The best opportunities to invest in stocks for the short term during 2025

Current Context: Volatility and Simultaneous Opportunities

The first half of 2025 has brought abrupt turns in global financial markets. After years of consecutive returns, stock indices face pressures from new tariff policies: a base tariff of 10% on U.S. imports, with variations reaching 50% for the European Union, 55% cumulative for China, and 24% for Japan, among others. This situation has caused sharp oscillations in markets worldwide.

However, history has shown a hopeful turn. After the initial panic in March-April, major indices have regained ground and are trading at all-time highs. Gold, meanwhile, surpassed $3,300 per ounce, reflecting a search for safe assets. In this uncertain scenario, identifying companies with short- and medium-term appreciation potential becomes strategic for investors looking to capitalize on price adjustments.

The Five Companies Setting the Pace in 2025

Novo Nordisk: the pros and cons of pharmaceutical innovation

The Danish company specializing in diabetes and obesity experienced one of the most severe adjustments in its history in March 2025, with a 27% drop from its highs—its steepest in two decades. The causes lay in increasing competition, especially from Eli Lilly and its drug Zepbound, as well as the partial failure of CagriSema in phase III clinical trials.

However, Novo Nordisk has responded with decisive strategic moves. The acquisition of Catalent for $16.5 billion in December 2024 significantly expanded its manufacturing capacity. Subsequently, in March 2025, it licensed LX9851 from Lexicon Pharmaceuticals for $1 billion, adding a new therapeutic mechanism. Its pipeline includes the dual GLP-1/amylin molecule amycretin, which achieved up to 24% weight loss in early studies.

Global demand for anti-diabetic and obesity treatments remains high, supported by structural trends. With operating margins of 43% and robust R&D ambitions, the current correction positions this stock as a candidate for short-term recovery.

LVMH: luxury under pressure but with solid fundamentals

The French luxury giant has accumulated €84.7 billion in annual revenue with an operating margin of 23.1%, demonstrating resilience even in challenging contexts. However, January 2025 brought a 6.7% decline (the largest in a year), followed by another 7.7% retreat in April after reporting modest quarterly growth of -3%.

U.S. tariffs of 20% on EU products (reduced temporarily to 10% until July, with a threat of reaching 50%) directly impacted LVMH’s North American sales, which represent a significant portion of its revenue.

Despite this, the company strengthens its competitiveness through innovative initiatives. It launched the AI platform Dreamscape for pricing and experience personalization. Its growth focuses are in Japan (with double-digit increases in 2024), the Middle East (+6%), and India, where it is expanding Louis Vuitton and Dior stores in Mumbai. This geographic diversification offers resilience against pressures in saturated markets.

ASML: essential semiconductor, but volatile

The Dutch company manufactures extreme ultraviolet lithography systems (EUV), an indispensable tool for producing the most advanced chips. In 2024, it achieved net sales of €28.3 billion with gross margins of 51.3%. The first quarter of 2025 recorded €7.7 billion in sales and historic margins of 54%, confirming projections of €30-35 billion for the full year.

Nevertheless, ASML’s shares contracted about 30% from their 2024 highs. Causes include: reduced spending by clients like Intel and Samsung on advanced manufacturing equipment; competitive advances by Chinese lithography companies; and Dutch trade restrictions implemented on January 15, 2025, which will cut sales to China by 10-15%.

The structural demand for chips for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing maintains favorable medium-term prospects. The current correction could present an opportunity for investors seeking exposure in semiconductors.

Microsoft: tech giant in strategic realignment

Microsoft reported fiscal 2024 revenues of $245.1 billion (+16% year-over-year) and net income of $88.1 billion (+22%). Its Copilot ecosystem and partnership with OpenAI position it as a leading provider of enterprise generative AI.

In early 2025, shares corrected about 20% from all-time highs, reaching intraday lows of $367.24 on March 31. Pressures came from valuation concerns, the relative slowdown of Azure, and geopolitical tensions combined with FTC regulatory investigations into monopolistic practices in cloud and cybersecurity.

In April, Microsoft presented solid third-quarter fiscal results: $70.1 billion in revenue with a 46% operating margin. Azure and cloud services advanced 33%, demonstrating underlying potential. The company requires record AI spending: between May and July, it announced over 15,000 layoffs to redirect resources strategically. Its strong financial position and bets on generative AI position this stock as a candidate for short-term recovery after the adjustments.

