating update came after Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) announced on December 17 that it welcomed the recommendation from Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Board of Directors for stockholders to reject the unsolicited offer from Paramount Skydance Corporation (PSKY), which was launched on December 8. Management reported that the WBD Board urged stockholders to approve the merger agreement with Netflix after careful review with independent legal and financial advisors, as they believe the offer provides a superior and more certain alternative for WBD stockholders.
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) and WBD announced a fully negotiated and financial definitive agreement on December 5 that entailed the acquisition of Warner Bros by Netflix, including HBO, HBO Max, and its television and film studios. The transaction has a total enterprise value of around $82.7 billion, with the cash and stock transaction valued at $27.75 per WBD share. Management further reported that the transaction would offer WBD stockholders incremental value from the previously announced separation of WBD’s Global Linear Networks business, Discovery Global, planned for Q3 2026.
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) provides entertainment services through paid memberships in around 190 countries worldwide. It acquires, produces, and licenses content for streaming, including original programming.
9. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 166
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is one of the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025. On December 17, Jefferies analyst Edison Lee lifted the price target on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to $283.36 from $246.99 while maintaining a Hold rating on the stock. The firm raised its Q1 and fiscal year 2026 iPhone unit estimates by 7% and 3%, respectively. It also included a foldable phone as of fiscal year 2027, adding that the company is considerably resilient to memory cost increases supported by its high average selling prices.
The same day, Morgan Stanley also raised the price target on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to $315 from $305 while maintaining an Overweight rating. The firm told investors in a year-ahead note that it recommends being overweight on product-cycle beneficiaries, cloud capex winners like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), and underweight on stocks with higher memory exposure. It is “increasingly more cautious” on memory-exposed names as well.
In a separate development, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) announced changes to iOS in Japan to comply with the Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA) on December 17, including new options for developers to process payments and distribute apps, along with new protections to manage privacy and securities created by the MSCA.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) designs, manufactures, and sells smartphones, personal computers, wearables, accessories, and related products and services worldwide.
8. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 179
Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is one of the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) announced on December 18 a significant milestone in the evolution of AI-powered commerce, reporting the successful completion of hundreds of secure, agent-initiated transactions in collaboration with partners across the ecosystem. Management stated that the breakthrough points towards 2025 being the final year where consumers shop and checkout alone, with AI agent-driven payments experiencing a rapid transition from experimentation to mainstream adoption.
The acceleration is built on the company’s launch of Visa Intelligent Commerce earlier in the year. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) reported that it is on track to deliver personalized and secure AI-enabled commerce to consumers by early 2026.
In another development, Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) announced on December 17 a strategic collaboration with Akamai Technologies, Inc. to bring stronger user recognition, identity, and security controls to the developing domain of agentic commerce. Akamai Technologies, Inc. is a cloud computing and cybersecurity company that protects and powers businesses online.
Management further reported that the integration of Akamai’s edge-based behavioral intelligence, bot and abuse protection, and user recognition, with Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol would result in the companies delivering the authentication, identity, and fraud controls necessary to allow merchants to welcome AI agents to their digital storefronts with commerce intent confidently.
Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) provides digital payment services. It offers credit cards, debit cards, prepaid products, global automated teller machines, and commercial payment solutions.
7. Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 183
Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is one of the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025. On December 19, Truist lifted the price target on Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) to $510 from $500 while keeping a Buy rating on the stock.
Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) also received a rating update from Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore on December 17, who reaffirmed a Buy rating on the stock and set a $462 price target. The same day, Reuters reported that Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is among Morgan Stanely’s top semiconductor stocks for 2026, telling investors in a research note that:
“For the third consecutive year, the biggest debate is AI semis, where the index weighting is dominated by the processor names, and the (so far) insatiable appetite for compute is the most important variable to consider.”
In addition, UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri also lifted the price target on Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) to $475 from $472 on December 15 and maintained a Buy rating on the shares. The firm told investors in a research note that although the sharp pullback on Friday reflected the extent to which consensus-long the stock has become, the recent management discussions show that there has been a “significant overreaction by the market.”
