12 Best Young Stocks to Buy Now

Published October 17, 2022 at 1:45 pm EDT Updated August 31, 2026 at 11:57 am EDT

In this article, we discuss 12 best young stocks to buy now.

The year 2022 has not been kind to new companies that just debuted on the stock market. Data from professional services firm EY reveals that as of the end of September, there has been a 44% year-over-year decline in global IPOs with proceeds down by 57%. Paul Go, an EY Global IPO Leader, believes that IPO candidates looking to go public need to be well prepared when re-engaging the market as they face much lower valuations compared to the highs of 2021 because of rising rates and soaring inflation.

However, Paul Go has also put investors on alert by remarking that if the market uncertainties and volatility subside to a certain extent, the launch of long-awaited blockbuster IPOs together with improved after-market returns may reverse the sentiment and attract more companies to follow. Some of the best IPO stocks to monitor in this regard include Coupang, Inc. (NYSE:CPNG), Qualtrics International Inc. (NASDAQ:XM), and Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFRM), among others discussed in detail below.

Our Methodology

These companies that recently debuted on the stock market and have seen a flurry of hedge fund activity were selected for the list. In order to provide readers with some context for their investment choices, the business fundamentals and analyst ratings for the stocks are also discussed. A database of around 900 elite hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey in the second quarter of 2022 was used to quantify the popularity of each stock in the hedge fund universe.

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Best Young Stocks to Buy Now

12. VIZIO Holding Corp. (NYSE:VZIO)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 8

VIZIO Holding Corp. (NYSE:VZIO) provides smart televisions, sound bars, and accessories in the United States. It is one of the best IPO stocks to invest in. On September 7, a top executive at the firm revealed that one-third of customers who have smart televisions are still watching linear content through a traditional cable or satellite set top box. The data was collected through a survey conducted by the firm.

On August 8, Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan maintained a Buy rating on VIZIO Holding Corp. stock and lowered the price target to $15 from $17, noting that the firm expects lower active account growth in 2022 on lower TV sales.

At the end of the second quarter of 2022, 8 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $7.9 million in VIZIO Holding Corp., compared to 17 in the preceding quarter worth $34.5 million.

Just like Coupang, Inc., Qualtrics International Inc., and Affirm Holdings, Inc., VIZIO Holding Corp. is one of the best IPO stocks to buy now.

In its Q1 2022 investor letter, Argosy Investors, an asset management firm, highlighted a few stocks and VIZIO Holding Corp. was one of them. Here is what the fund said:

“Reviewing Vizio, we purchased it quite recently and it has declined precipitously in our brief period of ownership. They have an explicit strategy to sacrifice gross margins from their TVs to further develop the audience for their smart TV offering, a competitor to Roku. I purchased the shares expecting the thesis to play out over a number of years, so I intend to monitor the company and its results as we move forward. Their first quarter results reflected strength in their Platform (Smart TV) segment, which will be their primary source of profit going forward. Further, the news that Netflix and other streaming companies are considering subscriptions that include advertising is positive news. In some ways, what is old is new again, as this development is somewhat of a return to the dual-revenue-stream model cable TV channels use. The shift towards more streaming programming including advertisements is a positive for Vizio, since they may be able to monetize the ads directly or indirectly. I’ll keep you posted on their progress.”

11. Compass, Inc. (NYSE:COMP)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 13

Compass, Inc. (NYSE:COMP) provides real estate brokerage services in the United States. It is one of the top IPO stocks to invest in. On September 20, the shares of the firm continued to bounce back as the company executed another round of layoffs as part of its previously announced cost reduction efforts. Through these efforts, the company expects to achieve $320 million in target run rate savings.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Sydney, NSW-based investment firm Antipodes Partners is a leading shareholder in Compass, Inc., with 12.8 million shares worth more than $46 million.

In its Q3 2021 investor letter, Artisan Partners, an asset management firm, highlighted a few stocks and Compass, Inc. was one of them. Here is what the fund said:

“We added several new GardenSM positions in Q3 including Compass, Inc.. Compass is a real estate brokerage firm which provides its agents with a proprietary, end-to-end cloud-based platform. The company helps address the needs of buying and selling homes from client prospecting to closing, which includes customer relationship management, AI-driven prospecting, marketing (digital, social, email, video, print, signage, lead generation), market analysis and collaboration tools. The platform also uses machine learning, artificial intelligence and other advanced data analytics strategies to draw insights across the platform, allowing agents to be more efficient and informed in their selling efforts. We believe this technology advantage is key to the company continuing to disrupt and capture real estate commission market share. We have been impressed with the company’s ability to capture 4% market share since it was founded in 2012 (vs. Redfin, founded in 2002, holding a 1% market share). The company’s profit cycle can also be boosted by adding on additional services such as title insurance referral and escrow services, real estate marketing, home renovation referrals, home insurance and home warranty referrals—all of which we believe have a significantly larger addressable market than commissions (~7X).”

