Growth investors have had to work harder than usual to find winners in 2025. With the S&P 500 essentially flat year to date amid President Trump’s global trade reset and persistent inflation concerns, the easy gains of prior years have evaporated. Yet beneath the surface, a select group of companies continues to deliver explosive growth driven by transformative trends in artificial intelligence (AI), healthcare innovation, and next-generation technologies.
The divergence between market leaders and laggards has rarely been more pronounced. While the average stock treads water, companies with genuine competitive advantages and exposure to secular growth themes are posting triple-digit gains. From AI infrastructure providers handling the computational demands of large language models to biotech firms developing breakthrough obesity treatments, the opportunities for outsized returns remain — if you know where to look.
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Here are three growth stocks with the catalysts, financials, and market positioning to potentially deliver significant gains in the months ahead.
CoreWeave(NASDAQ: CRWV) has emerged as the picks-and-shovels play of the AI revolution. The company operates specialized data centers built from the ground up for GPU-intensive computing, providing the infrastructure that powers large language models and generative AI applications.
Shares have rocketed 185% year to date, driven by explosive growth and massive customer wins. The company’s Q1 2025 revenue surged 420% year over year to $981.6 million, while its $11.9 billion contract with OpenAI validates its position as the go-to infrastructure provider for AI leaders. With a $25.9 billion revenue backlog and management guiding for $4.9 billion to $5.1 billion in 2025 revenue, the growth runway remains substantial.
The main risk is the company’s hefty losses. CoreWeave posted a $314.6 million net loss in Q1, driven by $264 million in interest expenses. Furthermore, capital expenditures are expected to reach $20 billion to $23 billion in 2025 alone. Another key risk is that customer concentration remains high, with Microsoft representing 62% of 2024 revenue. However, for investors who believe AI adoption is still in the early innings, CoreWeave offers one of the purest plays on the trend.
Viking Therapeutics(NASDAQ: VKTX) stands out as a contrarian opportunity. Despite shares falling 33% this year, the clinical-stage biotech has multiple shots on goal with its pipeline of metabolic and endocrine therapies.
The key catalyst ahead is data from the Phase 2 VENTURE trial for VK2735, the company’s oral obesity drug candidate. Top-line results are expected in the second half of this year. Meanwhile, the company is preparing to launch Phase 3 trials for its subcutaneous VK2735 formulation later this quarter, positioning the drug for potential regulatory approval within a few years. This dual-track approach, consisting of oral and injectable formulations, maximizes the commercial opportunity in the competitive obesity market.
Viking reported cash and investments of approximately $852 million at the end of Q1 2025, providing runway through multiple clinical readouts without dilution. Wall Street remains bullish with a median price target of $90, representing over 230% upside from current levels. For biotech investors comfortable with clinical risk, the recent pullback creates an attractive entry point ahead of potentially game-changing data.
Navitas Semiconductor(NASDAQ: NVTS) is pioneering next-generation power semiconductors using gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) technologies. These materials enable faster, more efficient, and smaller power systems — critical for everything from EV chargers to data center power supplies.
Shares have gained 42.8% this year despite Q1 2025 revenue of just $14 million, down from $23.2 million a year ago. The catalyst? Nvidia recently selected Navitas to collaborate on its next-generation 800V HVDC architecture for “Kyber” rack-scale systems that will power future GPUs. This collaboration positions Navitas at the heart of AI infrastructure buildout, with its GaN and SiC technologies enabling power delivery from grid to GPU for megawatt-scale AI data centers.
The company has $450 million in design wins from 2024 that should convert to revenue starting late 2025, with the majority hitting in 2026. Additional wins include a 12 kW AI data center power platform and the industry’s first GaN EV on-board charger with Changan. With over 250 million GaN units shipped to date, Navitas has proven its game-changing technology is ready for prime time, making its stock a compelling growth play right now.
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George Budwell has positions in Navitas Semiconductor and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Viking Therapeutics. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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