With nearly 2,000 UK stocks to choose from, finding the best ones to buy can be difficult. However, thanks to Trading212’s Hotlist at 20 January, it’s easy to know which stocks other investors are snapping up.
Armed with this information, could the three most popular be no-brainer buys? Let’s take a look.
Flying high
Although it’s never a good strategy to follow the crowd, it can be heartening to know that one of the stocks you own is popular with others. And despite its meteoric post-pandemic rally, Rolls-Royce Holdings (LSE:RR.) has been the 16th-most popular stock with the trading platform’s clients over the past 30 days.
But even though I’m a shareholder, I acknowledge the stock isn’t cheap. And its dividend’s on the mean side.
However, it’s the long-term potential that appeals to me, which is why I think it’s still worth considering. Its small modular reactor programme appears to be going well and it says it wants to re-enter the narrowbody aircraft engine market. Admittedly, these are unlikely to be significant revenue earners until the 2030s but, if everything goes to plan, they could be hugely lucrative.
Meanwhile, its existing aviation business is benefitting from increased air travel, its defence division is gaining on the back of global uncertainty, and its power systems arm is growing as a result of data centre demand.
Getting defensive
BAE Systems (LSE:BA.) is 28th on the Hotlist. Although the stock’s unlikely to appeal to ethical investors, the dangerous world in which we live means the defence sector’s one of the fastest-growing industries.
Importantly, the group has customers around the globe so it isn’t reliant on one particular government for new business. At 30 June 2025, it reported an order backlog of $75.4bn.
Income investors probably won’t appreciate its below-average dividend and its shares are more expensive that its closest rivals. However, it remains the largest supplier to the Ministry of Defence.
Of course, no stock purchase is a total no-brainer buy but, in my view, this one comes pretty close. With NATO members pledging to spend at least 3.5% of GDP on core defence by 2035, the direction of travel’s clear. On this basis, I think BAE Systems is one to consider.
A dark horse
Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY) is 40th on the list. I suspect investors are attracted by analysts’ forecasts predicting a 68% rise in post-tax earnings and a 82% increase in its dividend by 2027 compared to 2024. Having said that, there are no guarantees that these forecasts will prove accurate. But if they are met, it will have been an impressive growth story.
However, unlike the other two, the stock doesn’t appeal to me. Yes, it’s well-managed and retains a solid brand but I believe the forecasts are too optimistic, especially for a business that generates nearly all of its income from the UK. Any sign that the bank isn’t on course to deliver the numbers and I reckon there could be a significant share price correction.
Final thoughts
Of course, £100 isn’t a huge amount of money to invest. It’s therefore important to choose an investment platform that doesn’t charge commission.
But whether you invest £100 or £10,000, I think there are plenty of quality UK stocks around that could help deliver long-term gains.
