Top 5 Best Stocks to Buy Now: Jan 2025

By Jessie Moore

Jessie Moore

Editor

Jessie Moore has been writing professionally for nearly two decades; for the past seven years, she's focused on writing, ghostwriting, and editing in the finance space. She is a Today Show and Publisher's Weekly-featured author who has written or ghostwritten 10+ books on a wide variety of topics, ranging from day trading to unicorns to plant care.

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Reviewed by Lincoln Olson

Lincoln Olson

Head of Content

Lincoln is an investor and content marketer. He has worked for financial advisors, institutional investors, and a publicly-traded fintech company. Lincoln holds degrees in Finance, Economics, and Accounting.

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Everyone wants a hack to find the best stocks to buy right now.

Hate to burst your bubble, but there isn’t one. At the end of the day, you’re the one who has to live with your investment decisions — so it’s in your best interest to do your own due diligence.

That said, plenty of trusted pros do have opinions on the top stocks to buy now — and you can use that information to make more informed choices.

Here are some of the best stocks to buy now…

At-a-Glance: The Best Stocks to Buy Now *

1. Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC)
2. OneSpaWorld Holdings (NASDAQ: OSW)
3. Reddit Inc (NYSE: RDDT) 
4. MKS Instruments (NASDAQ: MKSI)
5. Gambling.com Group LTD (NASDAQ: GAMB)

* Your investments are solely your responsibility. Your capital is at risk.

Top Stocks to Buy Now: Before You Trade

As I said earlier, there’s no shortcut to stock market success. You’re responsible for your own trades, so it’s worth taking the time to “build a case” for every trade.

As such, here are a few best practices that every investor should keep in mind before trading:

Consider the Market

When it comes to investing, market conditions matter. A lot. For instance, is the market in a sharp downtrend? It might not be the time to enter a new position. In general, the best time to invest is when the market is in a definite and confirmed uptrend.

Have a Plan in Place

Before you take a position in a stock, take a little pause and consider your objectives. First, why do you think it’s a good idea to take a position? Second, do you want to put a cap on potential losses — and if so, what’s your “sell” price?

Research the Stock

Never trade without doing a little research first. We’re talking a deep dive into the company’s fundamentals, a hard look at the stock chart, and more. Here are some of our favorite resources (which just so happen to be the same ones used to research this post):

WallStreetZen: I curated this list using two WallStreetZen tools:

Zen Ratings: This is our proprietary system of identifying potentially market-beating stocks, and it’s available on the page of each ticker on WallStreetZen. Zen Ratings is a little different from other metrics. It evaluates 115 factors that drive stock growth, and distills them into an easily digestible letter grade for each stock. Not only can you see a stock’s overall grade, but you can see how it scores in a variety of different areas, such as value, financials, safety, and so on. Stocks with an A rating (Strong Buy) have produced an average annual return of +32.52% since 2003 — so it’s definitely something to check out before you buy a stock. Currently, all of the stocks on this list have an A or B rating.

With WallStreetZen Premium, you gain access to top-rated analyst ratings. With WSZ’s Strong Buys from Top Analysts feature, you can zero in on ratings from ONLY top-rated analysts, and you have easy access to their track record and average win rate.

For instance, below you’ll see the Top Analyst entry for one of today’s picks: NVDA. You can easily see the analyst’s track record, plus the “why” behind their rating.

TradingView: This is our go-to program for charts (and the charts in this post are sourced from TradingView). Why? Its comprehensive feature set, speed, ease-of-use, coverage, reliability, and extreme affordability. As a result of these things, we firmly believe it’s the best solution for new and veteran traders alike.

January 2025: Top Stocks to Buy Now (and Why)

There are too many stocks to keep track of on your own. You need a system, and you need recommendations. For the system, WallStreetZen has you covered. For the recommendations, why not start with these five?

They’re all recommended by top analysts and have compelling reasons to add them to your portfolio, as we’ll soon explore.

5 Stocks to Watch: Week of 1/27/2025

1. Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC)

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) is a storage solutions giant, powering everything from your smartphone to massive data centers with its cutting-edge hard drives and flash memory. As the world demands more data storage, WDC’s innovation and strong market presence make it a stock worth watching for growth-minded investors.

