In April, the stock market’s struggles continued as rapidly evolving policy positions in Washington resulted in more volatility on Wall Street. The S&P 500 is up more than 10% from its freshly minted 52-week low in April, but remains down more than 5% on the year as investors remain skeptical of the long-term consequences of President Donald Trump’s free-wheeling approach to trade and tariffs.
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In an environment like this, the usual suspects like large-cap tech stocks may not present a particularly compelling opportunity as they are caught up in these big-picture trends. However, up-and-coming stocks with impressive growth stories — and more importantly, the numbers to back them up — could provide upside even if the rest of the market continues to stumble. That’s because their unique businesses and fast-growing sales give investors something to believe in, even when the fates of other stocks seem shaky.
The following seven up-and-coming stocks to buy now are all modest in size at under $2 billion in market value, but have big growth stories that make them worth a look:
| Stock | Sector | Market Value* |
| Collective Mining Ltd. (ticker: CNL) | Materials | $780 million |
| fuboTV Inc. (FUBO) | Communications services | $1.1 billion |
| Innodata Inc. (INOD) | Technology | $1.2 billion |
| Nathan’s Famous Inc. (NATH) | Consumer cyclical | $400 million |
| Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc. (NGVC) | Consumer staples | $1.1 billion |
| SelectQuote Inc. (SLQT) | Financials | $570 million |
| Universal Technical Institute Inc. (UTI) | Consumer staples | $1.5 billion |
*As of April 28 close.
Collective Mining Ltd. (CNL)
Sector: Materials Market value: $780 million
Collective Mining engages in the exploration and development of gold, silver, copper and tungsten properties in South America. For obvious reasons amid current trade dynamics, raw materials are seeing a tailwind from inflation that makes it more profitable than ever to take these metals out of the ground and bring them to market. The run for gold in particular has been dramatic in recent months, and that has helped boost shares of this junior miner by roughly 150% since Jan. 1. That kind of momentum is impressive in any market, but makes this up-and-coming stock particularly noteworthy in an otherwise challenging environment on Wall Street.
fuboTV Inc. (FUBO)
Sector: Communications services Market value: $1.1 billion
An up-and-coming stock with a unique niche, fuboTV operates a live TV streaming platform that is focused on sports and news content — including local broadcast affiliates and college sports platforms like the Big 10 Network in addition to legacy cable channels like Fox News and CNBC. With unlimited cloud-based DVR functionality and unlimited screens both at home and on the go, this platform is quickly catching on in an age where consumers are getting a bit tired of increased login limitations and price hikes from legacy streamers like Netflix Inc. (NFLX). The stock is not yet profitable as it has so far invested aggressively in future growth, but the stock has more than doubled in 2025 on a partnership with Hulu and news that Walt Disney Co. (DIS) will take a majority stake in the firm. That momentum coupled with the potential of a full-scale buyout in the years ahead makes FUBO a streaming stock to watch.
[READ: 7 Best Thematic ETFs to Buy in 2025]
Innodata Inc. (INOD)
Sector: Technology Market value: $1.2 billion
Founded back in 1988 and previously operating as a small and relatively straightforward IT services company, Innodata has reinvented itself over the last few years as a data mining and artificial intelligence player. While this “risk on” investment theme has fallen a bit out of favor after a frothy 2024 and a less favorable environment in 2025, Wall Street forecasts for INOD revenue are still impressive enough to make this small-cap tech player worth a look. Specifically, revenue should jump more than 40% in fiscal year 2025 and another 20% in 2026 even in the face of current market uncertainty. There’s admittedly continued risk of volatility, and in a disruptive corner of tech like AI there is sure to be plenty of competition in the years ahead. Still, the kind of revenue growth that Innodata is enjoying makes it an up-and-coming stock to watch.
Nathan’s Famous Inc. (NATH)
Sector: Consumer cyclical Market value: $400 million
Though technically a cyclical stock, Nathan’s is the brand behind some of the most popular hot dogs and sausages in the marketplace — giving the company a low-cost appeal vs. higher-end restaurants and foodservice brands that could get pinched by any spending downturn. That includes NATH packaged foods sold at grocers as well as Nathan’s Famous-branded dogs sold by third-party eateries. The company is riding a strong uptrend recently, up about about 50% in the last 12 months vs. less than 10% for the S&P 500 in the same period, and momentum has continued in recent months even as other stocks have stumbled.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc. (NGVC)
Sector: Consumer staples Market value: $1.1 billion
The grocery business isn’t exactly a growth business, and an inflationary environment coupled with consumer spending challenges makes things even tougher for merchants in the industry this year. That said, organic and natural foods player Natural Grocers is standing out thanks to a unique niche that has more durable sales than traditional foodstuffs. As proof, NGVC started the year off with a bang, as its fiscal Q1 earnings showed an early 8% sales growth overall and a more than 6% gain for same-store sales. That topped estimates and led management to raise its full-year forecast. The bullish sentiment has kept up as the company continues to provide a unique value proposition that seems to be protecting Natural Grocers from competition by bigger brands — even organics kingpin Whole Foods. NGVC is small, so a modest shift in the market could have a big impact, but right now the momentum is decidedly to the upside.
SelectQuote Inc. (SLQT)
Sector: Financials Market value: $570 million
With shares that have more than doubled in the last 12 months, SelectQuote is an up-and-coming stock that should make all investors sit up and pay attention. This digital insurance broker is making it easier to shop for everything from Medicare Part D policies to home and auto insurance, and consumers are flocking to its platform in a big way. While not quite profitable, this high flier is closing the gap as it grows significantly in scale with 15% revenue growth forecast for both fiscal year 2025 and 2026. The company recently secured an infusion of $350 million from Bain Capital and Morgan Stanley, among others, and the strategic investment from Wall Street bigwigs is a big sign of confidence that the growth story for SLQT is only getting started.
Universal Technical Institute Inc. (UTI)
Sector: Consumer staples Market value: $1.5 billion
Not your typical “staples” stock, UTI is an educational services provider. The company provides skilled trades training including classes for auto mechanics, nurses and other real-world professions. This unique niche coupled with a friendly regulatory environment towards for-profit education stocks under the Trump administration has created a strong tailwind for UTI lately — including a roughly 75% run for shares since Election Day while the rest of the market has stumbled. Revenue is forecast to grow by more than 10% this fiscal year, and the company has moved into consistent profitability. That shows there’s good reason why Wall Street has been enthusiastic about this up-and-coming stock.
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7 Up-and-Coming Stocks to Buy Now originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 04/29/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
