3 Stocks You'll Wish You Bought Before 2026

Many investors have profited from the artificial intelligence (AI) trade in 2025. But there have been several up-and-coming stocks in other sectors that have posted impressive gains this year.

The three stocks in this article are still small stocks; the largest market cap is just over $4 billion. However, they’ve made strong moves and proven the idea that time in the market is better than trying to time the market.

That said, if investors could see the future with absolute clarity, investing would be easy. Unfortunately, the future is rarely clear, and a bullish outcome is not inevitable. But the charts speak for themselves. Investors who bought these stocks and had the patience to hold them through some rough times are reaping the benefits today. Better still, the stocks may not be done moving higher.

Biotech Breakthrough: A Small Cap With a Big 2026 FDA Catalyst

Celcuity Inc. (NASDAQ: CELC) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that recently delivered positive clinical data for its first-in-class PI3K/mTOR inhibitor that targets HR+/HER2 - metastatic breast cancer. The company’s pivotal Phase 3 VIKTORIA trial is underway, and there is a belief that the company could receive U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2026.

Investors have been front-running those results, pushing CELC stock up over 660%, with almost the entirety of those gains occurring since the end of July. At $99.30 as of this writing, the stock is within 3% of its consensus price target. However, Jeffries raised its price target on the stock to $134 from $108 on Dec. 2.

The biggest risk investors face is the financial cost of the commercialization phase. However, in its most recent earnings report, Celcuity showed a reinforced balance sheet with $455 million in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments. That was up about 72% year-over-year (YOY), and management believes that will be sufficient until the commercialization phase begins.

Fintech Disruptor Turning Revenue Growth Into Real Momentum

At a time when banks have less to offer many consumers, it’s easy to make the case for Dave Inc. (NASDAQ: DAVE). This is a Los Angeles-based financial technology (fintech) company known for its Dave app.

The Dave app provides affordable, transparent financial tools that help its users, many of whom are living paycheck to paycheck, avoid overdraft fees, budget more effectively, and get access to short-term cash when needed. The company recently reported a 64% YOY increase in revenue and an 85% beat in adjusted earnings per share (EPS).

DAVE stock is up 120% in 2025, and analysts believe it’s got much more room to move higher. As of this writing, the stock is trading at $208.24, and the consensus price target is $304.25. That’s an upside of more than 46%.

Some investors could be getting nervous about the company’s forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 119x. However, analysts are forecasting earnings growth of over 117% in the next 12 months. That kind of growth will easily allow for growth into that valuation.

Resale Retail Winner Riding a Massive Consumer Shift

It's been another rough year for consumer staples stocks, but ThreadUp Inc. (NASDAQ: TDUP) has been a notable exception. TDUP stock is up over 430% in 2025, and that’s despite a sell-off of over 29% in the three months ending Dec. 1.

The company operates as an online consignment store, which makes it the right stock at a time when many consumer budgets continue to be stretched. The thrift and resale market was a $49 billion industry in 2024 and is expected to grow to $74 billion by 2029.

TDUP stock is the smallest of the three stocks on this list, and short interest of over 17% means that traders are active. That said, the company’s Q3 earnings report showed strong YOY revenue growth and, more importantly, a record in new buyer acquisition and a 37% YOY increase in orders.

Admittedly, this could be a short-term play. However, the younger generation that makes up ThredUp’s core market will likely feel pinched for some time, which is likely why analysts give TDUP stock a consensus price target of $12.50, representing a 68% gain from its closing price on Dec. 1.

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The article "3 Stocks You’ll Wish You Bought Before 2026" first appeared on MarketBeat.