Growth stocks are back on the menu for 2025.
The market’s animal spirits were unleashed in the latter half of 2024, sparked by a change in Washington. Heading into the new year, strategists and investors alike expected the American economy to continue pushing forward—a green flag for growth investors. “The U.S. will remain the global growth engine with a still-healthy labor market, strong credit fundamentals, ample liquidity in the system, and broadening of AI-related capital spending,” JPMorgan Global Research said in its 2025 outlook.
If only things had played out that way. Unfortunately, the first few months of the new year were pockmarked by increasingly shaky economic readings and a turbulent market as the world tried to come to terms with the numerous and stark changes that President Donald Trump’s administration has made to America’s trade policy.
Good news, though: While the broader market hasn’t recaptured its February highs (yet), stocks are at least up for the year-to-date. Investors’ confidence has mostly returned, and that means a much better appetite for growth stocks than a few months ago.
Today, I’ll run you through our recently refreshed list of the best growth stocks to buy at 2025’s midpoint—picks that can grow not just their top and bottom lines, but your nest egg, too. Read on as I discuss some of the basic tenets of growth investing, and then I’ll discuss several potential opportunities with growth characteristics.
Disclaimer: This article does not constitute individualized investment advice. These securities appear for your consideration and not as personalized investment recommendations. Act at your own discretion.
What Is a Growth Stock?
A growth stock is generally viewed as a company that is improving sales and profits with each passing year—typically at a faster clip than the industry average. This should, in theory, result in faster stock price appreciation as other shareholders get wise to this success and decide to buy in themselves.
Growth stocks tend to be viewed in opposition to value stocks, which might not grow as fast but have substantial underlying operations that the market is underappreciating (for now).
So, what metrics do we want to look at?
Growth stocks tend to boast rapid sales. Income matters, too—though it’s more important among more established companies, as smaller growth stocks often burn all their cash on expansion. Expectations matter, too, because if rapid growth still falls short of Street estimates, these supposedly highflying companies might still see their stocks slump.
Similarly, we have to consider the competition. For instance, if an AI company is growing at a 40% rate, that might sound great … but if similar companies are growing at a 50%-plus clip, that AI company could be viewed as a laggard.
In other words: Not all growth stocks are good investments, even if they’re growing … heck, even if they’re growing quickly! That means we have to look past the surface to really find the best growth stocks to buy.
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The Best Growth Stocks to Buy Now
The top growth stocks right now are companies expanding faster than the broader market, as well as their peers. That often involves riding a long-term trend that will result in a durable tailwind for years to come.
Nothing is certain on Wall Street, of course, and growth stocks that showed strong revenue trends or stock price appreciation over the past year might still stumble when things change in the months to come. That said, investors who pay attention to growth stock data can often identify companies moving into favor—and share in their success.
Here are a few examples of growth stocks to watch based on recent performance and financial metrics. I’ll also provide each stock’s consensus analyst rating, courtesy of S&P Global Market Intelligence. The consensus rating is the average of all known analyst ratings of the stock, boiled down to a numerical system where
1-1.5 = Strong Buy
1.5-2.5 = Buy
2.5-3.5 = Hold
3.5-4.5 = Sell
4.5-5 = Strong Sell
In short, the lower the number, the better the overall consensus view on the stock.
All stocks here are rated at least 2.0 or below, meaning at worst they’re solidly in the Buy camp.
Best Growth Stock #7: Smurfit Westrock
- Market cap: $22.6 billion
- Long-term earnings growth estimate: 42%
- Consensus analyst rating: 1.83 (Buy)
- Sector: Consumer discretionary
Smurfit Westrock (SW) isn’t exactly a household name, but you almost certainly come across its products (albeit unknowingly) on a regular basis.
Smurfit Westrock—the product of a 2024 merger of Ireland’s Smurfit Kappa and America’s Westrock—is a global manufacturer of consumer packaging, corrugated packaging, and a variety of paper products. And by virtue of that merger, the combined entity is now one of the largest packaging providers in the world, with operations in 40 countries.
