Our list today highlights the Best Stocks to Buy According to Citadel LLC.
Citadel LLC (formerly known as Citadel Investment Group) is known as one of the most successful and profitable alternative asset managers. Citadel was recently ranked number one among Great Money Managers by net gains since inception through December 2024 by LCH Investments NV.
It was founded in 1990 by Kenneth Griffin, its CEO and Co-Chief Investment Officer, with $4.6 million in initial capital. Fast forward to October 2025—Citadel LLC now reports $69 billion in investment capital, which reflects the firm’s proprietary funds deployed across its various strategies.
On the other side, Citadel Advisors LLC, the registered investment advisory company that oversees Citadel’s managed funds and client accounts, reports $446 billion in assets under management (AUM). This represents its total capital under management from institutional and private clients.
In addition to these, Citadel Securities is another separate legal entity within the broader Citadel family of companies and is one of the largest market-making and trading firms in the U.S.
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According to reports, Griffin owns approximately 80% of Citadel. He is the 33rd-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $50.5 billion, according to Forbes data from October 28. Forbes also noted that each of the four wealthiest hedge fund managers in the U.S., with Griffin at the top, achieved double-digit net returns in 2024 and outperformed the benchmark composite index.
With that background on Citadel, let’s explore the 13 best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC.
Our Methodology
To identify the best stocks to buy from Citadel’s portfolio, we began by reviewing the firm’s Q2 2025 13F filings using Insider Monkey’s 13F database. We focused on the top 100 holdings by portfolio allocation and considered both equity and call positions to capture full long exposure. From this pool, we shortlisted stocks with potential upside of more than 20% and selected the top 13 of them with the highest upside. We then ranked those in ascending order of their respective upside. Additionally, we included data on hedge fund holdings in these companies as of Q2 2025 to provide further insight into investor interest.
We have also added the performance of each stock from the end of Q2 2025 to October 24, to provide the readers with insight into how Citadel’s portfolio picks have played out so far.
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 pricing data is as of market close on October 24, 2025.
13 Best Stocks to Buy According to Citadel LLC
13. Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE)
Value of Citadel’s Long Position: $868 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 81
Potential Upside: 22%
Returns between June 30 and October 24: -3%
Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC. On October 15, BTIG’s Consumer Retail analyst Robert Drbul initiated coverage of the company, assigning a Buy rating and a $100 price target. The analyst also named Nike as “Top Pick for 2026”, which indicates his strong confidence in the stock.
Drbul was encouraged by Nike’s progress on its turnaround efforts; however, he still believes that there is a lot more ground to cover. For his model, the analyst now pencils in EPS projections of $1.70 and $2.75 for FY26 and FY27, respectively. With the new leadership in place, the analyst believes the company could achieve EPS of $3.50 in FY28 and see its long-term operating margin inch towards 12% or more.
Separately, on October 23, Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE) said that it is currently testing the world’s first powered footwear system for running and walking, which it called ‘Project Amplify’. The company is collaborating with bionic footwear company Dephy to develop the product, which will feature a battery-charged motor. While the product is still some years away from reaching customers, such innovations will be crucial for Nike’s turnaround and for regaining lost market share in recent years.
Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE) designs, develops, and sells athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services worldwide. The company is the world’s largest seller of athletic footwear and apparel.
12. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T)
Value of Citadel’s Long Position: $929 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 83
Potential Upside: 23%
Returns between June 30 and October 24: -13%
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC. On October 22, Bank of America Securities analyst Michael Funk reaffirmed a Buy rating on the stock with an unchanged price target of $34.00. This reaffirmation came after the company reported Q3 2025 earnings, which the analyst deemed better than expected.
Funk said that the company’s figures on adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow were ahead of expectations. He also opined that AT&T’s offerings hold a competitive edge in the market, as evidenced by the post-paid net additions reported in Q3, and potentially could help it attract more customers from competitors like Verizon.
