2025's Most Upgraded Stocks-And What 2026 Might Hold

In 2025, Wall Street analysts showered many stocks in the technology and communication sectors—the two best-performing sectors of the year—with upgrades. Tech took the top spot, with the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA: XLK) notching a return of 24.6%, with the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA: XLC) a close second, providing a 23.1% return.

However, within these two groups of stocks, Wall Street was most fond of three specific names. Below, we’ll detail MarketBeat’s three most upgraded stocks of 2025, as well as consensus targets for these stocks looking ahead. 

After +100 Upgrades, Analysts Still See Strong Upside in SNOW

MarketBeat’s third most upgraded stock of 2025 was the tech and data analytics company Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW). In total, Snowflake received 110 analyst upgrades. This stock performed very well in 2025, rising by approximately 42%.

Snowflake consistently posted strong earnings reports, with the company beating estimates on sales and adjusted earnings per share (EPS) every quarter. The company’s Aug. 27 report was particularly impressive. Snowflake posted solid beats and raised its full-year revenue growth guidance from 25% to 27%. This report led shares to rise over 20% the next day.

The company’s artificial intelligence (AI) offerings are resonating with customers, influencing around 50% of bookings in its Dec. 3 report.

Snowflake achieved a $100 million annual revenue run rate for AI offerings one quarter faster than expected. However, shares sold off 11% after the report, as the company’s margin guidance was worse than expected. Despite this, over a dozen analysts raised their price targets on Snowflake following the announcement.

The consensus price target for SNOW sits near $275, implying 25% upside in shares. Targets updated after the company’s Dec. 3 report are slightly more bullish. They average around $278, implying 28% upside.

CRWD’s Guidance Boost Sends Shares Soaring

Taking second is cybersecurity and tech giant CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD). The company received a whopping 114 upgrades from Wall Street analysts, and shares rose 37% in 2025.

Unlike Snowflake, CrowdStrike’s earnings reports were not the primary catalysts that drove the stock's performance. On the contrary—shares fell by an average of 1.5% the day after the firm’s four earnings releases.

CrowdStrike’s most important catalyst of the year came on Sept. 18 during the company’s investor day. Shares gained nearly 13% as the firm issued impressive long-term guidance.

The company expects its annual recurring revenue (ARR) to grow by at least 20% in 2027.

CrowdStrike also expects its ARR to double by 2031 to $10 billion. Over the last 12 months, CrowdStrike’s ARR was just over $4.9 billion.

The consensus price target on CrowdStrike sits just above $555, which suggests that shares could rise by 22%. Targets updated after the company’s Dec. 3 earnings report are slightly less bullish, averaging around $543—still, this figure implies 20% upside.

GOOGL Tops 2025 Upgrade Rankings, Posting AI Wins Across the Board

Finally, Google parent company Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) walked away with the most analyst upgrades in 2025. While providing a total return of 66%, Google gained 120 upgrades from Wall Street forecasters.

The company is often referred to as a tech stock; however, it technically sits in the communications sector, as most of its revenue comes from delivering information and content through Google Search and YouTube. Still, the enthusiasm surrounding Google in 2025 stemmed from its technological prowess.

AI advancements led to strong growth in Search and YouTube, and outside demand for AI infrastructure helped Google's cloud segment soar. The firm's Gemini 3 is one of the best general-purpose AI models available, and the firm is getting more involved in the semiconductor industry.

Its tensor processing units (TPUs) could see significant demand from external customers in 2026, offering a possible alternative to NVIDIA’s (NASDAQ: NVDA) chips for certain tasks.

The consensus price target of just under $318 suggests less than 1% upside in shares. However, 10 analysts increased their Google price target in December. The average price target among these updates is considerably higher, coming in at $362. This figure implies 15% upside.

Google’s Long-Term Prospects Are Difficult to Ignore

Despite having the lowest implied upside among this group, Google is a difficult name to bet against. Outside of AI, which still has considerable room to grow, Google is also a leader in quantum computing research and autonomous vehicles. This gives the firm two key levers for long-term growth in technologies that are still in their relatively early stages of development.

Where Should You Invest $1,000 Right Now?

Before you make your next trade, you'll want to hear this.

MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis.

Our team has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and none of the big name stocks were on the list.

They believe these five stocks are the five best companies for investors to buy now...

See The Five Stocks Here

The article "2025's Most Upgraded Stocks—And What 2026 Might Hold " first appeared on MarketBeat.