Zen Rating:  B (Buy) — see full analysis >

Recent Price: $68.71 — get current quote >

Max 1-year forecast: $115.00

Why we’re watching:

• Analyst support: Currently, WDC enjoys a Strong Buy consensus among the 14 analysts we track issuing ratings on the stock. See the ratings
• None of the analysts we track forecast downside for WDC in the coming year. Even the minimum 1-year price target of $70 suggests over 7% potential upside. 
• How about a recent raise? Wamsi Mohan of Bank of America (a top 5% analyst) just raised their price target on WDC 5% from $80 to $84 on 1/17, while maintaining a Strong Buy rating. 
• Mohan said the catalysts for their price target hike and reiterated Strong Buy rating on Western Digital were “the cyclical recovery and the upcoming split of the company’s HDD and NAND businesses.”
• WDC enjoys an overall Zen Rating of B (Buy), putting it in a class of stocks that have historically outperformed the market since the early 2000s. 
• Each Zen Rating is composed of 7 Component Grades. WDC has extra-high grades in two key areas: Growth and Value. Of particular interest is the A grade for Growth, since growth potential drives stock prices over the long term. The indicators we track ensure that only companies with strong or underrated growth prospects make the cut. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

2. OneSpaWorld Holdings (NASDAQ: OSW)

Luxury holiday, anyone? OneSpaWorld Holdings operates health and wellness centers on 170 cruise ships and at 52 destination resorts. A recent investor meeting has earned OSW a vote of confidence from Wall Street — and the leisure giant has also raised its revenue guidance ahead of its Q4 earnings report. Despite mounting an impressive rally in 2024, analysts still see a lot of room to grow.

Zen Rating:  B (Buy) — see full analysis >

Recent Price: $20.03 — get current quote >

Max 1-year forecast:  $25.00

Why we’re watching:

• Of the 3 analysts who track OneSpaWorld, all 3 rate the stock a Strong Buy — and the average price forecast of $22.00 forecasts 14.64% potential upside. See the ratings
• Steven Wieczynski, a Stifel Nicolaus equity researcher (rated top 9%), recently increased his price target for OSW stock from $24 to a Street high $25 — maintaining an earlier issued Strong Buy rating. 
• Stifel Nicolaus recently hosted an investor meeting with OneSpaWorld’s C-Suite team — following the meeting, Wieczynski highlighted that “onboard guest spending, pre-booked sales, and penetration of passengers are all meaningfully above historical levels and have shown no signs of slowing.” 
• These metrics give confidence in the company’s ability to generate EBITDA/Free Cash Flow above management’s recently introduced FY 2025 guidance, Wieczynski said.
• In a rare move, the company raised its guidance for Q4 through a preliminary report on January 13.
• With a Zen Rating of B (Buy), OSW is in good company — stocks with this rating tend to provide a 19.88% return on an annual basis. OSW is in the 90th percentile of all the stocks we track — based on the 115 factors used in our proprietary quant system, it has a good chance of beating the market.
• In terms of Component Grades, Momentum is OSW’s biggest strength — the stock is in a strong uptrend, having rallied by 43.68% over the last year. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

3. Reddit Inc (NYSE: RDDT) 

The latest social media platform to IPO, Reddit shares began trading in late March of 2024. Since then, they’ve more or less been on a continuous upward trajectory, without any major corrections to speak of. Despite a 241.59% surge since going public, some of Wall Street’s premier equity researchers think that management’s guidance is conservative — and that RDDT stock could outperform peers and rivals.

Zen Rating: B (Buy) — see full analysis >

Recent Price: $187.84  — get current quote >

Max 1-year forecast:  $210.00

Why we’re watching:

• Strong Buy consensus: RDDT has attracted a lot of attention — 19 analysts issue ratings for the stock. Among them, 12 rate it a Strong Buy, and 2 rate it a Buy — in contrast, the stock has only 4 Hold ratings and a lone Sell rating. See the ratings
• Piper Sandler’s Thomas Champion (a top 12% analyst) recently reiterated an earlier Strong Buy rating — but increased his price target to $197 from $150.
• The analyst attributed their price target hike on Reddit to “positive PSC Ads Manager data that implies low-single-digit month-over-month user growth and flat-to-down CPCs, adding that management’s guidance looks conservative.
• Naved Khan of B. Riley Securities (a top 6% analyst) concurred with his colleague. Khan also reissued a Strong Buy rating — and raised his price target from $112 to $187.
• Khan expressed optimism that Reddit can beat peers and the Street’s predictions, pointing out that it is still in the early stages of growth and margin improvement — adding that he expects a robust increase in advertising revenue supported by an increased user count and improved monetization.
• Reddit earned a Zen Rating of B (Buy) — and stocks of this caliber have a history of outperforming the wider market, with an average annual return of 19.88%. Unsurprisingly, RDDT’s Growth Component rating of B is a highlight — a category in which it is in the 93rd percentile of all the stocks we track. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

4. MKS Instruments (NASDAQ: MKSI) 

It would be an oversimplification to call MKS a semiconductor stock. Yes, it provides semiconductor equipment and testing market. But it also provides specialty industrial applications and electronics and packaging — meaning the company serves a diverse group of growth industries and could provide a lower-risk way to diversify while investing in those areas. 

