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8 Best Stocks to Buy Now With $1,000

If you have an extra $1,000 sitting in a savings or checking account, one of the best ways to earn a return on that money is to invest in the stock market.

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If you’re new to investing, buying a low-cost, diversified S&P 500 exchange-traded fund, such as the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (ticker: SPY), is a relatively low-risk place to start. However, if you’d rather begin building your own stock portfolio from scratch, here are eight of the best blue-chip stocks to buy with $1,000 that have “buy” ratings from the CFRA analyst team:

Stock Upside Potential From Jan. 14 Close
Apple Inc. (AAPL) 11.4%
Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) 25.2%
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) 17.8%
Alphabet Inc. (GOOG, GOOGL) 15.9%
Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) 19.8%
Meta Platforms Inc. (META) 9.3%
Tesla Inc. (TSLA) 33.7%
Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) 17.9%

Apple Inc. (AAPL)

Apple produces the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac computers and other smart devices. In addition, its services segment includes its App Store, Apple Music, iCloud and licensing businesses. Analyst Angelo Zino says Apple’s addressable market is still expanding, and its margin profile is improving. The company’s global ecosystem is unparalleled, and it has opportunities to integrate artificial intelligence features across its many devices and services in the coming years. Zino says Apple generates stable free cash flow and supports its share price by aggressively buying back stock. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $260 price target for AAPL stock, which closed at $233.28 on Jan. 14.

Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)

Nvidia designs and sells high-end graphics and video processing chips used for desktop and gaming computers, workstations, and other advanced computing servers and supercomputers. Not only is Nvidia one of the best-performing stocks in the entire market in the past 15 years, it was the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 in 2023 and was the third-best-performing stock in the S&P 500 in 2024. Zino says Nvidia has growth opportunities in AI technology and edge devices such as robots and advanced autos. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $165 price target for NVDA stock, which closed at $131.76 on Jan. 14.

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)

Microsoft is the world’s largest software company and is best known for Windows, Office and Azure cloud services. Zino says Microsoft is highly exposed to multiple AI technology opportunities, including AI development services in Azure, AI applications with Microsoft Copilot and AI infrastructure. Zino expects a steady stream of additional AI feature rollouts from Microsoft in 2025, which will help the company exceed Wall Street’s earnings expectations. Ongoing cloud adoption will help Microsoft gain scale efficiencies, and Zino says Activision could unlock growth in gaming as well. CFRA has a “strong buy” rating and $490 price target for MSFT stock, which closed at $415.67 on Jan. 14.

Alphabet Inc. (GOOG, GOOGL)

Alphabet is one of the world’s largest online search and advertising companies and is the parent company of Google and YouTube. Zino says Alphabet should maintain double-digit earnings growth in 2025. AI technology will help the company improve its advertising business, including better ad creation, pricing, targeting and performance measurement. In addition, Zino says AI features can optimize the company’s search and Google Cloud businesses. He projects Google Cloud will maintain at least 25% annual revenue growth through 2026 as AI cloud offerings boost profitability. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $220 price target for GOOGL stock, which closed at $189.66 on Jan. 14.

Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN)

Amazon is the market leader in e-commerce and cloud services. Analyst Arun Sundaram says Amazon will be growing several key high-margin businesses in the next several years, including third-party fulfillment services, Amazon Web Services cloud computing and advertising. As these businesses grow to make up a higher percentage of Amazon’s overall sales, Sundaram says the company will expand margins and grow earnings and free cash flow. He says Amazon also has opportunities to scale in emerging markets and capitalize on AI technology and robotics. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $261 price target for AMZN stock, which closed at $217.76 on Jan. 14.

Meta Platforms Inc. (META)

Meta Platforms is a market leader in social media and online advertising and is the owner of Facebook, Instagram and other platforms. Zino projects at least 10% EPS growth and $50 billion in free cash flow for Meta in 2025. He says AI integration, coupled with a generally attractive digital advertising market, will serve as tailwinds for the stock. In fact, Zino says AI features have already begun improving Meta’s app engagement metrics and ad targeting. Meta will continue to monetize its Llama large language model. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $650 price target for META stock, which closed at $594.25 on Jan. 14.

Tesla Inc. (TSLA)

Tesla is the leading U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer. After CEO Elon Musk’s big bet on endorsing President-elect Donald Trump paid off in the November election, analyst Garrett Nelson says Tesla should enjoy a favorable regulatory environment under the new administration. Nelson says Tesla’s autonomous vehicle software could get an expedited approval, with production of Tesla’s driverless Cybercab set to begin in 2027. He says the company’s energy storage business has become an important growth source as auto sales have slowed. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $530 price target for TSLA stock, which closed at $396.36 on Jan. 14.

Broadcom Inc. (AVGO)

Broadcom is a diversified global analog semiconductor supplier. Zino says an AI infrastructure investment boom will support Broadcom’s application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and networking sales. In addition, he anticipates improving software sales and expanding margins in the coming years following the company’s VMware acquisition. Broadcom has focused on cutting spending, streamlining VMware product offerings and transitioning customers to recurring subscriptions. Zino is particularly optimistic about the growth outlook for Broadcom’s custom silicon business, which he says can grow three or four times its current size in just three years. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $265 price target for AVGO stock, which closed at $224.70 on Jan. 14.

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8 Best Stocks to Buy Now With $1,000 originally appeared on usnews.com

Update 01/15/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.

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