Best Stocks to Buy Now (December 10, 2025): 8 U.S. Stocks Positioned for an AI‑Driven, Rate‑Cut Era

The U.S. stock market is entering the last stretch of 2025 near record highs. The S&P 500 is up mid‑teens percent for the year and just closed slightly lower as investors wait for the Federal Reserve’s December 9–10 policy decision, with futures still pricing in a high probability of a 25‑basis‑point rate cut. ^[1]

At the same time, the market is more concentrated than ever. J.P. Morgan estimates that AI‑linked companies have delivered roughly 75% of S&P 500 gains, 80% of earnings growth and 90% of capital spending growth since late 2022. ^[2] Oppenheimer now projects the S&P 500 could climb to 8,100 by the end of 2026, about 18% above recent levels, largely on the back of continued earnings growth and AI‑driven productivity. ^[3]

In other words:

AI and big tech are still driving the bus.
A new Fed easing cycle may be starting.
Valuations are rich, so selectivity and diversification matter.

Below is an editorial list of eight U.S.‑listed stocks that look especially interesting right now (as of December 10, 2025) based on fresh news, forecasts, and mainstream analyst research. This is not personal financial advice—use it as a starting point for your own due diligence.

How these “best stocks to buy now” were chosen

To narrow a huge market into a focused list, we looked for stocks that:

Sit in strong long‑term themes
– AI infrastructure and cloud
– Obesity and metabolic health
– Capital markets and financial activity
– Defensive consumer staples and dividend income
Have current positive news or momentum in fundamentals
Examples: earnings beats, raised guidance, major policy or business wins.
Still offer some upside according to reputable research
We cross‑checked against analyst consensus, valuation work and curated lists like Kiplinger’s “Best Stocks to Buy Now”, which currently highlights names such as Goldman Sachs and Vertiv as quality opportunities for 2025–26. ^[4]
Provide diversification
You don’t want eight versions of the same AI trade. This list spans tech, industrials, healthcare, autos, financials and staples.

Again: this is general commentary, not a ready‑made portfolio.

8 Best Stocks to Buy Now in the U.S. Market (as of December 10, 2025)

1. Nvidia (NVDA): AI chip leader with a fresh China catalyst

If 2025 had a mascot, it would probably be Nvidia. The company remains the central hardware supplier for the AI boom, with its GPUs powering everything from hyperscale data centers to AI start‑ups.

What’s new now?

On December 9, President Trump approved exports of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips—its second‑most‑advanced GPU—to selected customers in China, in exchange for a 25% revenue share with the U.S. government. ^[5]
Barron’s reports that UBS estimates resuming such sales could add $5–10 billion in quarterly revenue if the policy holds and China cooperates, though the deal still requires Chinese approval and logistical national‑security checks. ^[6]
JPMorgan and other strategists expect AI infrastructure spending by U.S. tech giants to reach around $500 billion annually by 2026, underscoring how central Nvidia chips are to corporate capex. ^[7]

Why Nvidia still shows up on “best stocks to buy now” lists

Massive demand backdrop: Hyperscalers, cloud providers and enterprises still appear short of compute, with multi‑year backlogs for Nvidia’s data‑center chips.
Policy tailwind: The H200 export deal partly reopens a key market that had been shuttered by export controls, potentially unlocking incremental revenue. ^[8]
Ecosystem lock‑in: Nvidia’s CUDA software stack and developer ecosystem make switching costs high for customers.

Key risks

Valuation is still rich after huge multi‑year gains—any disappointment in AI spending or policy reversal on exports could trigger sharp volatility. ^[9]
The new China policy faces political backlash in Washington and possible pushback from Beijing, so it’s not a guaranteed long‑term win. ^[10]

2. Microsoft (MSFT): Cloud and AI platform with room to run

Microsoft has been less flashy than Nvidia in 2025 but remains one of the best high‑quality ways to play AI.

