Top Stocks to Buy Today (Dec. 24, 2025): Nvidia, Amazon, Meta, Reddit, Rocket Lab and More as the S&P 500 Nears 7,000

Top Stocks to Buy Today (Dec. 24, 2025): Nvidia, Amazon, Meta, Reddit, Rocket Lab and More as the S&P 500 Nears 7,000

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks are heading into Christmas Eve trading with a familiar tailwind: big-tech strength, a fresh record close for the S&P 500, and renewed talk of a “Santa Claus rally” as markets head into the final stretch of 2025. The setup comes with one important wrinkle for investors: today is a shortened session, with the NYSE and Nasdaq closing at 1:00 p.m. ET. [1]

That early close matters because holiday trading tends to amplify two things at once: price sensitivity (moves can look bigger in thin liquidity) and headline-driven volatility (single notes or catalysts can move names quickly). Barron’s flagged unusually light volume into the holiday window even as the index pushed higher. [2]

Below is a Google News–style, news-driven list of stock ideas based on the major U.S. market stories, analyst calls, and company catalysts circulating today (24.12.2025)—with a focus on liquid, widely covered names where investors have fresh forecasts, price targets, or clear near-term narratives to evaluate.


Market backdrop on Dec. 24, 2025: record highs, thin liquidity, mixed macro signals

  • The S&P 500 just logged another record close, and coverage today is already framing the next psychological milestone: 7,000. [3]
  • Trading hours: U.S. equities close early at 1:00 p.m. ET today; the bond market recommendation is a 2:00 p.m. ET close. [4]
  • Economic growth vs. rate-cut expectations: The U.S. posted 4.3% annualized GDP growth in Q3 2025 (initial estimate), a headline that helped power the “risk-on” tone—but also complicates the interest-rate narrative because stronger growth can reduce urgency for aggressive cuts. [5]
  • Consumer confidence softened: The Conference Board’s index fell to 89.1, reflecting concerns about jobs, income, inflation, and tariffs—an important counterweight to the bullish GDP print. [6]
  • 2026 expectations are shifting: One widely shared view today is that 2026 could be “more normal” (lower returns than the past few years), with leadership potentially broadening beyond mega-cap tech toward industrials, transportation, and financials. [7]

That combination—record highs + low volume + mixed macro—is exactly why today’s “top stocks to buy” list needs to be built around specific catalysts and clearly stated forecasts, not vague optimism.


Top stocks to buy today: news-driven picks with fresh catalysts and analyst commentary

1) Nvidia (NVDA): AI bellwether with renewed “buy signal” attention into year-end

Nvidia remains the headline AI stock, and today’s market coverage is explicit: it’s one of the names flashing buy signals as the broader index presses to new highs. [8]

Why it’s on today’s buy list

  • Nvidia continues to sit at the center of the “AI infrastructure” trade that’s moving the Nasdaq and the S&P 500. Barron’s market recap again highlighted Nvidia among the leaders as the index approached 7,000. [9]

What to watch

  • Risk management matters: in holiday trading, spreads can widen and price swings can be exaggerated. If you’re entering or adding, this is a day where limit orders and position sizing matter more than usual.

2) Alphabet (GOOGL): buy-trigger chatter + AI monetization narrative

Alphabet shows up today not just as “mega-cap tech,” but as a specific name that market coverage says is triggering buy attention (and being closely tracked by momentum investors). [10]

Why it’s on today’s buy list

  • The market story right now is that leadership remains concentrated in a handful of large tech stocks even as breadth looks weaker—Alphabet is one of the names explicitly cited as driving that dynamic. [11]

Key risk

  • Alphabet’s story is increasingly tied to the balance between AI spending and AI monetization. As 2026 approaches, the market is watching whether profit narratives keep up with capex narratives—an issue strategists are already flagging broadly for mega-cap tech. [12]

3) Amazon (AMZN): Wall Street keeps pointing to “$300,” even while the stock looks stuck

Amazon is back in focus today because it’s appearing in the same leadership basket (alongside Nvidia and Alphabet) in market coverage, while analysis pieces highlight a persistent analyst theme: many on Wall Street still see a path to ~$300. [13]

Why it’s on today’s buy list

  • Today’s analysis argues the “stuck” price action may be masking improving longer-term expectations, citing multiple firms that reiterate bullish targets around the $300 level. [14]

How to think about it

  • If you’re looking for a mega-cap that isn’t purely a “GPU trade,” Amazon offers a two-engine narrative: cloud + commerce, with AI increasingly embedded across both.

