Most-searched stocks on Google in 2021
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Interest in investing in stocks grew massively during the pandemic, especially among retail investors, whose enthusiasm was sparked by heightened market volatility and global lockdowns forcing them to stay home.
According to a survey by Charles Schwab, 15% of all current US stock market investors placed their first-ever trade in 2020. The boom continued into 2021 with volumes in the first half surpassing those of a year earlier, research by DriveWealth shows.
This new generation of investors is equipped with an arsenal of tech tools such as commission-free trading apps and search engines like Google. Yet what are they searching for when looking for stocks to trade? New research by Bacancy Technology tells us just that.
The study analysed 30 stocks that have seen the highest price increases in the past 52 weeks in order to unveil which stocks of which companies dominate Google searches.
Investors and traders should note that while the most-searched stocks tend to be those with higher performance, past results do not guarantee future returns. The Covid-19 pandemic has been influential for most stocks in the list below, pushing their price to, on the whole, positively increase, yet it’s unclear whether the uptrend will continue.
This article uses average price targets sourced by MarketBeat, which is an average price prediction of a stock based on forecasts of numerous analysts. Year-to-date stock price returns mentioned in this article exclude any trading fees that may be added by stock brokers.
Tesla
Results revealed electric car pioneer Tesla had topped the list as the most-Googled stock of 2021. The company received nearly 500,000 searches per month – more than four times as much as Apple
According to Tesla’s second-quarter earnings report, the electric vehicle (EV) car-maker sold over 200,000 vehicles in the second quarter of 2021 and exceeded $1bn (£737m, €866.3m) of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) net income for the first time in the company’s history.
The company’s stock pleased investors with a 10.90% year-to-date return. Yet analysts have potentially disappointing news for Tesla shareholders: According to the data from MarketBeat, the average price target for Tesla, based on 30 analyst ratings, is $612.95, with a high of $1,200 and a low of $137 projected over the next 12 months.
The average price target suggests the stock may have a potential downside from its current price of $776.78.
Apple
Among the top-searched stocks on Google is Apple, which came in at second place this year. Apple received an average of 112,000 Google stock-related searches per month.
In 2018, the iPhone-maker made history by becoming the first company to record a $1trn market capitalisation. In 2020, it surpassed another milestone, becoming the first company to record a market value of $2trn.
The company posted a historically strong third quarter in late July, including a record revenue of $81.5bn, up 36% from a year ago.
Apple’s stock price is up 5.54% year-to-date. According to the average price target sourced by MarketBeat, which is based on 31 analyst ratings, Apple’s stock price is projected to reach $164.81 over the next 12 months, which suggests a potential upside of from the stock’s current price of $139.18 The price targets range between a high of $198 and a low of $90.
Amazon
The world’s largest online retailer Amazon ranked in third place with 79,000 stock searches per month.
Amazon posted net income of $7.8bn in the second quarter of 2021. Sales increased 27% to $113.1bn, compared with $88.9bn a year ago. The company’s revenue has surpassed the $100bn mark for the second consecutive quarter, with $108.5bn in sales reported during the first quarter of 2021.
Amazon stock fell 1.26% year-to-date. The average price target provided by MarketBeat, which is based on 38 analyst ratings, is $4,179.12, which suggests a potential upside from the stock’s current price of $3,210. The price targets range from the low of $3,600 to the high of $5,000.
Pfizer
Just behind Amazon in the list of most-watched stocks is Pfizer, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.
Pfizer’s business activities encompass the fields of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, as well as the company’s recent work in developing a Covid-19 vaccine. Pfizer’s stock is Googled on average 29,000 times per month.
The company posted 10% operational revenue growth in the second quarter of this year and stated that it aims to achieve at least a 6% compound annual growth rate through 2025.
Pfizer’s year-to-date stock price return is 13.72%. The average analyst price target for Pfizer stock based on 12 analysts’ ratings is $43.33, according to data provided by MarketBeat, which suggests a slight potential upside from the stock’s current price of $41.84. The analyst targets vary from the low of $39 to the high of $50.
Moderna
In fifth place is Moderna, a decade-old biotech company that focuses on the discovery and development of messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines. The company receives around 28,000 Google searches per month.
Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine has emerged as one of the most sought-after vaccines considering its high levels of efficacy (94.1%), as well as its ability to be refrigerated for up to 30 days prior to first use.
This year, Moderna pleased its shareholders with an eye-popping year-to-date return of 202.79%. While the stock delivered a stellar performance, it does not guarantee future returns.
The company has made additional funding commitments to increase supply at its owned and partnered manufacturing facilities, which it expects will increase global 2022 capacity to up to three billion doses of its Covid-19 vaccine.
Revenue for the second quarter of 2021 reached $4.4bn, with a net income of $2.8bn and diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $6.46.
