Analysts on Wall Street are especially optimistic on a handful of stocks heading into the second half of the year. Equities have been volatile for much of the first half of 2025, as President Donald Trump’s tariffs simultaneously sparked investor concern over a potential U.S. recession and higher inflation. Worries over the size of the federal deficit and increasing debt arose from the president’s tax bill working its way through Congress. So far in June, the S & P 500 is higher by about 1% after climbing more than 6% in May. There could be more volatility ahead the rest of the month after the U.S. bombed three nuclear sites in Iran over the weekend. For the year, the S & P 500 is up less than 2% as of Friday’s close, while the Nasdaq Composite has gained less than 1% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average is showing a 0.8% loss. Looking for potential winning stocks in the second half, CNBC Pro screened for companies where analysts are growing more bullish, using the following criteria: Each stock is part of the S & P 1500 (large cap, mid cap, and small cap) A market cap of at least $1 billion Rated buy by at least 65% of analysts Consensus price target calls for upside of 30% or more Coverage by at least 15 analysts First Solar made the list. Shares have pulled back 18% in 2025. TD Cowen analyst Jeff Osborne called First Solar a “technology leader in solar panel production,” pointing to what he said are the company’s “advantages of the excess output relative to silicon panels in high temperature/high humidity environments” in a June 12 note. FSLR YTD mountain First Solar stock in 2025. “First Solar continues to lead the pack in thin film efficiencies and in recent years the company has increased its efficiency at a rate 4x faster than multi-crystalline solar panels out of China,” Osborne added. TD Cowen rates First Solar a buy and Osborne’s $200 per share price target implies 38% upside from Friday’s $145.00 close. About 80% of analysts polled by FactSet rate First Solar a buy, with their consensus price target implying roughly the same upside as Osborne. Customer relations management software maker Salesforce stock also appeared on the screen. CEO Marc Benioff’s company has slumped 22% so far this year. Cantor analyst Matthew VanVliet named Salesforce one of the biggest near-term beneficiaries in application software, thanks to “further unlocking AI utilization and monetization.” VanVliet’s $325 per share price target would see the stock rallying 25% from Friday’s $260.63 close. CRM YTD mountain Salesforce stock in 2025. Roughly 81% of analysts surveyed by FactSet have a buy rating on Salesforce, but their consensus 12-month price target would amount to even more upside — 35% over the next year. Other companies that Wall Street likes in the second half are BioMarin Pharmaceutical , Light & Wonder , Fiserv and Burlington Stores .
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