4) Meta Platforms (META): “opportunistic buyers” call + fresh price target

Meta gets a clear, direct “buy-the-dip” style message today from a major analyst: Baird reiterated Outperform and encouraged investors to be “opportunistic buyers” into the new year, even while trimming the price target slightly to $815. [15]

Why it’s on today’s buy list

  • The call is notable because it frames Meta’s recent pullback as potentially sentiment-driven rather than thesis-breaking, and it quantifies upside: Baird’s target implied about 23% upside from the cited price level in the report. [16]

What’s the bear case (also in today’s coverage)

  • Margin pressure, heavy AI infrastructure spending, and competitive heat (including TikTok) remain part of the story—and are exactly why this is showing up as an “opportunistic” buy rather than a consensus “no-brainer.” [17]

5) Reddit (RDDT): AI licensing revenue + top-pick vibes + a $300 target

Reddit has one of the most concrete “today” catalysts in the entire list: a fresh Barron’s piece says the stock is “ready to run again,” and highlights a strong analyst stance—Needham maintains a Buy rating with a $300 price target. [18]

Why it’s on today’s buy list

  • The bull case described today is unusually specific:
    • Reddit’s human-generated content has become valuable for AI model training, and the company is said to be making over $100 million per year from AI licensing (with room to expand). [19]
    • User scale and engagement continue to rise, with the report citing 116 million daily active users. [20]
    • The piece frames monetization upside (ads + new features like Reddit Answers) as the next lever. [21]

Key risk

  • Valuation: high-growth stories can correct sharply if growth slows or if ad markets weaken.

6) Rocket Lab (RKLB): defense contract momentum + raised price target

Rocket Lab is one of the clearest “analysts are leaning in” stories dated today. Barron’s reports the stock has surged through December and that Needham raised its price target to $90 while reiterating a Buy rating. [22]

Why it’s on today’s buy list

  • The catalyst is tangible: Rocket Lab recently won an $816 million award from the U.S. Space Development Agency to build missile-defense satellites, pushing its space systems backlog (as cited) to about $1.4 billion. [23]
  • The “second leg” of the story is launches plus the development of the larger Neutron rocket—positioning Rocket Lab as a credible alternative supplier as demand expands. [24]

Key risk

  • Space and defense programs can be lumpy; timelines and execution risk are real, especially for newer platforms.

7) Marvell Technology (MRVL): a standout gainer as AI “plumbing” stays bid

If the market mood is “AI bigwigs still lead,” Marvell fits the theme as a less-hyped—but still widely traded—way to play AI infrastructure. Today’s market recap highlights Marvell as a major Nasdaq gainer, up 3.4% in the session referenced. [25]

Why it’s on today’s buy list

  • Marvell is part of the enabling layer of AI data centers (connectivity and infrastructure silicon), and today’s tape action again shows money rotating into the broader chip complex as the Nasdaq climbs. [26]

Key risk

  • Semiconductor stocks can whipsaw on capex cycles and customer concentration.

8) Microchip Technology (MCHP): Citi’s “left-field” top semiconductor pick for 2026

Not every semiconductor story is “more AI GPUs.” Today’s coverage highlights Citi naming Microchip Technology as its top semiconductor pick, specifically as a bet on a 2026 recovery in analog semiconductors. [27]

Why it’s on today’s buy list

  • The thesis: analog could rebound on low inventories and depressed margins, with Microchip positioned for meaningful estimate revisions if the cycle turns. [28]

Key risk

  • If the analog recovery takes longer than expected—or if macro demand cools—cyclical chip names can lag.

