Understanding trading volume is crucial for investors as it reveals the number of shares exchanged in a given period, which signals market interest and momentum. Stocks are classified as high or low volume based on this activity. High-volume stocks are the ones that are typically trading 500,000+ shares daily, and offer benefits like minimized volatility and tighter spreads, although they may involve speculative plays. Conversely, low-volume stocks present potential opportunities for value investors, though they carry higher volatility and liquidity risks. Analyzing volume helps identify market trends, confirm breakouts, and inform buy and/or sell decisions, especially for short-term trading strategies. However, it’s essential to consider volume alongside other factors for a comprehensive investment approach.
On February 20, Drew Matus, Chief Market Strategist at MetLife Investment Management, appeared on CNBC to discuss stock rotations and their implications for the market. When asked about the lack of upward revisions from the MAG7, Matus emphasized that it would be healthy for the market to see a rotation where the other 493 stocks in the S&P 500 begin to contribute more significantly. He explained that high concentration in equities tends to create instability, and a broader participation in growth would signal a healthier economic environment. The discussion then highlighted the evidence of this rotation, as the S&P Equal Weight index is up about 4.25% year-to-date, closely matching the 4.5% gain of the market-cap-weighted index. Matus acknowledged this trend and its importance, noting that slightly higher inflation has been manageable for companies able to pass along costs. He also pointed out that growth numbers remain strong and optimism persists, particularly among small business owners.
With Matus’ sentiment being acknowledged, we’re here with a list of the 12 best high-volume stocks to buy according to analysts.
A person with a cell phone who is looking for new stocks
Methodology
We first used stock screeners to compile a list of stocks with high average 3-month volumes. We then selected 12 stocks that had a high average upside potential of over 25% and were the most popular among elite hedge funds. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of their average upside potential. We’ve also added the hedge fund sentiment for each stock, as of Q4 2024, which was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database.
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).
12 Best High Volume Stocks to Buy According to Analysts
12. NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 223
Average Volume (3-Month): 244.481 million
Upside Potential as of February 19: 25.06%
NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) is a global technology leader that provides a suite of graphics, compute, and networking solutions. These power several industries, ranging from gaming and professional visualization to data centers and autonomous vehicles.
The company received a reiterated Buy rating and $195.00 price target from Benchmark Co.’s Cody Acree on February 11, who cited new auto growth opportunities for this sentiment. He stated that the company aims to use its existing dominance to expand into emerging sectors, and it sees the automotive industry as a prime example of this strategy.
In FQ3 2025, the company’s automotive segment reached a record revenue of $449 million. This was a 30% sequential jump and a 72% surge year-over-year. The primary drivers of this growth are the increasing adoption of NVIDIA Corp.’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) Orin platform for self-driving vehicles and the market demand for navigation systems (NAVs). The Orin platform is a high-performance system-on-a-chip (SoC) designed specifically for autonomous vehicles. It enables advanced AI processing for tasks like perception, planning, and control. Its increasing deployment signifies a shift towards more sophisticated self-driving capabilities in the automotive industry.
An example of this adoption is Volvo Cars’ rollout of its fully electric SUV, which is built on the Orin and DriveOS platforms. DriveOS is NVIDIA Corp.’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) software platform for autonomous vehicles, which provides the necessary tools and infrastructure for developing and deploying self-driving applications. Volvo’s integration of these technologies demonstrates the real-world application of NVIDIA Corp.’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) automotive solutions and their impact on the EV market.