Zen Rating: B (Buy)  — see full analysis >

Recent Price:  $118.40— get current quote >

Max 1-year forecast: $156.00

Why we’re watching:

• It’s our Stock of the Week: MKSI is hot on the radar of Zen Investor Editor-in-Chief Steve Reitmeister. Here’s why, according to a recent article: 
• MKSI has enjoyed powerful runs before: After a prolonged downtrend between 2021 til end of 2023, MKSI turned the corner with an average earnings beat of 41% the past 4 quarters.
• The last time the stock had run like this was coming into 2021 when shares nearly touched $200. We are quite a bit below that at a little above $120, but does give an idea of some of the upside potential if this earnings momentum run continues.
• Analyst support: There is no shortage of top analysts pounding the table on MKSI. Highlights among analysts issuing Strong Buy ratings? MKSI has a $150 target from Joseph Moore of Morgan Stanley (top 2% of all analysts for stock picking performance), and a $156 street high target recently put on by James Ricchiuti @ Needham (top 1% of all analysts). 
• Digging into the Zen Ratings, MKSI ranks in the top 14% overall. Dragging them down from an even better rating is the Momentum factor because of how weak semiconductors have been of late. But that is overshadowed by the strength in other areas like top 12% Growth and top 24% Value. 
• AI is also a plus factor — MKSI is in the top 29% of all stocks reviewed. Our AI rating seeks markers of stocks that outperform in the near term, and it was accurate with the recent pop from $110 to $120. Gladly there is plenty of reason to believe in more upside ahead. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

5. Gambling.com Group LTD (NASDAQ: GAMB)

Founded in 2006, Gambling.com provides digital market services to the online gambling and sports betting sector. The company has provided significant earnings beats for three quarters in a row. On January 1, the business also acquired Odds Holdings for $160 million — further solidifying and expanding its footprint. 

Zen Rating: A (Strong Buy) — see full analysis >

Recent Price:  $14.40 — get current quote >

Max 1-year forecast:  $21.00

Why we’re watching:

• Among the 6 analysts we track issuing ratings on GAMB, the stock enjoys a Strong Buy consensus — with 4 Strong Buy ratings and 2 Buy ratings. See the ratings
• David Katz of Jefferies (a top 19% analyst) issued the latest rating — reiterating a prior Strong Buy. The analyst raised his price target from $20 to $21 — a mark that represents a 49.04% upside.
• Katz’s price hike came after a deep dive into Jefferies’ gaming portfolio. Per the analyst, it’s “hard to ignore” U.S. digital gaming companies because of their consistent top-line growth, increasing earnings, and free cash flow
• The researcher added that the company’s long-term opportunities remain unchanged, despite near-term volatility in operator profitability.
• The stock is ranked 2nd overall in the entire gambling industry.
• GAMB is also ranked in the 96th percentile of all stocks we track, with an overall Zen Rating of A (Strong Buy).
• Among the Component Grades that have earned GAMB that spot, Sentiment and Financials are the stars of the show — where it is in the 91st and 92nd percentile, respectively. Our proprietary system has identified it as a business with a strong balance sheet — one that Wall Street researchers are increasingly recognizing as a buying opportunity. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

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Best Stocks to Buy Now: The Final Word

There are literally thousands of stocks out there. What are the best stocks to buy now?

The truth is that there are no guarantees in the stock market. The market is constantly changing, as are the factors that play into stock prices.

That said, this list includes a ton of great watches we discovered on WallStreetZenPremium. Each of these picks has something (or several things) going for them in the near to long-term, so consider keeping them on watch.

But remember — you alone are responsible for your investment decisions. So be sure to do your own research before you buy any stock.

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About the author

Jessie Moore

Editor

Jessie Moore has been writing professionally for nearly two decades; for the past seven years, she's focused on writing, ghostwriting, and editing in the finance space. She is a Today Show and Publisher's Weekly-featured author who has written or ghostwritten 10+ books on a wide variety of topics, ranging from day trading to unicorns to plant care.