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5 Most Promising Small-Cap Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds

In this article, we will be taking a look at the 5 Most Promising Small-Cap Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. If you wish to see the full list, visit 10 Most Promising Small-Cap Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds.

5. Yext, Inc. (NYSE:YEXT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 24 

Market Cap: $380.94 million

Yext, Inc. (NYSE:YEXT) is one of the most promising stocks on our list.

TheFly reported on June 3 that B. Riley Securities downgraded its rating on YEXT to Neutral from Buy and lowered its price target to $5 from $8. The firm described the company’s first quarter results as mixed and noted that YEXT’s efforts to improve operations and achieve sustainable growth may require more time than previously expected. The downgrade reflected concerns around slower growth momentum, limited visibility amid a challenging market environment, and weaker customer trends, including declines in small customer annual recurring revenue and modest growth among larger customers.

More recently, on June 17, Yext, Inc. (NYSE:YEXT) announced that its complete platform is now available to support enterprise AI workflows. The company introduced expanded capabilities designed to help businesses power AI agents with reliable intelligence, including continuously updated local data, verified brand information, and tools that enable automated execution. YEXT highlighted that while many companies are developing AI agents, effective performance depends on access to accurate and relevant information. The launch positions the business to help enterprise customers improve AI-driven operations by combining intelligence infrastructure with agent-based technology.

Yext, Inc. (NYSE:YEXT) is an enterprise AI and digital presence platform that helps brands manage online information, improve search visibility, and deliver accurate consumer answers across AI and traditional search channels.

4. Innoviva, Inc. (NASDAQ:INVA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 26

Market Cap: $1.66 billion

Innoviva, Inc. (NASDAQ:INVA) is one of the most promising stocks on our list.

TheFly reported on June 18 that INVA announced the launch of Nortiva Bio, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing long-acting oral therapies through its proprietary LYNX drug delivery platform. The technology is designed to convert traditional daily oral medicines into extended-release treatments with potential dosing intervals of up to one month.

Nortiva aims to improve treatment effectiveness, safety, medication adherence, and patient experiences across multiple therapeutic areas. The company operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of INVA following the acquisition of the LYNX platform from Lyndra Therapeutics in 2025.

Separately, on June 16, Innoviva, Inc. (NASDAQ:INVA) Specialty Therapeutics, a subsidiary of INVA, announced an exclusive distribution and licensing agreement with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories for XACDURO in selected international markets. Under the agreement, Dr. Reddy’s will oversee development, regulatory processes, and commercialization efforts across South and Central America, the Caribbean, Russia, and the Commonwealth of Independent States countries.

Innoviva Specialty Therapeutics will maintain rights to XACDURO in markets outside the licensed regions. The company is also eligible to receive upfront payments, milestone-based payments tied to regulatory and commercial progress, and royalties from sales generated within the covered territories.

Innoviva, Inc. (NASDAQ:INVA) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on critical care and infectious disease treatments, supported by stable revenue from its respiratory royalty portfolio and investments in innovative therapies.

3. Upstream Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPB)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 34

Market Cap: $340.12 million

Upstream Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPB) is one of the most promising stocks on our list.

TheFly reported on June 3 that H.C. Wainwright analyst Matthew Caufield initiated coverage of UPB with a Buy rating and a $36 price target. The analyst highlighted the company’s lead candidate, verekitug, as a novel antibody designed to target the thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor. The firm noted the potential of the therapy’s efficacy profile and differentiated quarterly subcutaneous dosing approach. H.C. Wainwright also identified thymic stromal lymphopoietin targeting in asthma as an area with significant unmet medical need.

More recently, on June 14, Upstream Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPB) presented new responder analyses from its Phase 2 VIBRANT trial evaluating verekitug in participants with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. The findings were shared during an oral presentation at the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) 2026 Congress in Istanbul, Turkey.

Results showed that verekitug, administered once every three months, achieved a placebo-adjusted reduction in nasal polyp score of -1.95 at Week 24 after accounting for rescue systemic corticosteroid use. The improvement exceeded the threshold generally considered clinically meaningful, highlighting the potential of verekitug in addressing unmet needs among patients with this condition.

Upstream Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPB) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapies for severe inflammatory and respiratory diseases, including its lead programs targeting immune-driven conditions.

2. Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:RCKT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 37

Market Cap: $365.80 million

Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:RCKT) is one of the most promising stocks on our list.

TheFly reported on June 3 that BofA Securities analyst Jason Zemansky increased the price target on RCKT to $10 from $9 while maintaining a Buy rating on the shares. The analyst viewed the company’s first-quarter update positively, highlighting the restart of RP-A501 dosing as an important step in Rocket Pharmaceuticals’ near-term recovery strategy and development progress.

In a separate major operational milestone on June 12, Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:RCKT), announced the completion of the sale of its Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher (PRV) for gross proceeds of $180 million. The voucher was awarded by the FDA in March 2026 following the approval of Kresladi, Rocket’s gene therapy for severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency-I, a rare and potentially life-threatening immune disorder.

Before the transaction, RCKT reported cash, cash equivalents, and investments of $144.4 million as of March 31, 2026. Following the non-dilutive proceeds from the PRV sale, the company’s pro forma cash position increased to approximately $322.6 million, extending its expected operational runway through the second quarter of 2028.

Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:RCKT) is a biotechnology company developing one-time gene therapies aimed at treating rare pediatric diseases, with a focus on potentially curative treatments and advancing toward commercialization.

1. Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 38

Market Cap: $362.04 million

Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM) is one of the most promising stocks on our list.

