In this piece, we discuss the 9 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaire Bill Ackman.

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman, founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, has long been known for his high-profile activist campaigns involving companies such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Herbalife. His reputation extends further to his role in the restructuring of the real estate company General Growth Properties.

However, weakness in several concentrated holdings of Pershing Square Capital Management is slowing the fund’s performance in 2026. According to Barron’s March 2 report, the fund has recorded an 11.10% decline this year, as of February 24, 2026, contrasting sharply with the broader market’s 1% gain during the same period. Selling pressure was noted in stocks like Uber, Amazon, and Howard Hughes Holdings. The hedge fund also exited its position in Hilton Worldwide Holdings in early February 2026, after a seven-year holding period. The investment team at the fund stated that the stock’s valuation doesn’t imply a return commensurate with the fund’s high return thresholds, and thus decided to exit.

Last November, the investment managers also exited their position in Chipotle and Nike. That leaves them with nine equity holdings as of February 2026, including the recently initiated position in Meta Platforms.

Ackman holds an optimistic view on the economic outlook for 2026, as per his commentary in his letter to shareholders at the end of last year. He believes there are plenty of high-growth stocks capable of delivering gains of 20% to 30% or more. His confidence stemmed from positive developments, including the impact of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and the CHIPS Act. Other key drivers he cited include pro-business policies, deregulation initiatives, and stable inflation, enabling potential rate cuts. His greatest emphasis lies in the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in productivity and investment, alongside rising spending on data centers and energy.

With this background in mind, we will now jump to the top 9 stocks from Bill Ackman’s stock portfolio.

Methodology

To curate our list of Bill Ackman’s 9 top stocks, we reviewed Pershing Square’s Q4 2025 13F filings, using Insider Monkey’s 13F database. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the value of Pershing Square’s stake.

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9. Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ)

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ) is included in our list of the 9 best stocks to buy according to billionaire Bill Ackman, accounting for 0.50% of the total portfolio.

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ) remains a key stock in Bill Ackman’s portfolio despite ongoing broader industry challenges, reflecting Ackman’s confidence in the company’s potential for recovery.

As of the end of Q4 2025, Ackman’s holdings remained unchanged from the previous quarter, continuing to own more than 15 million shares through Pershing Square Capital Management. The position represented about 0.50% of the hedge fund’s total portfolio and was worth more than $78 million. While the stock performed strongly in 2025 (+40%), it has been weak so far in 2026, down over 16% and nearly 55% from its 52-week high.

In its 2025 annual report published in February 2026, Pershing Square emphasized Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ) as an emerging comeback story. The fund highlighted a completely revived fleet with an average vehicle age of less than a year, driving depreciation costs well below management’s target. The company achieved an 84% utilization rate in the fourth quarter, and this was also cited. Looking ahead, Ackman remains confident in the company’s outlook following Hertz’s first profitable quarter in two years.

Meanwhile, during the quarter, interest from other hedge funds also increased, as per Insider Monkey’s database. Although the total value of those stakes decreased from roughly $1.50 billion to $1.16 billion, the number of funds holding positions in Hertz increased from 44 to 48.

At the same time, cautious projections for the automotive and mobility sector keep Wall Street sentiment divided. Morgan Stanley analyst Andrew Percoco began covering Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ) in late 2025 with an Equal Weight rating and a $5.50 price target.

As of the time of writing, there have been no recent reports of significant insider activity surrounding Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ).

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ) is one of the world’s largest automobile rental companies, offering airport and off-airport mobility solutions, fleet management, and vehicle sales in North America and internationally.

8. Seaport Entertainment Group Inc. (NYSE:SEG)

Seaport Entertainment Group Inc. (NYSE:SEG) is among the 9 best stocks to buy according to billionaire Bill Ackman, representing 0.64% of the total portfolio.

To maintain exposure to the entertainment and real estate-focused business, Bill Ackman’s hedge fund retains its stake in Seaport Entertainment Group Inc. (NYSE:SEG). Accounting for roughly 40% of the stock’s total institutional investment, Ackman remains the largest institutional shareholder.

Reinforcing the fund’s optimism, the stock has recorded a year-to-date (YTD) gain of over 15% as of March 5, 2026, outperforming its peers. Meanwhile, the Real Estate Services industry has noted a decline of over 16% so far in 2026.