It’s not exactly the flashiest industry. What gives?
Consider Smurfit Westrock an interesting beneficiary of technological trends—specifically, the continued rise of e-commerce. As people increasingly move away from buying in brick-and-mortar stores and toward online shopping … well, those products have to get shipped in something, and that’s precisely where Smurfit comes in.
“Argus Research estimates that the industry will remain strong, and we see modest expansion at a compound annual growth rate of 3%-4% through 2028,” writes Argus Research analyst Alexandra Yates, who rates SW shares at Buy. “We favor companies with pulp, paperboard packaging, and corrugated product lines, and expect this segment to show continued long-term growth through 2030.”
Of course, Smurfit is expected to grow at a much healthier clip, with analyst expectations for long-term annual earnings growth of more than 40%. That has its thin group of seven covering analysts overwhelmingly bullish, at six Buys versus just one Hold. And their consensus target implies roughly 25% gains over the next 12 months.
Truist’s Michael Roxland is also among those Buys, citing numerous drivers, including “our expectation for an improving containerboard cycle, better containerboard pricing, margin enhancement, business optimization, and declining leverage.”
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Best Growth Stock #6: Capital One Financial
- Market cap: $127.0 billion
- Long-term earnings growth estimate: 22%
- Consensus analyst rating: 1.82 (Buy)
- Sector: Financials
Capital One Financial (COF)—the entity responsible for “What’s in your wallet?” being etched into our collective consciences—is an interesting financial hybrid whose operations include consumer banking, commercial banking, and credit cards.
Why interesting?
Credit cards typically work in what’s called the “four corners model.” In this model, 1.) financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Citigroup (C) are responsible for a cardholder’s account, while 2.) payment processors like Visa (V) or Mastercard (MA) are technological middlemen that help facilitate transactions between 3.) cardholders and 4.) merchants.
Capital One is one of those financial institutions, and for many years, it has issued both Visa and Mastercard cards and been a part of the “four corners model.” However, a handful of companies, such as American Express (AXP) and Discover Financial, operate within the “three corners model” in which the same company is responsible for both financial accounts and the payment network … and as of May 2025, Capital One now owns Discover.
The initial deal announcement was made in February 2024, and Wall Street has significantly warmed up to COF shares ever since, with the consensus call rising from a Hold then to solid Buy territory today. Right now, 15 analysts call the stock a Buy, while seven more are on the sidelines, and no one as of now believes it’s a Sell.
The current consensus price target implies just 10% upside over the coming 12 months, but that’s largely because Wall Street expects quite a bit of investment that should eventually pay off in longer-term growth.
Consider this from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, who rate COF at Outperform (equivalent of Buy):
“We acknowledge that substantial investment may be necessary to position the Discover network as a viable alternative to Visa and Mastercard in the credit card space and hence we view the credit portfolio conversion as more of a long-term aspiration (5-10 years) rather than an immediate strategic priority. Nonetheless, our scenario analysis suggests that if successfully executed, this investment could yield highly attractive returns, making it a compelling avenue for COF to pursue over time.”
In other words, COF might not be one of the best growth stocks to buy for rip-roaring gains right away, but it could very well be a transformative medium- to long-term play.
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Best Growth Stock #5: Eli Lilly
- Market cap: $724.5 billion
- Long-term earnings growth estimate: 32%
- Consensus analyst rating: 1.76 (Buy)
- Sector: Health care
After continued growth and innovation in recent years, Big Pharma mainstay Eli Lilly (LLY) has become the largest health care company in the world. And looking forward, analysts believe LLY still has a significant amount of runway left.
Specifically, following a 2024 in which Eli Lilly grew sales by 32% and more than doubled its profits, Wall Street’s pros still anticipate spectacular jumps on the top and bottom lines—32% and 68%, respectively—for 2025.
