Top Stocks & ETFs to Buy NOW

Summary

Earn Your Leisure Podcast: "Top Stocks & ETFs to Buy NOW"

Date: April 11, 2026
Hosts: Rashad Bilal, Troy Millings
Guests: Ian, Larry

Overview

In this insightful episode of Earn Your Leisure, hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings—joined by experts Ian and Larry—dive deep into one of their core specialties: actionable stock and ETF picks for 2026 and beyond. The discussion provides both beginners and seasoned investors with a comprehensive look at top stocks and ETFs to consider right now, practical strategies for managing risk, and essential context for today’s market volatility.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Top 3 Stocks to Buy NOW

(03:11 – 04:20)

• Ian shares practical, safety-oriented picks:
  • Microsoft: "If you want safety, I'mma give you safety. I would do Microsoft, Apple and I'm going to lean on Visa." (03:21)
  • Apple: Despite recent AI missteps, Apple is highlighted for its resilience and leadership under Tim Cook.
  • Visa: Noted for processing 64% of global transactions and being "oversold too much." (03:53)
• Quote: "Microsoft for sure. Apple, despite the AI misstep... and I think Visa has been oversold too much given how many—like, they process 64% of all the transactions in the world." – Ian (03:53)

2. Recent Buys & Momentum Stocks

(04:20 – 06:30)

• Troy outlines his portfolio moves:

  • Nvidia: Continues to outperform, considered a “home run.” (04:28)
  • Google: Another “home run”—especially with the anticipation of a SpaceX IPO.
  • Micron and XLK (Technology ETF): Technology trends driving performance.
  • Mentions a yet-to-be-announced pick for EYL U, teasing positive news for a rebound in the second half of 2026.

• Waste Management (WM):

  • Ian: “If I can give one more… Waste Management is an absolutely amazing business. Recession proof, conflict proof, almost black swan proof.” (05:22)
  • WM's steady growth trajectory—from $149 (2024) to a projected $310 in "three or four years." (05:53)

3. ETFs & Investment Strategies

(05:12 – 08:41)

• ETFs mentioned: XLK (Tech), SMH (Semiconductors), QQQ (NASDAQ-100 index).
  • Troy: Hesitant to add to SMH until a pullback.
  • Larry: Advocates dollar-cost averaging into ETFs for long-term wins.
    • Quote: “It's always good to dollar cost average into ETFs. Invest with Invesco... Over the long run, you're gonna, you know, always make money off those QQQ.” (06:33)
• BlackRock’s New ETF:
  • Troy: Announces BlackRock’s competitor to QQQ named IQQ, aiming to rival Invesco's dominance in the tech ETF space. (08:03–08:41)
    • “BlackRock today announced that it's going to create its own competitor for QQQ. Smart.” (08:12)
  • Potential differences in asset allocation, but expected to be technology-focused.

4. Other Notable Stock Picks

(06:14 – 06:33)

• Netflix: Troy highlights buying calls at 100 and seeing it reach that target.
  • “I did a Netflix call at 100 and today it crossed 100... sometimes there's numbers that you want to see it hit." (06:14–06:24)
• Bitcoin: Down nearly 50% from its ATH, but Larry asserts long-term bullishness—"hold it for 10 years, you're gonna make money."
• Investing Philosophy:
  • “You gotta look at, you gotta look at, you know what, what's the best company that's down the most?” – Larry (06:33–07:34)

5. Risk Management and Market Outlook

• Ian: For those uncertain about picking stocks, he directs listeners to his Red Panda stock club for guided entry and exit points and monthly recommendations. (07:34–08:03)
• Tesla Warning:
  • Larry/Troy/Ian discuss JP Morgan's prediction of a potential further 40–60% drop for Tesla.
  • Ian cautions that while a severe drop is possible, he sees it as having less than an 8% probability—emphasizing not to panic over headlines. (10:13–10:45)

6. Community Events & Engagement

(08:46 – 09:35)

• Upcoming Appearance: April 25th at Westchester County Center for the "Health is Wealth" forum.
  • "This is a homecoming for us... If you got the book, bring the book. We'll sign the books." – Troy (09:12)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Microsoft for sure. Apple, despite the AI misstep... and I think Visa has been oversold too much given how many—like, they process 64% of all the transactions in the world."
  – Ian (03:53)
• "Invest with Invesco... Over the long run, you're gonna, you know, always make money off those QQQ."
  – Larry (06:33)
• "If I have to pick one that's conflict-proofed, AI-proof and it takes all the risk off the table? Long term, Waste Management is an amazing company."
  – Ian (05:53)
• "Sometimes there's numbers that you want to see it hit... like from a mindset standpoint, can it get to 100? We saw that happen today [with Netflix]."
  – Troy (06:24–06:30)
• "You gotta look at, you gotta look at, you know what, what's the best company that's down the most?"
  – Larry (07:34)

