Hot or Not, Stock Market Edition: 09/05/2025

What’s hot and what’s not going into the weekend? Here’s the story:

• Hot: Eli Lilly (LLY) rides a wave of surging sales growth and weight loss drug buzz; MKS Instruments (MKSI) boasts growth vibes in the hottest corners of tech manufacturing
• Not: West Fraser Timber (NYSE: WFG) gets chopped; despite recent gains, NioCorp Developments (NB) shows red flags

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

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🔥 HOT: MKS Instruments (NASDAQ: MKSI) may not be a household name, but this precision tech supplier is quietly powering the semiconductor and electronics industries. Not only is it a past Stock of the Week pick, but it boasts excellent fundamentals, as revealed by our Zen Ratings system. Ranking in the top 10% of stocks we track, it has an overall Zen Rating of B (Buy). Component grades show promise: Growth, Safety, and Value score a solid B, giving it strength across multiple dimensions. The verdict: MKSI appears to have the tools to keep riding the semiconductor tailwinds.

🥶 NOT: West Fraser Timber (NYSE: WFG) is feeling the pain of a lumber market in freefall. With prices hammered across 2025, earnings have been chopped down and investor momentum has all but dried up. Lumber demand has weakened as higher interest rates and a cooling housing market weigh on construction activity, leaving producers like WFG exposed. Unlike peers with catalysts to spark optimism, WFG remains at the mercy of slumping lumber demand and broader commodity headwinds. With a Zen Rating of F, it’s further weighed down by D grades for Value, Sentiment, and is in a D-rated industry Year-to-date, shares are down more than 17%, showing just how tough conditions have been. WFG is stuck in a bearish cycle with no clear breakout in sight.

🔥 HOT: Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) isn’t just a pharma giant — it’s an undisputed leader in the weight-loss drug revolution. The company’s latest earnings release lit up Wall Street: booming sales, raised guidance, and record-breaking growth all driven by blockbuster diabetes and obesity treatments. That momentum has investor sentiment soaring. In addition to a Zen Rating of A (Strong Buy), it has a stellar Sentiment grade of A (96th percentile). Growth is still strong with a solid B rating, confirming this isn’t hype but fundamentals at work. It appears LLY’s story of innovation and market dominance is far from over.

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🥶 NOT: NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ: NB) may talk up rare earth riches, but the fundamentals tell a different story. Despite an eye-catching 150% gain over the past year and a recent government boost — three of its minerals were elevated on the U.S. Critical Minerals List in late August — our quant ratings system reveals that the stock remains weighed down by weak financial footing. NioCorp carries an F Zen Rating (Strong Sell), dragged lower by D grades for Value and Financials and an F from our proprietary AI rating. While a B rating in Momentum offers a flicker of strength, it’s not enough to offset the risks. The bottom line? Investors chasing headlines here may find the shine quickly fades.

What to Do Next?

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