This article looks at the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts.
The S&P 500 index dipped 0.24% to close at 6,395.78 on Wednesday, marking its fourth successive day of losses, sparked by an ongoing tech sell-off. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.67% to settle at 21,172.86.
Analysts blame several reasons for the weakness in tech stocks, including overvaluation concerns and investors exiting with profits from leading heavyweights in the sector. Investors are also wary of the current administration’s growing influence over the sector.
According to a report, the U.S. government is considering the possibility of acquiring equity stakes in chipmakers, such as Intel, following the recent revenue-sharing deals with Nvidia and AMD.
With that said, let’s shift focus to some of the best large cap stocks to buy right now according to Wall Street analysts.
Methodology
For this article, we went through the list of large cap stocks on the broader market index that had an average share price upside potential of 30% or more. From there, we selected the top 13 stocks and ranked them in ascending order of their upside potential. All data is as of the close of the day on Friday, August 15, 2025.
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).
13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts:
13. ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE)
Share Price Upside Potential: 33.23%
ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE) is among the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts, based on its share price upside potential. However, on August 13, RBC Capital lowered the stock’s price target to $88 from $94 while maintaining a Sector Perform rating for its shares.
The firm’s analyst, Elvira Scotto, cited potential headwinds concerning commodity prices in 2026 as the reason behind the reduction. However, RBC also highlighted the company’s effective execution of its growth strategy and capturing synergy, and that it should benefit from its larger, integrated asset base across hydrocarbons.
In other related news, ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE) reported higher earnings for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 and reaffirmed its financial guidance for the full year. The company credited the results to a contiguous integrated business model, robust demand for its energy services, and the tangible results being derived from the recent strategic acquisition.
ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE) is a leading midstream operator that provides gathering, processing, transportation, fractionation, storage, and marine export services.
12. Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI)
Share Price Upside Potential: 34.84%
Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) is among the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. On August 12, the company announced that it had signed a new credit agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, with a maximum aggregate principal amount of $8 billion.
The move, replacing a previous agreement, will allow Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) to borrow, repay, and re-borrow in multiple currencies until 2030. It also features covenants for effective debt management. The new facility signifies strategic financial restructuring, as the company evolves its financial strategy and makes operational adjustments.
Under the credit agreement, Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) is required to limit its consolidated indebtedness to no more than 3.75 times its consolidated EBITDA at the end of each quarter. There is also a clause for the customary events of default, under which the administrative agent may terminate the lenders’ commitments and declare any outstanding obligations immediately payable and due.
11. Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE)
Share Price Upside Potential: 35.45%
Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) is among the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. On August 19, the company launched Acrobat Studio, a first-of-its-kind tool that brings together Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Express, and AI agents to enhance productivity by allowing users to work quickly and smartly.
The Acrobat Studio will transform PDFs into what Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) calls ‘conversational knowledge hubs’, allowing people to use AI assistants to share and unlock insights, recommendations, and answers. It also marks a significant milestone for PDFs, as Acrobat evolves from a document productivity application to a productivity and creativity destination.
The new Acrobat Studio will feature PDF Spaces, which will convert several PDFs, web pages, and other files into a more dynamic and sophisticated experience by allowing users to work on multiple items and create infographics without having to exit the platform.
Abhigyan Modi, Senior Vice President at Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE)’s Document Product Group, stated the following on the launch:
“Acrobat Studio is the place where your best work comes together, uniting the productivity of Acrobat, the creative power of Adobe Express and the value of AI to empower you to work smarter and faster. We’re reinventing PDF for modern work, so whatever you need to get done, you can do that with Acrobat.”
Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) is an application software company, offering students and creative professionals various programs and services related to web design tools, digital art, content creation, and other services.
10. PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG)
Share Price Upside Potential: 35.55%
PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG) is among the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. On August 14, the company awarded 54 scholarships to students across the PG&E service area.
The PG&E Corporation Foundation will sponsor scholarships of $2,500, $5,000, and $10,000 to students pursuing degrees in STEM disciplines. PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG) said the scholarships are based on academic performance, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities, and financial need.
Recipients of the scholarship must plan on full-time enrolment in an undergraduate program for the 2025-2026 academic calendar and be seeking their first undergraduate degree either at a 4-year accredited institution in California or at a HBCU in any part of the United States.
PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG) is a holding company owning the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, which provides combined natural gas and electricity to over 16 million people in Northern and Central California.
9. Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB)
Share Price Upside Potential: 37.80%
Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) is among the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. Earlier this month, the global energy technology firm announced that it would collaborate with AIQ to advance the Abu Dhabi-based company’s development and deployment of ENERGYai across ADNOC’s subsurface operations.
The agentic AI solution is built on seven decades of proprietary data and knowledge. It combines LLM technology and cutting-edge agentic AI that is tailored for workflows at ADNOC’s upstream value chain. Initial tests using 15% of ADNOC’s data resulted in a 10 times increase in seismic interpretation speed, while precision improved by 70%.
Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) and AIQ will jointly develop and deploy new agentic AI workflows across the oil company’s subsurface operations, with support from SLB’s Lumi data and artificial intelligence platform, along with other digital technologies. The Lumi platform is designed to boost productivity and efficiency for customers by enhancing data access, scaling AI solutions, and streamlining workflows.
Rakesh Jaggi, president, Digital & Integration, at Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB), shared the following remarks on the collaboration:
“Our collaborations with AIQ have already delivered innovative solutions, and now we are supporting the building of the foundation for the next era of intelligent energy operations together with AIQ’s ENERGYai . This agentic AI solution is set to drive long-term value and operational resilience across ADNOC’s energy value chain.”
According to Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB)’s press release, a scalable version of ENERGYai is currently being developed, with deployment expected during the fourth quarter of the calendar year.
8. Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE:CTRA)
Share Price Upside Potential: 40.32%
Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE:CTRA) is among the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. On August 14, Piper Sandler analyst Mark Lear lifted the stock’s price target to $39 from $37, while maintaining an Overweight rating for its shares.
The firm noted the challenging investing environment in the E&P sector, reiterated again by the second quarter results. The Piper analyst further added that gas stocks had been a safe haven due to LNG capacity increases in the short run and long-term demand from power and data centers. However, supply continues to surprise amid lower activity levels.
Lear also highlighted that operators were driving efficiencies by lowering capex to deliver the same output, whereas tax legislation in President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is also bringing in incremental FCF across the group.
In other recent news, Wells Fargo has raised Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE:CTRA)’s price target to $33 from $32, while maintaining an Overweight rating for its shares. Overall, Wall Street analysts remain bullish on the stock, with a consensus Buy rating and an average share price upside potential of over 40%.
Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE:CTRA) is a Texas-based exploration and production company with focused operations in the Permian Basin, Anadarko Basin, and Marcellus Shale.
7. Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE:FICO)
Share Price Upside Potential: 40.96%
Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE:FICO) is among the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. On August 18, BMO Capital raised the stock’s price target to $1,800 from $1,650, while maintaining an Outperform rating for its shares.
Analyst Ryan Griffin said the firm was adjusting its price target after having received additional information on expert Clayton Dukes’ roles and responsibilities at Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE:FICO). BMO Capital also praised the company’s business model, citing its ability to take prices in scores across lending classes. Griffin further added that a recovery in origination volumes was likely to benefit the stock.
Earlier in the month, Goldman Sachs reiterated a Buy rating for Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE:FICO), with a $1,915 price target for its shares, following a non-deal roadshow with its executives.
The investment bank said that the company intends to maintain its current mortgage score pricing strategy despite FHFA’s lender choice decision for conforming mortgages. Price increases for 2026 will be similar to recent years as Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE:FICO) aims to narrow the price-to-value gap for its mortgage scores.
6. Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE)
Share Price Upside Potential: 41.25%
Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE) is among the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts, based on upside potential. However, on August 18, Roth Capital downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy and slashed its price target to $98 from $125.
The adjustment by the firm was part of a wider cut for four natural gas stocks, citing the return of gas oversupply and the likelihood of the situation lingering next year. Analyst Leo Mariani says the prices will not improve until supply growth is constrained, despite domestic demand growth.
Natural gas oversupply in the U.S. has hurt the market, with producers ramping up volumes over the past month from spring levels. Mariani believes the extra production was enough for the market to become oversupplied, with domestic storage now far above the five-year average and poised to further grow.
In other related news, on August 14, Piper Sandler also lowered Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE)’s price target to $136 from $140, while maintaining an Overweight rating for its shares.
Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE) is an independent natural gas producer in the U.S. The stock is down 6.55% year-to-date, as of the close on August 18.
5. lululemon athletica inc. (NASDAQ:LULU)
Share Price Upside Potential: 42.99%
lululemon athletica inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) is among the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. However, on August 18, UBS slashed the stock’s price target to $240 from $290 while maintaining a Neutral rating for its shares.
