Three Best Stocks to Buy Right Now in Today's Market

The challenge facing investors today isn’t finding stocks—it’s finding the right stocks. As major indices continue climbing and technology companies capture headlines with artificial intelligence investments, traditional valuation metrics signal caution. The Shiller price-to-earnings ratio (CAPE) reveals market valuations haven’t been this elevated since the dot-com era around 2000, yet opportunities still exist for those willing to dig deeper.

Rather than chasing excitement in red-hot sectors, some of the best stocks to invest in right now are those trading below their intrinsic value. These three companies offer exactly that: reliable businesses at reasonable prices, each positioned for meaningful upside from current levels.

Citigroup: The Undervalued Giant with Momentum

Citigroup represents classic value investing. Once America’s largest bank, the institution has spent years operating at a discount to competitors like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America—a gap reflected in its valuation at just 1.06 times tangible book value compared to peers trading at 1.88 to 2.99 times.

The discount existed for good reason. Citigroup struggled with operational complexity, regulatory headwinds, and weak profitability metrics. Its return on common tangible equity (ROTCE) lagged the industry at mid-single digits, dragged down by bloated costs and underperforming business units. The bank also absorbed regulatory penalties, including a $400 million fine in 2020 and an additional $136 million subsequently.

CEO Jane Fraser’s tenure since 2021 marks a clear inflection point. Rather than defending the sprawling global empire, Fraser has systematically streamlined operations, consolidating consumer franchises across 14 countries and shedding non-core assets. In Mexico, Citigroup separated and planned to IPO its consumer business, Banamex, while refocusing on profitable institutional operations. These moves have tangible results: ROTCE has climbed from 7.4% to 8.9% year-over-year as the bank sheds low-return assets.

With the balance sheet improving and operations substantially leaner, Citigroup’s valuation gap appears unjustified. The best stocks to invest in today often share this characteristic: operational improvement meeting market skepticism.

PayPal: Growth Disguised as Stability

PayPal’s story differs sharply from the Citigroup turnaround. The payments giant hasn’t collapsed—it’s stalled. After years as a high-growth darling commanding premium valuations, PayPal has traded sideways between $50 and $100 per share, with today’s valuation at just 11.3 times projected earnings placing it alongside bank stocks in terms of price-to-earnings multiples.

Yet this valuation disconnect masks genuine strategic progress. CEO Alex Chriss, who arrived from Intuit with expertise in small and medium-sized business operations, has implemented several initiatives designed to reignite growth. The company launched PayPal Complete Payments specifically targeting that underserved SMB segment, expanded partnerships with e-commerce platforms, and substantially grown its buy-now-pay-later offerings.

More tellingly, PayPal has entered the AI-driven commerce space through a partnership with OpenAI to build shopping tools with embedded payments. The company also rolled out its own advertising platform leveraging its vast transactional data—a potential high-margin revenue stream. These aren’t speculative ideas; they’re concrete implementations addressing real payment market trends.

PayPal’s stock performance has disappointed investors over multiple years, a fair critique. However, the company continues generating steady profits while building growth vectors that market pricing doesn’t yet reflect. That combination—profitable operations plus unpriced growth optionality—defines why best stocks to invest in emerge from neglected opportunities rather than celebrated winners.

Progressive: Cyclical Opportunity in Insurance

Progressive stands apart as a three-decade juggernaut that has rewarded investors with a 10,780% total return, or roughly 16.9% annualized gains. That extraordinary track record rests on two pillars: commanding market position and superior underwriting skill. The insurer commands the second-largest market share among U.S. auto insurers and has consistently delivered industry-leading profitability as measured by combined ratios—the key metric for insurance profitability.

Progressive’s data-driven approach, including pioneering adoption of telematics technology for risk assessment, has created competitive advantages that persist across market cycles. Yet cycles do matter. The current insurance environment faces headwinds: inflation-driven claims costs, competitive pricing pressures, and customer acquisition challenges mean 2026 will look materially different from 2023.

The stock has declined 17% over the past year as the industry confronted this reality. Progressive even announced a $1 billion policyholder refund in Florida due to excess profits relative to statutory limits, further depressing sentiment.

This backdrop creates the exact scenario where best stocks to invest in emerge: a quality business with proven management at depressed pricing due to temporary industry conditions. Progressive trades at 11.5 times earnings, its lowest valuation in recent years, while retaining pricing power should inflation resurface and the competitive environment normalize.

Why Right Now Matters

These three companies share nothing superficially—a bank, a payments processor, and an insurer across entirely different sectors. What unites them is this: each represents genuine value created by temporary market mismatch. Citigroup’s transformation remains unrecognized. PayPal’s growth initiatives lack visibility. Progressive faces cyclical headwinds.

For investors asking which best stocks to invest in right now, timing matters. Not in the day-trading sense, but in recognizing when quality businesses trade below justified valuations. That window won’t remain open indefinitely as management progress compounds and market perception inevitably adjusts.

The broader market remains richly valued by historical standards, but beneath the surface lie opportunities for disciplined investors. These three merit that discipline.