Stock Trading
May. 16, 202515 min read

Top Stocks to Watch in May 2025

Tim BohenAvatar
Written by Tim Bohen
Reviewed by Jeff Zananiri Fact-checked by Ben Sturgill

 

My top stocks to watch in May 2025 have the kind of volatility that smart traders target. Every day, week, and month I survey the entire market, looking for stocks that are trending in one direction or another. Our job is to identify the stocks that have the potential to make moves and be ready to trade them if those opportunities come about.

7 Top Stocks To Watch

My top stock watchlist picks for May 2025 — based on pattern, price action, and catalyst — include the following:

Stock Ticker Company Performance (YTD)
NASDAQ: CEP Cantor Equity Partners Inc  
NASDAQ: ASST Asset Entities Inc  
NASDAQ: NXTT Next Technology Holding Inc  
NASDAQ: COIN Coinbase Global Inc  
NASDAQ: HOOD Robinhood Markets Inc  
NASDAQ: MOGO Mogo Inc  
NASDAQ: GPUS Hyperscale Data Inc  

The penny stocks on this list are some of the craziest movers on the market …

Only trade these stocks if you have a solid plan and an understanding of the risks involved. I don’t trade until I see a setup I like.

Jump ahead to get to my trading plans for these top penny stocks!

Top Stocks to Watch Today

My top 7 stock picks are:

  • NASDAQ: CEP — Cantor Equity Partners Inc — The Bitcoin SPAC Supernova
  • NASDAQ: ASST — Asset Entities Inc — The Bitcoin Treasury Powerhouse
  • NASDAQ: NXTT — Next Technology Holding Inc — The Bitcoin Balance Sheet Beast
  • NASDAQ: COIN — Coinbase Global Inc — The S&P 500 Crypto Titan
  • NASDAQ: HOOD — Robinhood Markets Inc — The Retail Crypto Pipeline
  • NASDAQ: MOGO — Mogo Inc — The Silent Winner in the Robinhood Deal
  • NASDAQ: GPUS — Hyperscale Data Inc — The Nile Coin Blockchain Gambit

Bitcoin is back over $100,000, short sellers are getting steamrolled, and the crypto sector is once again at the center of the market’s attention.

From meme coins to mining mergers, it’s starting to feel like 2021 again — but this time with political backing. The Trump administration has thrown its full weight behind crypto, and the market is reacting in a big way.

We’ve seen huge moves in names linked to Bitcoin, blockchain, mining, and digital assets. And behind most of these rallies? Short sellers who got too comfortable and too aggressive.

Remember — we’re traders, not investors. You need to keep that mentality in mind even if you’re a swing trader.

That means:

  • Always having a trading plan — and sticking to it.
  • If a stock drops below risk, you need to sell. Only losers hold onto losers.

We still only want to trade the best setups. Here they are … 

Cantor Equity Partners Inc (NASDAQ: CEP) — The Bitcoin SPAC Supernova

My first stock pick is Cantor Equity Partners Inc (NASDAQ: CEP).

This was your classic sleeper-turned-supernova.

It started as a no-name SPAC. Then the company dropped news of a $3.6 billion merger with Twenty One Capital, a Bitcoin-focused investment vehicle.

Boom. CEP ripped for multiple days, blowing up shorts and making it one of the most talked-about crypto tickers of the month.

What made this move so dramatic wasn’t just the news — it was the combination of political timing, a tight float, and Bitcoin’s macro momentum. It became the perfect storm.

If you missed the first wave, don’t sweat it. CEP is still trading with elevated volume and tons of volatility. These are the setups we wait for — real momentum with room to play both sides.

Watch for: panic dip buys, VWAP reclaim setups, and possible continuation above highs.

Asset Entities Inc (NASDAQ: ASST) — The Bitcoin Treasury Powerhouse

My second stock pick is Asset Entities Inc (NASDAQ: ASST).

ASST shocked the market when it merged with Strive Asset Management, transforming into the first-ever publicly traded Bitcoin treasury company.

What’s the angle? A bold use of IRS Section 351 to offer tax-deferred Bitcoin-for-equity swaps — essentially, allowing investors to roll crypto into public stock while deferring taxes.

That kind of structure appeals to whales — and scares shorts.

Check out the latest ASST news here!

The stock didn’t just run. It exploded. This was a 4-figure percentage move over a few days, fueled by crypto Twitter buzz and day trader FOMO.