The company’s strong performance is due to its position in key growth areas like AI. This helps it exceed financial expectations and demonstrate exceptional product demand and growth potential. Alger Spectra Fund stated the following regarding NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:
“NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is a leading supplier of graphics processing units (GPUs) for a variety of end markets, such as gaming, PCs, data centers, virtual reality, and high-performance computing. The company is leading in most secular growth categories in computing, and especially artificial intelligence and super-computing parallel processing techniques for solving complex computational problems. In our view, Nvidia’s computational power is a critical enabler of AI and therefore essential to AI adoption. Shares contributed to performance during the quarter, driven by strong demand for its data center products, especially the Hopper H200 chips, which generated double-digit billions in revenue, marking the fastest product ramp in the company’s history. Management provided fiscal fourth-quarter revenue guidance above analyst estimates, along with resilient operating margins supported by robust demand and limited competition. In our view, Nvidia’s leadership in scaling AI infrastructure, including advancements in inference and test-time scaling (i.e., reasoning during inference), is driving adoption among enterprises and startups, providing continued demand for its high-performance chips and software solutions. As older-generation chips are repurposed for inference and new clusters are deployed, we believe Nvidia is well-positioned to capitalize on growing compute needs across AI applications.”
11. B2Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 19
Average Volume (3-Month): 21.054 million
Upside Potential as of February 19: 33.64%
B2Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) is a global gold producer that operates key mines in Africa and Southeast Asia. Beyond its established mines in Mali, the Philippines, and Namibia, it’s developing projects in Colombia and holds strategic interests in other mining ventures. This demonstrates a commitment to growth and diversification within the gold sector.
The company announced its Q4 and full-year 2024 financial results recently. Q4 gold production reached 186,001 ounces, and the full year totaled 804,778 ounces. While some mines exceeded expectations, delays at the Fekola mine impacted overall output. It reported a net loss of $0.01 per share in Q4 and $0.48 per share for the full year, primarily due to impairment charges. The company ended the year with $337 million in cash and equivalents.
Its Goose Project remains on schedule for its first gold production in Q2 2025, with total capital expenditures estimated at C$1,540 million. The Goose Project is B2Gold Corp.’s (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) new gold mine in Nunavut, Canada. The company expects to produce 120,000 to 150,000 ounces of gold from this project in 2025 and an average of 310,000 ounces annually from 2026 to 2031.
10. Rigetti Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 17
Average Volume (3-Month): 156.452 million
Upside Potential as of February 19: 35.69%
Rigetti Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) develops superconducting quantum processors and comprehensive cloud-based access. Through its Novera brand, it delivers quantum processing units like the Ankaa-2 system, alongside quantum computing as a service and a suite of professional services. It empowers commercial, governmental, and international entities to explore the potential of quantum technology.
It’s focused on advancing its superconducting quantum computing technology. By mid-2025, it plans to release a 36-qubit system, using 49-qubit chips, which aim for 99.5% median 2-qubit gate fidelity. By late 2025, a system with over 100 qubits is expected, also targeting 99.5% fidelity, followed by the development of a 336-qubit system. It’s also on track to deploy its 84-qubit Ankaa 3 system by the end of 2024, targeting over 99% fidelity. The company is building faster and more accurate quantum computers by linking together multiple smaller and powerful chips.
Rigetti Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) is collaborating with Riverlane on quantum error correction, which shows real-time low-latency error correction on its 84-qubit Ankaa 2 system. Its 9-qubit Nuvera QPU is being used for research, including quantum machine learning, as demonstrated in a reinforcement learning project at the Israeli Quantum Computing Center. Additionally, the 24-qubit Ankaa system has been deployed at the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre.
9. American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 59
Average Volume (3-Month): 28.443 million
Upside Potential as of February 19: 36.43%
American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL) is a global air carrier that provides extensive passenger and cargo services through a network of strategically located hubs across the US and key international gateways. With a substantial fleet and a rich history, it connects millions of travelers worldwide.
The company’s AAdvantage loyalty program is a major revenue driver. In 2024, the program saw record enrollment and usage, with loyalty revenues up 14% in Q4 year-over-year. AAdvantage members accounted for 75% of premium cabin revenue. Co-branded credit card spending increased by 9.5% in Q4, which also highlighted the program’s popularity. A new 10-year agreement with Citi, starting in 2026, is expected to increase annual cash payments from these cards and other partners by about 10%, potentially reaching $10 billion. This could lead to a $1.5 billion increase in annual pre-tax income compared to 2024.
