In 2023 and 2024, the stock market defied the sentiment of many analysts, with the S&P 500 index posting gains of over 20% in both years. However, the gains were almost exclusively found in a narrow group of stocks, mostly in the technology sector.
Probability models suggest those gains could continue in 2025. The S&P 500 has delivered a positive return 73% of the time since 1926. And in 60% of those years, the index produced a double-digit return.
And the real exciting news for investors is the gains are likely to be found on a broader group of stocks. That will be the signal that growth is back.
In this special presentation we focused on stocks that have the potential for 10% earnings growth in the next 12 months and are forecasted for at least 20% share price growth. And we widened our view to show you that opportunities exist across many sectors.
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- AbbVie
- Uber Technologies
- MercadoLibre
- Barrick Gold
- Cameco Corp.
- CAVA Group
- e.l.f. Beauty
#1 - AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV)
AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) is frequently talked about as one of the best income stocks. That’s backed up by the company’s status as a dividend king. But there are several reasons to believe that growth-oriented investors will want to take a closer look at this biopharmaceutical sector leader.
The company’s revenue and earnings were expected to take a hit after it lost patent expiration on its blockbuster drug, Humira, in 2023. However, AbbVie has launched drugs like Skyrizi and Rinvoq, which have helped mitigate the impact of lower Humira sales.
And although AbbVie already has a deep pipeline of drug candidates, that didn’t stop it from acquiring Nimble Therapeutics in December 2024 to add even more potential autoimmune drugs that it can bring to market.
Analysts project AbbVie to grow earnings at around 20%. If that’s accurate, ABBV stock is more likely to deliver a total return closer to its five-year average of around 28%.
About AbbVie
AbbVie Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Humira, an injection for autoimmune and intestinal Behçet's diseases, and pyoderma gangrenosum; Skyrizi to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic disease, and Crohn's disease; Rinvoq to treat rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, atopic dermatitis, axial spondyloarthropathy, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease; Imbruvica for the treatment of adult patients with blood cancers; Epkinly to treat lymphoma; Elahere to treat cancer; and Venclexta/Venclyxto to treat blood cancers.
Read More - Current Price
- $169.19
- Consensus Rating
- Moderate Buy
- Ratings Breakdown
- 19 Buy Ratings, 5 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $205.50 (21.5% Upside)
#2 - Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER)
You shouldn't think of Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE: UBER) as a forever stock. But if you’re looking for growth stocks that should outperform the market in the short term, the ridesharing leader is one to consider.
The bullish case for Uber has to do with the emerging network effect. Simply put, the company reports an increase in individuals using the platform. And once, they do, the frequency with which they use it increases.
In 2024, UBER stock was more of a trade than an investment, with a 58% swing between its 52-week high and low. Much of that uncertainty comes from the emergence of autonomous vehicle technology, which, if successful, represents an existential risk to the company.
However, while analysts remain bullish on the future of autonomous driving, they agree it’s still years away. That means if you’re looking for growth in the next few years, UBER stock is a good choice. Analysts project 33% earnings growth in 2025 to support a consensus price target of $91.53, a gain of over 34%.
About Uber Technologies
Uber Technologies, Inc develops and operates proprietary technology applications in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia excluding China and Southeast Asia. It operates through three segments: Mobility, Delivery, and Freight. The Mobility segment connects consumers with a range of transportation modalities, such as ridesharing, carsharing, micromobility, rentals, public transit, taxis, and other modalities; and offers riders in a variety of vehicle types, as well as financial partnerships products and advertising services.
Read More - Current Price
- $67.79
- Consensus Rating
- Moderate Buy
- Ratings Breakdown
- 32 Buy Ratings, 7 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $91.53 (35.0% Upside)
#3 - MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI)
If you’re willing to look outside the United States and a high price per share doesn’t bother you, MercadoLibre Inc. (NASDAQ: MELI) is a solid choice. The company is known as “the Amazon of Latin America.” The company operates the largest e-commerce platform in Latin America. It also has a fintech platform that includes a credit card business.
In 2024, MELI stock cracked the psychologically significant $2,000 per share mark before pulling back to end the year. This has kept analysts suggesting that the company may conduct a stock split. MercadoLibre has never split its stock, but it may do so if it feels it needs to make its share price more accessible.
However, MELI stock has delivered a total return of over 74% in the last three years. And analysts are forecasting 32% earnings growth, which should provide plenty of fuel for the stock to move higher.
About MercadoLibre
MercadoLibre, Inc operates online commerce platforms in the United States. It operates Mercado Libre Marketplace, an automated online commerce platform that enables businesses, merchants, and individuals to list merchandise and conduct sales and purchases digitally; and Mercado Pago FinTech platform, a financial technology solution platform, which facilitates transactions on and off its marketplaces by providing a mechanism that allows its users to send and receive payments online, as well as allows users to transfer money through their websites or on the apps.
Read More - Current Price
- $1,818.49
- Consensus Rating
- Buy
- Ratings Breakdown
- 15 Buy Ratings, 2 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $2,241.00 (23.2% Upside)
#4 - Barrick Gold (NYSE:GOLD)
Gold was one of the best-performing asset classes of 2024, and many analysts believe this is just the beginning of a multi-year run for the yellow metal. However, gold isn’t going to be the only metal that’s expected to shine in the coming years. One of those is copper.
