Top US Stocks to Watch for the Week of August 25, 2025

The US stock market enters the final week of August on steady footing after a turbulent year. An April tariff shock briefly pushed the S&P 500 into bear-market territory, but by summer, equities had fully recovered to new highs.

The S&P 500 closed Friday at 6,468, up 1.5% on the day, 1.7% over the past month, and nearly 15% year-over-year. Gains are broadening beyond mega-cap tech, with industrials, utilities, and financials adding strength.

Markets jumped after Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole speech on August 22, which pointed to potential rate cuts in September. At the same time, trade policy remains a swing factor, with tariff pauses and new agreements with the EU and Japan shaping sentiment.

• Dow Jones: record high at 45,632

• Nasdaq Composite: 21,497, slightly weaker as investors took profits in AI stocks

Overall, the market tone is cautious optimism, with money flowing into cyclical and value sectors as investors bet on Fed easing.

Market Overview

The path to today’s highs has been far from smooth:

• Jan–Mar: Post-inauguration rally

• April: Tariffs of 245% on Chinese imports and 20% on EU goods sparked the sharpest global sell-off since 2020

• May–Jun: Tariff pauses and early trade deals fueled a rebound, lifting the S&P to a record 6,173 on June 27

• Jul–Aug: Broader participation, with banks, utilities, and industrials leading gains

Economic backdrop (latest data):

• Unemployment: 4.2%

• Payrolls: +73k in July, with downward revisions

• Inflation (CPI): 2.7%

• PMIs: improving globally, pointing to supply chain recovery

• Crypto: Bitcoin and Ethereum cooled after sharp first-half gains

Earnings remain supportive — around 80% of S&P 500 companies beat Q2 estimates, led by AI-linked firms.

Key Dates This Week

This week brings heavy earnings and critical inflation data that could confirm a September Fed cut (markets see odds near 100%):

Sectors in Focus

Money is rotating out of stretched mega-cap names into more diverse areas:

1. Technology – Slight pullback (-1.2% last week), but AI infrastructure demand keeps the theme alive.

2. Financials – +2.1% last week, boosted by rate-cut hopes and stable balance sheets.

3. Industrials – +1.8% last week, gaining from onshoring and capex.

4. Energy – +3% last week with oil near $85/barrel; still attractively valued.

5. Consumer Discretionary – +1.8% last week; upcoming retail earnings will gauge consumer strength.

Top Stocks to Watch

1. Nvidia $NVDA ( ▲ 0.35% ) – Earnings Wednesday. AI chip leader, +30% YTD. Strong guidance could drive the next leg higher.

2. CrowdStrike $CRWD ( ▲ 1.95% ) – Reports Wednesday. Cybersecurity remains a priority after July outages.

3. Snowflake $SNOW ( ▲ 2.22% ) – Reports Wednesday. Growth in cloud and AI integrations under scrutiny.

4. Dell $DELL ( ▲ 5.58% ) – Reports Thursday. AI server demand and Nvidia partnerships in focus.

5. Marvell $MRVL ( ▼ 0.21% ) – Reports Thursday. Strong momentum in data-center chips expected.

6. Dollar General $DG ( ▼ 3.55% ) – Reports Thursday. Retail test case for consumer spending resilience.

7. Alibaba $BABA ( ▲ 2.27% ) – Reports Friday. A key read on China’s consumer demand and global trade impact.

Bottom Line
This week sets up as a clash between AI earnings and inflation data. Nvidia’s numbers and Friday’s PCE release will drive market tone heading into September. Optimism is building for a Fed cut, but tariff headlines and softening jobs growth remain risks.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always conduct your own research or speak to a qualified professional before investing.