Recent fundamentals

In its latest reported quarter (fiscal Q1 2026), Microsoft delivered revenue of $77.7 billion (up ~18% year over year) and earnings per share of $4.13, beating analyst estimates. ^[11]
Azure cloud revenue grew about 40% year over year, topping expectations and confirming that AI workloads are still flowing into Microsoft’s cloud. ^[12]
An analyst survey by KeyBanc found 91% of CIOs plan to increase spending with Microsoft for AI, and the bank keeps an Overweight rating with a $630 price target. ^[13]

MarketBeat’s aggregation of 40+ analysts shows a “Moderate Buy” rating and an average 12‑month target around $630, implying mid‑20s percent upside from recent prices near the high $490s. ^[14]

Why it’s on the list

Multiple AI monetization levers: Copilot baked into Office, Windows and GitHub; Azure OpenAI services; and AI‑enhanced Dynamics and security tools.
Balance‑sheet fortress: Strong free cash flow, regular dividends and buybacks. ^[15]
Still reasonable (for mega‑cap) valuation: Forward P/E in the low‑30s is a premium, but not absurd given double‑digit expected earnings growth. ^[16]

Key risks

If Azure growth slows from the current ~40% pace, investors might compress the valuation. ^[17]
Regulatory scrutiny around big‑tech market power and AI usage remains an overhang in both the U.S. and Europe.

3. Alphabet (GOOGL): The AI chip “sleeper” with TPU upside

Alphabet has quietly been one of 2025’s strongest mega‑cap performers, as investors reassess its AI position beyond search and ads.

Recent AI and chip catalysts

Bloomberg estimates Alphabet’s in‑house AI chips—TPUs (tensor processing units)—could represent a $900 billion revenue opportunity over time if the company sells them more broadly rather than restricting them to its own data centers. ^[18]
Reuters reports that Meta Platforms is in talks to spend billions of dollars on Google’s chips starting in 2027, which would make Alphabet a more direct competitor to Nvidia in AI data‑center silicon. ^[19]

Alongside this, Alphabet continues to grow key businesses: Search and YouTube advertising, Google Cloud, and its Gemini AI models, all while trading at a forward earnings multiple near the low‑30s—lower than many AI peers despite strong growth. TechStock²+1

Why Alphabet belongs on a current buy‑list

Multiple growth engines: Ads, cloud, productivity, and now chips.
Improving AI story: TPUs and Gemini help counter the narrative that Alphabet was “late” to generative AI.
Valuation vs growth: Many analysts see Alphabet as one of the more reasonably valued “Magnificent Seven” names given its revenue and earnings trajectory. TechStock²+1

Key risks

Regulatory pressure on search and ads (antitrust, privacy).
Heavy AI infrastructure spending could pressure margins in the short term.

4. Vertiv (VRT): Data‑center “picks and shovels” for the AI build‑out

While Nvidia sells the chips, Vertiv sells the infrastructure that keeps those chips powered and cooled.

Recent numbers

For Q3 2025, Vertiv reported net sales of $2.68 billion, up 29% year over year, driven by surging AI‑linked data‑center demand. ^[20]
Organic sales growth was around 28%, and adjusted EPS jumped more than 60% year over year. ^[21]
Management expects AI‑related data‑center demand to remain strong into 2026, guiding to high‑20s organic revenue growth and highlighting a large order backlog. ^[22]

Kiplinger recently highlighted Vertiv as one of its “Best Stocks to Buy Now”, emphasizing its liquid‑cooling technology, AI‑data‑center exposure and partnership with Nvidia. ^[23]

Why Vertiv stands out

Pure‑play AI infrastructure exposure: Power systems, racks, and advanced cooling for dense AI clusters. ^[24]
Visible growth: Strong backlog and repeat orders from large cloud customers.
Moat: Complex engineering and long‑term contracts make switching vendors costly.

