Picture supply: Getty Photographs
Yearly, we ask our freelance writers to share their prime US shares with buyers to think about shopping for within the yr forward — right here’s what they price extremely for the long run!
[Just beginning your investing journey? Check out our guide on how to start investing in the UK.]
CSX
What it does: CSX is among the two main US freight railroads working within the Japanese half of the USA.
By Stephen Wright. I’m nearly sure that CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) received’t be the best-performing inventory within the S&P 500 in 2025. However I feel the probabilities of the corporate doing badly are extraordinarily low.
I’m anticipating US industrial output to develop subsequent yr and that’s going to imply supplies have to get moved round. Doing this by rail is cheaper and extra environmentally pleasant than vans.
That’s to not say the enterprise is invulnerable. Industrial motion is one and storms damaging infrastructure that may be costly to interchange is one other.
CSX has handled each points in 2024, although, and nonetheless carried out effectively. I count on it to maintain doing this, with regulation and prices limiting the specter of competitors from different companies.
At 1.3%, the dividend yield isn’t enormous. However add on a share buyback programme that has minimize the shares excellent by 4% per yr during the last decade and I feel issues get very attention-grabbing.
Stephen Wright owns shares in CSX.
Snowflake
What it does: Snowflake is a expertise firm that provides cloud computing and information analytics providers by way of a software-as-a-service (SaaS) mannequin.
By Edward Sheldon, CFA. It wasn’t simple to select my prime US inventory for 2025. That’s as a result of there are such a lot of world-class corporations within the US at present. However I’m going to go along with Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW). It’s a software program firm that’s rising quickly.
I count on synthetic intelligence (AI) to be an enormous theme once more in 2025. And I reckon Snowflake might be a beneficiary. You see, it presents options that assist organisations retailer and construction their information successfully. If companies are eager to make use of AI, getting their information proper is step one.
Snowflake’s current Q3 outcomes have been good. For the quarter, income was up 28% yr on yr. In the meantime, web income retention price was 127% (that means that prospects are spending extra with the corporate). After these outcomes, over 20 brokers raised their worth targets for the inventory.
One issue behind the corporate’s current efficiency is new CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy. He’s been working seven days every week to drive progress. Trying forward, elevated financial readability ought to assist the corporate obtain additional progress. This backdrop ought to give companies extra confidence to put money into tech options.
I’ll level out that Snowflake has a lofty valuation. If progress slows for some cause (e.g. companies cut back spending on AI), the share worth could possibly be risky. Taking a long-term view, nonetheless, I’m excited concerning the potential right here. I’ve been including to my place just lately.
Edward Sheldon owns shares in Snowflake.
Uber Applied sciences
What it does: Uber is the world’s main ride-hailing firm.
By Ben McPoland. I reckon Uber Applied sciences (NYSE: UBER) inventory is about up for a robust 2025.
After years of steep losses, the corporate lastly turned worthwhile in 2023. This was after it exited underperforming abroad markets, minimize prices, and disposed of non-core companies.
Consequently, Uber is leaner and income are set to motor increased within the years forward. Certainly, between 2024 and 2026, earnings per share (EPS) are anticipated to nearly double!
As I write, this places the inventory on a ahead P/E ratio of 30, falling to round 22 by 2026. I see that as affordable for a rising companywith 161m month-to-month energetic customers – and counting – throughout its ride-hailing and meal supply platforms.
There are dangers, after all. These primarily centre round growing rules and calls for for increased wages amongst drivers.
Nonetheless, I reckon buyers may flip extra bullish on driverless taxis. Uber has signed partnerships with 14 main autonomous automobile corporations, whereas market chief Waymo is already doing tens of 1000’s of paid robotaxi journeys per day (many by way of the Uber app) in a handful of US cities.
I feel the inventory’s price contemplating for 2025 and past.
Ben McPoland owns shares in Uber.