It added that commentary on AI semiconductor revenue backs increased expectations for fiscal year 2026, supporting upward estimate revisions. Arcuri lifted his estimates based on the AI semi revenue commentary for fiscal year 2026, and now expects AI semi revenue to surpass $60 billion, nearly tripling year-over-year. The analyst also raised the F27 revenue estimate to $135 billion and EPS to $14.15.
Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is a leading multinational technology company specializing in semiconductor and infrastructure software products.
6. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 194
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is one of the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025. Reuters reported on December 17 that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is among the two stocks in the chip equipment space that Morgan Stanley is the most constructive on, with the other being Applied Materials. The firm told investors in a note that the biggest debate is AI semis for the third consecutive year, where the “index weighting is dominated by the processor names, and the (so far) insatiable appetite for compute is the most important variable to consider.”
In a separate development, Bank of America Securities analyst Mike Yang reaffirmed a Buy rating on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) on December 10 and set a price target of $390.
The rating update followed Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited’s (NYSE:TSM) release of its November 2025 revenue report. Revenue for November 2025 on a consolidated basis reached around NT$343.61 billion, reflecting a drop of 6.5% from October 2025 and an increase of 24.5% compared to November 2024.
The company further reported that revenue for January through November of 2025 reached a total of NT$3,474.05 billion, which translates to a growth of 32.8% compared to the same period in 2024.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is the largest contract semiconductor manufacturer in the world. Some of its prominent customers include semiconductor companies that outsource all or part of their chip production, including Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia, Broadcom, and more.
5. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 234
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is one of the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025. Truist lifted its price target on NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) to $275 from $255 on December 19, maintaining a Buy rating on the stock after adjusting price targets in the AI and semiconductor group to take into account its 2027 estimates.
Separately, on December 18, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) announced that the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 72GB Blackwell GPU is now generally available. Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, the release brings robust generative and agentic AI capabilities to more professionals and desktops across the globe.
The company reported that the new GPU configuration allows data scientists, AI developers, and creative professionals access to the hardware for “modern, memory-hungry workflows”, arriving at a backdrop in which the demand for NVIDIA Blackwell-class compute is higher than ever.
AI developers have the flexibility to choose between this 72GB variant and the existing NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 48GB model to right-size their systems for an elaborate range of budget and project requirements.
In another development, Reuters reported on December 17 that NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is among Morgan Stanley’s two preferred names in the processor market. The firm told investors:
“As we write this, there is growing enthusiasm for ASIC, where growth will be strong, but as various bottlenecks emerge, we continue to think that NVIDIA will be the highest ROI solution in cloud, particularly as Vera Rubin ramps in 2h26.”
It added that although there is limited leverage, Morgan Stanley continues to believe that the market is underestimating NVIDIA Corporation’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) position.
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) designs and manufactures computer graphics processors, chipsets, and other multimedia software. It operates in the Compute & Networking and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) segments.
4. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 243
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is one of the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025. On December 19, Wedbush analyst Scott Devitt lifted the price target on Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to $350 from $320 while maintaining an Outperform rating on the stock. The firm told investors that consumer internet companies delivered solid returns in the year, averaging 23% across 24 covered companies compared to 19% for the NASDAQ. Wedbush expects performance to diverge in 2026, with investors taking into account factors such as the rising adoption of agentic AI, AI monetization, ongoing investment cycles, and AV disruption.
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) also received a rating update from Bank of America Securities analyst Justin Post on December 18, who reiterated a Buy rating on the stock and set a price target of $335.00.
In a separate development, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) reported on December 9 that Google Cloud announced that the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) selected its Gemini for Government as the first enterprise AI deployed in the U.S. Department of War (DoW)’s GenAI.mil to 3 million civilian and military personnel.
