
‘Party Like It's 1999,' Says BTIG as PLTR, MSTR, and Others Fuel Nasdaq Rally
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This remarkable strength in the Nasdaq 100 has also led to gains in the Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ), which tracks the index. As a result, the ETF is now the fifth-largest in the world by assets and has jumped by 17% since June, bringing its total year-to-date return to 10%. Despite uncertainty in the broader market, this surge shows that investors still have a lot of confidence in large tech and growth stocks, which make up a big portion of the index.
Therefore, many of the biggest winners in the Nasdaq 100 this year also come from the tech sector. In fact, leading the pack is Palantir Technologies (PLTR), which is up 102% so far in 2025. Other strong performers include Zscaler (ZS) (+59.7%), KLA Corp (KLAC) (+49.8%), and Strategy (MSTR) (+48.3%). In addition, well-known names like DoorDash (DASH), Constellation Energy (CEG), Lam Research (LRCX), CrowdStrike (CRWD), MercadoLibre (MELI), and Netflix (NFLX) round out the top 10 with increases of more than 37% this year.
Is QQQ Stock a Good Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on QQQ stock based on 92 Buys, nine Holds, and zero Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average QQQ price target of $603.33 per share implies 6.8% upside potential.

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44 minutes ago
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Positive Earnings Results Lift Stocks
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Our exclusive Barchart Brief newsletter is your FREE midday guide to what's moving stocks, sectors, and investor sentiment - delivered right when you need the info most. Subscribe today! On the negative side, Intel is down more than -9% to lead semiconductor stocks lower after reporting an unexpected Q2 loss of -10 cents a share, weaker than expectations of a +1 cent profit, and said it will reduce capital expenditures and cut staff by 15% by the end of the year. Also, Charter Communications is down more than -13% after reporting Q2 EPS below consensus. Today's US economic news was negative for stocks after Jun capital goods new orders nondefense ex-aircraft & parts unexpectedly fell -0.7% m/m, weaker than expectations of a +0.1% m/m increase. The markets are awaiting President Trump's August 1 deadline for trade deals to avoid high tariffs. 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4 hours ago
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Piper Sandler Says These 2 Stocks Are Top Picks for the Second Half of 2025
There's no magic formula for picking winning stocks, but having the right guide can make all the difference. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. That's where Wall Street's analysts come in. With a front-row seat to market movements and company performance, these pros make it their business to spot standout opportunities. And now, with 2025 beyond the halfway mark, it's the perfect moment to check in on the names they're backing for the rest of the year. Watching the current mid-year situation for Piper Sandler, analyst Jason Bednar lays out the attributes he's looking for in top-pick stocks, writing: 'Key themes across our top names include confidence we have in management's execution against guidance and Street estimates for the coming quarters, balance sheet flexibility that is good and/or improving, and risk/reward that skews favorably based on a combination of catalysts and valuation on shares.' With this in mind, we dug into the TipRanks database to get the broader Wall Street take on two of his top picks, and both are rated Buy, with the potential for double-digit gains. Let's break down the names, the numbers, and what makes them stand out. STERIS (STE) First up on our list, STERIS, is a medical technology (medtech) company. STERIS was founded in 1985 and is based in Ohio; the company got its start specializing in low-temperature liquid sterilization of surgical instruments. Today, the company is a global leader in infection prevention, offering a line of products and services designed to support patient care for a better medical outcome. To achieve that goal, STERIS offers a diverse array of products, including medical consumables such as detergents, endoscopy accessories, and barrier devices. On the service side, the company can install and maintain medical equipment, provide sterilization for medical devices, repair medical instruments and scopes, and provide lab testing. Finally, STERIS can also provide its customers with larger-scale capital equipment, such as surgical tables, automated endoscope reprocessors, and even integrated connectivity solutions for today's high-tech operating rooms. STERIS offers its products under several categories, and reports its revenue under the categories Healthcare, Applied Sterilization Technologies (AST), and Life Sciences. The largest of these is Healthcare, which accounted for approximately 73% of the company's total revenue in its last reported quarter. That quarter was fiscal 4Q25 (March quarter), for which STERIS reported $1.5 billion in total revenue. This was up 4% year-over-year and beat the forecast by $30 million. At the bottom line, STERIS realized a quarterly adjusted net income of $2.74 per diluted share, a figure that was 14 cents above expectations. The company's free cash flow rose year-over-year, from $620.3 million to $787.2 million in the current report. Checking in with Piper Sandler, we