Chicago, IL – December 30, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: International Business Machines Corp. IBM, Analog Devices, Inc. ADI, Johnson & Johnson’s JNJ, The Gap, Inc. GAP and Hewlett Packard Enterprise HPE.
Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:
Top 5 High-Yield S&P 500 Stock to Buy for 2026
The U.S. stock market has experienced significant volatility at the beginning of 2025 owing to a multitude of factors. The trade policy framework undertaken in the new Trump administration has reshaped market sentiment. The aggressive tariff measures imposed by Washington on its major trading partners have left several businesses in a state of uncertainty. The growing Sino-U.S. trade tension was a concerning factor for investors. The U.S. government aims to limit Beijing’s access to high-end technologies. It has imposed restrictions on the export of advanced semiconductor tech to China.
The tariff-related uncertainties have significantly affected companies with a strong presence in the emerging markets of Asia and Latin America. Moreover, the war in Europe and the Middle East has further aggravated the market uncertainty. These developments have led to rising manufacturing costs and supply chain issues, putting pressure on margins. However, there were some positive macroeconomic developments as well in 2025. The federal reserve rate cuts have lowered borrowing costs and improved corporate profitability.
Trade-related risks and changes in monetary policy led to frequent stock price fluctuations. However, broader market momentum remained positive with tech stocks largely leading the bull run. Growing spending on AI infrastructure and digital transformation is driving growth in the tech sector. Despite a hike in energy prices, the overall annual inflation rate was lower than expected in 2025.
Key Growth Drivers for 2026
Rapid AI buildouts are expected to be a key driver for businesses in 2026. Businesses in several industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, energy, social ecommerce, telecom and others are rapidly incorporating AI across the portfolio to gain a competitive edge. However, this rapid AI build-out requires substantial computing infrastructure, data centers to support these AI workloads, as well as energy optimization and cooling technologies.
