Stocks To Buy And Watch: Top IPOs, Big And Small Caps, Growth Stocks

Dec 26, 2025 11:54:00 -0500 by IBD STAFF

With thousands of publicly-traded companies to choose from, how can you quickly find the best growth stocks to buy and watch right now?

A good starting point for identifying the best stocks to watch would be to use the IBD Stock Checkup tool to find top-rated equities, including the IBD 50 list of leading growth stocks, IPO Leaders, IBD Big Cap 20, IBD Sector Leaders, and Stock Spotlight. (Scroll down to see which names are currently on these screens.)

In addition to pass or fail ratings for the most important stock-picking criteria, within these lists you’ll also find chart analysis that identifies stocks currently in or near a buy zone. And don’t forget the IBD Stock Screener.

Be sure to also check the IBD Stock Of The Day and IBD 50 Stocks To Watch columns to help build your watchlist. Every Monday, be sure to also check out our weekly column on How To Find The Best Stocks To Buy and a new Breakout Stocks story every Wednesday. And finally, read The Big Picture every day to stay in sync with the market direction and leading stocks and sectors.

Track The Best Stocks To Watch

IBD Long-Term Leaders

Microsoft Will ‘Prove Doubters Wrong’ In 2026 With AI-Fueled GrowthMicrosoft received some reassuring analyst reports this week as the software giant faces skepticism about its heavy investments in artificial intelligence. Microsoft stock rose a fraction on Wednesday. Wall Street is underestimating… Read More

Click and scroll to see IBD Long-Term Leaders list

IBD 50

Medical Stocks On The Move In Top Growth List As Health Sector Performance BrightensMedical stocks as a whole faced rough waters entering 2025, but market rotation is among the factors pushing up stock prices throughout the health industry as the year winds down. Such gains and other fundamental considerations have led medical companies like Guardant Health onto the IBD 50 list of top growth stocks. Others on the… Read More

Click and scroll to see IBD 50 list

IBD Sector Leaders

Dominant China Hotel Stock Nears Buy Point After Racing 58% HigherChina stock Atour Lifestyle is trading near all-time highs after the hotelier reported better-than-expected quarterly results in late November. The stock has been consolidating for a few weeks, and a new entry has emerged. The IBD Sector Leaders company ranks No. 1 in the Investor’s Business Daily Leisure-Lodging group. Atour Lifestyle reported it had 1,948 hotels… Read More

Click and scroll to see IBD Sector Leaders list

New Highs

JPMorgan Chase Hits New Highs As Nasdaq Stock Trades With Others At Peaks In Buy ZonesNasdaq, the exchange operator, and JPMorgan Chase are part of a quartet of stocks reaching new highs in the stock market on Friday to round off the holiday-shortened week. Three of the… Read More

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Stock Spotlight

This Cancer-Fighting Biotech Surges Into Buy Zone As Earnings Soar 131%With investors rotating away from technology, it is a good time to look for opportunities in other areas. Genmab is a biotech stock that has rallied into a buy zone amid sharp earnings growth. The Danish firm develops antibody-based therapeutics for cancer and other serious diseases. The company has four major platforms that allow them… Read More

Click and scroll to see Stock Spotlight list

IPO Leaders

Space Stock Karman Eyes New Buy Point After Bullish MoveRecent initial public offering Karman Space & Defense reclaimed a key level this past week, bullishly moving up the right side of a new base, making it the IPO Stock Of The Week. Karman also is one of the best ideas to watch on Investor’s Business Daily’s IPO Leaders screen. Huntington Beach, Calif.-based Karman designs,… Read More

Click and scroll to see IPO Leaders list

IBD Big Cap 20

This Medical Robotics Name Wins FDA Greenlight; Its Stock Nears A Buy PointMedical robotics stock Intuitive Surgical appears stuck and needs a push as it continues to trade just below an alternate entry. The medical equipment maker is known for its groundbreaking da Vinci robotic-assisted surgical system. The IBD Big Cap 20 name expanded its use of the medical system after winning approval from the U.S. Food… Read More

Click and scroll to see IBD Big Cap 20 list

Tech Leaders

Nvidia Leads Trio Of Top-Rated Names Onto IBD 50 And Stock Spotlight Best Stock ListsA trio of outstanding stocks qualified for IBD best stock lists Friday, each of them a leader in its industry. Artificial intelligence chipmaker Nvidia rose into a buy area this past week… Read More

Click to see more Tech Leaders

Stocks Near A Buy Zone

Dow Jones Tech Giant Apple, AppLovin, Palantir, Tesla In Buy ZonesAs the Dow Jones Industrial Average and other stock indexes moved higher midday Tuesday, Apple, AppLovin, Palantir Technologies, and Tesla were among the best names to watch in the current market. With key indexes near their all-time highs, investors await new breakouts using The IBD Methodology. It’s also important to raise and lower exposure methodically,… Read More

Click to see more Stocks Near A Buy ZoneMore Stock Lists

• Relative Strength Line At New High
• Rising Profit Estimates
• Stocks That Funds Are Buying
• Your Weekly Review

Find The Best Stocks To Buy Or Watch With A Simple Investing Routine

Individual stocks don’t operate in a vacuum. They’re significantly impacted by the current trends within the general market.

To stay both profitable and protected, be sure to follow an investing routine that tracks both the fundamental and technical strength of the stock and existing market conditions. That combination is key to long-term investing success.

See How To Use A Simple 3-Step Investing Routine

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