In 2024, American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL) received $6.1 billion in cash from co-branded credit cards and partners, a 17% increase compared to the year-ago period in 2023. This included a one-time payment related to the Citi deal. The airline is focused on enhancing AAdvantage with new benefits, aiming to keep it an industry-leading program.
8. PG&E Corp. (NYSE:PCG)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 74
Average Volume (3-Month): 23.673 million
Upside Potential as of February 19: 39.86%
PG&E Corp. (NYSE:PCG) is an energy provider that delivers electricity and natural gas to a vast customer base across northern and central California. Utilizing a diverse energy portfolio, which includes nuclear, hydroelectric, and renewable sources, it maintains a complex infrastructure of transmission and distribution systems to power homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure.
Citi analysts, on February 11, looked at the company’s potential to power data centers. They think it could provide 5 GW of power: 3.4 GW by 2029, which is already in planning, and another 1.5 GW between 2030 and 2040. However, wildfires, tricky pricing rules, local resistance, and power reliability problems might prevent this. If California builds fewer data centers, then the companies with existing data centers would likely make more money. Citi still maintains a Buy rating on PG&E with a $21 target.
The company has 5.5 gigawatts of potential data center load in its application pipeline. This “beneficial load” is expected to increase revenue and lower customer bills. Of the 5.5 gigawatts, 1.4 gigawatts have passed preliminary engineering studies, meaning these projects are advancing. These 1.4 gigawatts represent 15 customers across 27 sites and are expected to be online by 2030, with some coming as early as 2026.
PG&E Corp. (NYSE:PCG) is working to streamline the process for these large customers, proposing upfront funding through filings like Electric Rule 30. It estimates that every 1,000 megawatts of data center load could lead to a 1-2% reduction in customer electricity bills, making this load growth beneficial for both the company and its customers.
Third Point Management highlighted PG&E Corp.’s (NYSE:PCG) strong legal protections and wildfire mitigation efforts under AB1054, providing a cautiously positive outlook despite wildfire risks. It stated the following in its Q4 2024 investor letter:
“We are devastated by the recent events in Southern California. Several of our family members and team members call Los Angeles home, and our hearts are with all impacted by the fires.
While PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG) does not operate in this region, there is press speculation that one of the fires, Eaton, may have been related to transmission equipment owned by SoCal Edison (SCE), another investor-owned utility (parent company Edison International.) Edison has stated publicly that they do not believe their equipment was involved. The investigation is ongoing, and we believe it is premature to make conclusions about the origin of the fire…
If the Eaton fire ignition was related to SCE equipment, the California legal standard of “inverse condemnation” exposes SCE to resultant property damage liabilities. After PG&E’s bankruptcy in 2019, California passed a bill called AB1054 which protects the state’s investor-owned utilities (Edison, PG&E and Sempra) from these liabilities as long as they adhere to a rigorous safety standard. This includes a comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan approved annually by the government and a commitment to spend billions to harden the grid; for example, PG&E is spending a whopping $18 billion on wildfire mitigation from 2023 -2025. In exchange, AB1054 includes several protections, such as a legal prudency standard that entitles the utility to cost recovery via multiple avenues in the event of a catastrophic fire and a $21 billion insurance fund to cover incurred liabilities. SCE has an active safety certificate and thus should benefit from the protections under AB 1054, just as PG&E would in case of a future fire. Regulator-approved cost recovery is a routine proceeding for utilities in areas prone to severe climate events (hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.) in acknowledgement of the fact that it is not feasible to remove all risk from overhead grid infrastructure. PCG has been the preeminent advocate in California for undergrounding, which we believe is the only way to permanently eliminate wildfire risk from grid assets…” (Click here to read the full text)
7. Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 38
Average Volume (3-Month): 23.828 million
Upside Potential as of February 19: 43.48%
Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG) is a global leader in offshore contract drilling and provides essential services to the oil and gas industry. It operates through a sophisticated fleet of ultra-deepwater and harsh environment floaters and delivers critical drilling solutions to integrated, government, and independent energy companies worldwide.