10. ThredUp Inc. (NASDAQ:TDUP)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 14

ThredUp Inc. (NASDAQ:TDUP) operates online resale platforms that allow consumers to buy and sell second-hand apparel, shoes, and accessories for women and kids. It is one of the premier IPO stocks to invest in. On October 4, Thredup announced that it had released an inaugural ESG impact report. This report outlines that the company’s business and brand aligned social and governance strategy.

On August 15, Barclays analyst Trevor Young assumed coverage of ThredUp Inc. stock with an Overweight rating with a price target of $6, down from $9, noting that buyers, orders, and core revenues were all tracking ahead of firm expectations.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Seattle-based firm StackLine Partners is a leading shareholder in ThredUp Inc., with 3.3 million shares worth more than $8.2 million.

9. Poshmark, Inc. (NASDAQ:POSH)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 15

Poshmark, Inc. (NASDAQ:POSH) operates a social marketplace for new and secondhand style products in the United States, Canada, India, and Australia. It is one of the elite IPO stocks to invest in. On October 4, Naver, a South Korean internet conglomerate, said that it was exploring the purchase of the social marketplace for an enterprise value of $1.2 billion. Naver will provide technological and AI-based support to accelerate the global outreach of the marketplace if the purchase goes through.

On August 15, Barclays analyst Trevor Young upgraded Poshmark, Inc. stock to Overweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $17, up from $13, noting that the company’s ad-targeting post IDFA and marketing continues to ramp as a percentage of revenue.

At the end of the second quarter of 2022, 15 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $78 million in Poshmark, Inc., compared to 23 the preceding quarter worth $82.6 million.

In its Q2 2022 investor letter, MPE Capital, an asset management firm, highlighted a few stocks and Poshmark, Inc. was one of them. Here is what the fund said:

“Two (very) costly mistakes I’ve made over the last twelve months have been my investments in Altice USA and Poshmark, Inc.. Both are down over 50% from my initial purchase price. I not only poorly appraised business quality; I also incorrectly appraised the intrinsic value of both of these companies. It should rarely end up the case that we pay over intrinsic value, at worst case we should never lose money on an investment.

One serious risk is the huge amount of leverage and the possibility of prolonged inflation leading to higher rates. They don’t have any major debt maturities coming due for a few years, but it’s possible that rates are much higher then and they have issues refinancing at favorable terms or at all. I’ve always detested companies with too much leverage not sure why I didn’t consider this enough upon my initial analysis. I guess I figured it’s a stable business that can handle some leverage. However, a business with a lot of leverage will always be at the mercy of capital markets, a fact I can’t ever feel very comfortable with.

In summary, I overstated steady state free cash flows, poorly appraised their value proposition versus peers, didn’t consider new entrants and technologies thoroughly enough, and I didn’t consider the risk of rising inflation and rates. I think once they fiberize their footprint and if they can bring their leverage down, and it’s clear that new entrants aren’t having much effect on their business, Altice might only then be a decent investment candidate.”

8. Oscar Health, Inc. (NYSE:OSCR)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 16

Oscar Health, Inc. (NYSE:OSCR) provides health insurance products and services in the United States. It is one of the major IPO stocks to invest in. On August 30, the firm announced that Health First Shared Services, a Florida-based insurer, was ending a services agreement with the firm as early as January 2023. Under the 2021 agreement, the former was providing administrative functions and services as well as access to its technology for the latter.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, New York-based investment firm Thrive Capital is a leading shareholder in Oscar Health, Inc., with 37.6 million shares worth more than $159.9 million.

In its Q2 2022 investor letter, Longleaf Partner Fund, an asset management firm, highlighted a few stocks and Oscar Health, Inc. was one of them. Here is what the fund said:

“Oscar Health, Inc. – US health insurance and software platform Oscar Health, a new position purchased in 4Q21, declined alongside most tech-related businesses in the quarter. The market is not recognizing the meaningful value of its managed care plan members and is instead focusing on near-term EBITDA declines driven by the company rapidly growing its health insurance and software businesses. Our management partners are aligned and have a track record of adding value for shareholders.”

7. DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DOCN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 18

DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DOCN) operates a cloud computing platform in North America, Europe, Asia, and internationally. On August 23, the company announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Cloudways, a managed hosting provider which emphasizes performance and simplicity as a service provider for Server Message Block Protocols.

On August 9, KeyBanc analyst Michael Turits maintained an Overweight rating on DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc. stock and raised the price target to $57 from $48, noting that the company reported solid Q2 results despite a difficult macro environment.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Chicago-based investment firm Driehaus Capital is a leading shareholder in DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc., with 779,219 shares worth more than $32 million.

6. Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 20

Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR) operates an online educational content platform that connects learners, educators, organizations, and institutions. On September 29, the firm announced that the short video clips it offers would be expanding to 10 minutes for more than 200,000 videos and lessons. The lessons are designed in this way to help employees learn and achieve high demand skills.

On July 28, DA Davidson analyst Peter Heckmann maintained a Buy rating on Coursera, Inc. stock and lowered the price target to $16 from $29.

At the end of the second quarter of 2022, 20 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $60.3 million in Coursera, Inc., compared to 25 in the preceding quarter worth $76 million.

Alongside Coupang, Inc., Qualtrics International Inc., and Affirm Holdings, Inc., Coursera, Inc. is one of the best IPO stocks to buy now according to hedge funds.

In its Q3 2021 investor letter, ClearBridge Investments, an asset management firm, highlighted a few stocks and Coursera, Inc. was one of them. Here is what the fund said:

“We also added two positions in the IPO aftermarket, (one is) online education portal Coursera. Coursera, Inc., which makes academic courses from some of the world’s leading universities available through its platform and offers online degree programs, saw its shares trade lower following its March IPO but has seen significant uptake for its services since the onset of COVID.”

5. Playtika Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:PLTK)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 22

Playtika Holding Corp. (NASDQ:PLTK) develops mobile games in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It is one of the best IPO stocks to invest in. On August 5, Cowen analyst Doug Creutz maintained an Outperform rating on Playtika Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:PLTK) stock and lowered the price target to $31 from $35, noting that the company’s estimates were in-line with management’s new guidance, which appeared reasonable given current market conditions.

At the end of the second quarter of 2022, 22 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $265.6 million in Playtika Holding Corp. (NASDQ:PLTK), compared to 26 the preceding quarter worth $409.9 million.

4. Bumble Inc. (NASDAQ:BMBL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 23

Bumble Inc. (NASDAQ:BMBL) provides online dating and social networking platforms in North America, Europe, and internationally. It is one of the top IPO stocks to invest in. On October 10, the firm announced that it would partner with Ted Lasso, a fictional dating app, to bring the experience of its Bantr to the users of Bumble. On October 3, the firm announced that it was testing a speed dating feature in its UK market which allows the users to chat with other members before they have seen their photos.

On September 14, Stifel analyst Mark Kelley resumed coverage of Bumble Inc. stock with a Buy rating and a $35 price target, noting the company’s continued growth in North America and faster growth in international markets, particularly in India.

At the end of the second quarter of 2022, 23 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $156 million in Bumble Inc., compared to 17 in the previous quarter worth $233.8 million.

In its Q2 2022 investor letter, Polen Capital, an asset management firm, highlighted a few stocks and Bumble Inc. was one of them. Here is what the fund said:

“Online dating company Bumble Inc. has been successfully executing its core strategic priorities focused on driving scale and engagement, monetization, and profitability. We are excited about the market potential for online dating and believe Bumble can take share and leverage its brand in adjacent categories. This is a category we believe should be resilient no matter what happens with the economy.”

3. Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFRM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 27

Affirm Holdings, Inc. operates a platform for digital and mobile-first commerce in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It is one of the premier IPO stocks to invest in. On September 22, the firm announced that it had extended their services on Amazon by introducing a new payment option of pay over time for the customers in Canada. This option will provide flexibility and transparency for customers.

On September 7, Morgan Stanley analyst James Faucette maintained an Overweight rating on Affirm Holdings, Inc. stock and lowered the price target to $53 from $80, noting the choppy near-term credit performance of the firm.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Chicago-based investment firm Citadel Investment Group is a leading shareholder in Affirm Holdings, Inc., with 4.1 million shares worth more than $74 billion.