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Key Timestamps

• 03:11 – "What's your top three stocks to buy right now?"
• 03:21–03:53 – Ian's safety pick rationale (Microsoft, Apple, Visa)
• 04:20–05:12 – Troy’s recent buys and upcoming picks
• 05:22–06:08 – Waste Management as a defensive stock
• 06:14–06:33 – Netflix trade and milestone
• 06:33–07:34 – Dollar-cost averaging and investing in companies beaten down
• 08:03–08:41 – BlackRock’s IQQ ETF announcement
• 09:12 – Details for the Westchester County Center event
• 10:13–10:45 – Tesla downside scenario analysis

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Conclusion

This episode of Earn Your Leisure delivers a practical, up-to-the-minute guide to stock and ETF selection for 2026. The conversation combines foundational investment advice—such as prioritizing resilient blue chips and dollar-cost averaging—with timely news like ETF competition and the importance of disciplined, long-term thinking. Highlighted stocks include Microsoft, Apple, Visa, Nvidia, Google, Micron, Netflix, and Waste Management, as well as the QQQ ETF and newcomers like BlackRock’s IQQ.

Listeners walk away with clear strategies, specific ticker suggestions, and a dose of optimism grounded in prudence. Whether you’re a novice or veteran, the episode provides actionable recommendations with real-world context and practical examples.

Transcript

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Guaranteed Human hey Earnest, what's up? One thing we always say on this show is you've got to be intentional with your money, because it's not just

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[Host 1]

stocks to buy right now?

[Ian]

They haven't changed.

[Larry]

What are they? For somebody that never watched the show before, some people this might be their

[Ian]

first time watching the show for the first time. Listeners thank There you go. If you want safety, I'mma give you safety. I would do Microsoft, Apple and I'm going to lean on Visa, Microsoft, Apple and Visa. Those that are down deep. Microsoft for sure. Apple despite the AI misstep and what they could have done to improve Siri. They've calibrated well for these moments and economically with Tim being a great operator. Can't wait to return Calibrates well for these moments and I think Visa has been oversold too much given how many like they process 64 of all the transactions in the world.

[Troy]

Yeah, global. Yep.

[Ian]

Yep. So those are three outside of the two Tech two index formula. Those two Tech two index that work? Yes, of course. But those are the three I will lean on heavily over the next year.

[Troy]

I'll just tell you exactly what I did buy in the past month. I bought more Nvidia

[Ian]

home run, Google home run.

[Troy]

Especially with this IPO of SpaceX looking like it's going to happen at some point. This year I bought more Micron, everybody's favorite and I brought xlk, bought the technology ETF and I have one tomorrow that I'm gonna put in EYL U that we've been talking about for a few months now. I put it in my top 10 companies this year. It hit a price point and they had some news. I shared it with Shoddy earlier that I think is going to have have a really nice rebound in the back six months of this year. So those would be my three that

[Host 2]

ETF and SMH four.

[Troy]

Yeah well for SMH I I wanted to get into it but it just hasn't pulled back to a point where I'm like, all right, we can add some more here.

[Ian]

If I can give one more. Since Troy gave a fourth. Waste Management is, is an absolutely amazing business. Recession proof, conflict proof, almost black swan proof. During this time when the market has been down, they have been solid. Overall, they're currently at 233. All time high was 248. Been an incredible business. If you go back to 2024, they were at 149 and maybe three or four years they should be at 310. So if I have to pick one that's conflict proofed, AI proof and it takes all the risk off the table. Long term Waste Management is an amazing company.

[Troy]

I added one more. I'm sorry, you want to give yours?

[Ian]

Oh my God. Come on, let's do.

[Host 1]

We will do top 10.

[Troy]

I just looked at the post I had. It was, I also added Netflix. I did a Netflix call at 100 and today it crossed 100. Which has been like, sometimes there's numbers

[Host 2]

that you want to see it hit. Like from a mindset standpoint, can it get to 100?

