5 Stocks With Recent Price Strength to End a Fabulous 2025

U.S. stock markets are set to close 2025 on a high note after an astonishing rally in the previous two years. With just seven trading days left to conclude this year, the three major stock indexes — the Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite — are up 13.6%, 16.5% and 20.9%, respectively. These indexes are currently within 3% of their record-highs.

Consequently, several stocks have shown price strength. We have primarily targeted stocks that have recently been on a bull run. These stocks have a high chance of carrying the momentum forward.

Five such stocks are — Strattec Security Corp. STRT, Astronics Corp. ATRO, Willdan Group Inc. WLDN, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. GLDD and Northrim BanCorp Inc. NRIM.

If a stock is continuously witnessing an uptrend, there must be a solid reason or it would have probably crashed. So, looking at stocks capable of beating the benchmark that they have set for themselves seems rational.

However, recent price strength alone cannot create magic. Therefore, other relevant parameters are needed to create a successful investment strategy.

Here’s how you should create the screen to shortlist the current as well as the potential winners.

Screening Parameters:

Percentage Change in Price (4 Weeks) greater than zero: This criterion shows that the stock has moved higher in the last four weeks. 

Percentage Change Price (12 Weeks) greater than 10: This indicates that the stock has seen momentum over the last three months. This lowers the risk of choosing stocks that may have drawn attention due to the overwhelming performance of the overall market in a very short period. 

Zacks Rank 1: No matter whether market conditions are good or bad, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) have a proven history of outperformance. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Average Broker Rating 1: This indicates that brokers are also highly hopeful about the stock’s future performance. 

Current Price greater than 5: The stocks must all be trading at a minimum of $5.

Current Price/ 52-Week High-Low Range more than 85%: This criterion filters stocks that are trading near their respective 52-week highs. It indicates that these are strong enough in terms of price.

Just these few criteria narrowed down the search from over 7,700 stocks to 13.

Let’s discuss five out of those 13 stocks here:

Strattec Security designs, develops, manufactures and markets mechanical locks, electro-mechanical locks and related products for automotive manufacturers with operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

STRT also produces precision zinc die castings for the transportation, security and small engine industries. STRT’s principal products are locks and keys for cars and trucks. STRT markets its products to automotive and light truck original equipment manufacturers, as well as other transportation-related manufacturers, and through wholesale distributors, other marketers, and users of component parts and non-automotive customers.

The stock price of Strattec Security has climbed 17.1% over the past four weeks. It has an expected earnings growth rate of -2.6% for the current year (ending June 2026). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 23.3% over the last 60 days.

Astronics is a manufacturer of specialized lighting and electronics for the cockpit, cabin and exteriors of military, commercial transport and private business jet aircraft. As a major lighting and electronics supplier to the aircraft industry, ATRO’s strategy is to expand from a components and subsystems supplier to an aircraft lighting systems integrator, increasing the value and content it provides to various aircraft platforms. Luminescent Systems Inc. is ATRO’s primary operating subsidiary that produces its aerospace and defense products.

The stock price of Astronics has surged 15.4% over the past four weeks. It has an expected earnings growth rate of 35% for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next-year earnings has improved 1.2% over the last 30 days.

Willdan Group is a provider of professional technical and consulting services to utilities, private industry and public agencies at all levels of government. WLDN enables its clients to realize cost and energy savings by providing a wide range of specialized services. 

WLDN assists its clients with a broad range of complementary services relating to: Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, Engineering and Planning, Economic and Financial Consulting, and National Preparedness and Interoperability.

The stock price of Willdan Group has appreciated 14.5% in the past four weeks. It has an expected earnings growth rate of 9.6% for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 13.3% over the last 60 days.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock is the largest provider of dredging services in the US conducting business to maintain and deepen shipping channels, reclaim land from the ocean, and renourish storm-damaged coastline. 

GLDD also conducts around 25% of its operations internationally with a strong focus in the Middle East. Projects can generally be recognized to fall within a number of categories, namely, maintenance projects to keep shipping channels and harbors at their required depths, capital works to excavate, deepen or widen navigable waterways, beach restoration for storm damaged coastline and reclamation works to restore wetlands or create new land in the ocean. 

The stock price of GLDD has advanced 13.9% over the past four weeks. The company has expected earnings growth of -0.2% for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 10.1% over the last 60 days.

Northrim BanCorp operates as a commercial bank providing commercial banking products and services to businesses and professional individuals. NRIM operates through three segments: Community Banking, Home Mortgage Lending, and Specialty Finance. 

NRIM offers noninterest-bearing checking accounts and interest-bearing time deposits, checking and savings accounts, individual retirement and money market deposit accounts, certificates of deposit, and business sweep accounts. 

NRIM also provides short and medium-term commercial loans, commercial credit lines, construction and real estate loans, and consumer loans, as well as short and medium-term working capital.

The stock price of Northrim BanCorp has rallied 11.7% over the past four weeks. The company has expected earnings growth of 4% for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 9.2% over the last 60 days.

You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

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Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance. 

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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