So, 2025 just wrapped up with the S&P 500 delivering a solid 16% return—not too shabby for a year that had everyone wondering if the party would keep going. Spoiler alert: Wall Street analysts think it will, and they’re putting their money where their mouths are.
Here’s the thing about analysts—they’re basically the fortune tellers of finance, except instead of crystal balls, they use spreadsheets and way too much coffee. And right now, they’re feeling pretty optimistic. According to FactSet’s latest deep dive into nearly 13,000 U.S. stocks, a whopping 57.5% have “Buy” ratings. That’s the highest we’ve seen since early 2022, back when everyone thought the metaverse was going to be a thing.
The Usual Suspects Are Still Winning
Surprise, surprise—tech stocks are still the darlings of Wall Street. Information Technology leads the pack with 67% of stocks getting Buy ratings, followed by Energy at 65%, and Communication Services at 64%. It’s like the popular kids’ table in high school, except with more algorithms and fewer lunch trays.
Meanwhile, Consumer Staples and Utilities are sitting in the corner with their 44% and 48% Buy ratings respectively. Sure, everyone needs toilet paper and electricity, but apparently that’s not exciting enough for analysts who’ve been mainlining AI hype for the past two years.
The Golden Children
Want to know which stock has achieved the impossible? Qnity Electronics (NYSE:Q) has a perfect 100% Buy rating from analysts. They make the tiny components that go into semiconductor chips—basically the LEGO blocks of the digital world. With a median price target suggesting 23% upside, analysts are betting this company will keep riding the chip wave.
The rest of the top 10 reads like a who’s who of tech royalty: Microsoft (98% Buy), Amazon (96% Buy), and Meta (92% Buy). These companies have been printing money faster than the Federal Reserve, so it’s not exactly shocking that analysts are still believers.
The Wall Street Outcasts
On the flip side, some companies are getting the cold shoulder. Expeditors International leads the “most likely to be avoided” list with 44% Sell ratings. They handle logistics and shipping—apparently not the sexiest business when everyone’s obsessing over AI chatbots.
Other companies in the penalty box include Garmin (36% Sell) and Franklin Resources (36% Sell). It’s like being the last kid picked for dodgeball, except with billions of dollars at stake.
The Reality Check
Here’s the thing about analyst ratings—they’re educated guesses, not gospel. Remember when everyone was bullish on crypto exchanges at $60,000 Bitcoin? Yeah, that worked out great.
The smart play? Use these ratings as one piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture. Do your own homework, diversify your bets, and maybe don’t put your kid’s college fund on whatever stock has the most Buy ratings this week.
After all, if predicting the market was easy, we’d all be sipping margaritas on our private islands instead of reading articles about stock picks.