As of the end of Q4 2025, Ackman’s holdings of more than 5.02 million shares through Pershing Square Capital Management remain unchanged in comparison to the previous quarter, with the stake totaling more than $99 million.

Over the course of the quarter, interest from other hedge funds grew. While the total value of their stakes decreased from roughly $150.87 million to $135.42 million, the number of funds bullish on Seaport increased from 8 to 12. Meanwhile, there have been no reports of significant insider activity surrounding Seaport Entertainment Group Inc. (NYSE:SEG).

The overall sentiment holds as Seaport Entertainment Group Inc. (NYSE:SEG) works to bring the internationally renowned Balloon Museum to the Seaport in summer 2026. Announcing on February 23, 2026, the company plans to turn the Tin Building property into a major interactive exhibition space (Balloon Museum), in collaboration with Lux Entertainment. With this move, the company aims to accelerate the development of immersive, experience-driven attractions to boost foot traffic and diversify revenue streams.

Seaport Entertainment Group Inc. (NYSE:SEG) owns, operates, and develops assets, hospitality venues, and sponsorship-driven entertainment properties, including sports, events, and mixed-use real estate platforms, establishing itself as an integrated experience real estate and leisure operator.

7. Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HHH)

Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HHH) is included in our list of the 9 best stocks to buy according to billionaire Bill Ackman, accounting for 9.69% of the total portfolio.

With his long-term belief in this real estate developer’s potential and its effort to become a diversified holding company, Bill Ackman’s hedge fund maintains a significant stake in Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HHH), owning over 18.85 million shares as of the end of Q4 2025. This position was unchanged from the previous quarter and valued at more than $1.50 billion.

By investing $900 million to purchase nine million freshly issued shares in May 2025, Pershing Square strengthened its commitment and increased its total ownership to roughly 47%. Ackman rejoined Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HHH)’s board as Executive Chairman, and Ryan Israel, the CIO of Pershing Square, assumed the newly established position of Chief Investment Officer.

In his 2025 Letter to Shareholders from February 2026, Ackman presented the investment as a tale of long-term development. Because of its complex structure and exposure to real estate development, he believes the market has traditionally undervalued Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HHH). Therefore, Pershing Square now aims to restructure it as a diversified holding company by acquiring controlling interests in long-lasting, superior companies, mirroring Berkshire Hathaway’s strategy.

Meanwhile, data from Insider Monkey’s database suggests that overall hedge fund stake remained significant as of the end of Q4 2025, totaling approximately $1.69 billion, indicating strong ongoing institutional interest despite ongoing industry softness. However, the number of hedge funds holding positions in the company decreased slightly, from 32 to 30, during the quarter.

Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HHH) is a real estate development company that manages master-planned communities, commercial complexes, and mixed-use districts. It adds value through land sales, strategic property development, and the redevelopment of entertainment neighborhoods.

6. Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR)

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) is among the 9 best stocks to buy according to billionaire Bill Ackman, representing 10.05% of the total portfolio.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, billionaire investor Bill Ackman slightly reduced his stake in Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR), although he still maintains a substantial bet on the company.

Pershing Square Capital Management held 22.87 million shares at the end of the quarter, valued at $1.56 billion. QSR stock has performed relatively better this year, with 7.5% returns so far, compared to 5% in full-year 2025.

Ackman has long maintained that the franchise-heavy business model at Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR), which includes brands such as Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs, produces stable royalty income. Furthermore, in his 2025 Letter to Shareholders, he pointed out that the International segment and Tim Hortons together generate about 70% of profits, which are bolstered by a steady rise in same-store sales and strong worldwide results, fueling Ackman’s optimism.

Meanwhile, following Restaurant Brands International Inc.’s (NYSE:QSR) recent investor day, analysts shed light on the stock.

On March 3, 2026, Morgan Stanley described the investment case as a “show-me story,” raising its price target on the stock from $77 to $78 while keeping an Equal Weight rating. On the previous day, Piper Sandler upgraded Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) to Overweight with a $84 target, noting that if management follows through on its plans, it could lead to an uninterrupted period of outperformance.

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) is a company based in Toronto that functions as a quick-service restaurant that franchises brands such as Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs. It was founded on August 25, 2014.

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

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