Key risks

The stock has already rerated higher; any slowdown in AI capex or large project delays could hit earnings and the multiple. ^[25]
Vertiv is still an industrial company exposed to supply‑chain, tariff and execution risks.

5. Eli Lilly (LLY): Obesity‑drug powerhouse with trillion‑dollar scale

Obesity and metabolic health are one of the biggest secular themes of this decade, and Eli Lilly sits at the center.

Recent milestones

On November 21, 2025, Lilly became the first drugmaker ever to reach a $1 trillion market value, driven by its GLP‑1 diabetes and weight‑loss drug portfolio (Mounjaro and Zepbound). ^[26]
GLP‑1 drugs generated more than $10 billion in revenue in the latest quarter, over half of Lilly’s total. ^[27]
On December 1, Lilly cut prices on its self‑pay Zepbound vials, lowering the cost of common doses and aiming to broaden access as demand and competition surge. ^[28]

Why investors still like LLY despite a high multiple

Massive addressable market: Tens of millions of U.S. adults meet criteria for obesity or related conditions, and global demand is even larger. ^[29]
Pipeline: An oral obesity drug (orforglipron) targeted for 2026 could expand the market to patients who prefer pills over injections. ^[30]
Execution: Lilly has repeatedly raised guidance as it scales production and wins reimbursement deals.

Key risks

The stock trades at about 50x forward earnings, leaving little room for clinical or commercial missteps. ^[31]
Competition from other GLP‑1 and next‑generation obesity candidates is intensifying, including innovative small‑cap biotechs. TechStock²

6. General Motors (GM): Contrarian value play in the “EV winter”

Pure‑play EV stocks have struggled in 2025, but legacy automakers with profitable combustion and hybrid line‑ups are coming back into favor—and GM is a standout.

Fresh Wall Street upgrade

Over the weekend, Morgan Stanley upgraded GM to Overweight/Buy, raising its target from $54 to $90 per share, citing strong execution, better capital discipline, and a pivot back toward profitable trucks, SUVs and hybrids. ^[32]
GM shares are trading around the mid‑$70s, just under recent 52‑week highs, after a roughly 60% gain over the past six months. ^[33]

Fundamentally, GM delivered:

Q3 adjusted EPS of $2.80, beating analyst expectations, on revenue around $48.6 billion (up high single digits year over year). ^[34]
A large buyback program and resumed dividend, reflecting management’s confidence in cash generation. ^[35]

Why GM can make a “best stocks to buy now” list

Re‑rating story: The market is rewarding automakers that can profitably balance EVs with ICE/hybrid vehicles, rather than chasing volume at any cost. ^[36]
Capital returns: Buybacks plus a modest (but growing) dividend provide shareholder yield. ^[37]
Undervaluation case: Several valuation models still see GM as ~20% undervalued despite the rally. ^[38]

Key risks

Highly cyclical: a U.S. slowdown or spike in unemployment could pressure auto demand.
Execution risk in balancing EV investment with profitability, plus ongoing labor and regulatory complexity.

7. Goldman Sachs (GS): M&A and capital‑markets winner in a friendlier rate world

As the Fed edges toward lower rates, investment banks tend to benefit from stronger deal‑making, IPOs and trading volumes. Goldman Sachs is already seeing it.

Recent news

Goldman’s stock hit fresh all‑time highs in November, with the price climbing above $825 and up nearly 40% over the past year, outpacing the broader market. ^[39]
A Reuters interview on December 9 reports Goldman CFO Denis Coleman expects M&A momentum to remain strong into 2026, with 2025 on track to be the second‑biggest year ever for announced deals. ^[40]

From a shareholder‑return perspective:

GS offers a forward dividend yield around 1.8–1.9%, with double‑digit dividend growth and 14 consecutive years of increases. ^[41]
It trades at a P/E around the high‑teens, above its recent average but still below many tech leaders. ^[42]

Kiplinger’s best‑stocks list flags Goldman as a beneficiary of rising IPO and deal activity, with a still‑reasonable valuation and growing wealth‑management business. ^[43]

Why GS is interesting now

Leverage to a rate‑cut environment: A gentler Fed supports equity issuance, credit markets and risk appetite.
High‑quality franchise: Top‑tier position in M&A, trading and asset/wealth management. ^[44]
Shareholder‑friendly: Dividends plus buybacks funded by robust free cash flow.

