So Jake texts me at 11 PM last Tuesday. “Dude, my money’s just sitting there doing nothing. What should I buy?” Classic Jake. Guy discovers that his savings account is paying him in pocket lint and he wants stock picks at midnight. But honestly? Good timing. It’s been a wild September, and there’s some serious money to be made right now. Been trading since 2010, when everyone thought the market was gonna crash again. Made some really foolish choices early on; I bought BlackBerry stock because I loved my phone. Oops. But I learned. Now I only stick to companies that actually make sense.
Microsoft—Yeah, I Know, Boring But Rich
MSFT hit $420 last week. My father would have chuckled at the cost of one share … But here’s the thing: they are pretty much the landlord of the internet now. Every business uses their stuff. Teams, Office, and Azure cloud thing nobody really understands, but everyone needs. We’ve added to our position last month. Why? Because my sister’s startup just signed a $50K yearly contract with Microsoft, and she’s not even their biggest customer. When small companies are spending that kind of money, you know the big guys are spending millions of dollars. Their AI integration is genuinely useful, too, not just marketing fluff. My buddy works there and tells me that they can’t keep up with orders. It’s a nice problem to have.
Google Parent Company—The Money Machine
GOOGLE is weird. Stocks go up, down, and sideways; nothing matters because they just keep printing cash. YouTube alone likely brings in more revenue than most entire companies. My 16-year-old watches YouTube constantly. So does everyone else. Those little ads before videos? That’s Google getting paid each and every time. And their cloud business is booming because companies no longer want to deal with their own servers. Stock’s been choppy this year, which means decent entry points. I picked up shares when it dipped to $140 in July. Not my biggest position, but solid.
Apple—The Comeback That Nobody Saw Coming
AAPL was dead money for months. Then September happened. New iPhones containing real AI that actually functions. My wife insisted she must have one, though she is happy enough with her current phone. That’s Apple magic right there. Warren Buffett is sitting on a ton of Apple stock, and the man doesn’t invest in tech companies unless he really likes something. Neither do I, usually, but Apple’s different. They have more than a billion people locked in their system. Try the same on someone switching from iPhone to Android; good luck with that. Stock jumped 12% after their announcement. It will probably keep going up through the holidays.
Also Read: Tariff News
Oracle—The Database King Nobody Talks About
ORCL is up 38% this year. Thirty-eight percent! Know why? Because every company on earth needs databases, and Oracle’s been doing this since before most of us were born. Boring business, great stock. They just raised their dividend again too. I like companies that pay me while I wait for the stock to go up.
Netflix—Streaming Wars Winner
Remember when everyone said Netflix was doomed? Disney Plus, HBO Max, and Apple TV; too much competition, they said. Guess what? Netflix just added 8 million subscribers last quarter. NFLX hit new highs in August. I’ve owned it since 2019 and watched it go up, down, and back up again. Doesn’t matter. People pay for Netflix like they pay for electricity, as it’s just a monthly bill now. International growth is huge. A friend of mine lives in Brazil and says everyone there has Netflix. Same story everywhere.
Nvidia—The AI Gold Rush
NVDA is expensive. Really expensive. But when you’re the only company that makes the chips everyone needs for AI, you can charge whatever you want. Every tech company is buying Nvidia chips like they’re going out of style. ChatGPT? Nvidia chips. Tesla’s self-driving cars? Nvidia. That new AI thing your company just bought? Probably running on Nvidia hardware. The stock’s volatile as hell, but the trend is definitely up.
Walmart—Boring But Bulletproof
WMT doesn’t get anyone excited, but it should. They’ve figured out how to compete with Amazon online while keeping their stores profitable. Plus inflation actually helps them, as people shop at Walmart when money gets tight. I’ve owned Walmart stock for six years. It’s not gonna double overnight, but it pays a decent dividend and goes up steadily. Sometimes boring is exactly what you want.
Taiwan Semiconductor—The Chip Factory
TSM makes chips for basically everyone. Apple, Nvidia, and AMD; they all need TSM to manufacture their designs. It’s like being the only bakery in town when everyone wants bread. Geopolitics make it risky, as the Taiwan and China situation could blow up anytime. But business is booming right now. Stock’s up 25% this year.
My Actual Strategy (Not Financial Advice)
Here’s what I actually do with my money. About 60% goes into the big, safe companies such as Microsoft, Apple, and Google. These aren’t going anywhere, and they keep growing. Another 30% goes into solid but less exciting stuff like Walmart, Oracle, and companies that make money regardless of what’s trending on Twitter. Last 10%? That’s my lottery ticket money. Nvidia, Netflix, and possibly a small biotech company that could develop a significant cure. Could lose it all, could hit it big. Never put in money you need for rent or groceries. The market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent, as some smart guy once said.
What I’m Actually Buying Right Now
This month? Adding more Microsoft shares every time it dips below $400. Bought Oracle when it hit $140 last week. Thinking about Walmart before their earnings report. The best stocks to invest in right now aren’t necessarily the hottest ones everyone’s talking about. They’re companies that solve real problems, make real money, and aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Jake ended up buying Microsoft and Apple stock after our midnight text session. The market is up about 8% so far. Not bad for a guy who thought bonds were something you got out of jail with. The market’s weird right now. Interest rates are still high, but companies are making money. AI hype is real, but so is the actual business behind it. It’s a good time to be selective and buy quality. Just remember: I’m not your financial advisor; I’m just some guy who’s been doing this for a while and hasn’t lost his shirt yet. Do your own homework, don’t invest more than you can afford to lose, and maybe don’t text people at midnight asking for stock tips.