Hot or Not, Stock Market Edition: 08/22/2025

A major semiconductor company has a big moment; negative rumors swirl about a major tech company. Here’s what’s not and what’s not: 

• Hot: HR company Kanzhun Limited (BZ) gains amid earnings enthusiasm; Analog Devices (ADI) beats estimates
• Not: James Hardie Industries (JHX) drops over 30%; rumors swirl about Intel (INTC)

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🔥 HOT: Chinese human resources company Kanzhun Limited (NASDAQ: BZ) gained 4.8% on Wednesday amid enthusiasm for the stock’s positive earnings report. The company’s second-quarter earnings report showed that its quarterly EPS grew by more than 30% year-over-year, beating Wall Street’s projections. This latest earnings beat marks the fourth consecutive outperformance for BZ, dating back to last September. Our analysis gives the stock B ratings in Momentum, Sentiment, and Financials, but a D rating in Safety. BZ manages to overcome that D rating to earn an overall Zen Rating of B, partially due to our optimism surrounding the Staffing & Employment Service industry as a whole.

🥶 NOT: Shares of building materials company James Hardie Industries (NYSE: JHX) plummeted by 34.4% on Wednesday after an atrocious earnings report left investors running for the exits. The company’s net profit fell an astonishing 60% and its revenue came in $50 million below the consensus estimate. As if this wasn’t enough, the company also issued weak guidance for the fiscal year 2026, well below what Wall Street expected to see. We give the stock D ratings in Growth and Sentiment, but there’s no denying that the company is still strong Financially (B rating), which could buy it enough time to right the ship. We give JHX a C Zen Rating and a Hold recommendation.

🔥 HOT: Massachusetts-based semiconductor company Analog Devices (NASDAQ: ADI) gained 6.3% on Wednesday after handily beating consensus estimates for its quarterly revenue and EPS. The company’s communications division was a particular standout, beating analysts’ predictions by 15%. Analog also raised its full-year guidance numbers, which led to upgrades from Truist, Evercore, and Wells Fargo. For our part, we see ADI as a bit of a sleeper pick. The stock ranks fifth out of 69 stocks we cover in the semiconductor industry, with B ratings in Sentiment, Artificial Intelligence, and Growth. If you’re looking for some semiconductor exposure outside of the usual suspects in the industry, we give ADI a B Zen Rating and a Buy recommendation.

> Learn more about our Sentiment ratings here

🥶 NOT: Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) lost 6.4% on Wednesday, as rumors continue to swirl about the U.S. Government’s potential investment in the company. The news of a potential investment from the U.S. Federal Government sent shares of Intel soaring over the last week, but we’re not willing to upgrade the stock just yet. Intel just recently announced that it was considering moving on from its new foundry business due to difficulty staying competitive, and the company has been getting beaten by AMD in both consumer and datacenter workloads for several years. Our research gives INTC D ratings in Sentiment, Safety, and Financials. An investment from the United States could help give the company some breathing room, but we’re still going with a D Zen Rating and a Sell recommendation for now.

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