3 New Strong Buy Ratings from Top-Rated Analysts: 09/30/2025

By Mijuško Šibalić, Stock Market Writer and Stock Researcher

September 30, 2025 11:07 AM UTC

3 New Strong Buy Ratings from Top-Rated Analysts: 09/30/2025

CRL

KGC

Let’s close out September in style, with 3 picks from our most popular screener:

Edwards Lifesciences (EW) is a solid growth story poised for more
Why Kinross Gold (KGC) is still a Buy despite 150% gains since we first alerted
Why Charles River Laboratories (CRL) could be an excellent value right now

P.S. One of today’s picks is part of the Zen Investor portfolio. See the rest of the stocks here.

1. Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE: EW)

This company produces advanced surgical valves. Perhaps more impressive to potential investors, it’s demonstrated a clear growth trajectory that has earned the confidence of Wall Street analysts. Insiders are scooping up shares, and the neural network that our system uses has highlighted EW as a likely outperformer going forward.

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

Recent Price: $74.97 — get current quote >

Max 1-year forecast: $95.00

Why we’re watching:

EW stock currently has 6 Strong Buy ratings, 2 Buy ratings, and 6 Hold ratings. See the ratings
The average 12-month price forecast for Edwards Lifesciences shares currently sits at $87.07, and implies a healthy 16.62% upside.
Rick Wise of Stifel Nicolaus (a top 10% rated analyst) recently maintained a Strong Buy rating on EW and cut his price target from $95 to $85.
Edward Lifesciences ranks in the 94th percentile of the stocks that we track, giving it a Zen Rating of B. Stocks with a Zen Rating of B have provided an average annualized return of 19.88% since the early 2000s.
Our Safety Component Grade rating is a measure of stock price stability, revenue consistency, and earnings predictability — in this category, Edwards Lifesciences ranks in the top 17%.
When it comes to Financials, EW ranks in the 88th percentile of the equities that we track.
In terms of Sentiment, EW ranks in the top 11% of equities, as 39.99% of the insider transactions tied to the stock in the past 12 months have been purchases.
Finally, we have our Artificial Intelligence Component Grade rating, which uses a neural network trained on two decades of market data to identify likely outperformers. Here, EW ranks in the top 11%. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

2. Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC)

Kinross Gold has gained 150% since it was added to our Zen Investor portfolio. As gold prices hover near record highs and investors look for safe-haven assets, Kinross stands out with a solid balance sheet — making it a relatively hassle-free way to get exposure to the precious metal.

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

Recent Price: $23.49 — get current quote >

Max 1-year forecast: $27.00

Why we’re watching:

Kinross Gold shares are tracked by 5 Wall Street analysts — their coverage is split between 2 Strong Buy ratings, 2 Buy ratings, and 1 Hold rating. See the ratings
UBS equity researcher Daniel Major (a top 18% rated analyst) recently reiterated a Strong Buy rating on the stock, and hiked his price target from $20 to a Street-high $27.
In a Mining sector preview note, Major said that the "soft patch" expected in Q3 2025 has not materialized, and UBS is positive on copper, aluminum, and gold, looking ahead.
At present, KGC is the 13th highest-rated stock in the Gold industry, which has an Industry Rating of B.
Kinross Gold ranks in the 89th percentile of the equities that our system tracks, giving it a Zen Rating of B.
Value, in which KGC ranks in the top 13%, is one of the stock’s strongest suits — as it is trading at an attractive P/E of just 18.8x.
Kinross Gold shares have rallied by 137.96% since the start of the year — so it’s no wonder that they rank in the 94th percentile in terms of Momentum.
Finally, we have Financials — and due to the company’s exceedingly healthy balance sheet, KGC ranks in the top 1% of stocks in this category. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

3. Charles River Laboratories (NYSE: CRL)

Cutting-edge medicine stuff is the name of the game for CRL. It’s involved in a variety of preclinical and clinical laboratory, gene therapy, and cell therapy services. The stock has seen a bevy of insider purchases and demonstrated a stable growth trajectory — to boot, growth prospects are high, and CRL is still trading at quite an attractive valuation.

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

Recent Price: $146.13 — get current quote >

Max 1-year forecast: $200.00

Why we’re watching:

Per Wall Street analysts, CRL is a consensus Buy — the stock has 3 Strong Buy ratings, 1 Buy rating, and 4 Hold ratings. See the ratings
However, the average 12-month price forecast for Charles River Laboratories paints a much more bullish picture, as it sits at $173.38, a figure that implies a hefty 16.01% upside.
Jefferies researcher David Windley (a top 22% rated analyst) recently upgraded the stock to a Strong Buy rating and increased his price target from $142 to $195.
CRL stock ranks in the 95th percentile of the stocks that we track, giving it a Zen Rating of A.
Charles River Laboratories offers a compelling mix of Value and Growth, as the stock ranks in the 81st and 86th percentile in these categories, respectively.
Sentiment is another strong suit — 72.51% of the insider transactions tied to the stock in the past 12 months have been purchases, so CRL ranks in the top 11% in this category despite the aforementioned Hold ratings.
However, Safety is the star of the show — in terms of this Component Grade rating, the stock ranks in the top 6% of equities. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)