Raymond James says AI and HardTech to drive growth in 2025

Investing.com -- Raymond James expects 2025 to be pivotal for generative AI commercialization and HardTech, given advancements in assistant-oriented use cases, autonomous vehicles, and humanoid robotics.

Improved macroeconomic conditions, with U.S. real GDP projected to grow 2.5% in 2024 and 2.1% in 2025, provide a supportive backdrop despite uncertainties around tariffs, AI regulation, and antitrust issues.

The firm is bullish on the internet sector, with top picks including Uber (NYSE: UBER), MercadoLibre (NASDAQ: MELI), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Wix (NASDAQ: WIX), and Meta (NASDAQ: META).

Wix was upgraded to "Strong Buy," citing strong demand for its Studio product, which poses a challenge to WordPress. MercadoLibre, also upgraded to "Strong Buy," driven by improving margins as fulfillment efficiencies rise.

Brokerage said Uber was strengthened from its Waymo partnership and steady robotaxi deployment.

Meta enhanced engagement through AI-driven content recommendations and improved monetization. While growth in AWS from agent deployments and robotics enhancing fulfillment efficiency at Amazon.

In 2024, GenAI monetization and product cycles were dominant themes. Top-performing stocks in Raymond (NSE:RYMD) James’ coverage, including Reddit, GoDaddy (NYSE: GDDY), and Meta, averaged returns of 116%, while weaker performers like ZipRecruiter and Snap faced challenges from macro factors and high expectations.

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