5 Stocks to Watch: Week of 7/14/2025

Here's what we're watching this week. (Missed last week's picks? Get them here.)

• Will Pegasystems (PEGA) double (or more) in the coming year?  
• Why Disney (NYSE: DIS) just got a slew of Strong Buy ratings
• Vertiv Holdings (VRT) offers a novel way to get AI exposure
• 115 reasons why NetScout (NTCT) earns “Stock of the Week” status 
• PagerDuty (PD) could be an excellent “buy the dip” opportunity

By the way, have you seen our new Zen Ratings + Top Analysts screener? It’s one of the key tools we use to find stocks for this newsletter. Just sayin’.

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1- Disney (NYSE: DIS)

Our next pick needs no introduction — a veritable entertainment titan, Disney delivered a strong double beat in Q2 2025, and raised guidance — coupled with strong core metrics and favorable terms when it comes to a key acquisition, it comes as little surprise that plenty of analysts reacted positively and increased their price targets.

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

Recent Price: $120.42 — get current quote > 

Max 1-year forecast: $147.00 

Why we’re watching:

• DIS has 12 analyst ratings, split between 9 Strong Buys, 2 Buys, and 1 Hold. The stock currently has no Sell or Strong Sell ratings. See the ratings
• On June 30, Guggenheim equity researcher Michael Morris (a top 3% rated analyst) reiterated a Strong Buy rating on Disney shares and increased his price target from $120 to $140.
• The analyst detailed that they increased their FY segment operating income forecast from $17.6B to $17.7B, which is "modestly ahead" of the consensus $17.65B. 
• Morris has expressed the view that Disney is "well-positioned to pursue a unified direct-to-consumer strategy" and will rely on bundle packaging to generate incremental income, noting that Hulu is now under Disney's control.
• On the same day, James Heaney of Jefferies (a top 18% rated analyst) upgraded DIS from a Buy to a Strong Buy, and increased his 12-month price forecast from $100 to $144.
• Heaney expressed increased optimism about upside from Disney's Cruise segment in FY 2026 and sees a reduced risk of a 2H 2025 Parks slowdown because of Epic Universe and economic issues.
• The analyst said they anticipate sustained DTC margin expansion from Disney and have a positive outlook on the content and sports slate for the next six months, noting ESPN's DTC debut, Zootopia 2, and Avatar 3.
• DIS was also recently upgraded in the Zen Ratings system, from B (Buy) to A (Strong Buy). See more recent upgrades here. 
• The stock ranks quite highly in terms of Safety — in the top 9% of stocks, to be exact, on account of its predictable earnings and above-average stability in terms of price.
• However, Sentiment is Disney’s strongest suit — when it comes to this Component Grade rating, the stock ranks in the top 2%. Beyond overwhelmingly positive analyst coverage, Disney stock is marked by almost equal insider buying and selling — which is quite a rare sight nowadays. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

2- Pegasystems (NASDAQ: PEGA) 

Pegasystems is in the business of enterprise software — helping other businesses automate workflows, improve customer engagement, and streamline their operations. The company recently delivered an exceptional double beat — and with solid growth prospects and an even stronger balance sheet, we think it’s worth a closer look.

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

Recent Price: $51.41 — get current quote > 

Max 1-year forecast: $131.00 

Why we’re watching:

• At present, 11 analysts issue ratings for Pegasystems — 5 have deemed it a Strong Buy, 3 issue Buy ratings, and 3 have given the stock a Hold rating. Notably, there are currently no Sell or Strong Sell ratings. See the ratings
• The average 12-month price forecast for PEGA currently stands at $102.73, which implies a very impressive 95.08% upside from current prices.
• Loop Capital researcher Yun Kim (a top 13% rated analyst) maintained a Strong Buy rating on PEGA on June 30 and upped the price target on the stock from $52 to $60.
• Kim told readers that Loop Capital updated its Pegasystems model to account for the recent (2025/06/23) two-for-one stock split.
• Further, the analyst said their confidence in their investment thesis has increased following recent discussions with company management.
• The stock price will move closer to their price target as investors come to share their added confidence in Pegasystems' strategy and vision, Kim predicted.
• In the first week of June, after Pegasystems’ Investor Day, Citigroup’s Steven Enders (a top 12% rated analyst) issued the Street-high price target of $131, in conjunction with a reiterated Strong Buy rating.
• Factors supporting their view that Pegasystems is an "underappreciated" Gen AI story, according to Enders, include the increasing acceptance of Blueprint, the emergence of new use cases to revolutionize old workflows, and the company's renewed emphasis on attracting net new customers through streamlined mid-market packaging.
• The App industry consists of 203 stocks, and has an Industry Rating of A. PEGA is the 2nd highest-rated stock in the industry.
• Our proprietary quant rating system, Zen Ratings, tracks a little more than 4,600 stocks. PEGA currently ranks at number 37 — and its placement in the top 1% of stocks gives it a Zen Rating of A, which has historically corresponded to average annual returns of 32.52%.
• On account of positive analyst coverage and a significant degree of insider buying, Pegasystems shares rank in the top 16% of equities when it comes to Sentiment.
• In addition, PEGA ranks in the 86th percentile in terms of its Momentum Component Grade rating.
• However, the stock’s biggest strengths are its Growth and Financials Component Grade ratings — in these categories, it ranks in the top 2% and top 1% of stocks, respectively. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

3- Vertiv Holdings (NYSE: VRT)

VRT stock offers a unique way to gain exposure to artificial intelligence. Vertiv Holdings does everything from installation and maintenance to repair when it comes to data centers. On top of that, it is one of the leading power management and, more importantly, cooling providers in the industry. With an already strong tailwind from Project Stargate, as well as record-breaking AI CAPEX, the business is well-positioned to capture a lot of growth from a dynamic narrative.

