Why These 10 Stocks Were in the Spotlight This Week

Published October 2, 2021 at 1:56 pm EDT Updated September 7, 2026 at 1:00 pm EDT

In this article we will take a look at some notable stocks that were in the spotlight this week.

It’s the end of the trading week and also near the beginning of the fourth quarter. Some stocks that were in the spotlight this week include Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX), Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA), and Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB). Let’s analyze why each stock trended and how elite funds are positioned among them according to the latest 13F filings.

Why do we care about hedge fund activity? Insider Monkey’s research was able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 86 percentage points since March 2017. Between March 2017 and July 2021 our monthly newsletter’s stock picks returned 186.1%, vs. 100.1% for the SPY. Our stock picks outperformed the market by 86 percentage points (see the details here). That’s why we believe hedge fund sentiment is an extremely useful indicator that investors should pay attention to. You can subscribe to our free newsletter on our homepage to receive our stories in your inbox.

Jeff Bezos of Amazon

10. Amazon.com, Inc. is in the spotlight after Rivian Automotive filed to go public. Amazon.com, Inc. owns more than 5% of the company and could benefit if the stock gets a high valuation. Rivian Automotive also develops commercial delivery vans for Amazon.com, Inc.. Amazon.com, Inc. was the most widely held smart money stock at the end of Q2 according to our database of 873 elite funds, with 271 funds we track owning shares of Amazon. Billionaire Jeff Bezos is a big holder of Amazon as well.

9. Ford Motor Company is also in the spotlight due to Rivian Automotive filing for an IPO. Although Rivian wasn’t profitable last year, the company said vehicle production and deliveries began in September of this year. Ford Motor Company owns more than 5% of Rivian Automotive. The number of elite funds in our database that were long Ford Motor Company rose to 55 in Q2, 2021 from 49 in Q1, 2021.

8. Netflix, Inc. rose more than 4.3% this week due to the news that it bought its first game studio, Night School Studio. Shares may have also risen due to the news that ‘Squid Game’ could become Netflix’s most watched show yet. The number of elite funds we track that were long Netflix, Inc. rose by 3 from the prior quarter to 113 at the end of the second quarter.

7. Alibaba Group Holding Limited is in the spotlight after Aaron Kessler of Raymond James cut his price target to $240 from $300 and downgraded the stock to ‘Outperform’ from ‘Strong Buy’. Alibaba Group Holding Limited fell 0.5% this week. Ken Fisher‘s Fisher Asset Management owned 14.1 million shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited at the end of June, up 2% from the prior quarter.

6. Facebook, Inc. was in the spotlight this week after the company said it will pause an effort to construct an Instagram designed for kids. Analysts are bullish, however, with Brad Erickson of RBC Capital initiating an ‘outperform’ rating and $425 price target this Thursday. Eagle Capital Management raised its position by 7% from the prior quarter to over 7.4 million shares in Facebook, Inc. at the end of June.

Like Amazon.com, Inc., Ford Motor Company, Netflix, Inc., Alibaba Group Holding Limited, and Facebook, Inc., Alphabet Inc. and Exxon Mobil Corporation trended this week.

5. Merck & Co., Inc. is in the spotlight after the company announced a phase 3 trial showed Molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50% compared to placebo for patients with mild or moderate COVID-19. Merck & Co., Inc. plans to seeking Emergency Use Authorization in the United States for Molnupiravir as soon as possible. Of the around 873 elite funds in our database, 79 were long Merck & Co., Inc. at the end of Q2.

4. Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) trended this week due to the Merck news. The company also trended due to a Bloomberg article that said the FDA is leaning towards authorizing a half dose booster shot of Moderna, Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine. 37 elite funds we track were long Moderna, Inc. at the end of the second quarter, down 2 from the prior quarter.

3. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) was in the spotlight due to this week’s Merck’s news, which could change the pandemic’s length. If the pandemic is shorter, demand for Covid-19 vaccines might not be as strong. Diamond Hill Capital owned more than 11.68 million shares of Pfizer Inc. at the end of June.

2. Alphabet Inc. trended this week after the Wall Street Journal reported that the tech giant has decided against offering bank accounts to its users despite the company’s large ecosystem. Given the company’s other divisions outside of fintech, Alphabet Inc. could still do well, however. Billionaire Sergey Brin owns substantial shares in Alphabet Inc..

1. Exxon Mobil Corporation rose more than 3.5% this week due to the recent energy rally. With higher oil prices, Exxon Mobil Corporation could find it easier to increase its earnings. Of the around 873 elite funds in our database, 68 were long Exxon Mobil Corporation at the end of Q2.