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12 Best Performing NASDAQ Stocks in 2023

In this piece, we will take a look at the 12 best performing NASDAQ stocks in 2023. If you want to skip our introduction to the NASDAQ’s performance this year and the broader stock market, then read 5 Best Performing NASDAQ Stocks in 2023.

The NASDAQ has been one of the best performing stock indexes not only in the U.S. but also in the world this year. The index, which was set up in 1971, is dominated by big technology stocks which include the largest companies in the world such as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). Additionally, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), whose shares are up by a whopping 193% year to date on the back of considerable hype surrounding artificial intelligence, is also listed on the exchange, and cumulatively, the strength of the big technology firms on the back of their ability to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) has done wonders for the NASDAQ when it comes to share price returns in 2023.

In fact, the first half of 2023 was quite remarkable on the economic front as well. This is because the U.S. economy continued to grow even as most analysts and economists had predicted that a recession was just around the corner. Naturally, the strong economy emboldened stock market investors, and their optimism was further fueled by the AI wave that we’ve mentioned above. For the NASDAQ, this enabled the index to post stunning returns. The stock index is primarily analyzed through the returns of the NASDAQ Composite index and the NASDAQ 100 index. The former consists of most of the stocks that are traded on the NASDAQ, while the latter is made up of the largest non financial firms listed on the NASDAQ in terms of their market capitalization.

As the first half of 2023 ended, the NASDAQ Composite and the NASDAQ 100 had gained 33% and 40%, which set a new record for the NASDAQ 100’s performance during the first half of a calendar year. Their returns also surpassed the other two popular American indexes, namely the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the S&P500, which had posted 3.87% and 16.51% in returns, respectively. The Dow’s performance was striking in particular, as it drew a sharp contrast between the returns offered by an index designed to be a broader representation of the U.S. economy versus the NASDAQ 100 which is dominated by big tech firms. In short, while the tech sector flourished, the broader economy was still reeling from the effects of the Federal Reserve’s rapid interest rate hikes and high inflation.

Building on this, we also took a look at the top stocks on the NASDAQ being bought by hedge and highly rated by analysts during the first half of this year as part of our 15 Best NASDAQ Stocks To Buy Today coverage. This revealed that the top three NASDAQ stocks among hedge funds and analysts as of March 2023 were Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), DexCom, Inc. (NASDAQ:DXCM), and WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:WSC).

Fast forwarding to October, the investing climate right now is far more muted than what was present during the first half. This is because most investors are worried that the Fed might continue to raise interest rates and that the economic climate could provide it both the incentive and the leeway to keep rates higher than expected. The labor market and inflation both continued to present trends that support this hypothesis for their September data, and fresh uncertainty was injected into the market in the form of the brutal conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine. A Middle Eastern conflict is one of the riskiest developments for the financial industry since it carries the potential to disrupt the global oil supply chain. This is particularly important in the context of 2023 since the market and the economy have already dealt a similar blow last year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian invasion shocked the global oil supply chain, caused crude oil prices to skyrocket, and led to rapid inflation  – the effects of which are still being felt today in the form of high policy rates.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell who remains the man of the hour for markets, is out with some fresh comments about the economy – the first after the Israel-Palestine conflict started. In remarks made at a luncheon at the Economic Club of New York, the Fed chairman shared that the economy might need more ‘restraint’ as he outlined:

Turning to monetary policy, the FOMC has tightened policy substantially over the past 18 months, increasing the federal funds rate by 525 basis points at a historically fast pace and decreasing our securities holdings by roughly $1 trillion. The stance of policy is restrictive, meaning that tight policy is putting downward pressure on economic activity and inflation. Given the fast pace of the tightening, there may still be meaningful tightening in the pipeline.

My colleagues and I are committed to achieving a stance of policy that is sufficiently restrictive to bring inflation sustainably down to 2 percent over time, and to keeping policy restrictive until we are confident that inflation is on a path to that objective. We are attentive to recent data showing the resilience of economic growth and demand for labor. Additional evidence of persistently above-trend growth, or that tightness in the labor market is no longer easing, could put further progress on inflation at risk and could warrant further tightening of monetary policy.

So, with these details in mind, let’s take a look at the best performing NASDAQ stocks in 2023. Among these, the top three stocks are American Coastal Insurance Corporation (NASDAQ:ACIC), Soleno Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SLNO), and MoonLake Immunotherapeutics (NASDAQ:MLTX).

Hadrian/Shutterstock.com

Our Methodology

To compile our list of the best performing NASDAQ stocks in 2023, we ranked all companies on the NASDAQ exchange by their year to date share price gains and chose the top 12 stocks.

Best Performing NASDAQ Stocks in 2023

12. Fujian Blue Hat Interactive Entertainment Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ:BHAT)

Year To Date Share Price Gains: 287%

Fujian Blue Hat Interactive Entertainment Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ:BHAT) is a Chinese toy company headquartered in Xiamen, China. The firm is currently expanding its business operations, and it seeks to leverage AI for engaging in commodities trading.

As of June 2023, three hedge funds part of Insider Monkey’s 910 fund database had bought Fujian Blue Hat Interactive Entertainment Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ:BHAT)’s shares. Ryan Tolkin (Cio)’s Schonfeld Strategic Advisors is the biggest investor among these courtesy of its $189,963 investment.