Its primary revenue source is its advanced offshore drilling services. In 2024, it generated $3.5 billion in adjusted contract drilling revenues. The company secured high-value contracts, including rates exceeding $500,000 per day for advanced rigs. It focuses on securing long-term contracts for 2026 and beyond, with ongoing discussions in regions like the US Gulf, Latin America, and Norway. It secured a 4 well option with Reliance Industries in India at $410,000 per day till 2027. It also secured an 8-day option in Australia at $390,000 per day.
Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG) is investing in technology to enhance safety and efficiency, including automation and robotics. It’s now focused on operational execution to convert its $3.1 billion backlog into revenue in 2025. The company is also working on reducing costs.
6. Riot Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:RIOT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 37
Average Volume (3-Month): 33.917 million
Upside Potential as of February 19: 43.70%
Riot Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:RIOT) is a multifaceted company at the intersection of cryptocurrency and infrastructure. It operates as a leading Bitcoin mining enterprise in North America. Beyond its mining operations, it provides data center hosting and engineering services. This includes designing and manufacturing power distribution equipment, and catering to clients spanning data centers, utilities, and alternative energy sectors.
Towards the end of January, Piper Sandler maintained an Overweight rating on the company, setting a $23 price target. They pointed out its study of using 600 MW of unused Corsicana site capacity for AI/HPC, potentially increasing earnings. Following management’s focus on AI/HPC and an activist investor’s stake, the company started a feasibility study. Piper Sandler estimates this could add $6.73 per share in value.
So now the company is actively pursuing growth in the AI/HPC sector by using its existing power infrastructure. Riot Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:RIOT) has substantial power capacity: 700 MW at Rockdale, 1 gigawatt at Corsicana, and over 300 MW in Kentucky. The Corsicana facility is undergoing a second phase of development to reach its full 1-gigawatt capacity by 2026, with substation equipment already ordered. The company has initiated a formal feasibility study to assess this AI/HPC opportunity. It aims to capitalize on the rising demand for power assets and diversify its revenue streams, as well as utilize its infrastructure to serve the growing AI/HPC market.
5. IONQ Inc. (NYSE:IONQ)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 28
Average Volume (3-Month): 27.897 million
Upside Potential as of February 19: 44.13%
IONQ Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) is dedicated to building and providing access to general-purpose quantum systems. Through cloud platforms like AWS Braket, Azure Quantum, and Google Cloud, as well as its own cloud service, it offers diverse qubit capacities and provides specialized hardware development, support, and consulting. This drives the advancement of quantum computing applications.
It’s heavily invested in developing quantum applications, particularly in biopharmaceuticals and engineering. It has partnered with AstraZeneca to establish a quantum application development center in Gothenburg, Sweden, which aims to revolutionize drug discovery. The company also joined forces with Ansys to accelerate computer-aided engineering simulations, which makes advanced design exploration more accessible.
IONQ Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) exceeded its Q3 2024 revenue guidance, reporting $12.4 million, compared to the expected $9 million to $12 million. The company raised its full-year 2024 revenue guidance to $38.5-$42.5 million. It also secured a $54.5 million contract with the US Air Force Research Lab and a $9 million renewal with the University of Maryland. On January 27, Needham’s N. Quinn Bolton raised the company’s price target to $54 from $18, maintaining a Buy rating. For this sentiment, he cited the company’s potential to benefit from technical advancements, increased quantum award values, and the growing recognition of quantum computing’s disruptive potential.
4. Veren Inc. (NYSE:VRN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 22
Average Volume (3-Month): 12.403 million
Upside Potential as of February 19: 44.58%
Veren Inc. (NYSE:VRN) is an oil and gas company that explores, develops, and produces crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the resource-rich provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. It has its headquarters in Calgary.
The company’s main growth comes from its oil and liquids production in the Alberta Montney and Kaybob Duvernay regions. In Q3 2024, the average production was 184,829 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), with 65% being oil and liquids. Wells in the Gold Creek West pad stood out, ranking in the top 1% of North American wells.
