The Most Popular US Stocks of 2023

Which US stocks are people investing their money into the most during 2023?

This article takes a look at 10 of the most popular US stocks that are being held by investors right now. 

It’s worth noting that these are not necessarily the most profitable stocks. This is not investment advice as to which stocks to invest in, but simply a look at which stocks are hottest right now (and why this might be).

Apple

Apple is currently the most valuable company in the world - so it makes sense that it’s the most popular stock in investors’ portfolios right now. It’s also arguably one of the most recognisable brands and so one of the first companies that beginner traders think to invest in. Seasoned traders meanwhile tend to hold onto Apple because it’s one of the more secure choices in the tech sector - Apple has such a diversity of products that they’ve been able to move smoothly with the times without their value being affected. They’ve also been steadily climbing in value since the company’s launch (the biggest spike in value was during 2020 when the company almost doubled in value). 

Tesla

During the company’s short history, Tesla has proven itself to be a pretty volatile stock, but this hasn’t put off investors in 2023. It’s the most commonly traded US stock of 2023 and the second most popular held US stock after Apple. The tech brand launched by Elon Musk is a popular investment choice because of its products - clean energy and electric cars - which are necessary to the future. Being a Tesla investor certainly isn’t an easy ride and there have been many times when a crash has seemed imminent (such as when Musk famously tweeted that the Tesla stock price was ‘too high’ in 2020, causing share prices of his own company to plummet), however the price has continuously bounced back so far. Keeping up with Tesla news is essential when holding onto this stock. 

Microsoft

Microsoft has experienced one of the steadiest increases in value of all tech brands. It experienced a major fall in value for the first time in 2022 along with every other tech brand. However, Microsoft has since bounced back - no doubt as a result of its major part in the AI revolution. Like Apple, many traders gravitate to Microsoft because of how recognizable a brand it is and because of its huge diversity of products. 

Meta

In 2021, Facebook rebranded as Meta. CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg planned to launch a virtual reality platform known as the Metaverse, however it was met with a lot of criticism and the company’s share price fell by almost 20% in 2022. The Metaverse was shelved and instead Meta AI was announced - set to be a potential rival of Microsoft’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. As a result, investors have been flocking back to Meta and it’s now the fourth most commonly held US stock.

Amazon

Amazon remains one of the biggest companies in the world and is regularly used by many people, making it a popular choice of stock. There have been many debates among experts recently as to whether the company’s current stock price is justified and whether it has peaked. Other stock market experts believe Amazon still has potential to grow if it gets heavily involved in AI, even suggesting that a bull market could be coming. The future of Amazon is therefore uncertain for now, but for now it remains a popular addition to investors’ portfolios. 

Berkshire Hathaway

Berkshire Hathaway is the world’s largest holding company and is run by Warren Buffett - perhaps the most successful and renowned stock market investor. The company has accumulated its wealth largely by investing in other companies. Employing some of the most knowledgeable stock market analysts, the company has proven to continuously make the right investment decisions and has steadily risen in value over the years, making it a secure investment choice. It is uncertain as to what will happen when the company’s chairperson passes away (Warren Buffet is currently 92 years old) however most investors think that the company will continue to thrive after. 

Nvidia

Nvidia has almost tripled in value this year alone. Why are investors flocking to Nvidia? Because its main products are AI software and hardware - and AI is undeniably what’s hot right now. The Nvidia bubble will likely burst at some point, however right now people are holding onto it. Nvidia’s stock price history has been patchy, but it has mostly risen in value since the company’s launch. It’s unclear as to how well Nvidia will fare in the future.

Alphabet Inc

Alphabet Inc is the parent company of a more well-known tech brand you may have heard of called Google. In fact, most of its value consists of Google and its various products. It’s no wonder that so many investors want Alphabet Inc in their portfolio considering the success of Google, the world’s biggest search engine. Google also owns Android, YouTube, Gmail and a bunch of other brands that have made it incredibly successful. It would be an even more popular stock if it wasn’t actually separated into two stocks Alphabet Class A and Alphabet Class C (shareholders can vote on the future of Class A and not the other). 

Exxon Mobil

This gas and oil giant is a direct descendant of Rockefeller’s Standard Oil, and has remained one of the most popular energy stocks among traders. Part of what makes Exxon Mobil so popular is its reliability to give out larger dividends almost year-on-year for the last four decades. Its stock price has been rocky recently (as has been the case with many energy companies) but many investors have felt its worth holding onto.

Oracle

Oracle makes cloud software for managing databases. The rise of cloud technology and data science over the last decade has helped it to witness a steady growth. It may not be as well known as many of the other tech giants on this list, but many investors have taken notice of its success. Oracle does seem to be going through a slightly rocky patch, but experts seem to be mostly still backing it.