In this article, we will discuss the 13 Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now.
As per Oppenheimer Asset Management, the 2026 outlook is bullish, thanks to a disciplined approach to the US economy and equities. For the 3rd consecutive year, the firm expects stocks stateside to witness a broadening of the strong rally that started in late 2022 after markets were significantly oversold because of recession fears.
The firm believes that positive fundamentals, such as monetary policy, fiscal stimulus, resilient earnings, and innovation, are supportive of growth in the year ahead.
What’s Next?
Against the economic and interest rate backdrop, Oppenheimer Asset Management anticipates corporate revenues and earnings to witness growth over the course of 2026. According to the firm, the S&P 500 earnings are expected to reach $305 per share, exhibiting a rise from $275 in 2025. Considering its assumption of a P/E multiple of 26.5x positions the year-end price target for the S&P 500 at 8,100. This reflects a growth of ~15% compared to the closing level at the end of 2025.
The broader markets reached new highs in 2025, according to Oppenheimer Asset Management, with AI-related capex spending driving growth while trade war concerns eased. In 2026, the firm believes that investors will need to contend with increased valuations, sticky inflation, and softening of the labor market.
Amidst such trends, we will now have a look at the 13 Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now.
Our Methodology
To list the 13 Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now, we used a screener to shortlist the stocks that trade very close to their respective 52-week lows. Finally, we selected the stocks popular among hedge funds, as of Q3 2025. The stocks are arranged in an ascending order of their hedge fund sentiments.
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).
Note: All the data is as of January 12
13 Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now
13. Ryan Specialty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:RYAN)
Market Price: $50.75
52-week Low: $49.93
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 26
Ryan Specialty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:RYAN) is one of the Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now. On January 14, Cantor Fitzgerald reduced the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $52 from $63, while maintaining a “Neutral” rating, as reported by The Fly. Notably, the initial positive stance on insurance brokers seems to be premature and overly optimistic. This is because near-term fundamentals are expected to deteriorate before they improve.
Elsewhere, on January 8, Barclays reduced the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $58 from $65, while keeping an “Overweight” rating, as reported by The Fly. Notably, the firm adjusted its ratings and price targets with regard to its 2026 outlook for the broader North America property and casualty Insurance group.
The analyst opines that pricing continues to soften throughout commercial and reinsurance, while personal lines appear comparatively better, and brokers witness organic growth headwinds. The firm suggests staying selective.
Ryan Specialty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:RYAN) operates as a service provider of specialty products and solutions for insurance brokers, agents, and carriers.
12. Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS)
Market Price: $250.09
52-week Low: $243.25
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 29
Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) is one of the Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now. On January 13, Barclays lifted the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $292 from $290, while keeping an “Equal Weight” rating, as reported by The Fly. Notably, the firm adjusted its ratings and targets in the broader real estate investment trust group. This was part of its 2026 outlook. The firm expects most upside in apartments, storage, and single-family rentals in 2026. It is least positive on cold storage and retail. Overall, it is Neutral on REITs for 2026.
On January 9, BMO Capital analyst John Kim downgraded Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS)’s stock to “Market Perform” from “Outperform” with a price objective of $280, down from the prior target of $305. The firm adjusted its real estate investment trust ratings in light of its 2026 outlook.
As per the analyst, Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS)’s funds from operations growth moderated because of Los Angeles weakness as well as preferred redemptions, and these are expected to remain headwinds in 2026.
Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) is a fully integrated real estate investment trust.
11. SBA Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:SBAC)
Market Price: $185.00
52-week Low: $179.89
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 35
SBA Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:SBAC) is one of the Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now. On January 12, JPMorgan analyst Richard Choe reduced the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $240 from $245, while keeping a “Neutral” rating, as reported by The Fly. Notably, the firm lowered new leasing estimates for the tower companies ahead of earnings in order to reflect a more conservative approach as a result of a potential impact from EchoStar.
The analyst added that a modest industry outlook is outweighed by the EchoStar/DISH overhang. That being said, the deals can be a positive catalyst for the tower stocks.
In a separate update, Wells Fargo reduced the firm’s price objective on SBA Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:SBAC)’s stock to $205 from $215, while keeping an “Equal Weight” rating, as reported by The Fly. As per the firm, SBA Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:SBAC) has the cleanest outlook in 2026, considering the shorter duration of its DISH leases, while its growth headwinds are largely reflected in estimates.
SBA Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:SBAC) is a leading independent owner and operator of wireless communications infrastructure, which includes towers, buildings, rooftops, distributed antenna systems (DAS), and small cells.
10. Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR)
Market Price: $60.26
52-week Low: $58.38
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36
Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) is one of the Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now. On January 13, Barclays analyst Richard Hightower lifted the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $78 from $77, while keeping an “Overweight” rating, as reported by The Fly. Notably, the firm adjusted its ratings and targets in the broader real estate investment trust group as part of the 2026 outlook. It expects the highest upside in apartments, storage, and single-family rentals in 2026.