Gemini for Government is an AI-optimized, enterprise-grade platform uniting industry-leading AI models, best of Google’s FedRAMP High and DoW Impact Level 5 (IL5) authorized commercial cloud, and agentic solutions that support the unclassified business processes of government agencies.
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is a holding company with segments including Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets. The Google Services segment operates various services and products, including Android, Google Maps, Google Play, Chrome, Search, and YouTube.
3. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 273
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is one of the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025. On December 19, Wedbush slashed the price target on Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) to $880 from $920 while maintaining an Outperform rating on the stock. The firm told investors that Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is its top advertising pick for 2026, supported by monetization of new channels, solid adoption of Advantage+, and strong digital ad trends. While the firm anticipates margin contraction in 2026, it believes that upside can be attained through additional cost discipline.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) also received a bullish outlook from RBC Capital analyst Brad Erickson on December 17, who reaffirmed a Buy rating on the stock and set a $810 price target.
In a separate development, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) introduced SAM Audio on December 16, which is the first unified AI model capable of segmenting sound from complex audio mixtures through the use of visual, text, and time span prompts. Management reported that the technology holds the potential to transform video and audio editing and support innovation in domains like television, film, music, podcasting, accessibility, scientific research, and more. SAM Audio marks the latest addition to the company’s Segment Anything collection, revolutionising audio processing by easing the isolation of any sound from complex audio mixtures.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) builds technological products that allow people to share, connect, grow businesses, and find communities. These products help people connect through personal computers, mobile devices, virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR) headsets, and wearables.
2. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 312
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is one of the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Cognizant announced on December 18 that the two companies entered into a multi-year partnership to help enterprises in the fields of healthcare and life sciences, retail, financial services, and manufacturing to “harness” AI-powered solutions.
The partnership entails the embedding of agentic AI and Copilot, powered by Foundry IQ, Work IQ, and Fabric IQ capabilities, into workflows to allow operational resilience, boost productivity, and enhance customer experience. The companies also reported that the partnership expands on Cognizant Neuro AI Suite of offerings, which leverage Microsoft cloud and AI services.
Judson Althoff, CEO of Microsoft Corporation’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) commercial business, stated that the combination of Microsoft Corporation’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) cloud and agentic AI capabilities with Cognizant’s platforms and delivery scale would expedite the creation of industry-specific solutions embedded in the flow of work while unlocking “transformative value” for their joint customers across the globe.
In a separate development, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) received a rating update from Mizuho Securities analyst Gregg Moskowitz on December 16. The analyst reiterated a Buy rating on the stock and set a price target of $640.00.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) develops and supports services, software, devices, and solutions. It operates through the Intelligent Cloud, Productivity and Business Processes, and More Personal Computing segments.
1. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 332
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is one of the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025. Bank of America Securities analyst Justin Post reiterated a Buy rating on Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) on December 18 and set a $303 price target. The analyst based the rating on the company’s solid position in cloud computing and AI, citing Amazon.com, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) reported discussions for the investment of over $10 billion in OpenAI. This strategic move is aimed at expanding AI workloads on AWS, deepening AI collaboration, and reflecting the capabilities of the company’s Trainium chips.
Post also highlighted the recent AI-focused leadership changes that took place in the company, and considers the appointment of Peter DeSantis to oversee AGI Labs as a significant step to boost internal model innovation and customer silicon development, as DeSantis’s track record in launching and scaling AWS infrastructure should allow accelerated progress in AI offerings, according to the analyst.
Post further stated that while he acknowledges the unlikeliness of OpenAI’s latest frontier models to be hosted on AWS due to its Microsoft agreement, he believes potential advertising, eCommerce, and enterprise AI partnerships with OpenAI to be incremental positives with the potential to reinforce Amazon.com, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) ecosystem while safeguarding its high-margin ad business.
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is a multinational technology company that provides online retail shopping services. It operates through the North America, International, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) segments. Its AWS segment covers global sales of storage, computers, databases, and other services for government agencies, academic institutions, startups, and enterprises.
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