Hot or Not, Stock Market Edition: 12/23/2025

Happy Eve of Christmas Eve, to all those celebrating! We’ve got 4 stocks total today — 2 are on Santa’s nice list, and 2 are decidedly naughty. Are you holding any? 

• Hot: IMAX (IMAX) rallies on upgrade; Kinross Gold (KGC) surges
• Not: C3.AI (AI) slips; Plug Power (PLUG) struggles

P.S. Speaking of hot, check out our latest stock of the week — a high-potential beneficiary of the continued “gold rush” in the market. Get the ticker here. 

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🔥 HOT: Well, hello. IMAX Corporation (IMAX) is riding high with shares trading 28% above their 200-day average and 7% above their 50-day line. The catalyst? JP Morgan just upgraded IMAX, giving the stock a meaningful vote of confidence from Wall Street's heavyweights. Wells Fargo is also maintaining its overweight stance, and the company's recent Investor Day presentation laid out ambitious mid-term guidance that sparked a rally. IMAX now earns an A (Strong Buy) Zen Rating, landing in the 97.99th percentile of stocks we track. The stock scores B grades for Growth, Sentiment, Safety, and Financials, with a C for Value and Momentum. That's a well-rounded profile for a company capitalizing on the theatrical experience renaissance. With analyst upgrades stacking up and the company charting a clear path forward, IMAX looks poised for further gains. 

🥶 NOT: Let’s be real: Plug Power (PLUG) is barely clinging to relevance. Despite a roughly 15% jump in the past month, PLUG has been a chronic underperformer, burning cash and struggling to translate its clean energy vision into sustainable profits. The fundamentals are grim. PLUG earns an F (Strong Sell) rating from WallStreetZen, ranking in the 4.89th percentile of stocks we track. The stock scores F grades for Sentiment (0.23rd percentile—dead last) and Financials, with D grades for Value and AI. While Growth (C) and Momentum (C) offer faint hope, the company's ongoing profitability challenges and razor-thin cash runway have investors heading for the exits. Recent analyst commentary acknowledges Plug Power has "bought time, not conviction" by reducing cash burn and improving margins, but the market demands more than incremental progress—it wants a clear path to profitability, and PLUG hasn't delivered.

🔥 HOT: Yowza! Until recently, Kinross Gold (KGC) was part of the Zen Investor portfolio — but Editor in Chief Steve Reitmeister recently suggested locking in gains at 140%. Hey, you never go broke taking profits — but did we sell too soon? The stock remains on a mighty uptrend; it’s up 11% in the past month alone. Multiple catalysts are converging: 1) Bullish analyst sentiment — see what Wall Street’s best are saying here. 2) A great Zen Rating — KGC now earns an A (Strong Buy) rating, ranking in the top 5% of stocks we track based on a 115-factor review. 3) Strong Component Grades: The stock boasts an A grade for Momentum and Financials (99.62nd percentile—nearly perfect), with B grades for Value and Sentiment. With gold prices elevated amid global uncertainty and Kinross executing well operationally, this miner is in the sweet spot. The combination of strong financials, analyst backing, and precious metals tailwinds makes KGC a compelling play in the gold space. 

🥶 NOT: The AI revolution is firing, but C3.AI (AI) looks to be stuck at a red light. The enterprise AI software company has been grinding lower for months as investors question the company's path to profitability. Even with recent improvements in AI subscription revenues and a strong cash position highlighted in analyst reports, the market remains skeptical. Conservative guidance and unresolved profitability concerns continue to weigh on sentiment, and the company's high valuation relative to fundamentals makes it a tough sell in a risk-off environment. But the bottom line is that AI earns an F (Strong Sell) Zen Rating, languishing in the bottom 5% of stocks we track. The stock scores D grades for Value, Growth, Momentum, and Financials, with only Sentiment (C) and Safety (C) providing any cushion. Despite the hot sector, C3.AI has failed to demonstrate a clear path to sustained profitability and revenue acceleration — it may be smart to put your money elsewhere. 

What to Do Next?

• 77 Best Stocks NOW! >
• See All “A” Rated Stocks with +32.52% Average Annual Return >
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