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12 Best NASDAQ Penny Stocks to Buy

In this article, we discuss 12 best NASDAQ penny stocks to buy. You can skip our detailed analysis of the stock market and returns of NASDAQ, and go directly to read 5 Best NASDAQ Penny Stocks to Buy

Since the start of 2023, the stock market has witnessed a significant shift in direction, marked by a noteworthy recovery in major indices. Most Wall Street investors believe that stocks have entered a new phase of a bull market, characterized by rising prices and positive market sentiment. Additionally, they express confidence that the U.S. economy will manage to avoid a recession in 2023, according to a survey conducted by CNBC Delivering Alpha in the last week of June.

The major stock exchanges concluded the first half of the year on a highly positive note, with the tech-heavy NASDAQ emerging as the frontrunner among them. The index returned 32.7% year-to-date, which marked its biggest increase during the first half of the year since 1983 when it rose by 37%. In addition to this, the combined value of companies in the Nasdaq 100 has surged by nearly $5 trillion this year so far, as reported by Fortune. One of the main reasons for this rally is a focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI chatbots. Fortune reported that the surge in AI-related investments is being compared to the dot-com bubble of 2000 when the market got influenced by a limited number of tech stocks before experiencing a crash. The market’s strong interest in generative AI has overshadowed major concerns that could have negatively impacted sentiment this year. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), and NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) are reporting strong gains this year, after declining massively in 2022.

Historical data indicates that the second half of the year tends to be favorable for NASDAQ due to heightened economic activity. This period often sees increased consumer spending, business expansion, and overall economic growth, which can positively impact the performance of companies listed on the NASDAQ. According to a report by Forbes, from July 1 to December 31, NASDAQ has historically gained an average of 7.8%, compared to an average increase of 3.2% during the first six months of the year.

Also read: How to Play The AI Boom And NASDAQ Rally

Analysts also believe that the tech rally will continue for the foreseeable future and is not expected to end anytime soon. This suggests that there is ongoing optimism surrounding the performance and potential of technology companies. Bryn Talkington, a managing partner at Requisite Capital Management, spoke about tech stocks this year in his interview with CNBC’s “Closing Bell”. He said:

“I think you’re going to continue to see tech dominate because we’re still all abuzz about AI.”

Similarly, Larry Adam, chief investment officer at Raymond James, also presented a bullish outlook for the tech sector in the second half of the year. In his interview with Bloomberg, he stated:

“I still do like big tech. I do believe in technology continuing to reinvent itself — obviously with the latest addition being AI. That’ll continue to drive earnings.”

As analysts have a positive outlook on the future of tech stocks, we have compiled a list of some of the best penny stocks on NASDAQ.

Our Methodology:

For this article, we used a stock screener and filtered stocks listed on the NASDAQ exchange which were also priced under $5 on July 2. From that list, we picked 12 stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors, tracked by Insider Monkey as of Q1 2023. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of hedge funds’ sentiment towards them.

12. Nikola Corporation (NASDAQ:NKLA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 10

Share Price as of July 2: $1.38

Nikola Corporation (NASDAQ:NKLA) is an American company that focuses on the development of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles and other clean energy transportation solutions. In the past month, the stock gained 146.4% following the Fed’s decision of pausing interest rate hikes and the company’s announcement to eliminate the workforce by 10% in an effort to cut costs. It is among the best penny stocks on our list.

In the first quarter of 2023, Nikola Corporation (NASDAQ:NKLA) reported revenue of $11.1 million, which showed a 488.4% growth from the same period last year. At the end of March 31, the company had over $121 million available in cash and cash equivalents and its total assets amounted to over $1.1 billion.

In March, Morgan Stanley initiated its coverage of Nikola Corporation (NASDAQ:NKLA) with a neutral rating and a $3 price target, highlighting the company’s overall performance this year. Analysts are also bullish on major tech stocks such as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), and NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA).

At the end of Q1 2023, 10 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey reported having stakes in Nikola Corporation (NASDAQ:NKLA), up from 9 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a total value of roughly $51.3 million. With over 36.8 million shares, Antara Capital was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q1.

11. Cadiz Inc. (NASDAQ:CDZI)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 11

Share Price as of July 2: $4.06

Cadiz Inc. (NASDAQ:CDZI) is a California-based water supply company that specializes in sustainable projects through its land and water resources. Its parent company, ATEC, recently secured a contract worth $10 million from the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. The contract involves providing all the necessary wellhead filters for the Vineyard Wellfield Groundwater Polishing Project. Over the next year, ATEC will manufacture a total of 320 filters for this project at its facilities located in Hollister, California.

