In this article, we examine the 12 Best Stocks for Day Trading.
The goal of a successful trader is to make the best trades. Money is secondary. This observation from Alexander Elder, a best-selling author and trader, captures the essence of day trading: it’s less about chasing profits and more about making smart, disciplined decisions.
There is an old trading adage that says, “The trend is your friend until the end when it bends.” The reminder is timeless. For day traders, who live and breathe by intraday movements, recognizing when the “bend” is coming is often the difference between a winning and losing trade.
Day trading relies on capturing quick price movements that play out within hours, minutes, or even seconds. A typical day trader enters and exits positions in a short span of time, and often manages several trades within the same session. While stocks remain the primary focus for traders, this approach also extends to other asset classes, including ETFs, commodities, currencies etc. The strategy is highly dependent on short-term market swings, and while it can generate solid gains, it also carries higher risk of losses. The reality, however, is that most casual traders struggle to sustain long-term success, making discipline and risk management non-negotiable.
Market veterans often compare day trading to diamond cutting; both require precision, patience, and the right timing. One wrong move can ruin the outcome, but the right cut, at the right moment, can create something brilliant.
READ ALSO: 15 Best Multibagger Stocks to Invest in Right Now and 10 Best High Beta Stocks To Buy Now.
That environment feels especially relevant now. As Jim Cramer recently noted on Mad Money, today’s market can feel unhinged – overpriced stocks continue to climb, companies posting strong results are punished, and short squeezes appear out of nowhere.
September has only added more colour to the discussion. In an early September interview with CNBC, Raymond James CIO Larry Adam expressed surprise at markets’ resilience after a strong summer, suggesting caution as inflation and Fed policy remain in focus. By contrast, Rich Saperstein, CIO at Treasury Partners, argued that the backdrop still favors equities, with moderating inflation, strong GDP, and robust earnings offering support.
For day traders, this clash of perspectives is precisely what creates opportunity. Differing outlooks, frequent data releases, and Fed uncertainty mean that price swings are here to stay. For those with the skill and discipline, there are ample opportunities to profit.
Given this backdrop, let’s turn to our selection of the 12 best stocks for day trading in today’s market.
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Our Methodology
To identify the best stocks for day trading, we began by screening U.S.-listed companies with a beta greater than 2.0 and an average daily trading volume exceeding 2 million shares. From this pool, we focused on stocks exhibiting consistent volatility, defined as an average daily trading range exceeding 5%. Finally, using Q2 2025 data from Insider Monkey’s database, we selected the top 12 stocks most widely held by hedge funds. The final ranking is based on the number of hedge funds with positions in each stock.
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).
Note: All pricing data is as of market close on September 8, 2025.
Best Stocks for Day Trading: 12 Stock Picks
12. Aurora Innovation Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR)
Beta: 2.5
Average Volume: 22.3 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 41
Aurora Innovation Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR) is one of the best stocks for day trading. The company’s stock currently trades near the bottom of its 52-week range, between $4.20 and $10.80. With a beta of 2.5 and daily volatility, measured by the average high/low range, of 5.2%, the stock presents meaningful intraday trading opportunities.
On the fundamental side, on September 3, Canaccord Genuity’s George Gianarikas reiterated a Buy rating on the company with a $15 price target. The rating is a continuation of the analyst’s bullish view and comes after the insights shared by the company at Canaccord’s 45th Annual Growth Conference on August 13.
At the event, Aurora Innovation Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR) outlined its strategy for leadership in autonomous trucking, emphasizing operational progress, financial stability, and partnerships with industry leaders. Aurora is already running driverless trucks on public roads and has logged more than 20,000 miles since April.
Its partner ecosystem, which includes Uber Freight, Hirschbach, Volvo, FedEx, Warner, and Schneider, is central to Aurora’s plan to launch a driver-as-a-service model by 2027, with pricing targeted at 65–85 cents per mile. A second-generation hardware platform, engineered for a million-mile usage, is expected in early 2026.
The company ended Q2 with $1.3 billion in cash, providing a runway into mid-2027, while Continental is investing more than $300 million in engineering to support development. With expansion into the Sunbelt region planned for 2026 and a growing fleet underpinned by Volvo’s truck platform, Aurora Innovation Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR) is positioning itself to scale operations meaningfully.
Aurora Innovation Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR) is a self-driving technology company specializing in autonomous freight and logistics. Its flagship platform, the Aurora Driver, powers driverless trucks already operating on public roads.
11. Bloom Energy Corp. (NYSE:BE)
Beta: 3.4
Average Volume: 9.3 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 43
Bloom Energy Corp. (NYSE:BE) is one of the best stocks for day trading. With a relatively high beta of 3.4 and an average daily trading range of approximately 7%, the stock is likely to be a favorite among day traders seeking to capitalize on volatility.
The stock has already delivered exceptional gains, climbing 450% over the past year and more than 140% year-to-date.
On the fundamental side, the company appears to be performing well, given its exposure to the secular growth drivers of clean energy. On September 4, Baird analyst Ben Kallo raised his price target on the stock to $61 from $45, while maintaining an Outperform rating. The revision followed a tour of the company’s manufacturing facility, which reinforced his confidence in Bloom Energy Corp.’s (NYSE:BE) production capabilities and growth trajectory.
This came after Baird’s earlier move on August 1, when Kallo had already lifted his target to $45 from $22 following Q2 earnings. That same day, BTIG’s Gregory Lewis reiterated a Buy rating with a $42 target, citing results that exceeded expectations on strong product sales.
Lewis had also pointed to Bloom Energy Corp.’s (NYSE:BE) plans to double U.S. manufacturing capacity by 2026, alongside supportive legislation offering tax credit incentives. He also argued that the company’s recent exchange of convertible notes reduced near-term financing pressure, while partnerships with utilities such as American Electric Power highlight expanding commercial opportunities.
Bloom Energy Corp. (NYSE:BE) is a clean energy company that specializes in solid oxide fuel cell technology. Its Bloom Energy Servers provide highly efficient, low-carbon power generation for commercial and industrial customers.
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