find that analyst Bednar wastes no time in explaining why this stock made his list. Bednar writes, 'Why is it a top idea? STE is a model of consistency, posting MSD+ top-line and HSD/LDD bottom-line growth in six of the past seven years, underpinned by healthy end markets, disciplined capital allocation and a focus on lean operations. For medtech investors, that's a model deserving of a premium valuation. Growth in the high-margin AST segment has improved sequentially for six consecutive quarters, and the segment growth outlook has gotten cleaner of late… Balance sheet leverage is as light as it's been in several years (~1.3x net leverage), and this Board/mgmt team have a bias to accretive M&A.' Based on this stance, Bednar rates STE shares as Overweight (i.e., Buy), with a $280 price target to suggest a one-year upside potential of 24%. (To watch Bednar's track record, click here) The consensus rating here is a Moderate Buy, based on 5 Buy and 2 Hold ratings. Meanwhile, the $270.33 average target price indicates room for an upside of 20% by this time next year. (See STE stock forecast) Merit Medical Systems (MMSI) The second stock we're looking at here is another medtech, Merit Medical Systems. This firm, based in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, Utah, is known as a developer, manufacturer, and distributor of medical devices, particularly devices used in interventional, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures. Merit Medical's product lines feature proprietary designs, and are intended to be disposable; they are most often used in the fields of cardiology, radiology, oncology, critical care, and endoscopy. Merit Medical has a global footprint, with some 7,300 employees, including an international team of marketers and clinical support that totals more than 800. The company is recognized as a global leader in disposable medical tools. The company boasts a market cap of $5 billion. Earlier this month, Merit suffered a sharp blow to its stock price, falling as much as 10% on July 16, after a regulatory disclosure. That disclosure involved a warning letter from the FDA, regarding issues of quality control at one of the company's manufacturing facilities. These types of warnings are not uncommon from regulators, but in this case, the timing is a problem – Merit is currently expanding its product lines, and a warning letter of this type may have a stronger impact than usual. The company has already stated that it is working in concert with the FDA to address the issues raised in the letter. Looking at Merit's product lines, we find that the company has its hands in a wide range of categories. To give a small list: the company produces hemostasis accessories, dialysis equipment, safety kits, infusion systems, pulmonary stents, GI dilation balloons, and blood sampling devices. The company also provides educational resources, including on-demand courses and recorded webinars, to provide tutorials on its various equipment lines and products. We can also note that on May 6 this year, Merit announced its latest regulatory approval, with Health Canada's approval of Merit's Wrapsody Cell-Impermeable Endoprosthesis. The company is also undergoing a leadership change, and current CEO Fred Lampropoulos will be stepping down in October. His place will be taken by Martha Aronson, effective on October 3. Mr. Lampropoulos will remain as Chairman of the Board. Merit's last quarterly report covered 1Q25, and in that quarter the company had revenues of $355.4 million. This was up 10% year-over-year and beat the forecast by $2.8 million. The non-GAAP EPS figure, of 86 cents, beat expectations by 11 cents per share. Checking in again with Piper Sandler's Bednar, we see the analyst weighing various pros and cons here, writing, 'MMSI has demonstrated durable and consistent growth and management has been superb in managing investor expectations over the past 4+ years… Management already positively pre-announced 2Q and detailed CEO transitions plans, but we also see an EPS beat and guidance raise as being in order. The WRAPSODY reimbursement strategy will be a focal point after failing to secure TPT on management's previously announced timeline, but we're optimistic the developments to date will result in this being more of a short delay for securing TPT.' Summing up, Bednar sees this medtech as a solid choice, and advises investors to buy in, saying of MMSI, 'Longer-term, we believe an extension of what's been a solid execution story should keep MMSI one of the premium mid-cap assets in medtech.' These comments are complemented by an Overweight (i.e., Buy) rating, and a price target which, at $110, points toward a one-year gain of 29%. This stock has earned a Strong Buy from the Street's analysts, a consensus based on 10 recent reviews that split 9 to 1 in favor of Buy over Hold. The shares are currently trading for $85.06 and the average price target of $108.80 implies the stock will gain 28% in the next 12 months. (See MMSI stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Sign in to access your portfolio
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4 hours ago
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S&P Futures Gain on Cautious Optimism Over Trade Deals
