As hard as it is to believe, the end-of-the-year sprint is almost here. Before the holiday rush starts, it’s time for you to consider some year-end stocks that may be profitable speculative trades.
In the next few weeks, there's Thanksgiving, where we eat until we pass out from too much tryptophan. Then, the December holidays increase our calorie consumption. And before you know it, you'll be watching the ball drop.
And as that’s happening, as millions of us do, we promise next year will be different.
Around this time of year, about 90% of us, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, make a resolution to lose weight, diet, and exercise more. As the popularity of GLP-1 drugs shows, millions of us are worrying about our expanding waistlines and promising ourselves that next year will be different.
But this isn’t an article about the obesity epidemic or a search for biotechnology stocks. For many people, weight loss comes from joining Weight Watchers or Medifast. We may even join a gym. And that’s a good place to start our hunt for year-end stocks to buy.
Year-End Stocks: Planet Fitness
Planet Fitness (NYSE: PLNT) is an almost too-obvious example in the category of year-end stocks. For the last several years, PLNT stock tends to take off around the holidays. We saw that pattern in late 2020, in late 2021, in late 2022, and again in 2023 and 2024. We're seeing it happen again now because of a revenue beat.
Specifically, revenue of $330.3 million, up 13% year over year, beat by $6.87 million. For 2025, PLNT expects revenue to grow 11% from prior estimates of 10%. It expects adjusted EBITDA to increase 12% from prior estimates of 10%. And it expects adjusted net income to jump 13% to 14% from a prior range of 8% to 9%.
Analysts have taken notice and have started to increase their price targets for PLNT stock. One of the most bullish targets comes from Morgan Stanley, which gives the stock a $125 price target. That’s nearly $10 higher than the consensus target of $116.54.
Year-End Stocks: Peloton Interactive
Another hot entry in the category of year-end stocks to buy is Peloton Interactive (NASDAQ: PTON). Peloton stock is down about 14% in 2025 as of this writing. However, it’s up about 50% since getting obliterated in the “Liberation Day” tariff sell-off.
And PTON’s recovery from its April low is more than just a technical anomaly. The stock has managed to gain a bull at Goldman Sachs, which views PTON stock as a buy opportunity with an $11.50 price target. That’s above the consensus price of $9.95, which is by itself 32% above the PTON stock price as of this writing.
To reignite sales growth, Peloton is revamping its equipment, adding a new commercial unit, and raising subscription prices. Morgan Stanley believes that by raising prices, the company could rake in an additional $180 million in EBITDA.
PTON is also starting to see positive changes on its balance sheet, producing significant free cash flow of $324 million. Plus, PTON just cut its net debt by 43%, which is a healthy sign of a turnaround.
The company also expects to see further improvements in profits, gross margins, and its free cash flow numbers moving forward.
Year-End Stocks: Global X Health Tech ETF
While Planet Fitness and Peloton may set up as solid swing trades, you may be interested in year-end stocks that you can own for the long term. That could lead you to healthcare technology stocks, and that may mean looking at exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The Global X HealthTech ETF (NASDAQ: HEAL) is an attractive option for investors who want to go this route. The fund targets companies involved in AI-enabled drug discovery, smart medical devices, tech-enabled consumer healthcare, and healthcare analytics and software solutions. Some of its 40 holdings include Tempus AI, Hims & Hers Health, Doximity, ResMed, and iRhythm Technologies.
The HEAL ETF is flat in 2025 and is down sharply since it debuted in late 2020. The risk is that several stocks in the fund may face FDA scrutiny over GLP-1 drugs. However, the HEAL stock price on November 14 may be confirming a level of support near its 52-week low.
The fund has an attractive expense ratio of around 0.50%.
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