The analyst also viewed the company’s outlook positively, as AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) guided for service revenue growth in low single digits and adjusted EBITDA growth of at least 3%. He further anticipated several other catalysts for his positive view, including the company’s robust shareholder returns policy with consistent stock repurchases and substantial dividends (yield of around 4.35%). Moreover, the analyst is also optimistic about the growth push from AT&T’s $5.75 billion acquisition of Lumen’s (NYSE:LUMN) Mass Markets fiber internet connectivity business. This deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026.
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a leading telecommunications and media company based in the United States. The company primarily provides mobile and fixed telephony services, broadband, and digital television.
11. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)
Value of Citadel’s Long Position: $876 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 111
Potential Upside: 24%
Returns between June 30 and October 24: -10%
The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC. On October 15, JPMorgan analyst David Karnovsky reiterated his Buy rating on the stock with an unchanged price target of $138.00. According to the analyst, the recent data on Disney’s domestic parks and experiences segment showed encouraging trends, which were a primary reason for his positive stance.
While the analyst acknowledged recent headwinds, including the recent suspension of its program ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’, he believes the long-term outlook is intact. He expects profitability in the direct-to-consumer (streaming) business to improve on the back of strong programming momentum and cost savings. The company’s growth is further underpinned by catalysts such as the rollout of ESPN streaming, the integration of Disney+ and Hulu, a renewed focus on new cruise ships, and a robust content pipeline, as per the analyst.
Karnovsky also believes that The Walt Disney Company’s (NYSE:DIS) valuation is reasonable and could re-rate if management provides more visibility into its multi-year outlook.
The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is a U.S.-based multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. Its business spans across media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products, and interactive media.
10. ServiceNow Inc. (NYSE:NOW)
Value of Citadel’s Long Position: $673 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 106
Potential Upside: 26%
Returns between June 30 and October 24: -10%
ServiceNow Inc. (NYSE:NOW) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC. On October 26, Thomas Blakey, an analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald, reaffirmed his bullish stance on the stock, maintaining an Overweight rating and a price target of $1,200. His price target implies a valuation multiple of 16x based on CY 2026 revenue, indicating a premium over the historical forward EV-to-sales average multiple of around 14x.
The analyst emphasized that ServiceNow’s main draw is its profitable growth, which the company has sustained amid burgeoning demand for its AI and agentic AI. Moreover, the company has deepened its platform capabilities to appeal to a growing addressable market.
The analyst’s channel checks suggest that, despite the impact from the government shutdown and other short-term headwinds, large federal agencies continue to expand their spending (measured by annual contract value (ACV), which indicates the stickiness and strategic positioning of ServiceNow’s platforms. He also highlighted the robust demand and customer traction for the company’s agentic offerings, particularly Fabric and RaptorDB.
With such encouraging operational trends, Blakey believes the company should be able to reach, or even surpass, its $1 billion ACV goal for CY 2026.
ServiceNow Inc. (NYSE:NOW) provides cloud-based platforms for digital workflows, enabling organizations to automate and optimize their business processes. The company’s Now Platform offers solutions across IT service management, customer service, HR, and other areas.
9. Carvana Co. (NYSE:CVNA)
Value of Citadel’s Long Position: $1.3 Billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 91
Potential Upside: 27%
Returns between June 30 and October 24: 4%
Carvana Co. (NYSE:CVNA) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC. The company has recently been the subject of speculation about its financial health. In an October 22 interview on Bloomberg, well-known short seller Jim Chanos said the company raised “lots of red flags” after subprime auto lender and used-car retailer, Tricolor Holdings, filed for bankruptcy around September 10.
Chanos, who has been short or held a negative stance on Carvana for a long time, argues that it is hard to believe the company is not facing any heat despite defaults, bankruptcies, and rising delinquencies. The stock tanked 13% on the 22nd.
However, Needham analyst Chris Pierce believes that the concerns over subprime auto loans have been blown out of proportion. On October 24, the analyst reaffirmed his Buy rating on Carvana Co. (NYSE:CVNA) with an unchanged price target of $500. He argues that the headwinds in Other Gross Profit per Unit (GPU) are transitory and his assumptions already factor in these uncertainties. For context, Other GPU is the per-vehicle profit the company generates from value-added products and services, primarily auto loan financing and vehicle service contracts.
