Trending: Our 20 Most Searched Stocks During Q2 2018

When we set out to review 2018’s most-searched stocks during Q2 on  Investing.com, We were expecting to see the big names, with FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) stocks topping the list.

Interestingly, as soon as the data came pouring in, we saw that the FAANGs were not as dominant as one might expect - of the 10 most-searched stocks, only 2 were in the top-5 (Netflix at #3, and Amazon at #5).

Apple squeezed up to #6, Facebook was at #10, and Alphabet Class A (Google) trailed-back at #19. Interestingly, if aggregated with its Class C shares, Alphabet came in at  #9, pushing Facebook down to #11.

While this was unexpected, the real surprises were stocks we didn’t necessarily think we’d see on the list at all. Of the top-20, 3 were Chinese companies (IQIYI, Alibaba, JD.Com), indicating China’s hard penetration into the U.S. stock market, and while not making it into the top-20, it’s interesting to see Gevo - a sustainable fuels company, at #21, and at #25 we see Canopy Growth - a company that focuses on pharmaceutical cannabis.

The biggest surprise was what came in at #1: Micron Technologies (MU) - an Ohio-based corporation that produces semiconductor devices. Investors saw the company raised its guidance, with expectations of increased sales (from $7.2 billion to $7.8 billion). The positive attention led the company’s stock to climb by 22.63% (jumping from $50.06 to a high of $61.39) during May.

The 2nd most searched stock was iQIYI Inc. (IQ). This Chinese company IPOd on the NYSE  on March 29, 2018, opening at at $15.7 but quickly appreciating. It, peaked at $44.2 (+181.5%) by late June. Dubbed “The Netflix of China”, iQIYI is a Beijing-based online streaming platform for movies and TV shows for the Chinese market.

General Electric (GE) - the American electronics giant that has lately encountered a host of problems and a sinking stock price to boot was the #4 most-searched stock, as it got booted from the DJIA, leading many to look at its stock and wonder if they should buy the dip, or if it’s actually time to simply jump ship.

Not surprisingly, Tesla Motors (TSLA) came in at #7, thanks to its shares steadily climbing despite the company going through a reorganization and laying off 9% of its workforce. In the face of the setbacks, the stock still managed to appreciate by 35.83% during Q2, netting investors an extra $90.47 per stock.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) saw its earnings surpass all estimates. Its stock rose by over 57% by the end of the quarter, thanks to continued sales of its graphics cards (used, among other things, for mining cryptocurrency), and by offering a technologically-superior 32-core computer processor to Intel’s 28-core processor, placing AMD at #8.

AT&T (T), the U.S. telecom giant made it to #12 thanks to a potential $85.4 billion merger with Warner Media LLc.

Following AT&T at #13 is the Alibaba stock (BABA), which climbed from $177.61 at the beginning of the quarter to an all-time high of $210.86 at the end of June, only to drop back down to $185.53. A possible contributor was Google announcing it will invest over half a billion USD in its rival - JD.com. Meanwhile, #16 JD.COM Inc. (JD) - China’s second-largest e-commerce company reported increases in revenue by 33%, but the rise in fulfillment, marketing and tech expenses, caused their cash flow to go to -$1.6 billion.

Starbucks (SBUX), the coffee retailer giant saw an uneasy quarter, where it announced it will close over 150 locations in the U.S. during 2019. The share dropped 15.62% by the end of the quarter, prompting investors to reconsider their trust in the caffeinated conglomerate, making it the 16th most searched stock on the site.

Boeing Co (BA) got to #18 thanks to a $4.25 billion acquisition of KLX Inc. - an aerospace and defense company - in May, followed by a victory in a case against its rival - Airbus. Boeing’s stock enjoyed a 16.14% rise, but seemed to lose momentum after a fatal crash of a 737 in Cuba led the FAA to require an inspection of all 737s’ engines, followed by a 10.41% decline but the end of Q2.

The software behemoth from Redmond got to #19 thanks to a great 5-years upwards-momentum that doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Microsoft stock (MSFT) enjoyed an %11.4 growth during Q2, as the company inches towards a $1 trillion evaluation. Much of the company's financial success can be attributed to strong guidance, stemming from 93% revenue growth in its Azure cloud, and 21% growth in its personal computing department.

Last but not least at #20, the Intel Corporation (INTC) saw its stock rise mid-quarter thanks to an increased demand for chips designed for servers and cloud-computing, only to plummet in June. A contributing factor to the crash was Bernstein analysts downgrading its rating, slashing their price target from $54 down to $42. The main reason is its direct competitor - AMD, gaining market share thanks to catching up with Intel’s technological level. Couple that with Intel’s CEO being forced to resign and you have a potentially tough year ahead for the microchip maker.