As of the close of Q1 2023, 11 hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database owned stakes in Cadiz Inc. (NASDAQ:CDZI), compared with 9 a quarter earlier. These stakes are collectively worth over $35.5 million. Among these hedge funds, Odey Asset Management Group was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q1.

10. Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 14

Share Price as of July 2: $1.56

Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY) is a New York-based pharmaceutical company that operates in the legal cannabis industry. While the company has a range of brands under its portfolio, its primary focus is on the production, cultivation, and distribution of cannabis products for medical and recreational use.

In its fiscal Q3 2023, Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY) reported growth in its adjusted cannabis gross profit to $22.2 million, from $18 million in the prior-year quarter. The company’s revenue for the quarter came in at $145.5 million, which fell by 4.1% from the same period last year.

In April, Cowen maintained its outperform rating on Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY) with a $5 price target, following the company’s quarterly earnings.

Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY) was a part of 14 hedge fund portfolios in Q1 2023, as per Insider Monkey’s database. The stakes owned by these funds have a collective value of over $10.2 million.

9. Brightcove Inc. (NASDAQ:BCOV)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 15

Share Price as of July 2: $4.01

Brightcove Inc. (NASDAQ:BCOV) is an American software company that provides cloud-based services for managing, publishing, and distributing digital content. The company specializes in online video platforms and offers a suite of products and services that cater to businesses and organizations of various sizes. It is one of the best penny stocks on our list.

In the first quarter of 2023, Brightcove Inc. (NASDAQ:BCOV) reported mixed earnings, with revenue of $49.1 million, down 8% from the same period last year. However, the company’s operating cash flow for the quarter grew to $12.6 million, from $690,000 in the prior-year period. At the end of March 31, it had over $12.5 million available in cash and cash equivalents.

As of the close of Q1 2023, 15 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owned stakes in Brightcove Inc. (NASDAQ:BCOV), compared with 17 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a total value of over $66.2 million. With roughly 7 million shares, Trigran Investments was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q1.

8. Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABOS)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 18

Share Price as of July 2: $4.81

Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABOS) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, based in Virginia, US. In May, Cantor Fitzgerald presented a positive outlook for the company, following its first-quarter earnings. The firm initiated its coverage on the stock with an Overweight rating and a $13 price target.

Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABOS) gained 14% on June 13 after announcing its plan to share the topline results of its Phase 1 trial for the Alzheimer’s drug candidate ACU193 at a medical event in July. The trial, called INTERCEPT-AD, is being conducted in the United States and aims to assess the effectiveness of its drug in 65 patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

At the end of March 31, 18 hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database held stakes in Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABOS), worth collectively $75 million roughly. RA Capital Management was the company’s largest shareholder in Q1.

7. Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 19

Share Price as of July 2: $2.46

Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) is next on our list of the best penny stocks that are listed on NASDAQ. The California-based multinational biotech company develops and offers a treatment system designed to reduce pathogens in human blood products for use in the healthcare industry.

In the first quarter of 2023, Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) reported revenue of $38.4 million, which beat Street estimates by $1.47 million. The company ended the quarter with over $94.7 million available in cash and cash equivalents. It generated $8.5 million in operating cash flow during the quarter.

According to Insider Monkey’s database of Q1 2023, 19 hedge funds owned stakes in Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS). The collective value of these stakes is over $165.3 million. Cathie Wood’s ARK Investment Management was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q1.

6. Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ:AMRN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 19

Share Price as of July 2: $1.19

An Irish-American biopharmaceutical company, Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ:AMRN) ranks sixth on our list of the best penny stocks to buy. The company’s market cap is relatively small in comparison to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), and NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) but its performance has remained stable. In the first quarter of 2023, the company posted an EPS of $0.02, which surpassed analysts’ estimates by $0.03. At the end of March 31, it had over $191.4 million available in cash and cash equivalents and its total assets came in at $860.1 million.

The number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owning stakes in Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ:AMRN) grew to 19 in Q1 2023, from 15 a quarter earlier. These stakes are collectively valued at over $88.1 million. Ken Griffin’s Citadel Investment Group was one of the company’s leading stakeholders in Q1.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Best NASDAQ Penny Stocks to Buy

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Disclosure. None. 12 Best NASDAQ Penny Stocks to Buy is originally published on Insider Monkey.

