This article looks at the 14 Best Big Name Stocks to Invest in Right Now.
By the term Big Name, we denote stocks that are industry leaders with a significant presence on the stock market. These firms are typically characterized by their large market capitalization, strong brand recognition, and stable financials.
The S&P 500 Index, which tracks leading U.S.-listed companies, is up 13.42% year-to-date, building on the 24.2% and 23.31% returns in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The broad market index has hit record highs in 2025, continuing the momentum it has had since late 2022.
The rally has been fueled by growing investor interest in AI stocks, which has pushed the market caps of several technology companies beyond the $1 trillion mark, and for some, to multi-trillion dollar levels.
At the same time, this bull run has also made some investors cautious over concerns about the market being overvalued. Ongoing trade tensions, a government shutdown, and geopolitical conflicts in different parts of the world have also weighed in on the sentiment.
Volatility is on the rise as well. The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) closed at 20.6 on Wednesday. The index has remained on the higher side in the past week, rising to its most elevated level since May by the end of the week.
Christian Mueller-Glissmann, who heads Asset Allocation Research at Goldman Sachs, last month said it was time to reduce exposure to U.S. large-cap stocks. He was quoted as saying the following by CNBC on September 3:
“We have had an enormous resurgence of U.S. equities lead by U.S. large-cap tech and a few companies, a very concentrated rally. That is predicated on the goldilocks momentum. If the weaker dollar trend resumes it will be good for the large cap tech companies, but when you talk about international investors that are buying U.S. equities, the drag outweighs to some extent the benefits.”
With that said, let’s shift focus to some of the best big name stocks to buy right now.
The New York Stock Exchange building. Photo by Дмитрий Трепольский on Pexels
Our Methodology
For this article, we screened U.S.-listed large-cap and mega-cap companies with a market capitalization above $50 billion that have a strong presence in their industries. We then shortlisted the top 14 companies that had the highest number of hedge fund investors having a stake in them, based on Insider Monkey’s database of prominent hedge funds as of Q2 2025. Finally, we ranked them in ascending order based on the number of hedge funds holding positions.
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).
14. Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 133
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is among the 14 Best Big Name Stocks to Invest in Right Now. Earlier this month, two analysts shared their ratings and price targets for the stock, suggesting that it could continue to see growth ahead. The company’s shares are already up by 35% year-to-date.
On October 7, Seaport Global analyst David Joyce upgraded the video-streaming giant’s rating to Buy from Neutral and assigned a price target of $1,385 for its shares, representing an upside potential of 15% from Wednesday’s close.
The firm noted that while Netflix Inc.’s (NASDAQ:NFLX) share price momentum appears to be moderating, investors might be digesting the significant returns so far this year, as excitement builds around the company’s monetization momentum related to its advertising infrastructure build.
Seaport would be a buyer of the stock ahead of its Q3 earnings call on October 21, Joyce told investors in his pre-earnings research note.
In other related news, analysts at Itau BBA initiated coverage of Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) on the same day with an Outperform rating and a price target of $1,514.
The overall sentiment around the stock remains positive, with Wall Street analysts having a consensus Buy rating for the stock and an average share price upside potential of 11.9%.
13. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 133
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B) is among the 14 Best Big Name Stocks to Invest in Right Now. On October 15, UBS lowered the stock’s price target to $593 from $597, while keeping a Buy rating for its shares.
According to a report by TheFly, the analysts told investors that Q3 EPS estimates for the company were raised, reflecting robust insurance performance at BH Re and GEICO. Moreover, the revised outlook forecasts a modest growth in book value and EPS, with shares trading close to their intrinsic value, indicating that no buybacks are expected this quarter.
Despite the cut, the updated price target of $593 reflects an upside potential of over 21%, which is well above the consensus upside estimates of 6.3%.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B) is engaged in diverse business activities, including insurance, utilities and energy, manufacturing, services and retailing, and freight rail transportation. It holds major equity stakes in several large corporations, which have helped cement its reputation as a financially robust enterprise.
However, the stock, which has largely outperformed the broad market index over the past two decades, is trailing the S&P 500 so far this year, with a return of 9.51% versus 13.42%, as of the close on October 15.
According to reports, the firm’s portfolio is highly concentrated in a select group of stocks, which have lagged the market in 2025, contributing to Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s (NYSE:BRK-B) modest returns. Another contributor has been its large cash position. Over the last few quarters, the company has actively sold stocks to accumulate cash, while warning that the market is trading at a high valuation. The news about Buffett’s retirement at the end of this year has also fueled investor skepticism about the firm’s future.
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