The Best Stocks to Invest $1,000 in Right Now

U.S. stocks have started 2025 on a soft note with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq negative as of March 10, and The Motley Fool highlights two tech plays for a $1,000 split: AT&T and Amazon. AT&T is presented as a turnaround dividend play—up ~18% year-to-date and ~56% over 12 months after adding 1.7 million postpaid phone and 1 million fiber customers in 2024, with fiber revenue up 18% YoY and management guiding mid‑teens fiber growth in 2025 (versus 2–3% mobility growth) and a ~4.1% yield. Amazon is down over 12% YTD but is pitched as a long-term growth buy given AWS drives roughly 58% of operating income and the company posted $638 billion in revenue in 2024 (+11% YoY); the piece recommends dollar-cost averaging into the position.

Analysis

U.S. equities started 2025 on a soft note with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both negative as of March 10, and the article frames current weakness as a source of buying opportunities for selective names. The piece highlights two tech-related ideas within a $1,000 split: a dividend-oriented telecom and a growth-oriented e-commerce/cloud leader.

AT&T (T) is presented as a turnaround/income trade, trading up over 18% year-to-date and roughly 56% over the past 12 months after adding 1.7 million postpaid phone customers and 1 million fiber customers in 2024. Fiber revenue increased 18% year-over-year in Q4 and management guides mid‑teens fiber revenue growth for 2025 versus expected mobility growth of 2%–3%; the article cites a roughly 4.1% dividend yield and argues dividend security is supported by mobility cash flow and fiber reinvestment.

Amazon (AMZN) is characterized as a pullback to buy: shares are down over 12% year-to-date while company revenue reached $638 billion in 2024 (+11% YoY) and AWS accounted for about 58% of operating income. The article notes Amazon’s advertising and ecosystem expansion as future upside and recommends dollar-cost averaging to mitigate risk given near-term volatility.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Consider a modest income-oriented allocation to AT&T given its recent customer adds, 18% YoY fiber revenue growth and ~4.1% yield, but limit sizing after a ~56% 12‑month run and monitor fiber growth vs mobility guidance
• Initiate or add to an Amazon position using dollar-cost averaging to smooth entry risk, citing AWS’s ~58% share of operating income and $638bn revenue in 2024 as structural support for long‑term upside
• Treat current market weakness as selective buying opportunity while maintaining discipline on position sizing and diversification because broad indices remain negative as of March 10
• Track near-term catalysts and risks closely: AT&T fiber net adds and 2025 fiber revenue execution, and Amazon’s AWS operating income trajectory and advertising monetization progress as decision triggers for rebalancing