5 Trending Stocks to Buy Today

In 2025, the U.S. equity market has had to deal with a lot. In the beginning of the year, there was a new administration at Washington and many questions regarding the direction that inflation and interest rates would take in the months to come. Stock market performance was good in the beginning, with S&P 500 reaching new highs on February 19.

Markets became jittery as President Donald Trump’s trade and economic policies took shape. On April 2, President Donald Trump announced a new aggressive trade regime, which included punitive tariffs against both friends and enemies. This prompted a sell-off of U.S. stocks around the globe as Wall Street and other countries digested the news. The price of 10-year U.S. Treasury Bonds fell and this drove the yield on that benchmark security to a sharply higher level. Investors, companies and financial institutions started to consider the possibility of a short-term recession. The S&P 500 reached its 2025 bottom on April 8th, after falling 18.9% since its peak and 15.2% in the past year.

Since then, the picture has changed and Wall Street’s worst case scenarios seem to have been ruled out. President Trump has been encouraged by the conciliatory gestures of U.S. Trading Partners and appears to be settling down into a more manageable and reasonable position on tariffs. Recent data on inflation and employment show that the U.S. is a resilient economy. Corporate earnings are also holding up well despite all the uncertainty. S&P 500 continues to rise from its lows, and as of May 20th it had a 1% increase for the year.

Investors can’t blame themselves for feeling confused or overwhelmed by the current market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average or Nasdaq Composite can be affected by breaking news or rumors about trade negotiations. A social media post made by the White House could also have the same effect. What can a small investor do?

One of the best ways to invest when markets are turbulent and index investing doesn’t work is by buying trending or rising stock. If a stock consistently rises while the market is in turmoil, this can be an indication of institutional confidence. The smart money is still buying despite the economic and market challenges.

All five stocks in today’s list are good examples. The five stocks are all trending upwards and outperforming the market. These companies appear to be immune from the chaos and disorder which has been a drag on market. All of them have been steadily rising and although nobody can predict the future they don’t seem to be slowing. These lists are not intended to replace sound financial advice, or to provide in-depth research. However, they can be a good place to start for investors who are interested.

International Business Machines Corp.

IBM has the highest total return year-to date of 23,1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average itself only achieved a total return of 0.3% in 2025 at the close of trading May 20.

IBM, a blue chip company that has been around for 114 years, has a market capitalization of $245 billion. The company offers advanced integrated business solution and professional consulting services to customers all over the world. IBM is divided into four business segments: consulting, software, infrastructure, and financing.

Cloud-based software is the main focus of this division. This segment offers enterprise clients artificial Intelligence-driven solutions. The consulting segment helps large companies design and implement their technology strategies, including hardware and software recommendations. Infrastructure division installs infrastructure (wires and Wi-Fi, air conditioning, etc.). The company’s infrastructure division installs the infrastructure (wires, Wi-Fi, cooling, etc.) Modern, high-speed digital communication requires the latest hardware. The financial division also offers long-term financing to make its products affordable.

IBM’s current dividend yield is 2.5%.

Allot Ltd. (ALLT)

ALLT, a $310 million Israeli company, is relatively small. It designs and distributes advanced cyber security systems for individuals and institutions.

Allot NetworkSecure is the company’s most popular product, followed by Allot HomeSecure. But it offers more than cookie-cutter products. ALLT builds custom solutions based on its core product platforms to meet the needs of each customer. All its solutions monitor computer networks and communications 24 hours a days and analyze data patterns constantly to detect and minimize cyber risks.

Allot customers appreciate the end-to-end management of security. Wall Street is attracted to the fact that cyber security is a growing industry, which is virtually immune to tariffs. The stock has risen 33.6% since May 20 in a market that has been challenging for technology stocks.

NRG Energy Inc. (NRG)

NRG is an electric utility worth $31 billion, but is not your typical electric company. It’s a private company, not regulated by the government. It has the geographical expansion flexibility and price power that traditional electric providers do not have.

NRG benefits from the huge demand for electricity created by the data centers boom that is currently taking place in Texas, as well as in other areas of the company’s service. The stock is up 78.5% so far this year, making it the top gainer in the S&P 500.

The company generates power using coal, oil and natural gas as well as solar energy for both residential and commercial customers. The company also sells, services and installs HVAC systems that are essential to the modern data center industry as well as for comfortable living.

NRG also has a financial division that generates substantial revenue and profit by trading energy commodities, financial derivatives and other financial products.

The stock has a modest dividend yield, currently at 1.1%.

Okta Inc.

OKTA, founded in San Francisco 16 years ago, has been publicly traded only for 6 years. In a relatively short period of time, OKTA has grown to a $21 Billion tech company and is rapidly establishing itself in the access control segment of the cybersecurity market.

Access management involves secure authentication and authorization of corporations, customers, and employees who rely on modern digital communication networks. This company’s platforms, in other words ensure that only authorized users can access networks and sensitive information.

Single sign-on, adaptive authentification, API access management, and universal directory are among the company’s most popular products. OKTA boasts more than 7,950 corporate clients, including many members of the exclusive Fortune 50.

The stock’s impressive return year-to date is 59.3% as of May 20. This is the definition of a stock that’s on a rise.

Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR)

PLTR’s performance has been a major financial story of 2025. While major indexes are uninspiring as of May 20th, PLTR is a blazing success. It has risen 66.1% for the year and 480.9% in the past 12 months.

PLTR, a $296-billion software company, builds and sells surveillance and security platforms to friendly governments and militaries around the globe.

Palantir Gotham is its foundational platform. It’s a top-of-the-line artificial intelligence system capable of monitoring vast amounts data and digital communication to identify patterns which could indicate a terrorist or military threat. The software assists intelligence services in coordinating an appropriate response once threats have been revealed.

Palantir has a high demand for its products, and according to financial reports and guidance from the company, it is only going to get higher. Palantir, for example, raised its revenue guidance range for 2025 to $3.89 billion-$3.9 billion on May 5. This indicates that the company expects a 36% increase in revenues year-over-year.