A change in popularity among hedge fund investors for stocks could signal where they’re headed in the months to come, and there are some that may be poised for future gains, according to Goldman Sachs. The bank analyzed the holdings of 695 hedge funds with $3.1 trillion of long and short equity positions at the start of the first quarter this year, based on the latest regulatory filings. Goldman then detected several Russell 1000 stocks that saw the largest increase in number of hedge fund owners during last quarter. “Historically, stocks with the largest increase in the number of hedge fund investors (“Rising Stars”) have typically gone on to outperform sector peers during the quarters following their rise in popularity,” analyst Ben Snider wrote in a recent note. Here are some names that appeared on Goldman’s latest Rising Stars list. Robinhood saw the third largest increase in the number of hedge funds owning the financial services platform’s stock at 23. That brought the total number of hedge funds owning it to 66, as of Dec. 31. While shares closed the week lower on the heels of the Securities and Exchange Commission ending its investigation into its crypto arm last Monday, they’ve still massively outperformed the broader market this year, recording a year-to-date gain of 34.5% compared with the S & P 500’s 1.2% increase in the period. Over the past year, Robinhood has soared around 210.6%. More than half of the analysts covering Robinhood on Wall Street are bullish, with 12 out of 19 having a strong buy or buy rating, according to LSEG. Its roughly $70 average price target also implies more than 40% from Friday’s close. Shares of Coupang have also meaningfully outperformed the S & P 500 this year, jumping 7.8% year to date. The South Korean e-commerce stock has also surged about 30% in the last year. Last quarter, the name saw 19 more hedge funds owning it, which put its total hedge fund ownership at 64. Like Robinhood, most analysts have taken a bullish stance on Coupang, as 12 out of 15 have a strong buy or buy rating. It also has a consensus target of around $29, which implies 23.6% from Friday’s close. Deutsche Bank is one of the firms that has grown more optimistic on the stock’s performance. Last Wednesday, Deutsche upgraded shares to buy from hold and increased its price target to $28.50, reflecting more than 20% upside ahead. That call sent shares 3.5% higher during that day’s session. Electric vehicle-maker Tesla also made the list, seeing 17 more hedge funds own the stock in the period ended Dec. 31. With that change, 101 total hedge funds own the stock. While shares have fallen more than 27% in 2025 and most of its postelection gains have been lost, the stock has still climbed around 45% in the last 12 months.