On the other hand, the firm is least positive on the cold storage and retail. Barclays is Neutral on overall REITs for 2026.
On January 9, BMO Capital downgraded Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR)’s stock to “Market Perform” from “Outperform” with a price objective of $68, down from the prior target of $70. The firm adjusted real estate investment trust ratings as part of the 2026 outlook. It anticipates Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR)’s fundamentals to soften throughout its key coastal markets as a result of a lackluster job market as well as stretched affordability.
Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) owns and manages rental properties in the dynamic metro areas throughout the US.
9. Tradeweb Markets Inc. (NASDAQ:TW)
Market Price: $104.93
52-week Low: $101.705
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 39
Tradeweb Markets Inc. (NASDAQ:TW) is one of the Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now. On January 14, TD Cowen analyst Bill Katz reduced the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $131 from $140, while keeping a “Buy” rating, as reported by The Fly. The firm’s stance is tactically most bullish on traditional asset managers, although it maintains a stricter emphasis on higher-conviction ideas, while having exposure to alternatives with a shift towards higher for longer positioning and less 2026 beta, added Katz.
Elsewhere, on January 8, Barclays lifted the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $124 from $121, while keeping an “Equal Weight” rating, as reported by The Fly. Notably, the firm updated targets in the broader brokers, asset managers, and exchanges group ahead of earnings reports.
According to the analyst, total volumes across equities, options, and futures increased nicely quarter-over-quarter, while volatility rose sequentially.
Tradeweb Markets Inc. (NASDAQ:TW) builds and operates electronic marketplaces.
8. Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB)
Market Price: $98.27
52-week Low: $96.26
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 42
Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) is one of the Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now. On January 14, UBS reduced the firm’s price objective on Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB)’s stock to $107 from $132, while keeping a “Neutral” rating, as reported by The Fly. The analyst stated that the operating environment and market backdrop for consumer staples are challenging. That being said, the fundamentals can witness improvement in 2026.
Elsewhere, on January 8, TD Cowen reduced the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $105 from $112, while keeping a “Hold” rating, as reported by The Fly. Notably, the firm adjusted its price targets in the broader consumer staples group as part of its 2026 outlook. It sees a tough year for large-cap consumer staples, with volume growth unlikely to improve significantly.
In a separate release, Wells Fargo reduced the firm’s price objective on Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB)’s stock to $105 from $110, while keeping an “Equal Weight” rating, as reported by The Fly. As the firm aggregates models throughout beverage/food/HPC, it has been revising its price objectives for 2026.
Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) manufactures and markets personal care products.
7. HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ)
Market Price: $21.18
52-week Low: $20.65
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 42
HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) is one of the Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now. On January 8., analyst Wamsi Mohan of Bank of America Securities maintained a “Hold” rating on the company’s stock, retaining the price objective of $26.00. The analyst’s rating is backed by a combination of factors, which balance the company’s opportunities with its risks. The analyst noted that HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) has several tools to cushion the impact of elevated memory costs.
These include diversifying suppliers, adjusting product configurations, controlling non-memory costs, as well as focusing on higher-margin peripherals. That being said, these actions mainly stabilize earnings rather than fueling the significant upside, added Mohan.
In a separate update, HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) announced that, at CES 2026, it debuted new technologies, which place personal fulfilment as the next frontier for fueling business growth. Notably, the company’s newest form factor, the HP EliteBoard G1a, happens to be the world’s first full AI PC built into a keyboard.
HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) provides personal computing, printing, 3D printing, hybrid work, gaming, and other related technologies.
6. Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN)
Market Price: $166.22
52-week Low: $162.06
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 51
Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) is one of the Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now. On January 8, CIBC reduced the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $208 from $210, while keeping an “Outperform” rating, as reported by The Fly. As per the firm’s analyst, the focus would be on commentary related to the 2026 volume and pricing, which includes updated recycled commodity as well as RIN price assumptions, which could act as a headwind. That being said, the underlying solid waste margins are still projected to expand significantly.
Elsewhere, on January 5, Bernstein lifted the firm’s price objective on Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN)’s stock to $205 from $200, while keeping an “Outperform” rating. The firm noted that 2025 was a lackluster year for the US waste stocks.
That being said, the subsector outperformed the market in H1 of the year because of defensive qualities ahead of the presumed recession due to tariffs that never came. Notably, this performance reversed in H2 of the year, with investors rotating back into the companies having higher beta, and weakness in the Recycling segment negatively impacted the waste sector.
Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) offers non-hazardous waste collection, transfer, disposal, as well as resource recovery services.
5. Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI)
Market Price: $84.99
52-week Low: $83.21
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 56
Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI) is one of the Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now. On January 12, JPMorgan reduced the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $110 from $115, while keeping a “Neutral” rating, as reported by The Fly. Notably, the firm reduced new leasing estimates for the tower companies ahead of earnings. This was done to exhibit a more conservative approach because of the potential impact from EchoStar.
The analyst opines that a modest industry outlook is outweighed by the EchoStar/DISH overhang. However, deals can act as a positive catalyst for the tower stocks.
In a separate update, on January 12, Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI) announced that DISH Wireless defaulted on its payment obligations to Crown Castle. As a result, Crown Castle terminated its wireless infrastructure agreement with DISH. Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI) added that it remains supportive of AT&T and SpaceX getting the 3.45 GHz, 600 MHz, AWS-4, H-block, and unpaired AWS-3 spectrum bands and putting the public resource into active use for Americans.
Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI) owns, operates, and leases shared communications infrastructure that is geographically dispersed across the US.
4. Roper Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROP)
Market Price: $432.39
52-week Low: $427.89
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 63
Roper Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROP) is one of the Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now. On January 13, Piper Sandler analyst Clarke Jeffries reduced the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $530 from $600, while keeping an “Overweight” rating, as reported by The Fly. While discussing the industrial software and defense tech space, the firm added that 2026 might be another tough slate for fundamentals as macros are challenged. It also added that after the sell-off over the last 2 quarters, there are still opportunities in the Vertical Software.
Elsewhere, on January 4, Jefferies reduced the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $600 from $650 and kept a “Buy” rating, as reported by The Fly. As per the analyst, the firm opines that 2026 will be another year of gradual AI monetization. That being said, more meaningful growth contribution and acceleration are required to ease AI disintermediation fears, needing more selectivity.
According to the analyst, while there is confidence that value would ultimately accrue to the software layer, investors are required to be patient.
Roper Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROP) designs and develops vertical software and technology-enabled products.
3. Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ:WDAY)
Market Price: $207.91
52-week Low: $199
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 64
Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ:WDAY) is one of the Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now. On January 12, Barclays reduced the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $275 from $280, while keeping an “Overweight” rating, as reported by The Fly. The firm adjusted its ratings and price objectives in the broader software group. This was done as part of its 2026 outlook.
Notably, the firm sees a favorable setup for software in 2026. The analyst believes that macro and IT spending remain stable, with stock valuation levels remaining low. Also, the sector is out of favor.
On January 11, Goldman Sachs assumed coverage of Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ:WDAY)’s stock with a “Neutral” rating and a price objective of $238. According to the firm, AI adoption will be a positive tailwind to the broader software total addressable market over the upcoming 10 years. Also, the analyst opines that Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ:WDAY)’s next phase of share gains might be more difficult to achieve.
Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ:WDAY) offers enterprise cloud applications.
2. American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT)
Market Price: $171.53
52-week Low: $166.88
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 75
American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT) is one of the Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now. On January 12, Mizuho reduced the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $189 from $217, while keeping a “Neutral” rating, as reported by The Fly. The firm adjusted targets in the broader real estate investment trust group with respect to its 2026 outlook. It has an “Equal-Weight” rating on REITs in 2026 and sees a mixed macro backdrop. The firm opines that the valuations look rich compared to the fixed income alternatives.
The analyst added that, while supply/demand fundamentals continue to improve, a slowing economy continues to pose risks in FY 2026.
In a different update, on January 12, JPMorgan reduced the firm’s price objective on American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT)’s stock to $245 from $250, while maintaining an “Overweight” rating. Notably, the firm lowered new leasing estimates for the tower companies ahead of earnings. This demonstrates a more conservative approach because of the potential impact from EchoStar.
American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT) is one of the largest global REITs.
1. PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL)
Market Price: $57.29
52-week Low: $55.85
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 86
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) is one of the Best Depressed Stocks to Buy Right Now. On January 12, TD Cowen reduced the firm’s price objective on the company’s stock to $65 from $80, while keeping a “Hold” rating, as reported by The Fly. Notably, the firm adjusted its targets in the broader payments group with respect to the Q4 2025 preview. It doesn’t expect the Q4 2025 reports to be a significant catalyst for many.
In a different update, on January 6, it announced the roll-out of PayPal’s Transaction Graph Insights & Measurement program, offering the merchants as well as advertisers a unique, cross-merchant view into real shopper behavior, campaign effectiveness, and data-driven recommendations in order to grow their business.
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL)’s Transaction Graph helps in identifying high-intent shoppers, as this company is the only platform that connects search, shop, and share signals throughout over 430 million consumer accounts and tens of millions of merchants.
Notably, the company’s Transaction Graph Insights & Measurement creates full dimensionality of a consumer purchase, as well as with full sales signal integrity and accuracy.
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) operates a technology platform that enables digital payments for merchants and consumers.
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