Fundamentally, the concept of targeting big money growth stock picks centers on a central theme: obviously, to make money. However, what makes institutional growth stock buys distinct from other methodologies is the indirect leveraging of resources.

When you’re talking about the stocks the pros are buying, they do this stuff for a living. And while the institutional players certainly have the money to absorb losses should trades go awry, you must also factor in the egos on Wall Street. No one wants to lose because it’s just bad for business. As such, growth stocks with institutional interest could be quite lucrative for the shrewd investor. While you may not have billions at your disposal, you can mimic the portfolio activity of those that do. On that note, below are top growth stocks for big investors.

Intuit (INTU)

An underappreciated idea among big money growth stock picks, Intuit (NASDAQ:INTU) is a business software firm. Mainly, it specializes in tax and accounting products, such as its flagship brand TurboTax. Fundamentally, as people get a taste of the gig economy lifestyle – basically via working remotely – they’ll want to keep the trend going. However, I don’t think employers will be so willing, which ultimately favors Intuit.

I don’t want to get dragged down into the granularity of various tax profiles. However, it’s fair to say that because independent contractors (i.e. gig workers) are taxed similarly to businesses, the work involved can be quite complex. In order to save a few bucks – as well as some sanity – newbies to the gig economy may elect Intuit products. Thus, I think it’s a smart idea for institutional growth stock buys.

Per data from HedgeFollow, institutional investors bought a total of $6.98 billion worth of INTU stock since the beginning of the (calendar) third quarter. The top entity so far is Nicholas Hoffman & Company, which forked over $1.26 billion.

Arista Networks (ANET)

An American computer networking company, Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET) designs and sells multilayer network switches to deliver software-defined networking for specific applications. These include large data centers, cloud computing platforms, high-performance computing, and high-frequency trading environments. As a broader narrative, ANET ranks among the big money growth stock picks due to present and burgeoning tech relevancies.

I can bore you with individual financial stats. However, if you’re looking for a big-picture reason why ANET represents one of the stocks the pros are buying, consider the findings of McKinsey & Company. Earlier this year, the research firm noted that U.S. data center demand will grow by approximately 10% a year until 2030. Thus, even with ANET gained nearly 55% since the January opener, it may move even higher.

Per HedgeFollow, institutional investors acquired $7 billion of ANET stock since the beginning of Q3. So far, the biggest buyer is Cresset Asset Management, which picked up $1.84 billion worth of shares.

Palo Alto Networks (PANW)

Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) ranks among the most important big money growth stock picks. The company’s core product is a platform that includes advanced firewalls and cloud-based offerings that extend said firewalls to other avenues of cybersecurity. With nefarious online activity becoming increasingly sophisticated, PANW appears to have only one trajectory: up, up, and away.

Indeed, since the start of this year, PANW has already gained nearly 72% of its equity value. At this point, some folks might question its inclusion among growth stocks with institutional interest. After all, no one wants to end up holding the bag. However, with financial losses growing over 570 times (from $2,000 to nearly $1.2 million worth of losses per hour), institutions must keep their data secure. Cynically, this bolsters PANW.

Turning to HedgeFollow, institutional investors put in $9.84 billion of their funds toward PANW stock. Here, the biggest buyer is Vanguard Group, clocking in at $1.39 billion.

Pfizer (PFE)

As one of the top pharmaceutical companies, Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) played a significant role in addressing the Covid-19 crisis. However, with fears of the SARS-CoV-2 virus crumbling and social behaviors returning (largely) to normal, PFE lost much of its luster. Since the beginning of this year, shares hemorrhaged just under 30% of its equity value. By that token, PFE doesn’t appear like one of the big money growth stock picks.

Nevertheless, Pfizer compels speculators because of its groundbreaking work with messenger-RNA-based vaccines. Through the innovative approach, the company can build off this newly acquired information toward addressing other diseases and conditions. To be fair, Pfizer’s revenue growth has taken a hit recently. Still, for speculators, PFE trades with a forward earnings multiple of 10.9x, below the sector median of 16.38x.

Lastly, PFE ranks among the top growth stocks for big investors, with the entities acquiring $7.2 billion worth of shares. Notably, Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) acquired the most shares at $558.44 million since the start of Q3.

Nike (NKE)

An icon in the athletic apparel market, Nike (NYSE:NKE) blossomed following the spring doldrums of 2020. With people being able to work from home through the COVID-19 crisis, many ditched the business casual attire and just went full casual. However, starting in the tail end of 2021 and throughout most of 2022, NKE tumbled sharply amid rising economic pressures; namely, we’re talking about inflation, a matter that still hasn’t gone away.

On that note, NKE might seem an odd inclusion for big money growth stock picks. Fundamentally, with Americans’ credit card debt hitting over $1 trillion, folks got the message: stop spending on silly stuff and focus on the essentials. Still, Nike is a powerful enough brand that NKE could reasonably make a comeback. Notably, it’s consistently profitable and commands a three-year revenue growth rate of 11.6% on a per-share basis.

Finally, institutional investors acquired $6.73 billion worth of NKE since the start of Q3. The biggest player here is BlackRock (NYSE:BLK), which bought up $741.33 million.

Amazon (AMZN)

An easy idea for big money growth stock picks, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) may be a controversial enterprise. However, no one doubts its street cred. Primarily, the company posted a three-year revenue growth rate of 21.9%, beating out 83.21% of its peers. In addition, its book growth rate during the same period clocks in at 31.8%, outflanking 85.79% of its rivals.

Still, on the other side of the equation, investors must be confident in the continuation of the growth narrative. First, AMZN trades at 2.57x trailing-year sales, which is much hotter than the retail cyclical sector’s median stat of 0.67x. Also, since the beginning of this year, AMZN gained over 57% of its equity value.

Nevertheless, it’s one of the institutional growth stock buys thanks in part to analyst support. Pegged a strong buy, the $175.63 average price target implies about 30% upside. Further, data from HedgeFollow shows that the big traders acquired $40.06 billion worth of AMZN. The top institutional bull is T. Rowe Price (NASDAQ:TROW) at $3.18 billion.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)

Once the calendar turns to the new year, it’s possible that those looking back will call 2023 the year of Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA). Easily a stellar idea for big money growth stock picks, NVDA veritably skyrocketed this year, gaining over 244% since the Jan. opener at last count. However, those concerned about bag-holding may want to consider its competitor Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD).

Though AMD lacks the fanfare of its big-time rival, it’s put on an impressive performance relatively speaking. Since the start of the year, shares gained over 66%. It also delivers the goods financially. Perhaps most notably, AMD prints a three-year revenue growth rate of 35.7%, outboxing 89% of its semiconductor rivals. As well, it prints an impressive 76% EBITDA growth rate during the same period.

Analysts dig it too, pegging it a strong buy. Moreover, their average price target lands at $141.90, implying over 33% upside potential. In closing, institutions bought $10.55 billion worth of shares since the start of Q3. The top player is Jennison Associates at $987.43 million.

On the date of publication, Josh Enomoto did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.