Top 5 Stocks for July: Momentum-Driven Picks to Watch Now

With June drawing to a close, it’s time to look at the hot buys for July. The hot buys for July have numerous factors in common, including momentum-driven stock price movements and an outlook for substantial upside. The best news is that momentum-driven stock price rallies are, in turn, driven by improving fundamentals, growth, and cash flow gains that provide value for investors and will continue to deliver as the year progresses. 

Zscaler: The Most-Upgraded Stock From Q1

Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) is the most upgraded stock from Q1 for a reason: its cloud-native SaaS cybersecurity and data protection services provide utility for small and medium-sized businesses, aiding their adoption of digital services and ability to scale profitably. Highlights from the FQ3 earnings report include solid growth in the low 20% range, outperformance, margin strength, and impressive guidance, which led analysts to lift their forecasts.

The forecasts anticipate sustained revenue growth at a 20% CAGR through the middle of the next decade, compounded by widening margins and accelerated bottom-line growth. 

The analysts' response to the news is robust and a driving force for the stock price action. MarketBeat tracks numerous revisions, including sentiment upgrades and stock price increases that lifted the consensus more than 22% in under 30 days. The consensus lags behind the price action in late June, but the revisions lead to a high-end range, indicating about a 25% upside from the $305 level. 

The market response is also robust, including a roughly 85% gain from the recent lows. The sharp stock price rally and consolidation that formed in late June bear the hallmarks of a bullish flag pattern and suggest that the movement is only half over. In this scenario, Zscaler shares can rise by another $145 to $155 to trade well-above the $300 level before the end of the year. 

Snowflake Drifting Higher, Much, Much Higher

Snowflake's (NYSE: SNOW) FQ1 earnings report was good. It not only affirmed the decision to switch CEOs but also revealed growing business momentum, strengthening the outlook for sustained 20%+ revenue growth and substantial margins. Large clients and penetration underpin growth, and the outlook is driven by an accelerated innovation pipeline that has analysts buzzing.

The analyst activity following the release includes two downgrades. Still, these are offset by numerous price target increases, upgrades, and initiated coverages, which collectively result in a solid Buy rating and a rising consensus price target. 

The consensus in late June suggests that the market is fairly valued near its recent highs, but the revision trend indicates a move above $250 is likely. That is sufficient for a multi-year high and about 15% upside, likely leading to additional gains later this year.

The multi-year high also breaks this market out of its long-term trading range, a move that brings a substantial target into play. That target, derived from the magnitude of the range, about $128, puts this market near $350 sometime in 2026. 

Dave & Buster’s Isn’t Playing Around With Its Turnaround

Dave & Buster’s (NASDAQ: PLAY) isn’t playing around with its business turnaround, vocally recognizing past mistakes and actively rectifying them. The key takeaways from the Q1 results include the fact that sequential improvement in weekly performance within the period supports an optimistic outlook, which consists of a return to growth and improving profitability. Those are critical details that have short-sellers exiting the market, and the stock price is on track to complete a technical reversal. 

The analysts' trends align with the rebound. The analysts are generally bullish on the stock, but they hadn’t issued any substantial revisions since late 2024, until the FQ1 results were released. Those catalyzed five revisions tracked by MarketBeat, all of which included price target increases, leading to the top of the existing trading range, a 25% gain.

As it stands, PLAY stock is rising from its bottom and approaching critical resistance near the 150-day EMA at $35 and the $40 level. The $40 level aligns with a neckline for a head and shoulders reversal and may be reached over the summer.

It will likely cause the price action to retreat, but the subsequent rebound is expected to begin soon due to the improving outlook and capital return. In this scenario, a move above $40 serves as a trigger point for inflows to accelerate, driving the stock as high as $60 or up by 50% before the rally is over. 

Oracle’s Game-Changing Move Still Driving Value

Oracle’s (NYSE: ORCL) story is one of a legacy tech company that shifted into the cloud and has since leaned into next-gen cloud services, including AI. The narrative in 2025 is that its cloud business is thriving due to partnerships with all major hyperscalers, of whose ranks it is now a member.

Results from FQ4 are significant because they affirm the momentum hinted at in prior reports, while sustaining the outlook for continued growth acceleration.

In the words of CEO Safra Catz, growth in 2026 is expected to be substantially higher. The takeaway is that the company is growing, has a leadership position, is accelerating, and drives robust cash flow. The cash flow is used to pay dividends and buy back shares, reducing the count aggressively over time.

Analyst trends are central to this investment. The analysts reverted to positive price target revisions mid-Spring, and the activity is gaining momentum at the end of Q2. The trends include increased coverage, sufficient price target increases, and upgrades to put ORCL on MarketBeat's list of Most Upgraded Stocks. These trends, along with technical signals, suggest that this stock could top $300 soon.

Advanced Micro Devices Reaches Its AI Inflection

Advanced Micro Devices' (NASDAQ: AMD) stock price is in rebound mode and accelerating at the end of Q2 due to AI. The AI hopes that caused its stock price to surge in 2023 and 2024 are finally being realized, and the business looks good. The company is expected to accelerate to nearly 40% top-line growth in Q2 and may exceed the forecasts.

The more important detail is that its lean into full-stack development and rack-scale capability puts it on track for an inflection. With the launch of the MI400 product next year, AMD is expected to begin claiming a significant market share from NVIDIA. 

The analysts' trends are robust, including numerous price target increases and upgrades in June that extend a trend that began earlier in the spring. Although the consensus lags the market, the revision trend leads to the high-end range and potential for a 40% upside when reached.

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The article "Top 5 Stocks for July: Momentum-Driven Picks to Watch Now" first appeared on MarketBeat.