Top 20 Most Popular Stocks Among Financial Advisors This Week

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) recently obtained a waiver from the Federal Communications Commission that makes the company exempt from the rules that require the accommodation of hearing and speech-impaired users under the voice-over-Wi-Fi technology. This suggests that Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) might soon join the list of other telecom giants that have launched Wi-Fi calling, such as AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), T-Mobile US Inc (NYSE:TMUS), and Sprint Corp (NYSE:S). Verizon is one of two telecom holdings of Warren Buffett‘s Berkshire Hathaway, which owns 15.0 million shares of the company (AT&T is its second holding, acquired in the third quarter). However, the funds from our database are collectively underweight Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), with 59 funds reporting stakes equal to 1.40% of the company as of the end of the third quarter.

Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS)‘s stock has gained nearly 3% in the last five days after the company posted strong financial results, including for its Media division, which was considered to be underperforming lately. Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS) has also announced plans to launch a streaming service, which would allow it to benefit from its vast portfolio of brands, as more and more viewers are switching to online subscription-based streaming services from more traditional cable. The stock lost 10% in the third quarter, prompting investors to cut their exposure to the company. Among the funds from our database, 48 reported stakes in the company, down from 60 a quarter earlier. Billionaire Ken Fisher’s Fisher Asset Management is bullish on Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS), owning 8.51 million shares of the company.

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) is another energy stock in the spotlight. The company’s shares have tanked by over 19% year-to-date amid weak oil prices, but the company still pays a quarterly dividend of $1.07 per share, which gives its stock a yield of 4.72%. There are concerns that dividends paid by Chevron and other oil giants might not be sustainable in the long-run due to the current environment in the oil market, but analysts expect a reversal to the trend in the next couple of years. This is why hedge funds and other institutional investors are sticking to their positions in Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), though in the third quarter, the number of funds with long stakes declined by five to 45, amid a 17% drop of the stock. D. E. Shaw and Fisher Asset Management are two of the funds that we follow with substantial holdings in Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), reporting ownership of 3.86 million shares and 2.62 million shares, respectively.

Amid a decline in the PC market that has sent stocks like Micron over 50% in the red this year, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)‘s stock has gained 17% as the company has shifted its attention to cloud computing, mobile and software. Recently, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced a new partnership with HP Enterprise that involves developing cloud-based products for corporate customers. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is also one of the hedge funds’ favorite stocks, with 113 investors from our database reporting long positions as of September 30.