HEICO -Institutional Investors Bet $1B on These 4 Stocks—Should You?

Institutional Investing Overview - Institutional investing serves as a key indicator for retail investors to assess market sentiment regarding specific stocks or assets, with hedge funds and advisors employing teams of analysts for research [1] - Retail investors can leverage institutional buying trends to identify potential investment opportunities by monitoring which shares are being purchased consistently [1] HEICO Corporation - HEICO has experienced a significant increase in institutional buying, with purchases reaching $1 billion in Q4 2025, indicating strong confidence in its long-term value [2] - The stock price of HEICO has risen by 13% since the end of the previous business period, and analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating with a predicted upside of 3.61% in the coming year [3] Occidental Petroleum (OXY) - Occidental Petroleum has seen a decline in share prices, down 26% year-over-year, with a recent 8% drop attributed to analyst downgrades [5] - Despite the downturn, institutional investors purchased$ 1.69 billion in OXY shares in Q4, a significant increase from $659 million in Q3, with a consensus price estimate predicting over 31% potential upside [6] Merck & Co., Inc. - Merck has seen institutional purchases rise to$ 13 billion in Q4, up from $4.65 billion in Q3, indicating strong interest despite trading near its 52-week low [9] - The stock offers a competitive dividend yield of 3.48% and has a history of increasing its annual dividend for the last 14 years, making it an attractive option for dividend investors [9] Prudential Financial (PRU) - Prudential Financial has seen institutional buying increase to$ 1.17 billion in Q4 from $486 million in Q3, despite a recent earnings estimate miss leading to a 12% dip in share prices [11] - The stock currently has a P/E ratio of 14.71 and a dividend yield of 4.91%, suggesting it may present a buying opportunity for investors with a higher risk tolerance [11]