9) Tesla (TSLA): nearing $500, but today’s analysis makes it a “high conviction / high risk” call

Tesla lands on the list because today’s coverage puts real numbers behind the current narrative: the stock is flirting with $500, but the driver isn’t classic EV fundamentals—it’s the market’s focus on robo-taxis and AI.

Barron’s notes Tesla hit an intraday high near $499 before closing around $489 (in the cited session), while also pointing out analysts projecting a robo-taxi rollout and publishing targets as high as $600 (Dan Ives) and $551 (George Gianarikas). [29]

Why it’s on today’s buy list

  • The “option value” argument: investors are pricing Tesla as an AI/autonomy platform as much as an automaker.

Why it’s risky

  • The same report highlights concerns: EV sales are projected at fewer than 1.7 million for 2025, and the stock’s valuation is described as extremely rich (including a cited multiple on 2026 earnings). [30]

For many investors, Tesla is less a “core buy” and more a tactical, volatility-tolerant position—especially in a holiday week.


A “controversial buy” worth watching today: ServiceNow (NOW)

ServiceNow is on the radar today after announcing it will buy Israeli cybersecurity firm Armis for $7.75 billion in cash, a deal that spooked the stock (down about 3% in the coverage) and raised questions about acquisition pace. [31]

Why it can belong on a buy list today

  • If you believe enterprise software winners will use M&A to deepen platform value (especially around security and operational technology), this is the kind of headline that can create opportunity—but only if integration risk is priced in.

Why it might not

  • The same coverage notes ServiceNow’s weaker 2025 performance and investor caution about dealmaking cadence. [32]

How to trade or invest today: practical guidance for a shortened Christmas Eve session

Because today’s session ends early, a few tactical rules matter more than usual:

  1. Use limit orders. Liquidity is thinner; market orders can slip. [33]
  2. Don’t confuse low-volume moves for “new trends.” Holiday tape can exaggerate. [34]
  3. Know the schedule. NYSE/Nasdaq close at 1 p.m. ET today; markets are closed on Dec. 25 and reopen Dec. 26. [35]
  4. Anchor picks to catalysts, not vibes. The strongest names on this list are those with fresh price targets, contract wins, or explicit analyst commentary dated today.

Bottom line

On Dec. 24, 2025, the U.S. market narrative is straightforward: indexes near all-time highs, AI leadership still dominant, and investors positioning for the final days of the year—but in an environment where 2026 expectations are increasingly about broader leadership and more “normal” returns. [36]

That’s why today’s best “top stocks to buy” candidates lean heavily on well-defined stories:

  • AI leaders with technical momentum (NVDA, GOOGL)
  • Mega-cap platforms with durable monetization engines (AMZN, META)
  • AI-adjacent breakout growth with specific catalysts (RDDT, RKLB)
  • Semis beyond the headline GPU trade (MRVL, MCHP)
  • High-volatility narrative vehicles for risk-tolerant investors (TSLA)

Important note: This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. Stocks can move sharply—especially in holiday trading—and analyst targets are not guarantees.

References

1. www.nyse.com, 2. www.barrons.com, 3. www.barrons.com, 4. www.nyse.com, 5. www.bea.gov, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. www.investopedia.com, 8. www.investors.com, 9. www.barrons.com, 10. www.investors.com, 11. www.investors.com, 12. www.investopedia.com, 13. www.investors.com, 14. www.investing.com, 15. www.barrons.com, 16. www.barrons.com, 17. www.barrons.com, 18. www.barrons.com, 19. www.barrons.com, 20. www.barrons.com, 21. www.barrons.com, 22. www.barrons.com, 23. www.barrons.com, 24. www.barrons.com, 25. www.nasdaq.com, 26. www.nasdaq.com, 27. www.investors.com, 28. www.investors.com, 29. www.barrons.com, 30. www.barrons.com, 31. www.investors.com, 32. www.investors.com, 33. www.barrons.com, 34. www.barrons.com, 35. www.nyse.com, 36. www.barrons.com

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