These are the types of plays where we want to be watching for post-spike consolidations and second leg breakouts. ASST is now part of the Bitcoin narrative — and it may not be done yet.

Watch for: reclaim of key breakout levels and liquidity-driven surges.

Next Technology Holding Inc (NASDAQ: NXTT) — The Bitcoin Balance Sheet Beast

My third stock pick is Next Technology Holding Inc (NASDAQ: NXTT).

You want Bitcoin exposure? NXTT went and bought over 5,800 BTC — most of it this year.

They didn’t just accumulate passively. They dropped the number in a regulatory filing, letting the market know they’re going full Bitcoin-treasury mode.

That transparency lit the match. Traders piled in. The stock exploded nearly 700% in two sessions before pulling back.

If Bitcoin keeps trending up, this could turn into the next MSTR-style play — a microcap with a BTC-heavy balance sheet and speculative upside.

Keep it simple: this stock is moving with Bitcoin. When BTC moves big, NXTT moves bigger.

Watch for: BTC correlation, dip buys, and headline-driven spikes.

Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ: COIN) — The S&P 500 Crypto Titan

My fourth stock pick is Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ: COIN).

For the first time in history, a crypto-native company is joining the S&P 500.

This is a huge moment for the space — and a major validator for crypto infrastructure. Coinbase already dominates U.S. crypto trading, and now funds tracking the S&P will be forced to buy.

Add in Coinbase’s $2.9 billion acquisition of Deribit, and you’ve got a crypto giant expanding its global footprint.

Even if COIN isn’t a penny stock, the price action is still explosive. And in markets like this, we care more about volatility than price.

Small-account traders can trade higher-priced stocks with options — click here to learn how from Jeff Zananiri, one of the best in the business!

Watch for: S&P inclusion run-ups, sympathy strength in BTC names, and major range breakouts.

Robinhood Markets Inc (NASDAQ: HOOD) — The Retail Crypto Pipeline

My fifth stock pick is Robinhood Markets Inc (NASDAQ: HOOD).

Robinhood isn’t sitting on the sidelines. The company just acquired WonderFi, one of Canada’s top crypto exchanges, for nearly $180 million.

They’ve now bought two crypto exchanges in less than a year. This isn’t a test — it’s a full-on pivot to becoming a global crypto brokerage.

Retail flow is coming back. And Robinhood is positioning itself to capture that momentum across borders.

With HOOD shares heating up and crypto chatter rising, this is one of the cleaner setups in the space.

Watch for: post-acquisition trend continuation and sector-wide sympathy moves.

Mogo Inc (NASDAQ: MOGO) — The Silent Winner in the Robinhood Deal

My sixth stock pick is Mogo Inc (NASDAQ: MOGO).

You didn’t hear about this one? That’s exactly why I’m watching it.

Mogo owns 82 million shares of WonderFi — the same WonderFi Robinhood just agreed to acquire.

That makes Mogo the biggest beneficiary of the deal — and the potential sleeper breakout in this entire list.

It’s not moving big yet, but that’s the point. Once headlines recycle and traders start looking for “cheap Robinhood crypto exposure,” MOGO is one of the first names that could catch fire.

Watch for: lagging sympathy surge, breakout over recent resistance, and volume spikes.

Hyperscale Data Inc (NASDAQ: GPUS) — The Nile Coin Blockchain Gambit

My seventh stock pick is Hyperscale Data Inc (NASDAQ: GPUS).

This is the wild card — and potentially the biggest gainer if it catches fire.

GPUS’s subsidiary BitNile.com just launched Nile Coin on the Solana blockchain. They minted 500 billion coins, and some of them are already trading on Raydium.

This isn’t a traditional crypto company — it’s more of a tokenized DeFi meets gaming platform. But it doesn’t matter. In this market, anything that smells like altcoin speculation can run.

The company is hyping up their liquidity pool strategy, and Nile Coin’s early market cap shocked a lot of traders. Expect social buzz to drive volatility here.

Watch for: token-related announcements, Solana ecosystem hype, and volume-based breakouts.

 

*Past performance does not indicate future results

Top Stocks Under $5

Hot sector penny stocks — whether we’re talking AI penny stocks, biotech penny stocks, or another sector attracting a lot of news — are something traders should always be looking at. The allure lies in the potential for substantial returns on investment, as even minor developments or positive news within these sectors can lead to significant price jumps.