AI, Tariffs, Nuclear Power: One Undervalued Stock Connects ALL the Dots (Before It Explodes!)

Artificial intelligence is the greatest investment opportunity of our lifetime. The time to invest in groundbreaking AI is now, and this stock is a steal!

AI is eating the world—and the machines behind it are ravenous.

Each ChatGPT query, each model update, each robotic breakthrough consumes massive amounts of energy. In fact, AI is already pushing global power grids to the brink.

Wall Street is pouring hundreds of billions into artificial intelligence—training smarter chatbots, automating industries, and building the digital future. But there’s one urgent question few are asking:

Where will all of that energy come from?

AI is the most electricity-hungry technology ever invented. Each data center powering large language models like ChatGPT consumes as much energy as a small city. And it’s about to get worse.

Even Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, issued a stark warning:

“The future of AI depends on an energy breakthrough.”

Elon Musk was even more blunt:

“AI will run out of electricity by next year.”

As the world chases faster, smarter machines, a hidden crisis is emerging behind the scenes. Power grids are strained. Electricity prices are rising. Utilities are scrambling to expand capacity.

And that’s where the real opportunity lies…

One little-known company—almost entirely overlooked by most AI investors—could be the ultimate backdoor play. It’s not a chipmaker. It’s not a cloud platform. But it might be the most important AI stock in the US owns critical energy infrastructure assets positioned to feed the coming AI energy spike.

As demand from AI data centers explodes, this company is gearing up to profit from the most valuable commodity in the digital age: electricity.

The “Toll Booth” Operator of the AI Energy Boom

  • It owns critical nuclear energy infrastructure assets, positioning it at the heart of America’s next-generation power strategy.
  • It’s one of the only global companies capable of executing large-scale, complex EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) projects across oil, gas, renewable fuels, and industrial infrastructure.
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Trump has made it clear: Europe and U.S. allies must buy American LNG.

And our company sits in the toll booth—collecting fees on every drop exported.

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As Trump’s proposed tariffs push American manufacturers to bring their operations back home, this company will be first in line to rebuild, retrofit, and reengineer those facilities.

AI. Energy. Tariffs. Onshoring. This One Company Ties It All Together.

While the world is distracted by flashy AI tickers, a few smart investors are quietly scooping up shares of the one company powering it all from behind the scenes.

AI needs energy. Energy needs infrastructure.

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This company has its finger in every pie—and Wall Street is just starting to notice.

Wall Street is noticing this company also because it is quietly riding all of these tailwinds—without the sky-high valuation.

While most energy and utility firms are buried under mountains of debt and coughing up hefty interest payments just to appease bondholders…

This company is completely debt-free.

In fact, it’s sitting on a war chest of cash—equal to nearly one-third of its entire market cap.

It also owns a huge equity stake in another red-hot AI play, giving investors indirect exposure to multiple AI growth engines without paying a premium.

And here’s what the smart money has started whispering…

The Hedge Fund Secret That’s Starting to Leak Out

This stock is so off-the-radar, so absurdly undervalued, that some of the most secretive hedge fund managers in the world have begun pitching it at closed-door investment summits.

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Why? Because excluding cash and investments, this company is trading at less than 7 times earnings.

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  • The AI infrastructure supercycle
  • The onshoring boom driven by Trump-era tariffs
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Disruption is the New Name of the Game: Let’s face it, complacency breeds stagnation.

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A New Dawn is Coming to U.S. Stocks

I work for one of the largest independent financial publishers in the world – representing over 1 million people in 148 countries.

We’re independently funding today’s broadcast to address something on the mind of every investor in America right now…

Should I put my money in Artificial Intelligence?

Here to answer that for us… and give away his No. 1 free AI recommendation… is 50-year Wall Street titan, Marc Chaikin.

Marc’s been a trader, stockbroker, and analyst. He was the head of the options department at a major brokerage firm and is a sought-after expert for CNBC, Fox Business, Barron’s, and Yahoo! Finance…

But what Marc’s most known for is his award-winning stock-rating system. Which determines whether a stock could shoot sky-high in the next three to six months… or come crashing down.

That’s why Marc’s work appears in every Bloomberg and Reuters terminal on the planet…

And is still used by hundreds of banks, hedge funds, and brokerages to track the billions of dollars flowing in and out of stocks each day.

He’s used this system to survive nine bear markets… create three new indices for the Nasdaq… and even predict the brutal bear market of 2022, 90 days in advance.

Click to continue reading…