That makes Barrick Gold (NYSE: GOLD) one of the growth stocks to watch closely. The Canadian company is one of the largest global miners of gold and copper.
Large miners like Barrick have the resources to explore and develop larger, more profitable projects. One of the company’s current projects, the Reko Dig copper and gold project in Pakistan will be a 50/50 joint venture with 50% of the project being owned by the governments of Pakistan and the province of Balochistan. When the project becomes operational in 2028, Barrick believes it can generate $74 billion in free cash flow (FCF) over the following 37 years.
Mining stocks are notoriously cyclical, which you can see in Barrick’s historical stock price. However, analysts are forecasting earnings growth of over 30% in 2025, which is a bullish reason to own GOLD stock.
About Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold Corporation is a sector-leading gold and copper producer. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GOLD and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ABX.
In January 2019 Barrick merged with Randgold Resources and in July that year it combined its gold mines in Nevada, USA, with those of Newmont Corporation in a joint venture, Nevada Gold Mines, which is majority-owned and operated by Barrick.
Read More - Current Price
- $15.76
- Consensus Rating
- Moderate Buy
- Ratings Breakdown
- 6 Buy Ratings, 5 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $24.45 (55.2% Upside)
#5 - Cameco Corp. (NYSE:CCJ)
Cameco Corp. (NYSE: CCJ) gives investors an opportunity to profit from one of the emerging trends for the next decade. Cameco is the world’s leading provider of uranium which will be essential as the world is warming up to the clean energy benefits of nuclear power. Simply put, for the world to meet the power demands of our existing electric grid combined with the insatiable power demand from AI, there are reasons to like the stability of nuclear energy.
In addition to its current reserves, the company is well-positioned with exploration projects that will contribute to future growth. Among those strategic investments is a 49% stake in Westinghouse, a nuclear plant technology company.
That leads to positive cash flow which keeps its balance sheet healthy and provides returns to shareholders. Analysts forecast earnings growth of over 174% in 2025 and the consensus stock price of $66.56 is providing 18% upside for the stock.
About Cameco
Cameco Corporation provides uranium for the generation of electricity. It operates through Uranium, Fuel Services, Westinghouse segments. The Uranium segment is involved in the exploration for, mining, and milling, purchase, and sale of uranium concentrate. The Fuel Services segment engages in the refining, conversion, and fabrication of uranium concentrate, as well as the purchase and sale of conversion services.
Read More - Current Price
- $56.38
- Consensus Rating
- Buy
- Ratings Breakdown
- 7 Buy Ratings, 0 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $66.56 (18.1% Upside)
#6 - CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA)
You can see this in both the company’s same-store sales and its average unit volumes. The company is also being very intentional in its growth plans. At the end of 2024, the restaurant chain had about 350 locations, but it’s expecting that number to grow to approximately 1,000 – and it could go higher.
Since going public in 2023, CAVA has delivered a total return of 215%. Analysts are forecasting 22% earnings growth for CAVA in the next 12 months. They also give the stock a price target of $142.12, which offers investors a solid 15% growth.
About CAVA Group
CAVA Group, Inc owns and operates a chain of restaurants under the CAVA brand in the United States. The company also offers dips, spreads, and dressings through grocery stores. In addition, the company provides online and mobile ordering platforms. Cava Group, Inc was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Washington, the District of Columbia.
- Current Price
- $123.51
- Consensus Rating
- Moderate Buy
- Ratings Breakdown
- 8 Buy Ratings, 8 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $142.13 (15.1% Upside)
#7 - e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF)
e.l.f. Beauty Inc. (NYSE: ELF) is a global cosmetics and skincare company that provides authentic and affordable products with low manufacturing costs, innovative marketing, and strong product innovation. The company's commitment to affordability and ethical business practices is a key reason why it’s attractive to the coveted Gen-Z demographic.
The company may focus on beauty, but it had an ugly stock chart in 2024. The stock had a 125% swing between its 52-week and low. That’s reflected in the company’s short interest. It’s only about 10%, but the number of shares shorted has grown about three times in the last year.
This price performance may be an example of the company’s stock getting ahead of its fundamentals. But that’s something that the company can grow into. That’s supported by analysts who believe that the company’s earnings will grow by 25%, and the consensus price target for ELF stock is $169.06, which is a 47% increase from the price on January 22, 2025.
About e.l.f. Beauty
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of inclusive, accessible, clean, vegan and cruelty free cosmetics and skin care products. The company focuses on the e-commerce, national retailers and international business channels. Its brands include elf, elf skin, WELL People and KEYS soulcare.
Read More - Current Price
- $116.79
- Consensus Rating
- Buy
- Ratings Breakdown
- 16 Buy Ratings, 2 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $169.06 (44.8% Upside)
Investors hear many time-honored maxims like "time in the market beats timing the market." One that I like to keep in mind is to "skate where the puck is moving."
There are two reasons for that. First, it's a good reminder that the growth stocks of five years ago may not be the same ones moving the market today.
And second, investors frequently believe they need special knowledge to be successful at investing. Let's be clear: you do have to put in the work. But the information you need to be a successful investor is not unknowable, even without a background in finance or accounting.
However, sometimes it helps to get a nudge in a particular direction. At MarketBeat, we love pointing out opportunities that can help grow your portfolio. For this presentation, we used the MarketBeat Stock Screener which is a free tool on MarketBeat.com. And that's just one of the many research tools that are available to keep you on top of the stocks you own, or the ones on your watchlist(s).
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