It’s important to proceed with caution and a well-thought-out strategy. The inherent volatility of penny stocks, combined with the speculative nature of emerging sectors like renewable energy and tech innovations, underscores the importance of a meticulous approach. Before diving in, ensure you’ve done your due diligence, looking past the initial excitement to assess the true potential and risks of these ventures. It’s wise to trade these stocks rather than invest long-term, given their unpredictable nature.

Success in trading hot sector stocks priced under $5 hinges on a selective and strategic approach. The goal is to tap into their explosive growth potential while implementing robust risk management practices. By zeroing in on companies making news in their specific niches, traders can seize opportunities for disproportionate gains. This strategy, coupled with a disciplined approach to maintaining a tight investment strategy and promptly cutting losses, can pave the way for trading success in these dynamic market segments.

What Do You Need to Trade Stocks?

The biggest thing you need to become a self-sufficient trader is something money can’t buy…

Patience.

Everything else is easy enough to come by.

Most brokers don’t charge commissions when you buy listed stocks — which is every stock on this list.

You can see the brokers I recommend here.

What else do you need?

You’ll need a trading computer and decent internet. You’ll also need a powerful trading platform like StocksToTrade

StocksToTrade puts top-of-the-line charts and stock screening at your fingertips. It’s got a built-in news scanner that puts earnings reports and news that move stocks in one place.

 

We think you’ll see the difference immediately. Get your first 14 days here for only $7.

Then comes the hard part…

You need to learn patterns. You need to find out which strategies work for you. You need to put in screen time…

Paper trading is a good way to get your feet wet. StocksToTrade can do that too.

You need to make trading plans and track your trades. I know, it’s a lot. That’s why I’ve designed the best mentorship program out there — Daily Income Trader.

Our trading community will bring you live webinars, strategy sessions, and the chance to ask questions of me and other top traders.

My goal is to teach you how to think for yourself and trade through any kind of market.

Here’s one of the biggest things I teach you to do… 

How to Find Your Top Stocks to Watch: 5 Tips for Every Day

The best traders don’t believe in ‘hot stocks.’ They watch what the market is doing every single day.

There’s no trick to it. Building a daily watchlist comes down to five easy steps.

#1: Run Your Scans

You know what’s moving by setting your stock screener to pick up the right stocks.

I run scans all through premarket, looking for stocks up at least 10%, on decent volume and a catalyst that isn’t complete garbage.

The market is a game of supply and demand. A stock screener is the best way of measuring that demand.

#2: Know Your Catalysts

Crappy penny stocks will always have press releases and celebrity tweets when they’re running. It’s your job to know what’s fluff and what isn’t.

Luckily, it isn’t hard. Is the market reacting well to it? Then it’s probably decent news.

We have an add-on service specifically dedicated to the news that moves stocks. It’s called Breaking News Chat — and it can be your secret weapon. 

#3: Study the Charts

Studying charts can be the difference between randomly trading a stock and seeing a good entry.

How do I know that most days TSLA starts the day red it often finishes green? It’s because I’ve studied its charts.

#4: Look for Volume

Volume is the biggest indicator of price action.

You can trade a stock move with no news. But you probably don’t want to make a trade with no volume.

This is another thing to study when you’re looking at a chart.

Take a look at a stock’s biggest moves. How much volume does it get when it’s making a move? 

#5: Learn From Other Traders

Never copy another trader’s trades. If you’re last in on a trade, you’ll only make money by luck. And you sure won’t learn to trade for yourself.

The training we offer at StocksToTrade is designed to help you become a self-sufficient trader. We show you how we come up with our trade ideas, we don’t give them to you.

Profit and loss isn’t the mark of a good trader. It’s the planning and execution you put in.

We can help you get there in a few different ways:

Conclusion

I’ve shown you the work that goes into building a watchlist…

And I hope I’ve scared you enough that you don’t take these picks as recommendations!

Trading is something you do at the same time as millions of other people. Having stock picks is as silly as taking cue cards on a date…

And it works about as well.

Your trading success doesn’t depend on any ‘secrets’ I can tell you. The only thing it depends on is you learning about your own trading style.

Treat this watchlist as a starting point. Keep on working on your own watchlists until they fit the way you trade.

What do you think about the stocks I’m watching this month? Have you traded any of them? Let me know in the comments!