Lilly has a stable of blockbuster products, including breast cancer drug Verzenio and type 2 diabetes treatment Trulicity. But most of LLY’s growth hopes rest on the shoulders of diabetes treatment Mounjaro and weight-loss drug Zepbound, which combined to generate roughly $16.5 billion in revenues last year. And despite a mixed fourth quarter, most of Wall Street remains plenty optimistic.
“GLP-1 penetration for obesity is in its early stages and [I expect] LLY shares to outperform as the company’s medicines Mounjaro and Zepbound treat larger numbers of people and investors better appreciate the long-term opportunity for the class and for LLY,” says Morgan Stanley analyst Terence Flynn, who rates Lilly shares at Overweight (equivalent of Buy).
It always pays to look down the pipeline when it comes to Big Pharma, and things look good on that front, too.
“While investor focus is on Mounjaro/Zepbound, we see growth across the oncology, I&I and neuroscience portfolio, which help drive top-line growth and margin expansion with the recent approvals of Omvoh for Crohn’s disease, Ebglyss in atopic dermatitis, Kisunla in Alzheimer’s disease, and the new OSA indication for Zepbound,” say Truist analysts Srikripa Devarakonda and Nicole Germino, who rate the stock at Buy.
Lilly’s varied successes in 2024 led to another big bump to the dividend, which was raised by a hair more than 15%, to $1.50 per share, starting with the March 2025 payout.
On the whole, analysts are very bullish on Eli Lilly’s future prospects. They collectively have 23 Buy calls on the stock, versus just four Holds and two Sells, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data. Consensus price targets imply about 18% upside for LLY shares over the next 12 months—though the amount of upside has varied wildly throughout a roller-coaster year for the stock.
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Best Growth Stock #4: First Solar
- Market cap: $18.8 billion
- Long-term earnings growth estimate: 25%
- Consensus analyst rating: 1.68 (Buy)
- Sector: Technology
The solar industry can be a bit volatile. But in the age of climate change, there is a durable tailwind for this industry as one of the most popular forms of alternative energy. And among solar stocks, First Solar (FSLR) is near the top of the heap when it comes to both market value and revenue directly attributable to solar arrays.
Headquartered in Arizona, First Solar provides photovoltaic energy solutions worldwide, from the U.S. to Japan to Europe to Australia. Indeed, it’s America’s largest manufacturer of PV modules, at an estimated market share of 50%.
Of course, what does that mean amidst a new administration that’s expected to be more fossil fuel-friendly? Despite a decline in shares across the first quarter of 2025, the pros weren’t deterred. Argus Research analyst John Eade (Buy), for instance, wrote that said weakness was a buying opportunity.
“The company is positioned to benefit from the long-term secular trend toward clean energy producers, though in recent weeks government regulations have become less favorable. That said, First Solar has a history of growth and recent profitability. … Despite the near-term political environment, we believe the company will continue to benefit from the global transition to carbon-free energy over time.”
So far, Eade was right, with FSLR shares roaring out of their April trench and, at one point, surpassing their 2025 starting levels. And the bull camp remains extremely crowded today. Even though consensus estimates’ implied upside has thinned to about 15% thanks to First Solar’s rally, the stock still has a whopping 31 Buy calls versus just five Holds and a lonely Sell.
Just understand that the political climate remains a headwind for First Solar, at least for now.
“While FSLR is the U.S. solar manufacturing bellwether, they are not immune to the far-reaching tariff environment and with IRA uncertainty likely to persist until the end of the year, we expect a noisy and volatile catalyst path for the stock from here,” says Morgan Stanley Analyst Andrew Percoco, who rates the stock at Overweight. “On a relative basis, we believe FSLR is still one of the best positioned companies to benefit from a shift in demand for U.S.-made solar panels, which should accrete to stronger margins on its U.S. production. We reiterate our relative [Overweight] rating but recognize that the stock lacks a clear positive catalyst until the budget reconciliation/IRA repeal efforts concludes in late 2025 (as is the case for a majority of our solar-exposed coverage).”
