On July 7, Gene Goldman, the CIO at Cetera, joined CNBC to warn of near-term market volatility from tariffs and high valuations. Goldman believes the markets are entering a prove-it phase for the current stock market rally. He cited several reasons for this, which included high valuations, the Fed remaining on hold, and cooling corporate earnings. He also noted that the recent news over the weekend regarding tariffs would likely create near-term volatility. He explained that while stocks have rallied to record highs and are pricey with good news, tariff levels could be higher for some countries. He added that cooperative countries might see tariff rates return to April 2 levels. which implies lower rates.
He stated that he would be carefully watching Q2 earnings, which are set to begin late next week, for further insights. Despite these near-term concerns, Goldman maintained a long-term positive view on the tariff war for the US. He argued that the US consumer base would provide a trade war advantage, and tariff revenue could generate an estimated $150 to $250 billion for pro-growth initiatives like the “beautiful bill.” Goldman acknowledged that a weaker dollar is beneficial for U.S. exports, as it makes American goods cheaper abroad. However, he cautioned that a weaker dollar also tends to import inflation, particularly as prices rise
Goldman also provided his 3 favorite sectors. First, technology, where he advised focusing on long-term secular trends like AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity, which he believes will not be affected as much in the long term by tariffs. Second, financials, which he sees benefiting from what he considers overly high loan loss reserves and recent positive economic data. Third, industrials, due to drivers such as infrastructure spending – particularly related to energy, supply chain reshoring, AI-generated demand, and increased defense spending from NATO members.
That being said, we’re here with a list of the 10 best US stocks to buy and hold in 2025.
A financial analyst looking at a monitor displaying the stocks of the public company.
Methodology
We used the Finviz stock screener to compile a list of the top US stocks. We sorted this initial list by market cap. We then selected the 10 stocks that were the most popular among elite hedge funds and that analysts were bullish on. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q1 2025. The hedge fund data was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database which tracks the moves of over 1000 elite money managers.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
10 Best US Stocks to Buy and Hold in 2025
10. International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM)
Market Capitalization as of July 7: $271.82 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 57
International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) is one of the best US stocks to buy and hold in 2025. On July 7, Izzi Software announced its acquisition of Chicago-based CNX Corporation. CNX Corporation specializes in accelerating app development for users of IBM Power Systems. The acquisition marks Izzi Software’s entry into the IBM Power ecosystem.
IBM Power Systems are high-performance server computers built by IBM to handle demanding workloads like big data and AI. The company had previously launched in 2024 and focused on the IBM Z sphere with the acquisition of ColeSoft, which is a Virginia-based company that debugs tools for IBM mainframes.
As part of the acquisition, Izzi Software plans to expand the CNX team to support existing and future customers and help them maximize the value of their investment in the Valence framework. Izzi Software was founded by M&A experts and is led by a team with deep expertise in both IBM Power and IBM Z environments. The company is owned by Big Band Software, which has a record of acquiring and operating growing and profitable B2B SaaS businesses with ARR ranging from $2 to $10 million.
International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) provides integrated solutions and services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It’s more commonly known as IBM.
9. T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS)
Market Capitalization as of July 7: $269.82 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 75
T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS) is one of the best US stocks to buy and hold in 2025. On July 2, T-Mobile announced the completion of a multi-year, $2 billion network expansion across Florida. The investment has enhanced T-Mobile’s network with faster 5G speeds, wider coverage, and increased capacity, which benefits ~22 million Floridians in both rural and urban communities.
The multi-year investment involved adding 1,282 new or retained cell sites from the merger with Sprint and upgrading ~1,350 existing sites across Florida. Average statewide 5G download speeds have now reached 266.7 MB per second, which marks a 216% increase since 2021. The expansion provides ~100% 5G coverage across Florida. Given Florida’s vulnerability to severe weather, T-Mobile has also hardened 1,375 sites over the past 4 years to improve emergency response and disaster recovery.
T-Mobile is also officially launching T-Satellite with Starlink on July 23, which will provide coverage in areas where terrestrial networks cannot reach. The company also has a 5G Standalone/SA network, which is the country’s only 5G Advanced network and the largest deployment of its kind in the US, rolled out earlier in 2020.
T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS) provides wireless communications services in the US, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands.
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