MarketBeat Week in Review – 12/2 - 12/6

December 07, 2024 at 07:00 AM EST

Equities continued their post-election rally after getting a lift from Friday’s solid November jobs report. The slightly hotter-than-expected report belies any recession risk, but investors continue to factor in an interest rate cut later this month. The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ both hit new all-time highs, and all signs point to the rally in stocks extending into 2025.

Next week, investors will get the latest read on inflation when the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) data is released. However, unless the numbers come in much hotter than expected, the data will be unlikely to dampen hopes for a rate cut.

The market is frothy, but as we charge towards a highly likely Santa Claus rally to end the year, it’s best to trade the trend which is for higher stock prices. However, that doesn’t have to mean putting your money into risky stocks. There’s plenty of quality out there and the MarketBeat team is here to help you find it. Here are some of our most popular articles from this week.

Articles by Jea Yu

As the Trump administration prepares to take office, analysts are focusing on immigration and tariffs. But Jea Yu reminds investors that Trump’s tax policies are low-hanging fruit that will likely offer significant benefits for many companies. Yu analyzes how seven stocks will benefit from the Trump tax cuts.

2025 may be a strong year for the ridesharing industry. Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE: UBER) is the king of the hill in terms of market share. However, Yu explains why investors who appreciate a solid underdog story may want to pay attention to the emerging opportunity with Lyft Inc. (NASDAQ: LYFT), which may offer more upside in the new year.

The latest quarterly earnings showed that consumers are voting with their wallets in terms of the winners and losers among retail stocks. This week, Yu highlighted two off-price retailers that are taking market share from the big box retailers and helps you understand which may be the better stock to own in 2025.

Articles by Thomas Hughes

This week, NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) gave investors another reason to consider buying the stock. The company may start having Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE: TSM) manufacture its Blackwell chips in the United States. As Thomas Hughes explains, the bullish tailwinds for this story may play out over several years. In the meantime, Hughes gave investors five chip stocks that may lead the sector higher in 2025.

Salesforce Inc. (NYSE: CRM) was another stock moving markets higher this week. Hughes explains why long-term investors are likely to look past the tepid earnings numbers and invest in the long-term growth outlook based on its leadership position in the CRM sector.

The end of the year is a time when many investors decide which stocks to add or keep and which to sell or avoid. This week, Hughes gave investors one stock to buy in 2025 and a reason why another stock should go on your naughty list.

Articles by Sam Quirke

It’s been a tough year to invest in electric vehicle (EV) stocks. However, Sam Quirke explains why investors may want to take a second look at Rivian Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ: RIVN). The stock has moved about 30% higher from its April low and may be just starting to get revved up.

And although many investors view Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) as more than a car company, there’s no denying that the EV maker’s stock is having a significant rally in the back half of the year. Quirke outlines the reasons why the stock could hit a record high by the end of the year, and what investors may expect in 2025.

It’s been a tough year for many consumer discretionary stocks, but that hasn’t been the case for Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX). The streaming giant’s stock is up nearly 100% in the last 12 months, and Quirke explains why momentum is likely to push NFLX stock past $1,000 per share by the end of the year.

Articles by Chris Markoch

Do renewable energy stocks have a future in the incoming Trump administration? The answer may be complicated, but Chris Markoch explains why made in America may be a selling point for these three green hydrogen stocks.

The Trump administration is pledging to loosen regulations. As Markoch points out that’s likely to be bullish for utility companies which need regulatory certainty to promote revenue and earnings growth. Markoch highlights three utility stocks that are good investment in 2025.

Lower regulation, more drilling, and the monetization of AI are three themes that will drive growth stocks in 2025. That’s why Markoch writes about three growth stocks that are poised for a strong year.

Articles by Ryan Hasson

The rally in equities may have some investors looking to play some defense. Ryan Hasson suggests looking at consumer staples stocks which tend to be defensive in nature and offer stable growth with lower volatility. And Hasson gives you three consumer staples stocks that look to be top picks for 2025.

On the other end of the investing spectrum, growth-hungry investors looking for disruptive innovation may want to look at a sector like quantum computing. As Hasson explains, some stocks in this sector are up approximately 200% in 2025, but for three quantum computing stocks, there may be more upside ahead in 2025.

The space sector is another area for growth investors to watch in 2025. If so, it may be time to buy Rocket Lab USA Inc. (NASDAQ: RKLB). The stock is up more than 280% in the last quarter, but Hasson explains why a backlog of business means this stock has room to rocket even higher.

Articles by Gabriel Osorio-Mazilli

Conventional wisdom dictates that higher tariffs will reignite inflation. However, Gabriel Osorio-Mazilli reminds investors that markets don’t always track with conventional wisdom. This week, Osorio-Mazilli explains why the actual impact on prices will be a complex intersection of price action in commodities, bonds, and the dollar.

With stock prices overvalued by many measures, investors are hunting for value. One place to look is stocks that are trading near their 52-week lows. While these stocks can be dropping for good reasons, Osorio-Mazilli gives investors three stocks that analysts and institutions are buying into.

ULTA Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) is one of the biggest post-election winners, soaring 11.6% in the last month. Investors may be scared to chase the stock higher, but Osorio-Mazilli analyzes the technical triggers that suggest ULTA stock may have more room to move higher.

Articles by Leo Miller

If you’re looking to chase some of the year’s hottest stocks higher, Leo Miller reminds you to understand a stock’s risk-adjusted return. This week, Miller analyzed three stocks that have among the highest risk-adjusted return based on the Sharpe index.

Miller also notes that it hasn’t been a great year for many semiconductor stocks not named NVIDIA. However, the insatiable demand brought on by artificial intelligence is likely to make 2025 a much better year. Miller gives you three chip and data sector stocks that look poised for growth in 2025.

Weight loss stocks will continue to dominate the headlines in 2025. This week, it was Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) that was in the headlines. The stock dropped after the results of its Phase 2 trials for MariTide failed to beat Zepbound, the current offering from Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY), in weight loss efficacy. But Miller looks deeper at the report and explains why the sell-off in AMGN stock may be an overreaction.

Articles by Nathan Reiff

When investors think of picks and shovel stocks for AI, they turn to chip stocks. But Nathan Reiff looked at electronic component manufacturers and explains why three electronic manufacturer stocks are flying under the radar, by maybe not for long.

If you’re an investor looking to chase high-flying stocks even higher, Reiff offers up three momentum stocks that offer solid fundamentals to back up their price movement.

And closing out the week, one sign of a frothy market is increased interest in penny stocks. These stocks have an elevated risk-reward profile, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be part of your portfolio. This week, Reiff analyzes three penny stocks that look like promising investments in the new year.

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MarketBeat Week in Review – 12/2 - 12/6

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