[Troy]

We saw that happen today. So yeah, Netflix was something I had as well.

[Larry]

Yeah. Microsoft is down 30, 30%. That's important to understand that, you know, a company like Microsoft is down, there's an recession. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Bitcoin down 48 from its all time high. You got Nvidia down 17%. It's always good to dollar cost average into ETFs. Invest with Invesco. Over the long run, you're gonna, you know, always make money off those qq. But I definitely think that Microsoft is something that if you've never invested before, it's a relatively safe bet that investing has considerable risk. Consult your advisor not to say that it can't go down anymore because it definitely can. But hold it for 10 years, I think you're gonna make money. I think if you buy bitcoin right now, you hold it for 10 years, you're gonna make money. Not to say that bitcoin can't go down anymore, but it's down 48%. It's almost down 50%. So you gotta look at, you gotta look at, you know what, what's the best company that's down the most?

[Ian]

Yep, Microsoft. And if you never want to guess where to invest or what to buy, go to Ian invest.com and join a Red Panda stock club. I'll tell you where to get in, where to get out. Three prices for every stock, matter of fact, I have two new stocks that I really love that I'm going to put prices for tonight in Kajabi this Sunday at 9pm Central. I have the stocks and the prices for the month. So if you never want to guess what to buy or where to get in, go to Ian invest dot com.

[Troy]

Yeah, I'm glad you brought up qqq. I'm not. Did you guys see that? What Black Rod did today? Did you guys see that? So they announced it.

[Larry]

Yeah.

[Troy]

Yeah. So obviously QQQ and Vesco Technology ETF. BlackRock today announced that it's going to create its own competitor for QQQ Smart. Yeah. So they're calling it IQQ and it's going to be pretty much the same. I'm sure there'll be different asset allocations inside of it to have some different. But they were looking at it like everybody talks about Invesco Investment. Invesco. And now BlackRock has announced that they're going to have their own technology ETF.

[Ian]

Smart.

[Larry]

Yes, sir.

[Host 2]

Larry.

[Troy]

Larry added again and I will say

[Host 1]

this too, April 25th, Westchester County Center. We will be speaking at the Health is Wealth form.

[Larry]

Shout out to the brother Dave. You can get your tickets to that. You can go to

[Host 1]

I believe the website is county center biz and they

[Larry]

got, they got vendors there. It's an all day event. I think Mike is speaking there too.

[Troy]

Mike is there. Mike. Mike will be there. We will be there. That's hometown. This is, this is a homecoming for us. So yeah, show some love, come up, pull out, pull up on us. We're gonna be there for pretty much most of the day. So make sure y' all there. And if you got the book, bring the book. We'll sign the books. Yeah, but the family gonna be in the building, man. So y' all should be there.

[Ian]

And Nvidia.

[Larry]

Nvidia. Nvidia. What?

[Troy]

Oh yeah.

[Larry]

Invest in Nvidia.

[Ian]

No, I'll walk through.

[Larry]

Oh yeah.

[Host 1]

Well, they got the information already.

[Troy]

Yeah, yeah, they got it. They got it.

[Larry]

They got the information already. That's the second part of mastermind. JP Morgan warns that Tesla could drop another. Was it 40, 60, 60.

[Troy]

This is, this is interesting. Yeah. I want to let you go. And then I got someone shuffle.

[Ian]

Two, two thoughts. The timing of when this came out. If this is a top of your prediction, I wouldn't have had an issue with it. But I think also too this kind of thing gets headlines which also drums up business if we hit a Black swan event or baby black Swan, Do I see a scenario in which Tesla could do go to 256.75? Possibly, and my estimation is less than the 8% chance of that happening.

[Larry]

Hey Ernest, what's up?

[Host 1]

One thing we always say on this show is you've got to be intentional with your money because it's not just

[Host 2]

about how much you make, it's about how you manage what you spend.

[Host 1]

Exactly. That's why tools like Klarna are interesting. It gives you flexibility when you're making purchases.

[Host 2]

When you're checking out, you can decide how you want to pay, whether that's paying right away or spreading payments over time, depending on what works for you.

[Host 1]

Everything's organized in Klarna app so you can track your spending in one place. And when you shop through the app, you can find deals and earn cash back with participating partners. Download the Klarna app today or visit klarna.com to learn more.

[Host 2]

California Resident Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Law License NMLS Number 1353190 Klarner Balance Account required to be eligible for cash back points Limitations, terms and conditions apply.

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