These stocks had big turnarounds in 2025. Where analysts see them heading in 2026
After steep losses in 2024, stocks including Advanced Micro Devices and CVS Health managed to stage sharp rebounds this year — and analysts believe they may still some more room to run. An artificial intelligence-driven rally drove stocks broadly higher this year, with the S & P 500 on pace for a 17% year-to-date gain as of Tuesday morning. The Nasdaq Composite is up 22% in 2025. Some of last year’s losers also staged big comebacks. CNBC Pro screened data from FactSet to find stocks in the S & P 500 that: were down at least 10% in 2024; gained 20% or more in 2025 One name on the list was Advanced Micro Devices, which fell 18% in 2024. Shares recovered in 2025 to surge nearly 80% higher on the year. The average analyst price target implies the semiconductor stock could rise 33% from here. Earlier this month, TD Cowen named Advanced Micro Devices one of its top picks for 2026. “Despite appropriate concerns, we believe AI compute spending will prove durable and AMD has cemented itself as a winner,” wrote analyst Joshua Buchalter. “Given the recent sell-off and what we see as excess scrutiny versus peers, we see an attractive entry point.” Buchalter’s $290 price target implies a 35% upside ahead for the stock. Pharmacy operatorCVS Health was another name on the list. The stock fell 43% in 2024 but more than made that up with a 77% gain this year. The average analyst price target implies an additional rally ahead of 19%. Earlier in December, JPMorgan highlighted CVS as one of its top picks in health care services. “We remain positive on CVS post-Investor Day and heading into 2026, with the company providing raised/better than expected 2025/2026 guidance while laying out expectations for adj EPS growth at a mid-teens CAGR through 2028,” the bank wrote. “We were also encouraged to hear CVS frame a return to normalized Caremark growth in 2027, highlighting the progress in moving clients to an acquisition-based model and see a healthy runway for growth with management providing opportunities to outperform.” Analyst Lisa Gill’s $101 price target is approximately 26% above where shares of CVS closed on Monday. On the flip side, analysts are more bearish on Albemarle . The chemical manufacturer rallied 74% this year following a loss of 40% in 2024. However, the average analyst price forecast implies a downside ahead of 15%, meaning that the company could lose some of its gains from this year. But it seems that analysts are gradually growing less bearish on the stock. Earlier this month, Morgan Stanley upgraded the name to an equal-weight rating, while UBS upgraded Albemarle to a buy rating. “We see a combination of higher energy storage demand and years of slower western capacity additions now pushing lithium markets into deficit in 2026. We expect lithium prices to move up through the year which should be a positive driver for ALB stock,” UBS analyst Joshua Spector wrote. Spector’s $185 price target is approximately 28% above Albemarle’s Monday close. His prior price forecast of $107 represented 26% downside.
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