Alibaba: Chinese resurgence amid geopolitical volatility

The Chinese tech giant announced a three-year plan of $52 billion to strengthen AI and cloud infrastructure, plus a campaign of 50 billion yuan in coupons to stimulate domestic consumption. Revenue for the quarter ending December 31, 2024, was 280.2 billion yuan (+8% year-over-year). The quarter closed on March 31, 2025, with 236.45 billion yuan and adjusted net profit rising 22%, driven by 18% growth in Cloud Intelligence.

However, Alibaba’s shares have experienced extreme volatility. In January 2025, they retreated 35% from 2024 highs due to concerns over massive investments in AI/cloud and China’s economic slowdown. Later, they rebounded over 40% by mid-February with the AI tech rally, then fell more than 7% after March results were considered weak.

Despite these oscillations, positioning in Chinese e-commerce and cloud services offers exposure to emerging markets in digitalization. Current prices, significantly below 2024 highs, could offer an attractive entry point for short-term stocks with rebound potential.

Beyond the Top 5: diversified portfolios

Complementing the five companies above, other assets deserve consideration for balanced portfolios in 2025:

Energy and commodities sector: Exxon Mobil (XOM) with YTD returns of 4.3% benefits from sustained oil prices. BHP Group with positions in iron ore, copper, and nickel leverages demand from emerging economies. Finance: JPMorgan Chase (JPM) stands out with YTD returns of 23.48%, capitalizing on high interest rates and diversification across commercial banking, investment, and cards.

Semiconductors and equipment: TSMC posted YTD returns of 18.89%, positioning itself as a key manufacturer of advanced chips. NVIDIA (NVDA) experiences higher volatility (-17% YTD) but dominates AI chip markets.

Technology: Apple (AAPL) with -4.72% YTD, Amazon (AMZN) with 1.83%, and Alphabet (GOOGL) with -5.16% maintain defensive positions due to diversification and profitability, combining stability with growth potential.

Automotive: Toyota ™ provides stability through leadership in hybrids and advances in electric vehicles. Tesla (TSLA), although down 21.91% YTD, represents accelerated growth in electric mobility and technological innovation.

Strategies to Identify Short-Term Investment Opportunities in 2025

In the current context of tariffs and trade tensions, investors need approaches that balance risks with real opportunities:

Multilevel diversification: Prioritize geographic exposure (United States, Europe, Asia) and sectoral. Companies with strong domestic presence or less dependence on international trade are less vulnerable to protectionist measures.

Selection of adaptable leaders: Companies that innovate constantly—especially in AI, semiconductors, and digitalization—respond to global structural demand beyond cyclical uncertainties. Their ability to adapt positions them favorably in volatility.

Active geopolitical monitoring: Staying informed about political, economic changes, and conflicts allows timely portfolio adjustments. Flexibility in the face of geopolitical risks distinguishes between protecting capital and incurring avoidable losses.

Exploiting corrections: Volatile markets generate temporary deviations from fundamentals. Identifying solid companies during adjustments allows entries at attractive prices with a short- to medium-term recovery horizon.

How to acquire stocks for investing in 2025

Investors have multiple ways to access these opportunities:

1. Purchase of individual stocks: Through accounts at banks or authorized brokers, directly acquire stakes in specific companies.

2. Investment funds: Thematic (geographic, sectoral) funds managed actively or passively that facilitate diversification, though they reduce individual selection capacity.

3. Derivative instruments: Contracts for differences (CFDs) and other derivatives allow amplifying positions with less initial capital, a useful tool in volatility but requiring discipline and solid knowledge, as leverage magnifies both gains and losses.

In an environment of aggressive policies and potential trade escalation, combining derivatives with traditional assets balances risks while maintaining long-term exposure to promising sectors.

Final Reflection: Investing with certainty in uncertain times

2025 will likely be remembered as the year when record returns from previous cycles gave way to unprecedented volatility. Past gains do not guarantee future results, and the current environment presents particularities that challenge conventional predictions.

What can investors do? Implement geographically and sectorally diversified portfolios. Consider safe-haven assets like bonds or gold to offset potential losses. Avoid impulsive decisions during downturns—historically, major corrections precede recoveries, and panic selling amplifies losses. Finally, stay vigilant about political, economic, and conflict developments, because being informed means being prepared.

The short-term investment actions in 2025 are not blind bets but selections based on analysis of corporate strength, competitive positioning, and adaptability in a transforming world.