Happy August! The weather isn’t as flaming hot as these 5 stock picks. We’ve got:
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Astronics (ATRO) is a surprise beneficiary of increased air travel
- The move isn’t over for Rush Street Interactive (RSI), according to experts
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Vertiv Holdings (VRT) is back on the list — the reason why might surprise you
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Tenet Healthcare (THC) is more than just a funny ticker
- The surprising reason why Brinker International (EAT) earns “Stock of the Week” status
Missed last week’s picks? Get 'em here.
A note from our sponsors...
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Disclosure: Mode Mobile recently received their ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($MODE), indicating an intent to IPO in the next 24 months. An intent to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur. Please read the offering circular and related risks at invest.modemobile.com.
Astronics makes lighting, avionics, and testing equipment to commercial, business, and military aerospace customers. As air travel demand recovers and defense budgets rise, the business is seeing a rebound in orders — on a year-to-date (YTD) basis, ATRO has already surged by 119.98%, but our system suggests that there is still plenty of room to grow.
Zen Rating: A (Strong Buy) — see full analysis >
Recent Price: $35.87 — get current quote >
Max 1-year forecast: $49.00
Why we’re watching:
- ATRO is an under-the-radar pick — only one Wall Street equity researcher currently tracks the stock.
- That researcher is Michael Ciarmoli of Truist Securities (a top 1% rated analyst), who recently upgraded Astronics to a Strong Buy rating and upped his price target from $32 to $49.
- Ciamoli contextualized their upgrade of the stock and price target hike on Astronics by saying that the company has $95,000 of line fit content on the 737MAX with the potential to see total content push to $150,000, depending on airline buyers' furnished equipment. He also added that Astronics is a beneficiary of ramping MAX production and that Truist Securities sees Astronics's MAX annual revenue tracking to 8% to 10% of its total revenue through 2026 and 2027.
- The Defense industry consists of 69 stocks and has an Industry Rating of B. ATRO is currently the top-rated stock in the entire industry.
- Astronics also ranks in the 98th percentile of the stocks we track, giving it a Zen Rating of A. To be more precise, ATRO is the 64th highest-rated stock on the whole — out of more than 4,600.
- The company maintains a pretty healthy balance sheet, and ranks in the top 10% according to its Financials Component Grade rating.
- ATRO shares have surged by 119.98% since the start of the year — so it comes as little surprise that they rank in the top 4% of equities when it comes to Momentum.
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Last but not least, we have Growth — a category in which Astronics ranks in the top 2% of equities. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

2- Vertiv Holdings (NYSE: VRT)
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. When we featured VRT in this article on July 2, it was trading in the $120 range. Despite its impressive gains since then, it’s still a Strong Buy, indicating it still has room to grow.
Zen Rating: A (Strong Buy) — see full analysis >
Recent Price: $147.31 — get current quote >
Max 1-year forecast: $165.00
Why we’re watching:
- Vertiv Holdings enjoys broad, bullish support from Wall Street analysts. VRT has a total of 11 analyst ratings, split between 6 Strong Buys, 4 Buys, and 1 Hold. There are currently no Sell or Strong Sell ratings. See the ratings
- Bank of America’s Andrew Obin (a top 8% rated analyst) recently doubled down on a Strong Buy rating, and increased his price target on VRT from $140 to $150.
- Obin backgrounded their price target hike by reminding readers that the price of Vertiv Holdings' stock dipped on 7/10 on news that Amazon Web Services had designed proprietary cooling systems.
- For their part, the analyst called the announcement "no different from prior business practices," noting that AWS will not manufacture or service the equipment and that AWS and other cloud service providers have traditionally used proprietary electrical and thermal equipment manufactured to their specifications.
- For Q2, Obin predicted 21% Y/Y organic revenue growth and a 19.1% adjusted operating margin for Vertiv Holdings, accounting for their above-consensus EPS estimate of $0.84.
- At present, Vertiv is the 7th highest-rated stock in the Electrical Equipment & Part industry, which has an Industry Rating of B.
- Based on a big-picture analysis of 115 proprietary factors, VRT ranks in the top 3% of equities — giving it a Zen Rating of A.
- Growth and Financials are Vertiv Holdings’ strongest Component Grade ratings — in both categories, the stock ranks in the top 6%. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

3- Tenet Healthcare (NYSE: THC)
Tenet Healthcare is one of the largest for-profit healthcare providers in the U.S. In addition, it has managed to beat earnings estimates for 17 quarters in a row — now, management has raised guidance for the year by roughly $400 million. Moreover, the company maintains quite a strong balance sheet and has managed to secure the confidence of Wall Street analysts. Despite these promising signs, THC is still trading at an attractive valuation.
Zen Rating: A (Strong Buy) — see full analysis >
Recent Price: $162.14 — get current quote >
Max 1-year forecast: $238.00
Why we’re watching:
- THC enjoys broad analyst support — the stock currently has 8 Strong Buy ratings, 3 Buy ratings, and 2 Hold ratings. See the ratings
- Moreover, the average 12-month price forecast for Tenet Healthcare shares, currently pegged at $190.92, implies a hefty 20.6% upside.
- UBS equity researcher A.J. Rice (a top 13% rated analyst) recently doubled down on a Strong Buy rating, and increased his price target from $230 to a Street-high $238.
- At present, THC is the 5th highest-rated stock in the Medical Care Facility industry, which has an Industry Rating of B.
- Tenet Healthcare ranks in the top 3% of the more than 4,600 stocks that we track, giving it a Zen Rating of A.
- The company’s balance sheet is quite healthy — in terms of its Financials Component Grade rating, THC stock ranks in the 83rd percentile of equities.
- Value is another major strength of Tenet Healthcare — the stock is currently trading at a P/E ratio of just 10.31x, and ranks in the top 7% when it comes to this category.
- Last, but certainly not least, we have Sentiment — where THC ranks in the top 4% of stocks. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