TheFly reported on June 17 that VSTM Oncology announced updated safety and efficacy findings from the RAMP 205 Phase 1b/2a Recommended Phase 2 Dose cohort. The analysis included 29 patients with first-line metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma receiving avutometinib and defactinib in combination with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. The study evaluates whether targeting both KRAS-driven signaling and FAK-related resistance mechanisms alongside standard chemotherapy could improve outcomes for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. The findings provide further insight into the potential of this combination approach for addressing a disease where KRAS mutations play a major role in tumor progression.

Separately, on June 16, Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM) announced that the first patient had been dosed in the TARGET-D 201 Phase 2 registration-directed trial evaluating VS-7375, an investigational oral KRAS G12D inhibitor. The study is assessing VS-7375 in patients with KRAS G12D-mutated metastatic pancreatic ductal carcinoma, including use as a standalone therapy and in combination with cetuximab. The trial also explores a potential chemotherapy-free frontline approach in first-line metastatic pancreatic cancer. VS-7375 previously received FDA Fast Track Designation for advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer in both first- and second-line treatment settings.

Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM) is a biopharmaceutical company developing targeted small molecule therapies for RAS/MAPK-driven cancers, with its lead products AVMAPKI and FAKZYNJA approved for recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer.

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

READ NEXT: 10 Most Promising Penny Stocks According to Wall Street Analysts and 10 Best Growth Stocks Under $20 to Buy.

Disclosure: None. Insider Monkey focuses on uncovering the best investment ideas of hedge funds and insiders. Please subscribe to our free daily e-newsletter to get the latest investment ideas from hedge funds’ investor letters by entering your email address below.

The $250 Trillion AI Hype is Real. A few years from now, you’ll probably wish you’d bought this stock.

Dr. Inan Dogan

Dr. Ian Dogan

Co-Founder and Research Director at Insider Monkey

When Jeff Bezos said that one breakthrough technology would shape Amazon’s destiny, even Wall Street’s biggest analysts were caught off guard.

Fast forward a year and Amazon’s new CEO Andy Jassy described generative AI as a “once-in-a-lifetime” technology that is already being used across Amazon to reinvent customer experiences.

At the 8th Future Investment Initiative conference, Elon Musk predicted that by 2040 there would be at least 10 billion humanoid robots, with each priced between $20,000 and $25,000.

Do the math. According to Musk, this technology could be worth $250 trillion by 2040.

Put another way, that’s roughly equal to:

  • 175 Teslas
  • 107 Amazons
  • 140 Metas
  • 84 Googles
  • 65 Microsofts
  • And 55 Nvidias

And here’s the wild part — this $250 trillion wave isn’t tied to one company, but to an entire ecosystem of AI innovators set to reshape the global economy.

It’s a leap so massive, it could reshape how businesses, governments, and consumers operate worldwide.

Even if that $250 trillion figure sounds ambitious, major firms like PwC and McKinsey still see AI unlocking multi-trillion-dollar potential.

How could anything be worth that much?

The answer lies in a breakthrough so powerful it’s redefining how humanity works, learns, and creates.

And this breakthrough has already set off a frenzy among hedge funds and Wall Street’s top investors.

What most investors don’t realize is that one under-owned company holds the key to this $250 trillion revolution.

In fact, Verge argues this company’s supercheap AI technology should concern rivals.

Before I reveal the details, let’s talk about how some of the richest people on the planet are positioning themselves.

  • Bill Gates sees artificial intelligence as the “biggest technological advance in my lifetime,” more transformative than the internet or personal computer, capable of improving healthcare, education, and addressing climate change.
  • Larry Ellison — through Oracle, is spending billions on Nvidia chips and partnering with Cohere to embed generative AI across Oracle’s cloud and apps.
  • Warren Buffett — not known for tech hype — says this breakthrough could have a ‘hugely beneficial social impact.

When billionaires from Silicon Valley to Wall Street line up behind the same idea — you know it’s worth paying attention to.

Even as we admire what Tesla, Nvidia, Alphabet, and Microsoft have built, we believe an even greater opportunity lies elsewhere…

But the real story isn’t Nvidia — it’s a much smaller company quietly improving the critical technology that makes this entire revolution possible.

And judging by what I’m hearing from both Silicon Valley insiders and Wall Street veterans…

This prediction might not be bold at all:

A few years from now, you’ll wish you’d owned this stock.

The best part? You can discover everything about this company and its groundbreaking technology right now.

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Trust me — you’ll want to read this report before putting another dollar into any tech stock.

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Buy This $3 Stock Now Before the 400% Surge Begins

Dr. Inan Dogan

Dr. Ian Dogan

Co-Founder and Research Director at Insider Monkey

My name is Inan Dogan. I’m the co-founder and Research Director of Insider Monkey. I have an important message for you today.

Since March 2017, my stock picks have returned 16.5% annually. Today, I’ve found an opportunity even bigger than my British American Tobacco call.

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We looked under the cover and realized they were wrong.

We alerted our subscribers, and BTI returned 90% in just 16 months.

Now if you had invested just $10,000 in BTI in June 2024, you’d be sitting on $19,000 in October 2025.

Today, we have identified a nearly identical pattern in a digital-first giant trading at $3.

While the market panics over a surface-level revenue decline, our PhD-led research shows management has actually surgically cut $100 million in waste to focus on high-margin growth.

This pattern is a hallmark of our 16.5% annual return track record. The current opportunity offers a 400% upside potential—dwarfing even our 90% BTI return.

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