Hot or Not, Stock Market Edition: 10/14/2025

The week is young, but the market’s making power moves. Here’s the lowdown on what’s heating up and what’s cooling down: 

• Hot: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) coasts on several pleasing catalysts; Salesforce (CRM) catches a fresh new wave of attention 
• Not: Both Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Bank of America Corp. (BAC) get downgrades amid a banking industry boondoggle 

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

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🔥 HOT: Salesforce (CRM) is catching a fresh wave of attention from our Zen Ratings system, with a fresh rating upgrade to B (Buy). It was a “cuff season” move aligned with fund Oakmark's big buy — the firm snapped up CRM in Q3, which has supercharged institutional confidence. Despite recently trading near its 52-week low, CRM remains a heavyweight in the world of customer relationship management and enterprise SaaS. Digging into the Component Grades for more insight, you’ll find strong grades for Financials (B) and Sentiment (B). Momentum may not be searing at the moment, but with AI integration heating up across the enterprise cloud, Salesforce remains one of the best-positioned players to ride this theme into 2026 and beyond. 

🥶 NOT: Royal Bank of Canada (RY) is up 7% in the past 3 months, but optimism remains tepid. Sector-wide, diversified banks have struggled with rising rates, tougher regulations, and lackluster growth — a trend reflected in key rankings from our Zen Ratings system, which just downgraded the stock from Hold to Sell. Why? A few reasons. First up, consider the current Diversified Banking Industry Grade of D. More specific to RY, areas of weaknesses show in middling Component Grades in key areas like Value, Growth, and Sentiment — straight Cs, and a straight-up D in Financials. For a big bank, that’s a red flag. 

🔥 HOT: The hits keep coming for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM). Along with several other semiconductor stocks, TSM soared yesterday following a social media post from President Trump that appears to have eased economic concerns and boosted trader confidence in growth stocks. TSM leads the pack, with 50%+ gains in the past year and a Zen Rating that suggests there’s still plenty of runway ahead. Not only is it in the top 10% of stocks we track, with an overall B rating, but its Component Grades reveal several notable areas of strength — a glistening A in Financials, plus a B in Momentum, Sentiment, and from our proprietary AI Factor (here’s how it works — it’s pretty nifty). This momentum, sparkling Financials, and AI tailwinds make the outlook loud and clear. Verdict: Buy—this train is still picking up speed.

🥶 NOT: Bank of America Corp. (BAC) is treading water in what looks like a rough patch for big banks. Sure, there’s some innovation glint — news of blockchain explorations and chatter about a 10% annual earnings increase props up hopes — but skepticism still rules the day. Related: the stock was just downgraded from a (C) Hold to a D (Sell) rating in our Zen Ratings system. BAC’s iffy Component Grades tell the story: Financials, Momentum, Value, and Growth all sit at C or worse, with a D on Growth. The industry itself is also dragging, sporting a D grade that matches the current macro malaise facing US megabanks (Here’s why Industry matters — and how to leverage it). The bottom line? There are better places to park your money while the big banks wait out their doldrums.

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