Benzinga's 'Stock Whisper' Index: 5 Stocks Investors Secretly Monitor But Don't Talk About Yet

Each week, Benzinga’s Stock Whisper Index uses a combination of proprietary data and pattern recognition to showcase five stocks that are just under the surface and deserve attention.

Investors are constantly on the hunt for undervalued, under-followed and emerging stocks. With countless methods available to retail traders, the challenge often lies in sifting through the abundance of information to uncover new opportunities and understand why certain stocks should be of interest.

Here’s a look at the Benzinga Stock Whisper Index for the week ending January 16:

Plug Power Inc (NASDAQ:PLUG): Shares of Plug Power were volatile on the week and closed up over 9%. The stock also saw heavy interest from Benzinga readers during the week. The company recently announced a strategic partnership with Walmart that will see the retailer having a limited use license for some GenKey System-related materials. Plug Power also said it is taking steps to refinance its debt, which likely led to optimism from investors. One item likely not helping shares was a recent downgrade from TD Cowen from Buy to Hold and the price target being lowered from $4 to $2.

Fiserv Inc (NASDAQ:FISV): The financial technology company saw strong interest from readers during the week, but it could be the wrong type of attention. Fiserv has been the subject of negative commentary from analysts. B. Riley lowered the price target on the stock from $105 to $76, while Stephens lowered the price target from $80 to $75. Goldman Sachs also said Fiserv could see slower growth if the plan from President Donald Trump to cap credit card interest at 10% goes through. The negative attention for the stock comes after Fiserv announced a new collaboration with Microsoft to help deliver AI-driven solutions for Fiserv clients earlier this month. Fiserv shares are down 68% over the last 52 weeks. With strong interest, the stock could be worth watching for positive news or a potential bounce.

Atlas Critical Minerals Corporation (NASDAQ:ATCX): The rare earth exploration and development company completed its uplisting to the Nasdaq during the week and generated strong interest from readers along the way. Atlas says it is one of the largest publicly traded critical minerals companies. Atlas's development includes rare earths, graphite and uranium, items that are used for technology products, energy transformation and defense uses. The company has mineral rights to more than 218,000 hectares across mineral properties in Brazil. Atlas also has an iron ore project that provides cash flow to help the costs and exploration efforts for other critical minerals. With rare earths being a big topic in 2025 and a key priority from the Trump administration, Atlas's uplisting could put the company further into the spotlight.

Lulu's Fashion Lounge Holdings (NASDAQ:LVLU): The women's apparel retailer, which is aimed at Millennials and Gen Z, saw shares surge during the week after it was announced that Friedland Enterprises acquired a 5% stake in the company. Friedland Enterprises founder Christian Friedland is the former CEO of Build.com. Friedland is pushing for changes at Lulu's Fashion Lounge with a belief that shares are undervalued. The investor laid out an eight-point plan that includes reducing the share count, removing members of the Board of Directors, suspending board compensation until shares reach $10 and hiring a permanent chief financial officer. While Lulu's shares are up 115% over the last week, the stock is up less than 2% over the last 52 weeks, with the recent gains taking shares back to slightly above where they were a year ago.

Compass Inc (NYSE:COMP): The end-to-end real estate agent platform company saw strong interest from readers during the week, which comes after they completed a merger with Anywhere Real Estate. The deal valued at $10 billion with debt will create a diversified real estate company, supporting over 300,000 professional across more than 120 countries. Compass's existing shareholders own around 78% of the combined company. The merger will expand the company's international reach significantly. Analysts applauded the merger completion. Barclays maintained an Overweight rating and raised the price target from $13 to $15. Wells Fargo maintained Equal-Weight rating and raised the price target from $8 to $13.