10 Most Popular Stocks [Wall Street vs Main Street]

The top ten stocks to buy according to big money players and regular investors. These are the most popular stocks for a reason and one of the portfolios is up over 62% in just three weeks.

I just came across this top stocks list and it is a great look at what other investors are buying. My first inclination is to follow the smart money, as the saying goes, into that stock list but further research tells me it might be a better idea to go after the most popular stocks by regular investors.

I’ll start by explaining why they say to follow the smart money, institutional investors, into the market. Besides trillions of dollars available to push stocks higher, these big money players also do an insane amount of research to find the best stocks to buy.

Then I’ll reveal the ten most popular stocks for both groups, institutional investors and retail investors…and then compare the lists to show you which stocks to buy.

What was most surprising about each stocks list was the themes targeted by each investor group. Institutional investors are going after those digital trends like ecommerce and online payments. Retail investors are more focused on the value stocks and rebound names for those triple-digit returns.

I’ll also compare the two lists of stocks by performance, both the year-to-date returns for the portfolios as well as how they’ve done during the best and worst of 2020. As a longer-term theme, the most popular stocks for big money institutionals didn’t fall as hard in the stock market crash but also have not rebounded as fast. The retail investor stocks got hit bad in the crash but then posted some amazing returns over the past month.

Finally, I’ll reveal the stocks to buy from each of these lists, which stocks I’m buying and why. There’s something to like in each of these stock lists and investments that will fit in your portfolio.

0:00 Top Stocks to Buy Now
0:13 Should you follow the smart money into stocks?
1:37 List of most popular stocks
3:26 Top stocks by sector for institutional and retail investors
3:52 Are the most popular stocks beating the market?
5:06 Fundamental analysis of top stocks list
7:05 Top stocks to buy now from these two lists

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Joseph Hogue, CFA spent nearly a decade as an investment analyst for institutional firms and banks. He now helps people understand their financial lives through debt payoff strategies, investing and ways to save more money. He has appeared on Bloomberg and on sites like CNBC and Morningstar. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a veteran of the Marine Corps.
#stockstobuy #stockstowatch #stocks

[kevinsjournal]

I made my own stock picks video and I still believe in the airline and travel stocks, great recommendations!!

[holywarrior]

Thanks for the great video Joe - "better safe than sorry" this is how I play the game

[InvestorCenter]

Peter Lynch is famous for saying how “Smart Money” can actually be pretty dumb.

[MamboRasco]

Thanks for the video. Like to know why you like F and GE?

[InvestorCenter]

By the time the “smart money” has invested in a stock, the valuation is likely too high.

[rickanderson]

I was glad to see that I own the top 7 stocks on the Institutional list in huge numbers !!!

[neilcuzon]

Joseph, you are too nice. A wave of negative earnings reports on those value stocks could actually cause a massive rout and the people who get left holding the bag will be in tears. But you hazard caution without calling them names, an admirable display of maturity.
epidemiological data seems to suggest that Covid-19 will be with us for some time yet and that loss making enterprises will continue to make losses, so it would be in the best interest of anyone interested in not being trampled in the rout, to stay away from Greater Fool stocks.

[cashflowinvestorspyd]

Buying $GOOG - No dividend yet but tons of growth.

[joelyelcanio]

Hello the Sir, thanks for your help. Can you or anyone tell me if GOOG is a good buy or is it at it’s peak?

Saw a really interesting take the other day. "The market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent". At the same time, I think the graphic at 5:06 is really telling, earnings growth in the retail portfolio took an absolute nose dive. How much value is there really to be had in some of those companies if earnings is contracting that much.

[keenheat]

time horizon between institutional and retail trades are completely different though. I don't think it makes sense to compare on the same time horizon. IE: you wouldn't compare a high frequency trade algo trader's portfolio with pension fund's portfolio, they occupy completely different time horizon, price movement, position size and can coexist with each other. I mean if a firm is specialized in tech sector, you wouldn't compare its performance to S&P 500, it's better benchmark to compare with TQQQ. Likewise with the recent bankruptcy trades like CHK/HTZ, I think it makes more sense to compare retail with mutual fund that specialize in bankrupt company. Otherwise it's an apple to orange comparison.

[larimixmixter]

Hi Joseph, could you make a video regarding if I bought a share for $80 then next day it drops to $70. I'm I only looking the $10 ? If one stock goes banckcrupt do I only loose the whole money from that stock or does it affect my whole investing balance? That you for your time

[doubleinfinification]

you and tom keene need to do an episode on bow ties

[williamsantiago]

What is your take in penny stock .I can't recall seeing a video on that subject

[Squintillions]

Joe Six-pack. Is that your nickname? 😜
Nice comparison between the two kinds of investors

[davidtodd]

I’m concerned that the Federal Reserve will be stepping in to boost the economy by buying up corporate stocks soon. Let’s hope not, I’m crossing my fingers.

[StockInvestmentAnalysis]

It looks a lot of those top Main street investors are jumping into the most beaten down companies they are hoping to swing into rapid profits in short term gains.

[mrike]

I almost got out of Robinhood once I didn’t get drip

[ogelratsraw]

This man looks stoned out of his mind 💀