In its Q2 2022 investor letter, Baron Funds, an asset management firm, highlighted a few stocks and Affirm Holdings, Inc. was one of them. Here is what the fund said:

“We recently covered our short position in Affirm Holdings, Inc. after a rapid decline brought the share price to ~$30 – down from our entry point above $100 – in only 7 months. We discussed Affirm in our Q4 letter, saying the following:

Affirm is a “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) company founded by former PayPal CTO and cofounder Max Levchin. They provide installment loans to consumers, partnering with retail companies looking to drive higher sales. They have two primary products: a zero-fee installment loan for consumers with the best credit scores, and a more traditional product with 20%+ interest rates for subprime borrowers. Their stated plan is to disrupt the credit industry with more transparent, lower-fee loans. At a roughly $28b market cap at the start of 2022, AFRM stock was priced at more than 20x trailing sales, a steep price for a money-losing lender. While their early lead in online BNPL transactions and partnerships with fast-growing retailers like Peloton has fueled significant historical growth, a wave of competition has arrived… While the stock has already fallen sharply from where we initiated our short position, we think it could fall another ~40% to trade at 8x FY2022 sales.”

2. Qualtrics International Inc. (NASDAQ:XM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 32

Qualtrics International Inc. operates an experience management platform to manage customer, employee, product, and brand experiences worldwide. It is one of the major IPO stocks to invest in. On October 4, Fullstory, a leader in digital experience intelligence, launched a new integration with Qualtrics which places Fulstory’s session replay capabilities directly with Qualtrics platform.

On August 9, HSBC analyst Antonin Baudry maintained a Buy rating on Qualtrics International Inc. stock and lowered the price target to $20 from $40, noting that the company’s momentum remained strong in Q2.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, California-based investment firm Silver Lake Partners is a leading shareholder in Qualtrics International Inc., with 25 million shares worth more than $312.6 million.

In its Q4 2021 investor letter, VGI Partners, an asset management firm, highlighted a few stocks and Qualtrics International Inc. was one of them. Here is what the fund said:

“Our analysis shows Qualtrics International Inc. is the world leader in experience management (EM) software. EM software is a category that has been turbocharged by the pandemic as corporations and governments are striving to better understand their customers and employees in order to improve satisfaction, retention and in turn maximise the dollar return on each customer. Customer experience was previously assessed via surveys and other forms of analog feedback. Today Qualtrics allows its clients to assess their customers’ feedback and improve the experience with more sophisticated tools (e.g. Net Promoter Scores) and in real time via multiple data feeds which include call centre conversations, emails, online chatbots, social media feeds and so on.

A good example of a Qualtrics customer is JetBlue Airlines, a major American low-cost airline. JetBlue use the platform to analyse customer feedback and in turn better tailor pricing for flights and also improve the in-flight experience, in order to expand Net Promoter Scores (NPS) and increase customer retention through this real-time feedback. For example, by combining flight frequency and pricing studies, JetBlue found that 82% of their passengers didn’t care about free bags and instead preferred cheaper ticket prices. JetBlue responded by rolling out different rate structures and pricing options for passengers, which were well received. By taking a deep dive into passengers’ feedback in Philadelphia, JetBlue was able to trace dissatisfaction to the lack of airport shops and amenities open early in the morning, where JetBlue responded quickly by simply passing out water, juice, and coffee at the gate to boost customer satisfaction (read more)

1. Coupang, Inc. (NYSE:CPNG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 37

Coupang, Inc. owns and operates an e-commerce business through its mobile applications and Internet websites primarily in South Korea. It is one of the elite IPO stocks to invest in. On August 15, Morgan Stanley analyst Seyon Park maintained an Overweight rating on Coupang, Inc. stock and raised the price target to $25 from $18, noting that the company was scaling high margin ads and driving a faster EBITDA trajectory.

At the end of the second quarter of 2022, 37 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $2.9 billion in Coupang, Inc., compared to 39 in the previous quarter worth $3.8 billion.

In its Q2 2022 investor letter, Baron Funds, an asset management firm, highlighted a few stocks and Coupang, Inc. was one of them. Here is what the fund said:

“During the quarter, we also added to our position in the leading Korean e-commerce player, Coupang, Inc., taking advantage of the stock’s volatility. While the stock sold off, the business remains robust, growing revenues by 32% in the most recent quarter (year-over-year in constant currency) while gaining market share (the industry grew 8%) and reaching profitability in its product commerce segment three quarters ahead of plan.”

You can also take a peek at 10 Best Stocks to Buy According to Angela Aldrich’s Bayberry Capital Partners and Top 10 Tech Stocks to Buy According to Billionaire Louis Bacon.

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