These 10 Stocks Crushed It in 2025 | Still Worth Buying?

Top 10 Stock Picks of 2025: A Year-End Review & 2026 Outlook

Key Concepts:

• Growth Stocks: Companies expected to grow at a significantly faster rate than the overall market.
• SMR (Small Modular Reactor): Nuclear reactors smaller than traditional reactors, offering scalability and flexibility.
• AI Trade: Investment opportunities driven by the growth and development of Artificial Intelligence.
• OTC Market: Over-the-Counter market – securities traded directly between parties without a central exchange, potentially limiting investor access.
• Rack Scale Capability: Refers to the ability to efficiently deploy and manage computing infrastructure at a large scale, particularly relevant for AI and data centers.
• Foundry Business: Manufacturing semiconductors for other companies, like TSMC.
• Analyst Revisions: Changes made by financial analysts to their earnings estimates or stock ratings.
• Dividend Aristocrat/King: Companies with a long history of consistently increasing dividend payouts.

I. Stocks Caught Early & Performing Well in 2025

The discussion began by reviewing stocks identified early in 2025 that demonstrated strong performance.

• Nintendo (NTD): Chris Marotch highlighted Nintendo, noting its undervaluation prior to the Switch 2 release, which triggered a 20% price increase. Despite a recent pullback, revenue and earnings growth remain positive. A caution was raised regarding its OTC market status, potentially limiting accessibility for some investors. Analyst projections remain favorable.
• Advanced Micro Devices (AMD): Thomas Hughes identified AMD as a key pick, recognizing the delayed reflection of the AI trade in its results. The stock experienced a significant rebound after hitting a low point, with analysts projecting 50-100% upside in the next year, driven by the launch of MI450 products, positioning AMD as a competitor to Nvidia in the hyperscaler GPU market. Data center business growth is expected to be triple-digit.
• Intel: Jeffrey Neil Johnson pointed to Intel, benefiting from a new CEO and restructuring. Despite initial market punishment, he emphasized the company’s substantial cash reserves and strategic shift towards a foundry business, aiming to become “America’s TSMC.” Recent acquisitions, like Sonova, and the Gaudy 3 processor release support this vision. The stock has transitioned from defensive to offensive positioning.
• Applied Digital: As a bonus pick, the host mentioned Applied Digital, experiencing substantial growth from around $5 to over $36 during the year. The company’s “GPU as a service” model benefits from the current GPU shortage, with expansion of data center footprint and long-term contracts supporting growth.

II. Favorite Growth Stocks of 2025

This section focused on stocks identified as having significant growth potential throughout the year.

• Amprius Technologies (AMPX): Thomas Hughes favored Amprius, citing its disruptive battery technology with higher energy density, faster charging, and lower weight. Initial applications are in the defense sector (drones), with plans for broader expansion. Revenue is accelerating, and analyst coverage is increasing. The stock price saw a significant rise, with support holding at critical levels.
• Vertical Aerospace: Jeffrey Neil Johnson highlighted Vertical Aerospace in the EVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) sector. He believes Vertical has the strongest strategy, focusing on producing and commercializing a vertical takeoff and landing craft, unlike competitors with broader, more complex ecosystem plans. Commercialization is expected in 2026.
• Palantir: Chris Marotch selected Palantir, noting its impressive performance despite a challenging pharmaceutical industry environment. Key factors include proven scalability of profitability, growth of the commercial business (approaching 50% of revenue), continued strong government contracts, and its essential role in AI infrastructure. He emphasized the company’s ability to deliver cost savings to clients.

III. Bullish Picks for 2026

This segment discussed stocks that analysts remained optimistic about heading into the new year.

• NewScale: Jeffrey Neil Johnson advocated for NewScale, a small modular reactor (SMR) company, driven by the increasing demand for power, particularly from AI and a failing power grid.
• Oaklo: Thomas Hughes also favored the SMR space, but preferred Oaklo due to its more visible pipeline of business and faster progress towards reactor deployment at the Idaho National Laboratory. He believes there is room for both NewScale and Oaklo to succeed, given the large-scale need for SMRs.
• Abby (AbbVie): Chris Marotch chose AbbVie, a pharmaceutical company, as a “buy and hold” stock. He highlighted its resilience following the Humira patent cliff, strong pipeline, and status as a dividend aristocrat/king, offering both growth and income.

IV. Market Trends & Observations

• AI Impact: The AI trade was a recurring theme, driving growth in companies like AMD, NewScale, and influencing market sentiment.
• Power Grid Concerns: The failing US power grid was identified as a key driver for investment in SMRs.
• Analyst Behavior: The importance of monitoring analyst actions (price target revisions) rather than solely relying on their commentary was emphasized.
• Market Volatility: Pullbacks in the market, particularly in the AI sector, were noted, but analysts saw these as opportunities to enter positions at support levels.

V. Notable Quotes

• Jeffrey Neil Johnson on Intel: “They’re going to eventually end up being America’s TSMC.”
• Chris Marotch on Palantir: “Palantir doesn’t come to them with a message of we’re going to charge you this and we’re going to do this. They say we’re going to come in and we’re going to save your company money and if we don’t do that don’t hire us.”

Conclusion:

The discussion provided a comprehensive review of the analysts’ top stock picks of 2025, highlighting both successes and future potential. The emphasis shifted from initial growth stories to identifying companies poised for continued success in 2026, with a strong focus on AI, energy solutions (SMRs), and established, dividend-paying companies. The analysts underscored the importance of thorough research, monitoring market trends, and understanding the underlying fundamentals of each investment.