September S&P 500 E-Mini futures (ESU25) are trending up +0.13% this morning as investors remain cautiously optimistic that the U.S. may strike more trade deals ahead of President Donald Trump's August 1st deadline. The European Union and the U.S. are reportedly close to finalizing a trade agreement that would place 15% tariffs on most imports from the bloc. President Trump hinted at the potential deal on Thursday, stating, 'We're in the process of probably making a very good deal with [the EU] too. They want to make a deal very badly.' In addition, Mr. Trump said that trade partners with the U.S. could reduce tariff rates set to take effect next week by reaching agreements similar to the one secured with Japan. More News from Barchart 2 Recession-Proof Dividend Stocks to Buy for the Second Half of 2025 UnitedHealth Stock Spirals Lower Again. Don't Buy the Dip. This Self-Driving Car Stock Is Surging on a Major Nvidia Boost Get exclusive insights with the FREE Barchart Brief newsletter. Subscribe now for quick, incisive midday market analysis you won't find anywhere else. In yesterday's trading session, Wall Street's major indices closed mixed. Alphabet (GOOGL) rose over +1% after the Google parent reported stronger-than-expected Q2 results, boosted by demand for AI products. Also, West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) jumped more than +22% and was the top percentage gainer on the S&P 500 after the maker of injectable medicines posted upbeat Q2 results and raised its full-year guidance. In addition, T-Mobile US (TMUS) climbed over +5% and was the top percentage gainer on the Nasdaq 100 after the company reported better-than-expected Q2 results and boosted its full-year guidance for postpaid net customer additions. On the bearish side, Tesla (TSLA) slumped more than -8% and was the top percentage loser on the Nasdaq 100 after CEO Elon Musk cautioned about tough times ahead for the company as incentives such as the EV tax credit phase out in the U.S. The Labor Department's report on Thursday showed that the number of Americans filing for initial jobless claims in the past week unexpectedly fell -4K to a 3-month low of 217K, compared with the 227K expected. Also, the U.S. July S&P Global services PMI climbed to 55.2, stronger than expectations of 53.0. At the same time, the U.S. S&P Global manufacturing PMI fell to 49.5 in July, weaker than expectations of 52.7. In addition, U.S. June new home sales rose +0.6% m/m to 627K, weaker than expectations of 649K. 'There are still few signs of major cracks in the labor market,' said Chris Larkin at E*Trade from Morgan Stanley. 'And if that picture remains intact, the Fed has one less reason to cut interest rates.' U.S. rate futures have priced in a 97.4% chance of no rate change and a 2.6% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut at the upcoming monetary policy meeting. Also, expectations for rate cuts later this year were trimmed to less than two following the jobless claims data. Meanwhile, President Trump clashed with Fed Chair Jerome Powell during a rare presidential visit to the U.S. central bank on Thursday, criticizing the expenses tied to renovating two historic buildings at its headquarters and reiterating his push for lower interest rates. Today, investors will focus on U.S. Durable Goods Orders and Core Durable Goods Orders data, set to be released in a couple of hours. Economists expect June Durable Goods Orders to plunge -10.4% m/m and Core Durable Goods Orders to edge up +0.1% m/m, compared to the prior figures of +16.4% m/m and +0.5% m/m, respectively. On the earnings front, notable companies like HCA Healthcare (HCA), Charter Communications (CHTR), Natwest Group (NWG), and Phillips 66 (PSX) are set to report their quarterly figures today. According to Bloomberg Intelligence, companies in the S&P 500 are expected to post an average +3.2% increase in quarterly earnings for Q2 compared to the previous year, slightly above the pre-season forecast of +2.8%. In the bond market, the yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note is at 4.421%, up +0.29%. The Euro Stoxx 50 Index is down -0.35% this morning as investors digest disappointing corporate earnings reports and await updates on EU-U.S. trade negotiations before U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff deadline next week. Financial and mining stocks led the declines on Friday. The benchmark index is on track to notch a weekly loss. A survey released on Friday showed that German business sentiment improved less than expected in July, as firms expressed greater satisfaction with current business conditions. Separately, data showed that Britain's monthly retail sales partially rebounded in June, providing a glimmer of optimism for the struggling economy. In addition, European Central Bank data showed that bank lending in the Eurozone expanded at the quickest pace in two years in June, continuing a steady recovery driven by lower borrowing costs and a stabilization in the economy. Investor focus remains on whether the European Union will be able to finalize a trade deal with the U.S. ahead of Trump's August 1st deadline. Reports emerged earlier this week that the EU and the U.S. are making headway on a deal that would impose a 15% tariff on most EU imports. Trump hinted at a possible agreement with the EU on Thursday, stating, 'We're in the process of probably making a very good deal with [the EU] too. They want to make a deal very badly.' Meanwhile, an ECB poll showed on Friday that Eurozone companies are contending with a slowing economy and heightened competition from China as U.S. tariffs dampen confidence and push competitors to explore new markets. In corporate news, Puma Se ( plunged over -15% after the German sportswear brand slashed its full-year guidance. Also, Valeo ( slid more than -7% after the French car parts supplier lowered its annual sales forecast. U.K. Retail Sales, U.K. Core Retail Sales, France's Consumer Confidence, and Germany's Ifo Business Climate Index were released today. U.K. June Retail Sales rose +0.9% m/m and +1.7% y/y, weaker than expectations of +1.2% m/m and +1.8% y/y. U.K. June Core Retail Sales rose +0.6% m/m and +1.8% y/y, weaker than expectations of +1.2% m/m and +2.0% y/y. The French July Consumer Confidence came in at 89, stronger than expectations of 88. The German July Ifo Business Climate Index stood at 88.6, weaker than expectations of 89.0. Asian stock markets today closed in the red. China's Shanghai Composite Index (SHCOMP) closed down -0.33%, and Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Index (NIK) closed down -0.88%. China's Shanghai Composite Index ended lower today, pausing its recent rally, as investors took profit ahead of the closely watched Politburo meeting and a new round of U.S.-China trade talks next week. Liquor and consumer stocks led the declines on Friday. Despite the day's pullback, the benchmark index logged its fifth straight weekly gain, marking its longest winning streak since the rally that began in February 2024. Chinese stocks have been climbing in recent weeks, as sentiment was boosted by Beijing's measures to rein in excessive competition and overcapacity, as well as signs of improving U.S.-China trade relations. Meanwhile, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng is set to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Stockholm next week for a new round of economic and trade talks. Mr. Bessent reiterated on Thursday that trade with China is in a 'good place' and that Washington is now positioned to begin discussions with Beijing on rebalancing the Chinese economy. Investors are also looking to the country's Politburo meeting next week, where policymakers will deliberate on economic policies for the second half of the year. Ahead of these key events, investors will parse China's industrial profits data for June, due this weekend, for clues on how domestic firms are navigating ongoing trade uncertainty. In corporate news, Lingbao Gold Group Co. climbed over +5% in Hong Kong after the gold mining group projected a jump in first-half profits. Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Index ended lower today as some investors took profit following a strong two-day rally triggered by the country's trade agreement with the U.S. Chip and chemical stocks led the declines on Friday. Still, the benchmark index posted strong weekly gains. Data released on Friday showed that core consumer inflation in Tokyo eased in July but remained high enough to keep the Bank of Japan's normalization on track. Separately, BOJ data showed that a key gauge of Japan's service-sector inflation slowed in June but also remained elevated. In addition, data from the Cabinet Office showed that Japan's May leading economic indicators index, which gauges the economic outlook for a few months ahead based on data such as job offers and consumer sentiment, was revised downward. Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Friday that the U.S.-Japan trade agreement paves the way for the BOJ to potentially hike interest rates again this year, a move the central bank may begin signaling by presenting a less gloomy view on the economic outlook in its quarterly report at next week's policy meeting. In other news, overseas investors purchased a net 571.9 billion yen ($3.88 billion) of Japanese equities in the week ended July 19th, marking a fourth consecutive week of inflows, supported by a softer yen and a rally in AI-related tech stocks, despite rising concerns ahead of the upper house election. In corporate news, Mitsubishi Motors slumped over -7% after the automaker posted an 84% drop in Q1 operating profit. The Nikkei Volatility Index, which takes into account the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, closed down -4.03% to 22.17. The Japanese July Tokyo Core CPI rose +2.9% y/y, weaker than expectations of +3.0% y/y. The Japanese June Corporate Services Price Index rose +3.2% y/y, in line with expectations. The Japanese May Leading Index came in at 104.8, weaker than expectations of 105.3. Pre-Market U.S. Stock Movers Intel (INTC) slumped over -5% in pre-market trading after the chipmaker posted an unexpected quarterly loss and issued below-consensus Q3 adjusted EPS guidance. Deckers Outdoor (DECK) surged nearly +12% in pre-market trading after the company posted upbeat FQ1 results and provided solid FQ2 EPS guidance. Newmont Goldcorp (NEM) rose more than +1% in pre-market trading after the gold miner reported stronger-than-expected Q2 results. You can see more pre-market stock movers here Today's U.S. Earnings Spotlight: Friday - July 25th HCA Healthcare (HCA), Aon (AON), Charter Communications (CHTR), Natwest Group (NWG), Phillips 66 (PSX), Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), Centene (CNC), Saia (SAIA), AutoNation (AN), OneMain Holdings (OMF), Moog (MOGa), Lear (LEA), Gentex (GNTX), Flagstar Financial (FLG), Sensient Technologies (SXT), Portland General Electric (POR), First Hawaiian (FHB), Trinet Grou (TNET), Stellar Bancorp (STEL), Lakeland Financial (LKFN), Virtus (VRTS), Virtus (VRTS), Gorman-Rupp (GRC), Southside (SBSI), Central Pacific Financial (CPF), Wabash National (WNC), GrafTech (EAF). On the date of publication, Oleksandr Pylypenko did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. 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