Pierce notes that since market expectations for unit growth are already modest, the downside risk to estimates appears limited. According to him, this creates a more stable environment for Carvana Co. (NYSE:CVNA), as he believes long-term investors are likely to look past short-term volatility. The $500 price target indicates an over 50% upside from current levels and implies a relatively premium valuation. However, the analyst believes the strong growth profile justifies his valuation assumptions.
Separately, investors should note that Carvana carries a high volatility profile (beta: 3.6).
Carvana Co. (NYSE:CVNA) is an online used-car retailer that operates an e-commerce platform for buying and selling used cars. Apart from the primary services, it also offers financing, complementary products, and a logistics network.
8. Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX)
Value of Citadel’s Long Position: $4.6 Billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 133
Potential Upside: 28%
Returns between June 30 and October 24: -18%
Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC. On October 22, Alicia Reese, the Consumer Entertainment Products analyst at Wedbush Securities, lowered her price target on the stock from $1,500 to $1400, while keeping the Outperform rating intact, according to TheFly. She revised her estimates after the company reported Q3 2025 results on October 21.
Reese noted that the company has been reporting strong results for many quarters, and thus, the softer Q3 results and Q4 guidance came as a disappointment to the investors. She cited the results of a recent survey by the firm and other data to show that Netflix’s subscriber base continues to grow and that its offerings remain sticky despite price hikes. This, as she sees it, fundamentally positions the company to capitalize on global advertising growth, which becomes an important pillar of her investment case.
For context on Q3, Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) reported an unexpected $619 million expense related to Brazilian tax disputes, which shaved 5% off this quarter’s operating margin. The company doesn’t expect any material impact on future financials.
Reese discussed this impact and broader results in a Bloomberg interview on October 23. She stated:
“Well, they took the tax from 2022 to the present. And so, if you look at it on a holistic basis, it was over 300 basis points impact to operating margin in the quarter. So that’s why there was such a huge miss. But if you look forward, if you extrapolate that, it’s only going to be about 20 basis points hit annually going forward.”
“I had slightly higher expectations. The thing is that Netflix was trading at such a high multiple, it has to continually knock it out of the park. And revenue was in line roughly, and the fourth-quarter guidance didn’t impress, you know, extravagantly as Netflix typically does, and that’s one of the big reasons I think the stock’s trading down. That being said, I think there’s still plenty that you could pick out of the earnings call and the shareholder letter. They’re very exciting for the future.”
Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) is a global streaming entertainment platform offering on-demand media content across more than 190 countries through a subscription-based model.
7. Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL)
Value of Citadel’s Long Position: $1.6 Billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 124
Potential Upside: 28%
Returns between June 30 and October 24: 30%
Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC. On October 20, BMO Capital Markets analyst Keith Bachman reaffirmed his Outperform rating and unchanged price target of $355.
The analyst expects Oracle’s long-term growth to be supported by its Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and database businesses, which are expected to expand in the coming years, given the company’s focus on these. Moreover, as these businesses gain scale, the analyst expects profitability to improve with better operating margins, eventually supporting earnings growth. He particularly highlighted the potential to enhance profitability for its Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) portfolio.
Bachman further believes that the company would see deeper customer adoption and broader monetization across its platform through the integration of AI into Oracle’s database and cloud solutions.
Oracle’s ability to profitably deliver on its recent multi-billion-dollar data center deals with customers such as OpenAI and Meta Platforms has been under scrutiny. As per a Bloomberg report from October 16, Bank of America analyst Brad Sills recently said that the company faces “supply constraints across land, buildings, energy, and GPUs” and the market will keep an eye on the pace at which it delivers the facilities.
Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) offers an extensive suite of database and cloud computing software and hardware. The Company offers databases and relational servers, application development and decision support tools, as well as enterprise business applications.
6. Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE:BSX)
Value of Citadel’s Long Position: $665 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 100
Potential Upside: 29%
Returns between June 30 and October 24: -6%
Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE:BSX) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC. On October 22, Josh Jennings, an analyst at TD Cowen, reiterated his $115 price target and Buy rating on the stock after the company reported strong Q3 2025 results.
Jennings said the company’s 15.3% organic growth was the highlight of the quarterly results and came ahead of the company’s guidance. The robust organic growth was driven by strong performance in the Electrophysiology and Watchman businesses within the Cardiology segment. This growth not only helped the company report stronger sales and EPS but also enabled it to outperform street expectations.
The analyst was also impressed by the guidance, as the company expects both growth and profitability to improve, and has raised it for the third time this year. For 2025, the company expects organic sales to grow by around 20% on a reported basis and 15.5% on an organic basis. This was a rise over the earlier guide of 18%-19% and 14%-15%, respectively. Jennings also highlighted the company’s positive outlook on margins, which supported his bullish stance.
Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE:BSX) is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures, and markets a wide range of medical devices. Its portfolio of devices and therapies helps physicians diagnose and treat complex cardiovascular, respiratory, oncological, neurological, and urological diseases and conditions.
5. Sea Ltd. (NYSE:SE)
Value of Citadel’s Long Position: $727 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 102
Potential Upside: 29%
Returns between June 30 and October 24: -3%
Sea Ltd. (NYSE:SE) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC. On October 20, Venugopal Garre, an analyst from Bernstein, lowered his price target on the stock to $185 from $210. However, he maintained his Outperform rating as his long-term outlook remains positive.
This update from Garre came shortly after the company’s founder, Forrest Li, sent a memo to all employees on Monday outlining his view of Sea’s potential to become a trillion-dollar company by capitalizing on AI. While the analyst called the memo a “compelling long-term vision anchored by a strong dose of AI optimism”, he, however, raised concerns over near-term pressure on growth and profitability while the company pursues such goals.
Garre noted that consensus forecasts for Sea Ltd. (NYSE:SE) have risen amid robust execution of its strategy in the first half of the year. However, as the company is investing heavily in expanding capabilities in its e-commerce and fintech businesses, the analyst is sceptical whether “flawless first half will be repeated”.
That said, Garre appeared to take a cue from past cycles, arguing that strategic investments to gain market share and maintain a competitive edge are critical for long-term business sustainability and should be prioritized over tackling near-term headwinds. He therefore maintained his bullish stance.
Sea Limited (NYSE:SE) is a Singapore-based global consumer internet company that operates businesses across digital entertainment, e-commerce, as well as digital financial services. It primarily operates in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Latin America, and other global markets.
4. Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM)
Value of Citadel’s Long Position: $864 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 121
Potential Upside: 30%
Returns between June 30 and October 24: -7%
Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC. October 15 was an important day for the company, as it held its annual Dreamforce 2025 event, during which management outlined its long-term strategy. Among other things, management announced its FY 2030 target of exceeding $60 billion in sales, implying an organic CAGR of over 10% from FY 2026 sales of $41.3 billion.
This guidance excludes Informatica, as its acquisition by CRM, announced in May 2025, is expected to close in early FY 2027.
However, this was not enough to impress analysts at RBC Capital, who reiterated their cautious view with a Sector Perform rating and an unchanged price target of $250 after attending the CRM event. The analysts noted that Salesforce is signalling a significant strategic shift, with its platforms evolving towards AI-centric Agentforce 360 from its long-standing Customer360 framework.
However, the analysts argued that with this move, Salesforce is moving deeper into automation capabilities, where it will directly compete with ServiceNow’s offerings. As a result, the analysts applied a 15x CY 2026 free cash flow multiple, similar to the company’s existing trading multiple, suggesting the shares are fairly valued.
Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is a global enterprise software company that provides customer relationship management (CRM) and cloud-based business applications across sales, service, marketing, and data analytics.
3. Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE)
Value of Citadel’s Long Position: $1.0 Billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 104
Potential Upside: 30%
Returns between June 30 and October 24: -9%
Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC. In an October 28 interview with Bloomberg Television, Adobe’s CEO, Shantanu Narayen, stated that the company is trading below its intrinsic value despite robust growth drivers and expanding AI product adoption.
During the interview ahead of its Adobe MAX 2025 event, one of the reasons the CEO cited for the disparity was that the market is currently fixated on semiconductors and AI infrastructure and is not giving the software layer its due importance. He argued that ultimately, AI-embedded applications will take center stage and Adobe will be a beneficiary given its positioning. For now, the company is focusing on more buybacks due to its undervaluation, the CEO added.
Nevertheless, Adobe received a vote of confidence from Jake Roberge, an analyst at William Blair, who reaffirmed his Buy rating following the event, without assigning a price target. The analyst was encouraged by many updates, including the launch of new products such as the Firefly Image Model 5 and the agentic AI integration roadmap across several other products.
Roberge also liked the visibility into catalysts for long-term growth, the reaffirmation of FY 2025 guidance, and the customer-focused strategy for FY 2026. He therefore reiterated his optimistic view on the stock.
Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) is a global leader in creative, document, and digital experience software, providing tools for content creation, design, marketing, analytics, and customer engagement.
2. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE:CMG)
Value of Citadel’s Long Position: $928 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 68
Potential Upside: 31%
Returns between June 30 and October 24: -27%
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE:CMG) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC. While the company currently enjoys mainly positive ratings with over 30% potential upside, the share price performance has been disappointing in 2025. Shares have lost 24% of their value since the company reported its Q2 results in July and over 33% YTD, mainly driven by weaker consumer sentiment, increased competition, and inflationary pressures.
The market doesn’t seem to be expecting things to change anytime soon. This was evidenced on October 28, when Mizuho Securities initiated coverage of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE:CMG) on a cautious note, assigning a Neutral rating and a $40 price target. This implied no material upside from current levels.
The analysts at Mizuho further highlighted the company’s efforts to reinvigorate sales growth through marketing and special offers. But these have not yielded any substantial incremental benefits. Thus, they find it challenging for the company to maintain a growth rate comparable to its historical growth rates amid intensifying competition. Moreover, analysts see downside risk to same-store sales expectations, which may hurt growth visibility for the future years.
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE:CMG) is a U.S.-based fast-casual restaurant chain that specializes in Mexican cuisine.
1. Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR)
Value of Citadel’s Long Position: $4.8 Billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 45
Potential Upside: 90%
Returns between June 30 and October 24: -28%
Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Citadel LLC. On October 27, TD Cowen analyst Lance Vitanza reaffirmed his Buy rating on the stock with an unchanged price target of $620, citing the increasing institutional adoption of bitcoin as the primary driver of his positive stance.
Vitanza cited JPMorgan’s acceptance of bitcoin as collateral for certain financing activities to emphasize the structural tailwinds from the institutional and broader financial systems’ adoption of digital assets. This, in his view, supports the investment case for established players and investors in the space, including Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR).
With a disciplined capital strategy, the company’s bitcoin holdings grow faster than equity issuance, enabling it to increase bitcoin ownership per share and, in turn, increase shareholder value.
However, sentiment is not universally positive. According to an October 28 report from Bloomberg, S&P Global Ratings cited the company’s heavy reliance on cryptocurrency as one of the major reasons for assigning it a B- credit rating, a junk or non-investment-grade rating. Moreover, the rating company also flagged limited business diversification and low liquidity as key credit risks.
Separately, while Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) is sometimes seen as a proxy for bitcoin, YTD performance has diverged, with the stock down around 2% and bitcoin up nearly 19%. Investors should also note that Strategy carries high volatility with an equity beta of 3.8.
Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) is a technology company that calls itself the world’s first and largest Bitcoin Treasury Company. The company has substantial Bitcoin holdings, which form a core part of its corporate strategy. Additionally, its software platform provides enterprise analytics and data visualization solutions.
While we acknowledge the potential of MSTR 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 MSTR and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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