Hot or Not, Stock Market Edition: 09/11/2025

Happy Thursday. Here’s what’s hot and what’s not today: 

• Hot: Intuit Inc. (INTU) heats up well ahead of tax season; things are looking great for Novartis (NVS) heading into the year end
• Not: Weak jobs numbers are hitting banks like Bank of America (BAC) hard; Chevron (CVX) needs some gas

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

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🔥 HOT: Tax season is months away, but Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU) is already heating up. A bullish wave hit after Intuit’s latest earnings report, when EPS topped forecasts and new revenue streams (notably, involving AI) stole the spotlight. While the stock experienced a bit of a pullback in August, it’s gaining investor interest as a dip buy that offers access to a next-wave AI power player. Our Zen Ratings system backs up the buzz. The stock ranks in the top 8% of stocks we track, with an overall B (Buy) rating. Healthy B grades for Growth, Sentiment, and Financials underscore the business quality. Other Component Grades are a bit mixed (Value and Momentum rates only a C), but with the tax and financial tech scene expected to grow at a double-digit pace, Intuit looks to ride the innovation wave for years to come.

🥶 NOT: Rut roh. Banks are having a tough time right now — the industry has a D rating right now, according to our quant rating system. Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) is no exception. A recent weak jobs report slammed bank stocks across the board; BAC’s own data shows a year-over-year 6.7% drop in small business hiring amid rising tariffs. That’s the sort of macro drag that spells trouble for lending and fee revenue. While shares are holding steady at the moment, it’s not enough to offset a sea of red flags in growth and industry performance. Despite all the talk around new investment programs for the ultra-wealthy and a splashy focus on AI, BAC’s recent numbers are anything but inspiring. With a Zen Rating of D, it ranks in the bottom 12% of stocks we track. With Component Grades for Growth, Value, and Financials all languishing in the ‘C’–‘D’ range, the fundamentals just aren’t there.

🔥 HOT: It’s not surprising that Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NYSE: NVS) is up 8% in the past month. The company’s most recent earnings announcement in late June was solid, with the company announcing earnings of $4.0B, up 12% from the previous quarter; the company also announced a mammoth $10 billion share buyback. Plus, the company just splurged $1.4 billion in cash to pick up Tourmaline Bio and there’s plenty of bullish news about pipeline progress. WallStreetZen’s quant ratings system demonstrates that NVS backs up the flashy headlines with solid fundamentals. Not only is it in a top-rated industry (here’s why that matters), but it’s in the 92nd percentile of stocks we track, with an overall grade of B (Buy). Digging into the Component Grades that shape the overall grade, it has enviable B ratings for Value, Safety, Financials, and from our proprietary AI factor. 

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🥶 NOT: Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) might entice income hunters with its famous dividend, but under the hood, things may not behumming along quite so smoothly. Even as management talks up long-term investments, the stock has dropped 4% in the past week. The entire sector faces significant headwinds, with our system currently ranking Oil and Gas industry a D. Not only does it rank in the bottom 12% of stocks we track, with an overall Zen Rating of D (Sell), but it only boasts one standout Component Grade, a B for Safety. With an F for Growth and ho-hum C’s across the board otherwise, the company might not be poised to implode, but it doesn’t seem likely to deliver big returns. The bottom line? Despite solid dividends, a lack of real growth and a failing industry grade mean Chevron is stuck in the slow lane for now.

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