Economists around the world expect muted U.S. economic growth in the coming quarters, and some indicators suggest a mild U.S. recession is still a possibility.
It may become difficult for investors to find reliable growth stocks to buy if elevated interest rates have a lagging negative impact on U.S. consumers. At its last meeting, the Federal Reserve lowered its expectation from four to two rate cuts this year, and a stronger-than-expected December jobs report gave central bankers more reason to hold off on cuts.
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Nevertheless, growth stocks outperformed value stocks in 2024, and investors anticipate that trend will continue as the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates. Here are 10 of CFRA analysts’ top growth stocks that have reported at least 15% annual revenue growth in the past three years:
| Stock | Upside Potential From Jan. 13 Close |
| Nvidia Corp. (ticker: NVDA) | 23.8% |
| Alphabet Inc. (GOOG, GOOGL) | 15.1% |
| Meta Platforms Inc. (META) | 6.8% |
| Tesla Inc. (TSLA) | 31.4% |
| Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) | 17.6% |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) | 12.6% |
| Mastercard Inc. (MA) | 22.7% |
| Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) | 21.6% |
| Bank of America Corp. (BAC) | 17.6% |
| Salesforce Inc. (CRM) | 31.0% |
Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)
High-end semiconductor maker Nvidia has been one of the most spectacular growth stories in the entire stock market in the past 15 years. Nvidia’s growth numbers have wowed Wall Street, especially for a company of Nvidia’s size. Nvidia’s revenue grew 94% year over year in the fiscal third quarter, while its net income skyrocketed by 109%. Analyst Angelo Zino says Nvidia’s market share gains and penetration into edge devices such as advanced autos, robotics and personal computers will fuel future growth. Zino projects 43% revenue growth in fiscal 2026. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $165 price target for NVDA stock, which closed at $133.23 on Jan. 13.
Alphabet is one of the world’s largest online search and advertising companies and is the parent company of Google and YouTube. In the third quarter, Alphabet reported 15% revenue growth, which included 35% Google Cloud revenue growth. Zino projects another 10% revenue growth for Alphabet in 2025 supported in part by artificial intelligence innovation. He says AI technology will help improve Google’s advertising efficiency, including better targeting, ad creation, bidding and performance measurement. He projects Google Cloud growth of at least 25% annually through 2026. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $220 price target for GOOGL stock, which closed at $191.01 on Jan. 13.
Meta Platforms Inc. (META)
Meta Platforms is a market leader in social media and online advertising and is the parent of Facebook, Instagram and other platforms. Meta has seemingly found its growth groove, reporting an impressive 18.8% revenue growth in the third quarter. Zino projects 14% revenue growth in 2025 and sustainable earnings per share growth of above 10%. AI technology is reportedly already improving Meta’s app engagement, and Zino estimates healthy digital ad trends will help Meta generate more than $50 billion in free cash flow in 2025. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $650 price target for META stock, which closed at $608.33 on Jan. 13.
Tesla Inc. (TSLA)
Tesla is the leading U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer. Unfortunately, Tesla’s revenue was up just 7.8% year over year in the third quarter, including just 2% automotive segment revenue growth. Analyst Garrett Nelson says the incoming Donald Trump administration will likely ensure favorable regulatory treatment for Tesla and a potentially shortened timeline for approval of Tesla’s autonomous vehicle technology. In the longer term, Nelson anticipates Tesla will begin production of its Cybercab in 2027. Finally, he says Tesla’s energy storage segment has become an increasingly important growth source. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $530 price target for TSLA stock, which closed at $403.31 on Jan. 13.
Broadcom Inc. (AVGO)
Broadcom is a diversified designer, developer and supplier of analog semiconductor devices. Broadcom reported 44% revenue growth in fiscal 2024 and has maintained 51% growth as of the most recent quarter. Zino says an AI infrastructure investment boom will support demand for Broadcom’s application-specific integrated circuit and networking businesses. He projects the company’s custom silicon sales can grow to at least three or four times their current level over the next three years. Zino estimates Broadcom will generate 19% revenue growth in fiscal 2025. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $265 price target for AVGO stock, which closed at $225.29 on Jan. 13.
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JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM)
JPMorgan Chase is one of the world’s largest banks and financial services companies, with roughly $3.8 trillion in assets. In 2023, JPMorgan acquired First Republic Bank after it failed during a regional banking crisis and was seized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. JPMorgan’s revenue growth dipped to 3% in the third quarter, but it consistently reported double-digit revenue growth in previous quarters. Analyst Kenneth Leon says a healthy U.S. economy and a rebounding investment banking industry set JPMorgan up for a big year. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $275 price target for JPM stock, which closed at $244.21 on Jan. 13.
Mastercard Inc. (MA)
Mastercard is one of the world’s largest credit card and payments providers. In the third quarter, Mastercard reported 13% revenue growth, 2% net income growth and 10% gross dollar volume growth. Analyst Alexander Yokum says Mastercard’s management team has a long track record of innovation and execution in the payments space. Yokum projects 12% revenue growth in 2025 but says Mastercard’s economies of scale will help the company’s earnings growth outpace its sales growth by at least 4%. China may be an important growth source as well. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $620 price target for MA stock, which closed at $504.91 on Jan. 13.
Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM)
Exxon Mobil is the largest U.S. oil major. Oil stocks aren’t normally considered high-growth securities, but favorable energy market conditions in recent years have made them some of the highest-growth companies in the market. Exxon reported a 1.4% drop in revenue in the third quarter of 2024, but that revenue was still up about 22% on a three-year basis. Analyst Stewart Glickman says Guyana development will be a key catalyst for Exxon in the near term. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $133 price target for XOM stock, which closed at $109.29 on Jan. 13.
Bank of America Corp. (BAC)
Bank of America is one of the largest U.S. commercial and investment banks and wealth management services providers. In the third quarter, Bank of America reported a 0.5% decline in revenue and an 11.6% drop in net income. However, fixed-income trading revenue was up 8%, equities trading revenue was up 18% and investment banking fees jumped 18%. Leon says a strong U.S. economy and lower interest rates set the table for solid loan volumes and positive net interest income growth in 2025. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $53 price target for BAC stock, which closed at $45.06 on Jan. 13.
Salesforce Inc. (CRM)
Salesforce is the world’s largest provider of cloud-based customer relationship management software. In addition to its organic growth, Salesforce has grown via a string of acquisitions, including its 2020 buyout of Slack. Salesforce reported 8% revenue growth and 24% net income growth in the most recent quarter. Zino says Salesforce is positioned for 7% to 9% annual revenue growth through at least fiscal 2027. He says the company is still gaining market share, and the stock is attractively valued based on the potential for improving profitability. CFRA has a “strong buy” rating and $418 price target for CRM stock, which closed at $319.07 on Jan. 13.
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10 Best Growth Stocks to Buy for 2025 originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 01/14/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
