Hot or Not, Stock Market Edition: 03/13/2025

Well, the picture below pretty much sums up the market mood RN. But even in a backwards market, something’s moving. Here’s what we’re following:

• HOT: Investment firm Rand Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: RAND) gains big after reporting 4th quarter growth; Paymentus Holdings (NYSE: PAY) delivers an earnings surprise. 
• NOT: Why things aren’t looking so sweet for The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY); a rough road ahead for Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE: KSS).

P.S. For more stocks making moves, check out our new Zen Ratings Upgrades & Downgrades screener.

🔥 HOT: Investment firm Rand Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: RAND) gained 20.4% after showing outstanding growth for the fourth quarter of 2024. The company’s total investment income rose 16.6% year-over-year, and its net realized gain was $11.1 million, well above the $1.1 million it was in 2023. The company is an outstanding value at its current level and gets a Strong Buy rating from us despite its slightly higher-than-average volatility. RAND gets an A rating for Momentum and Bs in Growth, Value, and Financials, giving it an overall Zen Rating of A.

🥶 NOT: Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) fell by 3.7% on Tuesday as the rally the stock has been on since its last earnings call cools off. Hershey has a solid B rating for Financials but otherwise gets straight Cs for its other Component Grades. We’re concerned by the company’s long-term plan due to rising cocoa prices and, frankly, don’t see a way for it to continue operating the way it does now without some serious changes. The stock is down 8.3% over the last year but has rebounded to gain 27.3% since it reported earnings on February 5th. We give HSY a C Zen Rating and a Hold recommendation for now.

🔥 HOT: Electronic bill payment company Paymentus Holdings (NYSE: PAY) gained 24.6% on Tuesday after an unexpectedly upbeat earnings call. The company reported EPS of $0.13 and a revenue of $257.88 million for the fourth-quarter, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 8.3% and 21.1%, respectively. Tuesday’s big move still leaves PAY down 5.9% YTD, but we think its current price represents a great value given its outstanding potential for growth. PAY receives an A rating for Growth and B ratings for Momentum and Sentiment, giving it an overall Zen Rating of B and a Buy recommendation.

🥶 NOT: Kohl’s Corporation’s (NYSE: KSS) stock plunged on Tuesday after the company reported declining sales and a rough road ahead. The company’s CEO, Ashley Buchanan, tried to reassure investors that the company has a plan to turn things around, but it did virtually nothing to slow the selloff. Sales were down 9.4% compared with the same quarter of last year and the company lowered its full-year guidance for 2025. Kohl’s closing price of $9.15 is its lowest since July of 1997.

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