Sometimes, the best stocks to buy are those talked the least about. But if you follow the institutional moves and see which major investment groups are picking up a stock then the clues for a strong rally are present. Moreover, when institutional interest and confidence in a stock grows, it signals a higher level of trust in its long-term prospects and business model.

To see which stocks currently have untapped potential, investors should focus on the intrinsic value of the stock, which can be calculated by looking at the current cash flow and adding the estimated value of its future cash flow. This intrinsic value can then be weighed against its market capitalization, share price and liabilities such as debt and acquisition payments to determine if it’s among the right stocks to buy.

That all said, math can only get you so far as an investor, and risk is ever-present as no one knows every detail about the inner workings of every company.

Crown Castle International (CCI)

Crown Castle International (NYSE:CCI) is a real estate investment trust company, that focuses its investments in wireless infrastructure for long-term contracting use. It has two segments of property which it manages, Tower and Fiber. The Tower segment focuses on allocating radio wave bandwidth to customers on its network through the 4G and 5G towers it operates across the U.S. 

Its Fiber segment operates the same way but for internet and cellular networks based on fiber optic technology instead of radio waves. It owns and operates 40,000 towers and 90,000 miles of fiber across the two segments, which means it stands exceptionally well-positioned to take advantage of the bandwidth demand as a result of the AI industry’s growth.

As a result, the company’s annual revenue for 2023 came in at just under $3.3 billion with a slight decrease forecasted for 2024 at $3 billion flat. This guidance has left the stock undervalued at around $96 compared to its intrinsic value of around $102.

Dutch Bros (BROS)

Though consumer trends have shown a decrease in individual spending on coffee, Dutch Bros (NYSE:BROS) aims to recapture the average coffee lover with a different approach. Fast, friendly and convenient service has made Dutch Bros exceptionally successful across the Western United States where most of its locations operate.

The reason it excels in this part of the country is its high-throughput drive-through business model which integrates perfectly into the car-dominated infrastructure of large western states. BROS has been able to highlight this efficiency with its financial results for the most recent quarter.

It increased its number of shops from 716 to 876 for Q1 2024, marking a 22% increase in operations year-over-year. This growth came alongside a stunning 39% increase year-over-year for its quarterly revenue, bringing it from $197 million to $275 million. This growth alone has bumped the stock up 26% year-to-date, marking one of the best stocks to buy this year.

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS)

Currently holding the title of the only company developing space broadband infrastructure for commercial cellular use, AST SpaceMobile (NYSE:ASTS) has a bright future ahead of it as demand for cell service across the United States increases. Though the trend of urbanization has more and more young people flocking to urban centers in the U.S. where cellular networks are robust, the accessibility of cellular networks from the more rural parts of the U.S. is still an exceptionally lucrative area of development.

The company is now on track to deliver five Block 1 satellites to Cape Canaveral Space Center and has successfully locked in a 6-year commercial agreement with AT&T (NYSE:T) to introduce the SpaceMobile cell service program. These first five satellites will enable U.S. nationwide non-continuous service with 5,600+ cells in the premium low-band spectrum.

Because the company is still relatively nascent and its programs require extensive upfront investment, ASTS is still in the red for income, but this could change in the coming years should its partnership with AT&T prove successful.

On the date of publication, Viktor Zarev 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.