Hot or Not, Stock Market Edition: 09/18/2025

There’s a lot happening in the market. Let’s turn down the noise and focus on four stocks making distinct moves right now: 

• 🔥 HOT: Meta (META) surges on AI buzz with top Sentiment scores; Booking (BKNG) upgraded to Buy 
• 🥶 NOT: UnitedHealth (UNH) slumps on probes and rising costs; Westlake (WLK) lags with an industry-low rank

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

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🔥 HOT: Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) may be best known for Facebook and Instagram, but lately it's been stealing headlines as the next big AI juggernaut. Meta’s advances in artificial intelligence have bulls buzzing, with news reports predicting the company could soon join the elite $2 trillion club. That optimism is backed up by a stellar Sentiment Grade of A and a Financials Grade of A in the Zen Rating system, signaling that both investors and the company’s balance sheet are in fighting form. META’s Zen Rating percentile sits comfortably in the 92nd percentile — a B overall, but spiked by outstanding Momentum (also a B) and bullish media coverage. On the price front, META is trading above its key moving averages, reflecting consistent market confidence. With strong momentum, high investor sentiment, and a proven financial engine, Meta Platforms is watchlist-worthy for anyone looking to tap into the AI revolution.

🥶 NOT: UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is currently limping through a chilly patch. Recent top stories flag regulatory probes, ballooning costs, and a sharp share price swoon that even a robust Q2 earnings report couldn’t fully soothe, and it recently earned “Bear of the Day” status from Yahoo Finance. Looking under the hood, UNH sports a ho-hum Zen Rating of C (Hold). The Component Grades reveal mostly Cs, with particularly poor grades for Momentum (F) and Sentiment (D). Recent price action is uninspiring, falling harder than the broader market and shaking investor confidence even after a brief August pop. It’s not a total disaster — steady dividends and industry power remain — but it is far from hot.

🔥 HOT: Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG) just booked itself a B (Buy) rating in our Zen Ratings system — a recent upgrade from its previous C (Hold) rating. Its uptrend isn’t just a matter of continued post-pandemic travel lust — it’s the result of the company’s impressive and consistent growth, with releases like the “Connected Trip” strategy and AI innovations fueling long-term upside. Also of note: Analysts and investors are marking their calendars for the company’s next earnings announcement in October to see if BKNG will continue its streak of 11 consecutive earnings beats. In addition to the overall B rating, BKNG is in an A-rated industry, where it ranks an impressive #3 out of 15 (See more top travel stocks here). Its Component Grades reveal strength with an A in Financials and B’s in Sentiment, BKNG is firmly positioned as a top-tier pick. Vacations pay—especially when they’re in your portfolio.

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🥶 NOT: Westlake Corp (NYSE: WLK) is looking more like dead weight than a value play right now. Despite a handful of bullish analyst calls, the stock carries a grim Zen Rating of F (Strong Sell), ranking in the bottom 1% of all equities we track. It sits near rock bottom in the Specialty Chemical industry — 52nd out of 53 stocks — with both Value and Sentiment dragging at the lowest percentile. Growth and Momentum aren’t much better, languishing in the bottom 3% and 12%, respectively, while Financials sit in the bottom quartile. Even top-rated analyst Jeffrey Zekauskas of JP Morgan recently cut his price target, implying nearly 17% downside from here. At the moment, WLK has little going for it beyond analyst optimism, and its inclusion in our Zen Strategies Stocks to Short portfolio speaks volumes. Bottom line: Westlake is underperforming across the board. While it may be watchlist-worthy for short sellers, otherwise we suggest that you stay away.

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