Fujian Blue Hat Interactive Entertainment Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ:BHAT) joins Soleno Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SLNO), American Coastal Insurance Corporation (NASDAQ:ACIC), and MoonLake Immunotherapeutics (NASDAQ:MLTX) in our list of 2023’s best performing NASDAQ stocks.

11. Atlas Lithium Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLX)

Year To Date Share Price Gains: 288%

Atlas Lithium Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLX) is a small Brazilian company headquartered in Belo Horizonte. It is a mining company with lithium, gold, and other properties. The firm has been making several management changes this year, and in October 2023 it outlined a new business strategy which included new mining areas at a Portuguese site.

During Q2 2023, two out of the 910 hedge funds part of Insider Monkey’s database had held a stake in Atlas Lithium Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLX).

10. Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI)

Year To Date Share Price Gains: 296%

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI) is a technology company that sells connectivity products to internet companies, cable television providers, and others. August 2023 was a great month for the stock, as not only did B. Riley upgrade its share rating to Buy from Neutral, but Northland Capital also maintained an Outperform rating.

By the end of this year’s second quarter, ten among the 910 hedge funds profiled by Insider Monkey were the firm’s investors. Out of these, Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI)’s largest shareholder is George Mccabe’s Portolan Capital Management as it owns 1.2 million shares that are worth $7.2 million.

9. Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:OLMA)

Year To Date Share Price Gains: 298%

Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:OLMA) is a biotechnology company developing treatments for cancers that target only women. Not only is the stock rated Strong Buy on average, but analysts have priced in a whopping 108% upside to the shares based on the average share price target of $22.

After scouring through 910 hedge funds for their second quarter of 2023 shareholdings, Insider Monkey discovered that 23 had bought and invested in Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:OLMA)’s shares. Mark Lampert’s Biotechnology Value Fund / BVF Inc is the biggest investor among these due to its $68 million stake.

8. Cipher Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:CIFR)

Year To Date Share Price Gains: 301%

Cipher Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:CIFR) is a financial technology company that operates bitcoin mining centers. Its share price appreciation is unsurprising, as a recovery in bitcoin’s price in 2023 from $16,606 to $28,728 this year has also stimulated Cipher Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:CIFR)’s stock.

11 out of the 910 hedge funds part of Insider Monkey’s Q2 2023 database were Cipher Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:CIFR)’s investors.

7. GraniteShares 1.5x Long NVDA Daily ETF (NASDAQ:NVDL)

Year To Date Share Price Gains: 315.98%

GraniteShares 1.5x Long NVDA Daily ETF (NASDAQ:NVDL) is an exchange traded fund (ETF) with $220 million in net assets. It is an ETF that directly tracks the shares of NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) and seeks to 1.5x times the daily returns of NVIDIA’s shares. Given NVIDIA’s stock price performance this year, it’s no surprise that the GraniteShares 1.5x Long NVDA Daily ETF (NASDAQ:NVDL) is also one of the best performing stocks on the NASDAQ in 2023.

6. NeuroPace, Inc. (NASDAQ:NPCE)

Year To Date Share Price Gains: 316%

NeuroPace, Inc. (NASDAQ:NPCE) is a healthcare company that sells medical devices used by people suffering from epilepsy. The firm bolstered its products’ data gathering and analysis capabilities in October 2023, when it announced new upgrades that will allow the products to combine data from different sources.

During 2023’s June quarter, six out of the 910 hedge funds surveyed by Insider Monkey had held a stake in NeuroPace, Inc. (NASDAQ:NPCE). Samuel Isaly’s OrbiMed Advisors is the biggest investor among these since it owns 4 million shares that are worth $18 million.

American Coastal Insurance Corporation (NASDAQ:ACIC), NeuroPace, Inc. (NASDAQ:NPCE), Soleno Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SLNO), and MoonLake Immunotherapeutics (NASDAQ:MLTX) are some of the best performing NASDAQ stocks in 2023.

Click here to continue reading and check out 5 Best Performing NASDAQ Stocks in 2023.

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Disclosure: None. 12 Best Performing NASDAQ Stocks in 2023 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.
  • It plays a pivotal role in U.S. LNG exportation—a sector about to explode under President Trump’s renewed “America First” energy doctrine.

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.

But that’s not all…

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.

And infrastructure needs a builder with experience, scale, and execution.

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.

They’re sharing it quietly, away from the cameras, to rooms full of ultra-wealthy clients.

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

And that’s for a business tied to:

  • The AI infrastructure supercycle
  • The onshoring boom driven by Trump-era tariffs
  • A surge in U.S. LNG exports
  • And a unique footprint in nuclear energy—the future of clean, reliable power

You simply won’t find another AI and energy stock this cheap… with this much upside.

This isn’t a hype stock. It’s not riding on hope.

It’s delivering real cash flows, owns critical infrastructure, and holds stakes in other major growth stories.

This is your chance to get in before the rockets take off!

Disruption is the New Name of the Game: Let’s face it, complacency breeds stagnation.

AI is the ultimate disruptor, and it’s shaking the foundations of traditional industries.

The companies that embrace AI will thrive, while the dinosaurs clinging to outdated methods will be left in the dust.

As an investor, you want to be on the side of the winners, and AI is the winning ticket.

The Talent Pool is Overflowing: The world’s brightest minds are flocking to AI.

From computer scientists to mathematicians, the next generation of innovators is pouring its energy into this field.

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By investing in AI, you’re essentially backing the future.

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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…