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Best Growth Stock #3: Astrana Health
- Market cap: $1.2 billion
- Long-term earnings growth estimate: 17%
- Consensus analyst rating: 1.55 (Buy)
- Sector: Health care
Sometimes, you need an iron stomach to go after high-growth plays, and that very much appears to be the case with Astrana Health (ASTH), a health care management service organization (MSO) that was up as much as 65% year-to-date in 2024 before giving up all those gains and then some since then.
Astrana Health helps coordinate care among private and public insurance, more than 12,000 physician providers, and 1.1 million patients in 32 markets. Their business focuses on converting physician groups from traditional fee-based care to “value-based care” (VBC). Within VBC, a variety of health care providers (doctors, hospitals, laboratories, etc.) coordinate to manage a person’s health, and are incentivized for providing high quality and efficient cost of care.
The emerging VBC field has been a font of growth. Astrana has been emblematic of the business opportunity, with revenues up nearly 150% between 2019 and 2023.
Shares have been a rockier story. ASTH exploded by more than 550% between the start of 2019 and its November 2021 peak, but lost 75% of that worth by the end of 2022. The stock had been improving at a much more sustainable rate since then, until it fell off a cliff during the final few months of 2024.
That plunge was sparked by the announcement that Astrana would buy Prospect Health, an integrated care delivery system that includes a licensed health care service plan, primary care and specialist groups, a pharmacy asset, a hospital, and another MSO. All told, the Prospect network includes 3,000 primary-care providers and 10,000 specialists who provide care to roughly 610,000 members in four states. The deal, for $745 million, will be paid in both cash and a nearly $1.1 billion senior secured bridge. As a result, Astrana says its debt position should grow from $420 million at the end of Q3 to roughly $1.1 billion.
And yet, Wall Street remains overwhelmingly bullish on ASTH shares, believing Astrana’s acquisitive streak—the company just closed on another purchase, of fellow MSO Collaborative Health Systems, in October—will ultimately work out in its favor. Of the 11 analysts covering the stock, eight call ASTH a Buy, while the remaining three are sidelined at Hold.
Long-term financial estimates are good, but not great. The pros see revenues growing by 22% annually on average over the next two years, and earnings improving by 17% annually over the long haul. However, consensus price targets imply a return of more than 90% over the next 12 months.
“We continue to view ASTH as a core healthcare growth stock, as we believe the primary care model is set for material disruption over the coming years,” say William Blair analysts Ryan Daniels and Jack Senft, who rate the stock at Outperform. “We also believe that Astrana’s positive macro tailwinds, myriad growth drivers, and scalable business model will drive material expansion in both top- and bottom-line results going forward.”
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Best Growth Stock #2: Six Flags Entertainment
- Market cap: $3.0 billion
- Long-term earnings growth estimate: Not available
- Consensus analyst rating: 1.50 (Buy)
- Sector: Consumer discretionary
Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) is the largest amusement park operator in the U.S., courtesy of a 2024 merger with fellow theme-park name Cedar Fair. The combined portfolio includes 42 amusement parks, water parks, and resort properties across 17 states, as well as Canada and Mexico. FUN also boasts intellectual property deals to use DC Comics, Looney Tunes, and Peanuts in their parks.
While amusement parks are the definition of a cyclical play that will perform well when Americans’ pockets are lined with cash, they do boast more resilience than it might seem. “Regional theme parks tend to perform reasonably well in a downturn, owing to the more approachable price point, which helps offset a more economically sensitive customer base,” say Oppenheimer analysts, who rate the stock at Outperform.
FUN shares certainly haven’t been very resilient (nor fun) in 2025, off by almost 40% year-to-date, yet analysts have dug in their heels on their bullish stances. The stock currently boasts 12 Buys versus one Hold and one Sell, and their consensus price target implies nearly 60% gains within the next year.