The average price target for Moderna’s stock sourced by MarketBeat projects the share price to fall to $195.62 in the next year, suggesting a potential downside from its current price of $315.76. This is based on 15 analysts’ ratings, which range from a low of $80 to a high of $337.
Microsoft
In the list of Google’s trending stocks, Microsoft ranks sixth, with 27,000 searches per month. Founded in 1975, Microsoft is one of the world’s largest technology companies.
The company’s global revenue has increased relatively consistently since its conception, with the figure reaching a record high of over $168bn in their 2021 financial year, according to Statista. For the second quarter of this year, Microsoft also reported a net income of $16.5bn.
Microsoft’s year-to-date stock price total return is 28.75%. According to the data from MarketBeat, the average Microsoft price target for 12 months is $325.44 based on 31 analysts’ ratings, which suggests a potential upside from the stock’s current price of $286.16. The price targets vary from a low of $250 to a high of $411.
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca – a global, science-led biopharmaceutical business – saw approximately 26,000 searches each month. The company’s innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.
The company announced 23% revenue growth to $15.54bn in the first quarter of 2021, with second-quarter growth of 31% to $8.22bn.
The year-to-date return of AstraZeneca is 18.86%. The average price target for the stock provided by MarketBeat forecasts AstraZeneca’s share price to reach £94.60 in the next 12 months, which suggests a potential upside from the stock’s current price of £87.83. The average price target is calculated using 14 analysts’ ratings, ranging from a low of £69.5 to a high of £105.
Rolls-Royce
In eighth place is Rolls-Royce Holdings, with 23,000 searches – the same number Facebook receives, putting it in joint-eighth position.
Rolls-Royce is a British luxury automobile-maker, which posted a huge loss of £4bn last year as the pandemic-induced lockdowns forced car showrooms to shut.
This year, Rolls-Royce Holdings reported that its first-half profit before taxation was £114m. Looking ahead, the company expects to turn free-cash flow-positive sometime during the second half of this year.
Rolls-Royce year-to-date stock price return is 25.09%. Rolls-Royce’s share price is expected to reach 119p in the next 12 months according to the average price target from MarketBeat, which is based on four analysts’ ratings ranging from a low of 80p to a high of 150p. This suggests the stock has a potential downside from its current price of 144p.
Facebook’s revenue, on the other hand, amounted to $86bn in 2020, according to Statista, and its revenue for the second quarter of 2021 jumped 56% to $29.08bn.
The company has stated it expects its year-over-year total revenue growth rates to decelerate significantly on a sequential basis during the third and fourth quarters of 2021, as they lap periods of increasingly strong growth.
Facebook is the world’s largest social networking platform and its stock is up 20.03% year-to-date. Its average price target, as sourced by MarketBeat and based on 39 analysts’ ratings, suggests Facebook’s stock price is expected to reach $406.92 in the next 12 months. This also suggests a potential upside of 20% from the current price of $339.39. The targets range from a low of $300 to a high of $500.
Most recently, Facebook struggled through one of the worst outages in the company’s history. All of its main social media websites and apps – Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – were unavailable for users around the world for up to five hours on 4 October 2021.
Facebook stressed there was “no malicious activity behind this outage”, which they said was caused by a faulty configuration change on their end. However, the news dampened investor enthusiasm, as the Facebook share price crashed 4.89% on the day of the outage.
Netflix
Finally, the 10th-most searched stock is Netflix, which receives an average of 12,000 searches on Google per month.
The popular streaming service had over 209 million paid members in the second quarter of 2021, with its revenue increasing 19% year-over-year to $7.3bn. The company got a boost from the coronavirus pandemic, which forced consumers to rely on home entertainment as nations went into lockdown and outdoor leisure activities were restricted.
Netflix’s year-to-date return is 17.02%. According to the average price target from MarketBeat, analysts anticipate Netflix’s stock to reach $626.08 over the next 12 months. This suggests a potential downside from the stock’s current price of $632.34. The average price target is based on 37 analysts’ ratings, which vary from a low of $342 to a high of $780.
FAQ
What’s trending in stocks?
Tesla takes the top spot for the most-searched stock on Google in 2021, according to the new research from Bacancy Technology, which shows the stock receiving nearly four times as many searches as Apple. Amazon comes third.
What are the most-watched stocks?
The most-watched stocks in 2021, according to a new research from Bacancy Technology, are Tesla Inc (487,000 searches), Apple Inc (112,000), Amazon Inc (79,000), Pfizer Inc (29,000), Moderna Inc (28,000), Microsoft (27,000), AstraZeneca PLC (26,000), Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (23,000), Facebook Inc (23,000) and Netflix Inc (12,000).
How to find the most-trending stocks on Google?
A new report by Bacancy Technology sheds light on the 10 most-searched stocks on Google in 2021.
