5 stocks to buy for the second half from investors

Entering the second half of 2025, despite earlier volatility due to trade tensions, Wall Street is cautiously optimistic, with several firms raising S&P 500 forecasts. CNBC Pro's survey of five investors reveals Nvidia, Amazon, and Newmont as top picks; Nvidia is favored for its chip advancements, Amazon for its cloud services and cost-cutting potential, and Newmont for its gold exposure amid geopolitical risks. Other highlighted stocks include Meta, Broadcom, Cheniere Energy, Generac, Coinbase, TransDigm Group, ServiceNow, Danaher, Goldman Sachs, KKR, Uber, Raymond James, LPL Financial, RTX, Baker Hughes, Chipotle and Netflix, reflecting diverse opportunities across technology, energy, financials, and consumer sectors.

Analysis

Despite a volatile first half of 2025 marked by trade tensions that left the Dow Jones Industrial Average underwater year-to-date, Wall Street is entering the second half with cautious optimism, evidenced by several major banks raising their S&P 500 forecasts. A survey of investment professionals reveals a strong consensus on key technology leaders, with Nvidia (NVDA) and Amazon (AMZN) emerging as top picks. Nvidia's appeal is driven by its strong technical setup, with a potential 25-30% run anticipated upon breaking the $150 level, and the expected high demand for its upcoming Blackwell Ultra chip. Amazon is favored for the fundamental strength of Amazon Web Services (AWS), its potential for AI integration, and underappreciated cost-cutting opportunities. Beyond these mega-caps, the artificial intelligence theme extends to Meta (META), noted for its early AI monetization; Broadcom (AVGO), seen as a reasonably priced AI play; and ServiceNow (NOW), which is actively acquiring AI capabilities. Other distinct themes include a potential recovery in capital markets, positioning Goldman Sachs (GS) and KKR (KKR) for a rebound in M&A activity, and a defensive stance against geopolitical risk through gold miner Newmont (NEM) and defense contractor RTX. Specific opportunities are also identified in energy, with Cheniere Energy (LNG) poised to benefit from new trade deals, and in special situations like Generac (GNRC) ahead of hurricane season and Danaher (DHR) amid a recovery in the bioprocessing market.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Given the strong consensus, investors should evaluate their exposure to core AI beneficiaries like Nvidia, which has specific catalysts including the Blackwell Ultra chip launch, and Amazon, noted for its durable AWS growth and operational leverage.
• Consider diversifying AI exposure beyond the primary leaders with names like Meta, which is already monetizing the technology, or Broadcom, which is viewed as a more reasonably priced entry point into the semiconductor AI theme.
• Explore cyclical opportunities tied to a potential second-half economic strengthening, such as financials like Goldman Sachs and KKR, which are levered to an M&A market recovery, or energy stocks like Cheniere Energy, which could benefit from resolving trade disputes.
• To hedge against persistent geopolitical risks and market volatility, it may be prudent to allocate a portion of a portfolio to defensive assets, such as gold miner Newmont, or to sectors like defense with stocks such as RTX.