Why the continued optimism?
“Management expects to achieve EBITDA margins of 40% by 2028, up from 33% currently, supported by cost synergies and labor productivity. The integration strategy focuses on enhancing guest experiences, improving underperforming legacy Six Flags parks, and expanding season pass penetration at Six Flags locations to match Cedar Fair’s 50%+ historical rate,” CFRA analyst Alex Fasciano, who rates the stock at Buy, said after the company’s latest investor day. “Looking ahead, we expect successful execution of these initiatives, particularly in elevating park appeal and maintaining pricing power, will be crucial for achieving the company’s ambitious growth targets.”
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Best Growth Stock #1: Nvidia
- Market cap: $3.5 trillion
- Long-term earnings growth estimate: 29%
- Consensus analyst rating: 1.43 (Strong Buy)
- Sector: Technology
Nvidia (NVDA) is another high-flying tech stock whose market capitalization is now measured in trillions, thanks to its dominance in semiconductors that are used in cutting-edge technologies. Applications for this firm’s hardware include self-driving cars, cryptocurrency mining, and other in-demand and growth-oriented areas of the 21st century economy.
But No. 1 with a bullet is the artificial intelligence market.
“NVDA remains *the* AI company owing to its culture of innovation, ecosystem of incumbency, and massive investment in software, pre-trained models, and services,” says Truist analyst William Stein (Buy). “We see NVDA’s leadership as driven less by the raw performance of its chips, and more by its culture of innovation, ecosystem of incumbency, and massive investment in software, AI models, and services, that we believe makes its chips a default choice for most engineers building AI systems.”
This specialization has resulted in red-hot growth at Nvidia—a fire that’s only expected to continue burning. Analysts see revenue growth averaging 40% annually over the next two years, and long-term earnings growth at a clip of almost 30%.
But NVDA and other AI-focused chipmakers are hardly invincible. Indeed, America’s new tariff policies are a potential headwind that shareholders and would-be buyers alike will need to monitor. Stifel’s Ruben Roy, for instance, notes that “management does not anticipate any NT revenue contribution from China” because of U.S. chip export controls, and a few days ago, the company said it would no longer include the Chinese market in its revenue and profit forecasts.
Regardless, he still calls NVDA shares a Buy.
“We believe that NVDA is well positioned in markets that combine to yield an overall TAM of more than $100 billion exiting 2025 and a longer-term opportunity funnel that could approach $1 trillion,” Roy says. “We continue to expect a strong back half of fiscal 2026 as NVDA continues to benefit from the rapidly changing AI landscape.”
In this or any environment, it would be difficult for NVDA to match what it did in 2024, returning 171% between price performance and its nominal dividend. Analysts have more realistic targets for the next 12 months, with a consensus price target implying 20% returns ahead. NVDA also has the largest bull camp in our list of 2025’s best growth stocks: It has a whopping 58 Buys versus just six Holds and one Sell.
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Growth Stocks: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Should I buy growth stocks or a growth exchange-traded fund?
Growth-oriented investing strategies are always in-demand, so there are a host of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) out there that own growth stocks. The largest, the Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG), commands more than $145 billion in assets as proof of the popularity of this approach.
ETFs allow for easy diversification as you invest tactically in growth stocks. But keep in mind that by spreading your money around and reducing your risk, you also limit your upside. Many growth investors are enamored with the idea of a stock that doubles in short order—and that’s almost impossible with an ETF that holds hundreds of different components.
In short: Whether you buy growth stocks or an ETF depends on your personal risk tolerance.
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What kind of brokers handle growth stocks?
The good news is, virtually any traditional broker is going to allow you to buy growth stocks. As long as equities are on the table—and that’s the case with virtually all online brokers—you’ll be able to buy any style of stock: growth, value, dividend, you name it.
You can check out our favorite online brokers for a full list of options, but here are some options worth considering as well:
