In this piece, we will take a look at what are the best stocks to buy right now. If you want to skip our primer on the stock market and the economy, then head on over to What Are The Best Stocks To Buy Right Now? Top 5 Stocks.

When it comes to the turmoil in the U.S. economy that kicked off with the coronavirus pandemic and was extended due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, July 2023 has been the climaxing month. The start of the month saw investors wait with bated breaths about a crucial jobs report that would have provided the first signal about the Federal Reserve's plans for future interest rate hikes. While the central bank had nearly penciled in a 25 basis point interest rate increase for July, the concern surrounded future decisions, especially for the next meeting in September. The month started off with rather shocking private payrolls report that nearly took the wind out of the rally in the first half of 2023, as the data showed that more than twice the number of jobs were added than analysts were actually expecting.

This shock was followed by new jobs data from the Labor Department that actually undershot expectations and provided a breather to analysts and investors. Then, inflation for June also saw a cooling off and led to the annual figure sitting at 3% and ending up being below the Dow Jones consensus estimates of 3.1%. However, more drama was in store for investors as July's final week settled in. This was in the form of two additional data sets that enabled an understanding of how far the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes have made it into the economy and whether there is any justification for the Fed to even consider raising rates in September or later.

The first data set was the GDP growth report from the Commerce Department. This report, like several others before it, provided a conflicting set of conclusions. On a positive note, it showed that the American economy grew by 2.4% in the second quarter with the growth accelerating from 2% in the first quarter. It added that price indexes also grew at a slower pace, lending credence to the belief that no further hikes might be required since inflation is cooling. The second quarter GDP growth data was met by another data release again from the Commerce Department. This was the personal consumption expenditure (PCE) index which is also the Fed's favorite inflation tool. Prior to the release, economists were expecting the core PCE to sit at 4.2% annually and 0.3% over the month, and the data met these estimates. The pure PCE, namely prices that also include food and energy, stood at 3% in June, for the slowest pace in two years, and provided a lot of respite to jittery currency markets in particular as all major currencies gained against the U.S. dollar.

While the pure PCE is the Fed's favorite inflation metric, the central bank also monitors the labor and jobs market through several reports. One of these is the Employment Cost Index from the Labor Department. It revealed that civilian compensation costs in America rose by just 1% in Q2 2023 - for the slowest pace of increase since the second quarter of 2021. Annually, in June 2023, wages grew by 4.6% in June, slowing down from 5% in the first quarter. Combined, this data set shows that wage pressures are slowing down, and opens up hope for this trend to continue in the future to bring down inflation and not tip the economy into a recession.

So, what's going on in the stock market now that the clouds finally might be disappearing? Well, the market, as you might know, has been on a tear this year. The NASDAQ 100 index closed Friday after gaining 1.85%, while the NASDAQ Composite, the S&P500, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) were up 1.90%, 0.99%, and 0.50%, respectively. This brings the year to date gains of the NASDAQ 100 to an exact 45% - and at a time when many had predicted that American economic output might be on the decline. As to whether this market optimism is warranted, Brent Schutte, the chief investment officer of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management believes that those that have made money on the market are done by now and the recent euphoria comes from folks who missed out on the fireworks during H1 2023.

He simply put his sentiment as:

So, in a market where most people are confused about what's really going on for months, the true question is which stocks should one buy. Well, we've tried our hand at this today, and some top picks are Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA), PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL), and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO).

Pixabay/Public Domain

Our Methodology

To compile our list of the best stocks to buy right now, we took a look at the top twenty most popular stocks with hedge funds during Q1 2023 in Insider Monkey's database of 943 hedge funds. These were ranked by the share price upside percentage based on current prices and analysts' average share price targets. The stocks that have the most upside are listed below as those that are the best to buy right now.

What Are The Best Stocks To Buy Right Now?

12. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Average Share Price Upside: 2%

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is one of the biggest technology companies in the world and the shares are up by 41% year to date. Due to this, further upside is rather small, as the firm has an average share price target of $345. Microsoft is one of the strongest players in the artificial intelligence industry, so do watch the sector to gauge the stock's future.

By the end of March 2023, 289 of the 943 hedge funds part of Insider Monkey's database had bought Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s shares, making it the most popular stock. Michael Larson's Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust is the largest investor with a $11.3 billion stake.

Just like PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL), Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA), and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is a great stock to buy that hedge funds have piled into.

11. Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI)

Average Share Price Upside: 2%

Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI) is a video game developer that is currently being acquired by Microsoft. The deal received a boost in July when the British antitrust regulator CMA reopened the case.

128 of the 943 hedge funds profiled by Insider Monkey for their Q1 2023 shareholdings had invested in the company. Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI)'s largest hedge fund shareholder is Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway with an investment of $4.2 billion.

10. Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

Average Share Price Upside: 2%

Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) is a payments platform provider that provides plastic cards, clearing services, and other products. The stock is rated Strong Buy on average.

After sifting through 943 hedge funds for this year's first quarter, 138 of the 943 hedge funds surveyed by Insider Monkey had held a stake in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA). Charles Akre's Akre Capital Management is the firm's largest investor with a stake worth $2.1 billion.

9. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

Average Share Price Upside: 3%

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is a healthcare plan provider that is one of the biggest of its kind in America. Its shares are also rated Strong Buy on average and the firm had a solid second quarter that saw it beat analyst revenue and EPS estimates.

Insider Monkey took a look at 943 hedge funds for their first quarter of 2023 shareholdings to find out that 118 had invested in the firm. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)'s largest investor is Rajiv Jain's GQG Partners since it owns $2.2 billion worth of shares.

8. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B)

Average Share Price Upside: 5%

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B) is one of the largest investment holding companies in the world. Led by Warren Buffett, the firm has stakes in a diverse set of sectors such as communications, retail, technology, and finance. The shares have a sizeable upside of $15 but the stock is rated Buy on average and the rating tilt to hold.

108 of the 943 hedge funds part of Insider Monkey's Q1 2023 survey had bought Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-A)'s shares. Out of these, Michael Larson's Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust is the biggest stakeholder with an investment worth $6 billion.

7. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V)

Average Share Price Upside: 6%

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is another payments platform provider that has a similar portfolio to Mastercard. Its operations are linked to the economy, as more spending leads to higher revenues. The average share price target is nearly $250 and the average rating is a Strong Buy.

As of March 2023, out of the 943 hedge funds surveyed by Insider Monkey, 173 had held a stake in the firm. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V)'s largest investor in our database is Chris Hohn's TCI Fund Management with a $4.3 billion stake.

6. Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER)

Average Share Price Upside: 9%

Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) is a technology firm that provides an application for ridesharing, deliveries, and other services. The stock is up a stunning 89% year to date and analysts have penned in a 9% upside based on the average share price target.

After scouring 943 hedge funds for 2023's March quarter, Insider Monkey discovered that 144 had bought and owned Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER)'s shares. Ken Fisher's Fisher Asset Management is the largest investor, having piled in $658 million.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA), Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER), PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL), and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) are some great stocks to buy that are on the hedge fund radar.

Click to continue reading and see What Are The Best Stocks To Buy Right Now? Top 5 Stocks.

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Disclosure: None. What Are The Best Stocks To Buy Right Now? is originally published on Insider Monkey. 1620