Key risks

A sharp recession or credit shock (for example, from over‑leveraged AI or commercial real estate bets) could hurt profits.
Regulatory and political scrutiny of large banks remains a constant.

8. Campbell’s / The Campbell’s Company (CPB): Boring, cheap, and paying you 5%+

After a year dominated by trillion‑dollar AI and obesity‑drug stories, a canned‑soup company might seem dull. That’s the point.

What’s happening with Campbell’s now

Morningstar and other value‑oriented researchers currently list Campbell’s among the most undervalued consumer‑defensive stocks, estimating the shares trade at roughly a 40–50% discount to fair value (around $60 per share). ^[45]
The stock has slumped to new 52‑week lows in the high‑$20s, with a beta near zero (or slightly negative) versus the broader market. ^[46]
Over the past week, Campbell’s announced another $0.39 quarterly dividend, which implies a forward yield around 5.2–5.5% at current prices—much higher than both the S&P 500 average and the 10‑year Treasury yield. ^[47]

On December 9, Reuters noted Campbell’s was one of the biggest S&P 500 losers after the company raised some prices to offset higher costs, which rattled investors and added to the pullback. ^[48]

Why CPB can make sense in a 2025 portfolio

Defensive ballast: Low beta plus staple products (soup, snacks) that tend to be resilient in recessions or risk‑off periods. ^[49]
Income: A mid‑single‑digit dividend yield that has been maintained or grown for decades, supported by steady free cash flow. ^[50]
Contrarian value: Being on multiple “undervalued” and “best value stocks” screens while sentiment is deeply negative is often exactly when long‑term investors start paying attention. ^[51]

Key risks

Growth is modest, and management needs to execute on product innovation and cost control to avoid becoming a classic “value trap.”
Shifts in consumer preferences (including healthier eating or GLP‑1‑driven weight‑loss trends) could pressure some categories over time. ^[52]

How to actually use a “best stocks to buy now” list

A list like this is not a signal to buy all eight tickers at once. Instead, think of it as a menu of ideas that map to big themes:

AI core and platforms:
Nvidia, Microsoft, Alphabet, Vertiv
Health and demographics:
Eli Lilly
Rate‑cut and reflation beneficiaries:
General Motors, Goldman Sachs
Defensive income and value:
Campbell’s

A few practical guidelines:

Start with your asset allocation
Decide how much of your portfolio belongs in stocks vs. bonds/cash in the first place. A list of high‑conviction stocks won’t help if your overall risk level is wrong for your situation.
Diversify across themes and sectors
Even if you love AI, resist the urge to overload on only Nvidia or cloud giants. Blending AI infrastructure, healthcare, financials and defensives can make the ride smoother.
Size positions realistically
Concentrated bets in volatile names (like Nvidia) can be powerful—but also painful. Consider capping single‑stock positions to a small percentage of your portfolio unless you truly accept the risk.
Use dollar‑cost averaging
With markets near highs and a Fed decision pending, spreading purchases over weeks or months can reduce the chance you buy everything at a short‑term top.
Consider ETFs if stock‑picking feels daunting
There are diversified ETFs focusing on AI, semiconductors, dividend payers, and value stocks that can give you exposure to these themes without single‑stock risk. Recent research highlights several undervalued sector ETFs as the market heads into 2026. ^[53]

Final word (and important disclaimer)

As of December 10, 2025, the U.S. market is balancing two competing forces:

An AI and mega‑cap boom that has already produced huge gains, and
A looming rate‑cut cycle and broadening economic strength that could keep the bull market alive.