On October 10, Tom Lee of Fundstrat joined ‘Closing Bell’ on CNBC to suggest that the S&P can still get to at least 7,000 this year. Tom Lee stated that markets are attempting to balance a few things. He acknowledged that the market is navigating a little blind because of the government shutdown, due to a lack of data, but stressed that the real powerful driver of the equity market and the economy, which is AI, is not affected by this slowdown. He characterized the current trading as a zigzag pattern but maintained a bullish outlook into year-end, given the seasonal period. He reiterated that recent pullbacks are being bought, suggesting that even if the market is weak today, it could rally tomorrow.

Lee conceded that the markets are less skeptical than they were in April, August, and September, visible in both positioning and AI sentiment, meaning it is fair to say that the markets have priced in more good news. However, he argued that the AI story is actually strengthening based on his conversations with companies and investors. He suggested that the payback for AI has improved in the last quarter or so. He believes this improvement is helping actually create demand for spending, and that the market may be underestimating the sort of profit creation coming from AI, which gives the story still legs. He acknowledged that the data is mixed and that they don’t really know the full picture without government data.

That being said, we’re here with a list of the 14 most promising stocks under $100.

Our Methodology

We sifted through the Finviz stock screener to compile a list of the most promising stocks that were trading below $100 as of October 7. We then selected the 14 stocks that were the most popular among elite hedge funds and that analysts were bullish on. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q2 2025.

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 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

14 Most Promising Stocks Under $100

14. Flex Ltd. (NASDAQ:FLEX)

Share Price as of October 7: $57.72

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 55

Flex Ltd. (NASDAQ:FLEX) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On October 8, BofA raised the firm’s price target on Flex to $65 from $58, while keeping a Buy rating on the shares. The company’s long-term goal is to achieve a 20% CAGR for data center revenue, and it is currently exceeding this target. BofA is raising its financial estimates for the company for this reason as well.

Flex achieved record results for FQ1 2026, reporting revenues of $6.6 billion, which was an increase of 4% year-over-year. The company’s adjusted EPS was $0.72, marking a record FQ1 performance and a rise of more than 40% from the prior year. Primary growth comes from the Data Center business, which is expected to make ~$6.5 billion in revenue for FY2026 and meet its annual growth target of 35%, representing 25% of total company revenue.

Flex is positioned as the sole provider offering both end-to-end cloud IT integration and a full power and cooling portfolio at scale. This includes integrated solutions like vertically integrated IT hardware, custom rack assembly, direct-to-chip liquid cooling technology on the cloud side, and a full power stack featuring modular Power Pods on the power side.

Flex Ltd. (NASDAQ:FLEX) is a technology company that provides tech innovation, supply chain, and manufacturing solutions to various industries through two different segments: Flex Agility Solutions/FAS and Flex Reliability Solutions/FRS.

13. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NYSE:TEVA)

Share Price as of October 7: $19.91

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 57

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NYSE:TEVA) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On October 9, BofA raised the firm’s price target on Teva to $24 from $22, while keeping a Buy rating on the shares. This sentiment was posted as BofA analyzed Q3 2025 drug pricing & sales volume and company comments, and concluded that the firm anticipates no significant Q3 EPS surprises (beats or misses) and no changes to 2026 financial outlooks for the biopharma companies that it covers.

Earlier in Q2 2025, Teva Pharmaceutical marked its 10th consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth as it executes its Pivot to Growth Strategy. The company is targeting a 30% operating profit margin by 2027. Total revenues for the quarter were $4.2 billion, which was an increase of ~1% in local currency when excluding revenues from the Japan Business Venture, which was divested.

Growth was primarily driven by the innovative portfolio, which collectively grew by ~26%. Based on this performance, Teva increased its 2025 revenue outlook for its key innovative products. AUSTEDO revenues were $498 million globally in Q2, up ~19% globally and ~22% in the US, with the 2025 revenue outlook raised to $2,000 to $2,050 million. AJOVY global revenues were $155 million, up ~31%, with the outlook increased to $630 to $640 million. UZEDY revenues were $54 million, accelerating by ~120%, with the outlook raised to $190 to $200 million.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NYSE:TEVA) is a healthcare company that develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes generic and other medicines & biopharmaceutical products.