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

Recent Price: $127.89 — get current quote > 

Max 1-year forecast: $150.00 

Why we’re watching:

• VRT currently has 8 analyst ratings — split between 4 Strong Buys, 2 Buys, and 2 Holds. See the ratings
• Andy Kaplowitz of Citigroup (a top 1% rated analyst) recently maintained a Strong Buy rating on Vertiv Holdings stock, and increased his price target from $98 to $130.
• Kaplowitz told readers they met with Vertiv Holdings Co.'s management, and that takeaways catalyzed their price target hike.
• According to the analyst, the company is poised for "significant" industrial market growth, pointing to Vertiv Holdings Co.'s persistent growth in data centers and its self-help focus.
• In addition, Kaplowitz said the company's efforts to gradually reduce tariff headwinds are encouraging.
• Overall, based on their analysis, the analyst expressed increased confidence in the company's future and said they believe in its strong fundamentals.
• The Street-high price target of $150 comes from Evercore ISI Group’s Amit Daryanani (a top 3% rated analyst), who reiterated a Buy rating in late May.
• Citing expectations that Vertiv Holdings Co.'s services will be in high demand as data centers get more complicated, Daryanani called the stock "a compelling way for investors to play secular trends related to AI data centers."
• Overall, the analyst said, Vertiv Holdings Co. appears to be "the best-positioned name to benefit from the AI tailwinds" on the data center physical infrastructure side.
• Daryanani detailed that the company is unique among peers because of its ability to meet all aspects of data center infrastructure requirements, including thermal management, integrated services, and lifecycle support.
• Vertiv Holdings shares rank in the 96th percentile of the equities we track, giving them a Zen Rating of A, equivalent to a Strong Buy rating.
• VRT shines when it comes to Growth and Artificial Intelligence — in both categories, the stock ranks in the top 6%. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

4- NetScout (NASDAQ: NTCT)

Behold, our latest Stock of the Week. While NetScout has flown under Wall Street’s radar, it has managed to notch an impressive string of consecutive earnings beats. Despite a 24.49% surge in the past three months, NTCT remains fairly valued — moreover, per our quant rating system, it’s one of the most well-rounded equities as of the time of writing.

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

Recent Price: $22.50 — get current quote > 

Max 1-year forecast: $25.00 

Why we’re watching:

• NetScout is our Stock of the Week. Our Editor-in-Chief, Steve Reitmeister, recently added it to his exclusive, 20-stock strong Zen Investor portfolio, and explained why in a Monday article.
• NTCT is in the lucrative business of cybersecurity. In addition, the company has managed to outperform earnings expectations for the last 20 quarters consecutively.
• NetScout shares are currently the 2nd-highest rated equity in the Software Infrastructure industry, which has an Industry Rating of A.
• At present, only 1 Wall Street researcher covers NTCT stock — Matthew Hedberg of RBC Capital (a top 1% rated analyst) rates the stock a Hold, and has set a $25 price target.
• However, Steve believes that the stock can easily reach levels as high as $50 next year.
• NTCT ranks in the top 1% of the more than 4,600 equities we track. In fact, it’s currently rated 11th overall.
• In addition to an overall Zen Rating of A, NetScout shares are surprisingly well-rounded in terms of their Component Grade ratings. NTCT ranks in the top 20% of stocks in terms of Sentiment, and the top 15% when it comes to Momentum.
• In addition, the stock ranks in the 92nd percentile according to Value, the 95th percentile with regard to Growth, and the top 6% when it comes to Artificial Intelligence. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

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5- PagerDuty (NYSE: PD)

Are the long-forgotten pagers of the '90s making a comeback? No — but PD stock, which has been on a downward trajectory, just might. PagerDuty has been in the cloud-based incident management and operations business since 2009, and despite a challenging set of circumstances, a recent string of earnings beats, coupled with strength in several key areas could mark the beginning of a reversal.

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

Recent Price: $15.75 — get current quote > 

Max 1-year forecast: $23.00 

Why we’re watching:

• Wall Street analysts still aren’t sold on PagerDuty. At present, 8 analysts cover the stock, which currently has 2 Strong Buy ratings, 1 Buy rating, 3 Hold ratings, 1 Sell rating, and 1 Strong Sell rating. See the ratings
• First things first — despite mixed coverage, the average 12-month price forecast for PD shares implies a 19.61% upside.
• Canaccord Genuity’s Kingsley Crane (a top 18% rated analyst) recently doubled down on a Strong Buy rating, but decreased his price target from $23 to $21.
• Joel Fishbein of Truist Securities (a top 4% rated analyst) also maintained a Strong Buy rating while decreasing his price forecast from $26 to $23.
• The App industry consists of 204 stocks and has an Industry Rating of A. PD is currently the 2nd-highest-rated stock in the industry.
• Our quant rating system has high confidence in PagerDuty — based on a holistic analysis of 115 factors, it has ranked PD in the top 2% of equities.
• For a better idea as to why PagerDuty ranks so highly, we have to take a look at the stock’s Component Grade ratings. For starters, PD is in the top 15% of equities when it comes to Financials.
• On top of that, the stock ranks in the 97th percentile in terms of Growth and Sentiment. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

What to Do Next?

• 9 Special Stock Lists You Need Now >
• See All “A” Rated Stocks with +32.52% Average Annual Return >
• 2 New Stocks to Buy from Steve Reitmeister >

Want to get in touch? Email us at news@wallstreetzen.com.