For 2025, Veren Inc. (NYSE:VRN) will invest $1.48 billion to $1.58 billion, with 85% going into these key areas. It expects production of 188,000 to 196,000 boe/d. The company forecasts production to reach 250,000 boe/d by 2029. It expects to generate $3.9 billion in after-tax excess cash flow over the next five years. The company plans to return 60% of its excess cash flow to shareholders, and potentially more as it reduces debt.
3. Celsius Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CELH)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 33
Average Volume (3-Month): 7.645 million
Upside Potential as of February 19: 48.03%
Celsius Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CELH) is a global beverage company that specializes in functional energy drinks and supplements. With a focus on accelerating metabolism and fat burning, it offers a range of products that are distributed through a network of retailers, gyms, and online platforms. These products reach consumers across multiple continents.
The North American energy drink sales drive most of this company’s revenue. In Q3 2024, retail sales grew 7.1% year-over-year, with unit sales up 7.3%, while the overall energy drink category grew by only 2%. The company’s market share in MULO Plus with Convenience reached 11.6%. Sales through various channels showed mixed results. Amazon sales increased 21% to $27 million, while Costco sales rose 15%. However, club channel sales decreased 4% to $60.5 million. Food service sales, through PepsiCo, accounted for 12.3% of North American revenue.
Celsius Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CELH) is focusing on three key growth areas: attracting new customers with innovative flavors and marketing, expanding product availability, and increasing consumption frequency. It’s investing in marketing, innovation, and operational efficiency, which include the acquisition of a co-packer, to drive growth in the North American market.
2. MARA Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:MARA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21
Average Volume (3-Month): 51.061 million
Upside Potential as of February 19: 61.49%
MARA Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:MARA) is a digital asset technology company that focuses on Bitcoin mining in the US. It uses technological advancements to optimize its mining operations and contribute to the security and efficiency of the Bitcoin network.
It’s expanding its owned data center capacity for Bitcoin mining. It acquired two Ohio data centers with 222 megawatts of capacity and is building a 150-megawatt greenfield site. This adds 372 megawatts to its portfolio, all targeted for full energization by the end of 2025. These moves increase the company’s owned capacity by over 70%. In 2024, it secured 1 gigawatt of capacity through acquisitions and development, bringing the total to nearly 1.5 gigawatts, with 65% owned. The Ohio acquisitions were made at $270,000 per megawatt, which they claim is a low multiple compared to competitors.
The company aims to reduce operating costs and increase control. MARA Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:MARA) is exploring partnerships with AI companies and hyperscalers to further lower costs. It’s also focused on achieving near-zero energy costs through on-site generation and micro data centers.
1. Banco Bradesco (NYSE:BBD)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 18
Average Volume (3-Month): 43.331 million
Upside Potential as of February 19: 82.67%
Banco Bradesco (NYSE:BBD) is a financial institution that offers a suite of banking and insurance products to several customers in Brazil and internationally. Operating through its Banking and Insurance segments, it provides services ranging from traditional accounts and loans to investment products and insurance solutions.
It is focusing on its digital retail banking growth through advanced technology. 99% of its transactions are now digital. It launched platforms like Bradesco Expresso, which improve user experience. The company is implementing GenAI BIA, which is an AI assistant, which has already seen 2 million interactions with 90% resolution in late 2024. Banco Bradesco (NYSE:BBD) is investing heavily in tech modernization, which includes cloud migration (79% complete) and AI-driven internal tools like BIA Tech. It acquired Kunumi, an AI firm, and is using AI to modernize legacy systems. It has a 10,000+ person tech team and aims for a 50% increase in tech deliveries in 2025.
These digital investments are aimed to enhance customer experience, boost efficiency, and drive growth. Banco Bradesco (NYSE:BBD) is focusing on hyper-personalization, better NBO (Next Best Offer) models, and expanding digital services to all customer segments.
While we acknowledge the growth potential of Banco Bradesco (NYSE:BBD), our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than BBD but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap.
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.
