This article looks at the 14 Best Booming Stocks to Buy Right Now.
The S&P 500 registered gains of 16% in 2025, marking the third successive year of double-digit returns after the broad market index rallied 24% in 2023 and then 23% in 2024.
Total gains over the past three years have amounted to approximately 80%, the strongest run over a three-year win streak since the index surged 90% between 2019 and 2021.
A Financial Times survey of major investment banks in December forecast a 10% gain in the S&P 500 in 2026. All banks surveyed anticipate the broad market index to cross the 7,500 mark.
In a report released on January 9, Goldman Sachs said that it expects the index to rally 12% in 2026. The investment bank forecasts earnings growth will drive returns, supported by a strong economy and ongoing Federal Reserve rate cuts.
Ben Snider, chief US equity strategist at Goldman Sachs, wrote in the report that double-digit profit growth and improved productivity from the use of AI set the market well for a continued bull run.
While Snider acknowledged that high stock valuations and multiples could pose a risk if earnings fall below expectations, he believes valuations this year will largely remain unchanged if interest rates remain steady and earnings remain strong.
The only threat to the stock market, according to the Goldman strategist, is if the economy slows or the Federal Reserve tightens monetary policy, but he does not foresee either in the near term.
With that said, let’s now see the best booming stocks to buy right now.
Stock market data showing an upward trajectory. Photo by Burak The Weekender on Pexels
Our Methodology
We used screeners to identify U.S.-based stocks with market capitalizations of at least $2 billion that had surged at least 20% over the past three months. To validate the bullish trend, we narrowed our list to companies with a 50-DMA above a 200-DMA. From there, we selected the 14 stocks with the highest average upside in share price and ranked them in ascending order. All data is as of the close of business on January 12, 2026. Additionally, we also included data on hedge fund holdings in these companies as of Q3 2025 to provide further insight into investor interest.
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 Best Booming Stocks to Buy Right Now
14. Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATEC)
Upside Potential: 39.57%
3M Returns: 34.25%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 40
Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATEC) is among the 14 best booming stocks to buy right now. On January 12, the company announced preliminary 2025 financial results and provided its 2026 outlook.
Preliminary total revenue increased 25% for the full year and is expected to be between $763.4 million and $764.4 million, driven primarily by a 26% surge in surgical revenue. The company also reaffirmed its full-year guidance for adjusted EBITDA of $91 million. It ended the year with a cash balance of $161 million.
For fiscal 2026, Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATEC) has projected a revenue of $890 million, of which 90% is expected to be surgical-related. Adjusted EBITDA is anticipated to be around $130 million, while free cash flow for the year is forecast at approximately $20 million.
On the same day, the company announced a strategic agreement with Theradaptive, Inc., under which it would acquire exclusive distribution rights in the United States for Theradaptive’s rhBMP-2 solution, OsteoAdapt. The move is set to further strengthen Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATEC) position in the procedural ecosystem.
Following these developments, Needham and HC Wainwright & Co. reiterated their Buy ratings for the stocks, with price targets of $22 and $24, respectively.
Wall Street has a bullish outlook on the company with a consensus Strong Buy rating. The stock has a one-year average share price target of $24.55, representing an upside of nearly 40%, as of the close on January 12.
Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATEC) is a medical device company focused on the development of technologies for improved surgical treatment of spinal disorders.
13. Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:TERN)
Upside Potential: 42.31%
3M Returns: 318.65%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 29
Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:TERN) is among the 14 best booming stocks to buy right now. On January 8, Truist Financial analyst Srikripa Devarakonda reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a share price target of $56.
This update is a reaffirmation of the firm’s revision on the stock on December 9, when it lifted the price target to $56 from $35 after the company shared encouraging data from the Phase 1 study of TERN-701, its lead program to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).
According to TipRanks, Truist told investors that given the efficacy and safety profile demonstrated in the study, the firm sees immense potential in the drug’s ‘frontline’ use. The results showed a 64% major molecular response rate by 24 weeks.
On the same day, Mizuho Securities also reiterated its Outperform rating on the stock, with a price target of $54. The firm believes TERN-701 is a ‘clear potential best-in-disease treatment’ for CML.
During an interview with CNBC last month, CEO Amy Burroughs said the company aimed to have pivotal trials for the drug by the end of 2026.
Overall, Wall Street has a bullish outlook on the stock with a consensus Strong Buy rating. Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:TERN)’s shares have surged by over 300% in the past three months, and analysts project a further 42.31% upside, as of the close of January 12, based on the stock’s one-year average share price target of $53.75.
Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:TERN) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of treatments for serious diseases such as cancer and obesity.