12. Core & Main Inc. (NYSE:CNM)

Share Price as of October 7: $51.63

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 57

Core & Main Inc. (NYSE:CNM) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On September 30, Core & Main announced that the company will be expanding in Canada as it had completed its previously announced definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Canada Waterworks and Canada Waterworks Ottawa (collectively Canada Waterworks).

Before this completion, Core & Main President Brad Cowles said that Canada Waterworks represents the next step in building the Core & Main platform in Canada, as it provides the company with excellent growth opportunities in Ontario and beyond.

Canada Waterworks President and CFO Guenther Koehler also stated that Core & Main will provide Canada Waterworks a strong level of support to allow the company to continue to operate as a local, Canada-based business.

Core & Main Inc. (NYSE:CNM) distributes water, wastewater, storm drainage, and fire protection products and related services in the US.

Canada Waterworks is a Canadian distributor that specializes in water, wastewater, and storm drainage in the southern region of Ontario.

11. Elastic (NYSE:ESTC)

Share Price as of October 7: $83.05

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 59

Elastic (NYSE:ESTC) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On October 2, Elastic announced the availability of AutoOps for self-managed enterprise users at no additional cost. This marks the first time AutoOps, which provides cloud-connected services, is available for customers running their own self-managed deployments of Elasticsearch.

AutoOps is the initial offering in a roadmap of Elastic Cloud connected services designed for self-managed environments. It simplifies cluster management by operating through a lightweight integration that securely streams only operational metadata to Elastic Cloud. The underlying customer data never leaves the self-managed deployment.

AutoOps delivers real-time issue detection and resolution by using the cloud for processing this telemetry. The service provides several benefits, like simplified cluster management through real-time insights and automatic detection of issues like ingestion bottlenecks, shard imbalance, and mapping errors.

Elastic (NYSE:ESTC) is a search AI company that provides software platforms to run in hybrid, public, or private clouds, and multi-cloud environments in the US and internationally.

10. SharkNinja Inc. (NYSE:SN)

Share Price as of October 7: $91.70

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 65

SharkNinja Inc. (NYSE:SN) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On September 30,  JPMorgan lowered the firm’s price target on SharkNinja to $136 from $142, while keeping an Overweight rating on the shares. JPMorgan expects the company’s sales growth in Q3 to be 11.1%, down from 13.5% previously, as the firm believes that the company is well-positioned for the holiday season.

In Q2, SharkNinja reported net sales growth of 15.7% year-over-year to $1.4 billion and a robust 33% increase in adjusted EBITDA to $223 million. The company saw broad-based strength, with domestic net sales up ~14% and international net sales reaccelerating to over 20% growth, supported by strong European trends and a successful transition to a direct model in Mexico.

SharkNinja also reached a major milestone and confirmed that ~90% of its US volume is now produced outside of China, which positions it for a competitive advantage. For the full-year 2025, the company expects net sales growth to increase by 13% to 15% (up from 11%), with an adjusted EBITDA in the range of $1.1 to $1.12 billion, representing 16% to 18% growth.

SharkNinja Inc. (NYSE:SN) is a product design and technology company that provides various solutions for consumers in the US, China, and internationally.

9. CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX)

Share Price as of October 7: $36.23

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 71

CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On September 26, CSX Corporation reopened the expanded Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore, Maryland. This infrastructure project is valued at over $450 million and was completed ahead of schedule. It aims to modernize freight rail transportation along the East Coast and strengthen Maryland’s economy.

The tunnel was built between 1890 and 1895 and has been vital for over 125 years. The project was a collaborative investment involving CSX, the State of Maryland, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the US Department of Transportation to modernize the 19th-century tunnel while preserving its history.

US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy noted that President Trump’s admin invested around $125 million into the project. Once additional clearance projects are complete in early 2026, the tunnel will clear a key I-95 corridor bottleneck, which will then enable double-stacked intermodal trains to move through Baltimore.

CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX) provides rail-based freight transportation services in the US and Canada. It operates through two segments: rail and trucking.

8. CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS)

Share Price as of October 7: $77.56

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 71

CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On October 7, CVS Health launched its new Workforce Innovation and Talent Center/WITC and Community Resource Center/CRC in Fort Worth, Texas. This space was created in collaboration with Fort Worth Housing Solutions and builds a pipeline of skilled health care professionals by offering no-cost training.

The training takes place in a simulated retail environment, and graduates are encouraged to apply for positions at CVS Health. The WITC also connects participants with resources from partners like Goodwill, Easter Seals, and United Way, and offers programming pipelines at the College of Healthcare Professions and the University of North Texas to advance careers.

The location of this center in the Stop Six neighborhood is part of a broader community redevelopment strategy there, which includes an investment of over $0.5 billion in housing and community development.

CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) provides health solutions in the US. It operates through Health Care Benefits, Health Services, and Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness segments.

7. GE HealthCare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:GEHC)

Share Price as of October 7: $74.75

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 72

GE HealthCare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:GEHC) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On September 25, GE HealthCare announced updates to its Intelligent Radiation Therapy/iRT software solution. The AI-supported solution improves and shortens the radiation therapy workflow, which is a treatment that ~60% of cancer patients receive, but which can take up to 30 days even just to begin.

Early adopters have shown a reduction in the time from simulation to treatment planning, from 7 days to 7 minutes, through integration with RayStation by RaySearch Laboratories. The new version of iRT enhances connectivity and uses insights to improve departmental efficiency. This addresses the challenge of complex radiation oncology workflows where manual data re-entry across disconnected systems can waste time and increase error risk.

The solution is vendor-neutral, managing data between various systems. GE HealthCare also showed a new capability for theranostics within iRT. Theranostics is a part of nuclear medicine that uses molecular imaging and targeted radionuclide therapies for the same biological target.

GE HealthCare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:GEHC) develops, manufactures, and markets products, services, and complementary digital solutions used in the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of patients in the US, Canada, and internationally.

6. United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL)

Share Price as of October 7: $97.07

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 73

United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On September 26, United Airlines announced that the Federal Aviation Administration/FAA certified its first mainline Starlink-equipped aircraft. The certification came less than a year after United signed an agreement with SpaceX (Starlink’s operator) and less than 5 months after the airline’s first Starlink-equipped regional customer flight.

The FAA approved an amendment to Starlink’s Supplemental Type Certificate/STC specifically for the Boeing 737-800 to include United’s fleet. The company has already completed the equipment installation on this first mainline aircraft and expects the first commercial flight with Starlink to depart from Newark/New York on October 15. The initial flight will be aboard a United Boeing 737-800.

United’s rollout of the high-speed Wi-Fi began on its regional fleet, with the first Starlink-equipped regional flight taking place in May 2025 on an Embraer 175. Starlink is currently installed on more than half of the aircraft in United’s regional fleet, and the airline continues to install the system on ~50 regional jets each month.

United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) provides air transportation services in the US, Canada, the Atlantic, the Pacific, and Latin America.

5. Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)

Share Price as of October 7: $68.91

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 81

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On September 30, Cisco announced major updates to its Webex Customer Experience portfolio. These enhancements focus on integrating advanced AI, expanding industry integrations, and initiating global market expansions.

One of the new features is Webex AI Quality Management/QM, which is a unified tool for supervisors planned for general availability in Q1 2026. The system redefines contact center quality by allowing supervisors to view, assess, and coach their entire workforce from a single platform.

Additionally, the Momentum design system in Webex Contact Center is available now, providing a modern interface to empower agents and supervisors. Cisco is also executing a global market expansion for its Webex solutions. Planned for Q2 2026, Cisco will launch Webex Contact Center services in India and expand Webex Calling with dedicated data centers in Mumbai and Chennai.

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) designs, develops, and sells technologies that help to power, secure, and draw insights from the internet in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, Japan, and China.

4. Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA)

Share Price as of October 7: $31.09

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 82

Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On October 8, Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi raised the firm’s price target on Comcast to $45.50 from $45, while maintaining a Sector Perform rating on the shares.

Scotiabank expects results for the Telecom, Media, and Technology sector to be broadly in line with consensus. In Q2, Comcast delivered results with $4.5 billion in free cash flow and a 3% increase in adjusted EPS to $1.25, on the back of 2% year-over-year revenue growth.

The performance was driven by the company’s core growth businesses (broadband, wireless, business services, parks, streaming, and studios), which collectively represent ~60% of total revenue and grew at a high single-digit rate. Management expects this exposure to growth areas to increase to 70% over the next few years as the company focuses on reaccelerating total revenue growth.

Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is a media and technology company worldwide that operates through Residential Connectivity & Platforms, Business Services Connectivity, Media, Studios, and Theme Parks segments.

3. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T)

Share Price as of October 7: $25.87

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 83

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On October 7, AT&T and Boldyn Networks announced that they had expanded cellular connectivity for AT&T riders in the New York City subway system, specifically in the Joralemon Street tunnel.

The expansion marks an early step in a major wireless upgrade for Brooklyn’s transit system. AT&T will be the first carrier to provide wireless connectivity to its customers in these newly wired tunnels. The expansion is currently live in the Joralemon Street tunnel, which is the oldest underwater subway tunnel in New York City.

The tunnel’s 1.1-mile stretch connects the 4 and 5 lines between Manhattan and Brooklyn, meaning riders between Borough Hall station in Brooklyn and Bowling Green station in Manhattan are beginning to experience mobile service. Connectivity on the crosstown G line segments will follow next, covering riders between Court Square station in Queens to Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets station in Brooklyn.

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) provides telecommunications and technology services worldwide. The company operates through 2 segments: Communications and Latin America.

2. PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL)

Share Price as of October 7: $71.29

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 89

PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On October 7, PayPal unveiled PayPal Ads Manager. The new platform will allow the tens of millions of small businesses that use PayPal to establish their own retail media networks and generate new revenue streams.

By democratizing access to this opportunity, PayPal is enabling small businesses to participate in the lucrative, multi-billion-dollar retail media industry, which has traditionally been accessible only to large enterprises. The PayPal Ads Manager will enable small businesses to create billions of new advertising impressions for brands of all sizes.

Given that 99.9% of all businesses in the US are small businesses, as reported by the US Small Business Administration in March this year, the platform taps into a vast new inventory. Small businesses can monetize their existing store traffic with no upfront cost and no minimum commitment. PayPal Ads Manager will also allow small businesses to launch and manage their own ad campaigns, powered by the transaction graph, to acquire consumers across PayPal-owned properties and social channels.

PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) operates a technology platform that enables digital payments for merchants and consumers worldwide.

1. Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Share Price as of October 7: $88.80

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 92

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is one of the most promising stocks under $100. On October 6, Merck & Co. announced the initiation of three new Phase 2b trials for tulisokibart (MK-7240). Tulisokibart is an investigational humanized monoclonal antibody targeting tumor necrosis factor/TNF-like cytokine 1A/TL1A.

The program expansion reflects Merck’s ongoing commitment to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. The three new global Phase 2b trials are: MK-7240-12 for moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa/HS, MK-7240-013 for radiographic axial spondyloarthritis/r-axSpA, and MK-7240-014 for rheumatoid arthritis/RA. Global recruitment for these studies has begun, targeting the enrollment of more than 640 patients in total.

With these additions, tulisokibart is now being investigated in a total of six diseases. It is also being evaluated in two Phase 3 studies for inflammatory bowel disease: ATLAS-UC for ulcerative colitis/UC and ARES-CD for Crohn’s disease/CD, as well as a Phase 2 study for systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease/SSc-ILD. Tulisokibart is thought to bind both soluble and membrane-bound human TL1A, a target associated with both inflammation and fibrosis.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) operates as a healthcare company worldwide.

While we acknowledge the potential of MRK 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 MRK and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now.

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