A note from our sponsors...
Apple's Starlink Update Sparks Huge Earning Opportunity
Apple just secretly added Starlink satellite support to iPhones through iOS 18.3.
One of the biggest potential winners? Mode Mobile.
Mode's EarnPhone already reaches 50M+ users that have earned over $325M, and that's before global satellite coverage. With SpaceX eliminating "dead zones" worldwide, Mode's earning technology can now reach billions more in unbanked and rural populations worldwide.
Their global expansion is perfectly timed, and you still have a chance to invest in their pre-IPO offering at just $0.30/share. Final allocations are disappearing quickly.
Mode's recent 32,481% revenue growth and their newly reserved Nasdaq ticker $MODE puts them one step closer to a potential IPO.
⏰ Almost sold out - invest now at $0.30/share now
Disclosure: Mode Mobile recently received their ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($MODE), indicating an intent to IPO in the next 24 months. An intent to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur. Please read the offering circular and related risks at invest.modemobile.com.
4- Rush Street Interactive (NYSE: RSI)
This online casino and sportsbooks operator has practiced strict cost discipline over the years, and has managed to secure a loyal customer base through a focus on quality customer service and local market customization. At present, RSI rates highly in terms of Growth and Financials — and it just crushed earnings on July 31.
Zen Rating: A (Strong Buy) — see full analysis >
Recent Price: $18.57 — get current quote >
Max 1-year forecast: $19.00 (Note: RSI recently jumped following the company’s recent earnings call — look out for updated analyst forecasts in the coming weeks)
Why we’re watching:
- At present, RSI stock has 3 Strong Buy ratings, 2 Buy ratings, and 1 Hold rating. Notably, there are no Sell or Strong Sell ratings. See the ratings
- In addition, the average 12-month price forecast for Rush Street Interactive shares, currently pegged at $16.17, implies a healthy 11.42% upside.
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David Katz of Jefferies (a top 18% rated analyst) recently maintained a Strong Buy rating on the stock, and increased his price target from $17 to a Street-high $18.
- Katz's price target hike was delivered in a Q2 2025 preview of names in their Gaming, Lodging & Leisure (Gambling) portfolio.
- While raising their EV/Sales multiple on the company's "strong growth profile" and giving credit for the value of the IMG Arena deal, the analyst said they cut estimates for Sportradar.
- Nonetheless, Katz maintained their "bullish view on the online gaming sector" ahead of earnings season.
- Benchmark’s Mike Hickey (a top 2% rated analyst) also maintained a Strong Buy rating on the stock, and increased his price target from $14 to $17.
- In spite of continuing pressure from Colombia's temporary VAT on deposits, Hickey anticipates a "solid" update in early 2025/08 from Rush Street Interactive that showcases robust iGaming engagement and continuous platform performance.
- According to the analyst, Rush Street Interactive is in a strong position thanks to its iCasino-first approach and disciplined operating methodology.
- RSI is currently the 2nd highest-rated stock in the Gambling industry, which has an Industry Rating of A.
- Rush Street Interactive shares rank in the 96th percentile of the more than 4,600 equities that we track, giving them a Zen Rating of A, which has historically corresponded to average annualized returns of 32.52%.
- Each Zen Rating consists of 7 Component Grade ratings, which focus on specific areas. For example, RSI ranks in the top 15% according to Momentum.
- Rush Street Interactive stock also ranks in the 93rd percentile when it comes to Financials, as well as the top 5% with regard to Growth. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

5- Brinker International (NYSE: EAT)
You might not be familiar with the name Brinker International — but there’s a high chance that you’re aware of the company’s biggest brand, Chili's. Strong earnings buoyed by increased foot traffic and aggressive expansion caused EAT to rally — now, profit-taking has ensued, and the stock is once again trading at an attractive valuation relative to its bright future prospects.
Zen Rating: A (Strong Buy) — see full analysis >
Recent Price: $158.94 — get current quote >
Max 1-year forecast: $215.00
Why we’re watching:
- EAT is our Stock of the Week. Our Zen Investor Editor-in-Chief, Steve Reitmeister, explained why he believes Brinker International is set to outperform in a Monday article.
- Steve first added the stock to his exclusive Zen Investor portfolio on May 7. EAT soon raced up to $187 by the start of July — now, the stock is trading at a discount, having fallen to $153.
- Since late 2022, earnings per share (EPS) have risen 3,X and the share price has rallied 6X from valley to recent peak.
- Our Editor in-Chief is confident that you should buy the dip — the $8.84 EPS estimate for this year is more than twice as that of last year, at $4.10. The pace of growth is expected to moderate into 2026 with a still impressive $9.92 outlook.
- Wall Street analysts are also optimistic — the average 12-month price forecast for EAT shares, which currently sits at $177.40, implies a 15.57% upside.
- Brinker International stock currently ranks in the top 2% of equities, giving it a Zen Rating of A.
- EAT shares rank in the 84th percentile in terms of Value, as they are trading at quite an attractive 20.49x price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio.
- In addition, the stock ranks in the top 7% with regard to both Growth and Financials. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

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