The firm cited the company’s lackluster sales momentum in August as the reason behind the adjustment. The company has generated just 1% sales growth in the U.S. during Q2, the analyst told investors in a research note.
Moreover, UBS expects lululemon athletica inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) to cut its EPS guidance by 20c due to tariffs and related cost headwinds. However, the market already anticipates a similar outcome, said the analyst, because of which the firm doesn’t expect it to significantly impact the company’s P/E ratio in Q2.
Having said that, Wall Street analysts maintain an encouraging outlook for the stock, with a consensus Buy rating. Moreover, lululemon athletica inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) has a one-year average share price target of $283.78, representing an upside potential of nearly 43%.
4. Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM)
Share Price Upside Potential: 43.46%
Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is among the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. On August 19, the company launched Agentforce for the Public Sector to equip government workers with digital labor to take on complex and time-consuming tasks.
Government agencies will now be able to use AI agents to speed up responsiveness, enhance public support, simplify enforcement, and reduce risk for workers. This would also allow the government to focus more on critical tasks, while also enabling quicker and more efficient public service.
Early adopters are already seeing impact. The City of Kyle, Texas, has deployed Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM)’s Agentforce for community engagement and creating a centralized service model that handles citizen requests and queries, ultimately enhancing the constituents’ experience.
Jesse Elizondo, Assistant City Manager, City of Kyle, stated the following on the tool:
“Agentforce has greatly enhanced our ability to deliver an exceptional customer experience, work more efficiently, and drive cost containment. It’s like having every aspect of town hall instantly accessible 24/7, whether you’re a city employee or a resident seeking help.”
Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is a cloud-based software company that provides customer relationship management technology to connect customers and companies worldwide.
3. The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD)
Share Price Upside Potential: 46.93%
The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD) is among the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts, based on upside potential. However, on August 15, analysts at UBS lowered the stock’s price target to $80 from $105, while maintaining a Buy rating for its shares.
This follows BofA Securities’ recent rating adjustment on The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD), downgrading the stock from Buy to Neutral and slashing its price target significantly to $55 from $130 after the company reported a sharp slowdown in revenue growth during the second quarter and signalled a bumpy road ahead.
The ad-tech firm’s shares have plummeted more than 40% since the earnings call on August 7. The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD) is seeing soft demand for digital advertising services, as advertisers tighten their marketing budgets and focus more on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, amid economic uncertainty.
Despite recent reductions, The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD) has a one-year average price target of $75.79, representing an upside potential of nearly 47%. Moreover, the consensus opinion on the stock varies at Wall Street, with 17 analysts having a Buy rating and 15 having a Hold rating for its shares.
2. Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR)
Share Price Upside Potential: 49.66%
Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR) is among the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. On August 18, the company announced that its subsidiaries, Charter Communications Operating, LLC, and Charter Communications Operating Capital Corp., would be offering senior secured fixed-rate notes.
The company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, such as repaying certain indebtedness, funding potential share buybacks, and paying for related expenses and fees.
Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR) said the offering and sale will be in accordance with an effective automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC will be joint book-running managers for the notes offering.
Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR) is a leading broadband connectivity and cable operator in the U.S. While 2025 has been a challenging year for the stock, being down by 22% YTD, Wall Street analysts expect the share price to recover, with an average upside potential of nearly 50%.
1. Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA)
Share Price Upside Potential: 62.74%
Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) is among the 13 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts, based on upside potential. However, 2025 has been a challenging year for the company, with a year-to-date decline of over 35% in its share price.
The biotechnology firm made a name for itself by timely developing an effective coronavirus vaccine, but has lost its team since the pandemic started to recede. Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA)’s financial performance has also hurt investor sentiment.
During its second-quarter earnings call on August 1, the company lowered its revenue forecast for 2025, after the deferment of UK deliveries of certain COVID vaccines to next year, overshadowing its lower-than-anticipated loss per share during the quarter.
The trimmed forecast reflected Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA)’s ongoing headwinds with declining demand for COVID-19 shots, slower RSV rollout, and the regulatory delays facing its new product pipeline.
While Wall Street analysts maintain a consensus Hold rating for a stock, it has an attractive one-year average share price upside potential, suggesting that a recovery could occur ahead as the company makes clinical progress on certain treatments.
While we acknowledge the potential of MRNA to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MRNA and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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