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Best Stocks to Buy Now for December 2025
5 Best Stocks to Buy Today
| Company (Ticker) | 12 Week Price Change | Forward PE | Price | Proj EPS Growth (1 Year) | Projected Sales Growth (1Y) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centerra Gold (CGAU) | 41.56% | 13.48 | $13.37 | 36.62% | 0.00% |
| Buenaventura Mining (BVN) | 20.48% | 13.10 | $26.47 | 19.50% | 25.74% |
| Newmont (NEM) | 12.15% | 14.69 | $93.63 | 74.09% | 13.05% |
| Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM) | 7.13% | 21.17 | $166.44 | 83.92% | 34.44% |
| Argan (AGX) | 33.74% | 38.61 | $332.24 | 34.47% | 6.52% |
*Updated on December 9, 2025.
Centerra Gold (CGAU)
$13.37 USD +0.29 (2.22%)
3-Year Stock Price Performance
Premium Research for CGAU
- Zacks Rank
Strong Buy 1
- Style Scores
A Value B Growth C Momentum A VGM
- Market Cap: $2.67 B (Mid Cap)
- Projected EPS Growth:36.62%
- Last Quarter EPS Growth: 32.00%
- Last EPS Surprise:50.00%
- Next EPS Report date: Feb. 19, 2026
Our Take:
Centerra Gold is a mid-tier producer of gold and copper, anchored by Mount Milligan in Canada and the Öksüt mine in Türkiye. Fundamentally, Centerra’s reset over the past two years is bearing fruit. The full restart at Öksüt restored lower-cost ounces, and Mount Milligan continues to benefit from strong throughput and copper by-product credits.
A recent PFS outlines an extended Mount Milligan mine life to 2045, reinforcing cash-flow visibility. Management also highlights a solid cash position to self-fund growth, including the Goldfield project in Nevada.
A Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) with Style Scores of A for Value, B for Growth and C for Momentum points to steadily improving earnings and attractive valuation, while acknowledging recent price volatility. The Price, Consensus & EPS Surprise chart shows price trending higher with 2026–2027 EPS estimates stepping up, signaling that revisions are driving the move rather than sentiment alone.
Buenaventura Mining (BVN)
$26.47 USD +1.59 (6.39%)
3-Year Stock Price Performance
Premium Research for BVN
- Zacks Rank
- Strong Buy 1
- Style Scores
C Value C Growth A Momentum B VGM
- Market Cap: $6.41 B (Mid Cap)
- Projected EPS Growth:19.50%
- Last Quarter EPS Growth:65.00%
- Last EPS Surprise:60.98%
- Next EPS Report date:Feb. 19, 2026
Our Take:
Buenaventura is Peru’s largest publicly traded precious and base metals company with operating mines and meaningful interests in copper assets. The near-term driver is execution across a balanced portfolio of silver at Yumpag and Uchucchacua and copper exposure through majority-owned El Brocal.
The San Gabriel gold project advanced to 96% overall progress, targeting commercial production in the fourth quarter of 2025, which should lift the company’s growth profile. Also, ore processing at Orcopampa is expected to rise in the quarter. Prioritizing cost efficiency is expected to boost the company’s margins.
A Zacks Rank #1 is paired with Style Scores of C for Value and Growth and B for Momentum, implying revisions and price action are improving even as valuation is mid-pack. The chart shows a sharp price breakout followed by rising 2026–2027 EPS lines catching up, consistent with project de-risking and better metals mix.
Newmont (NEM)
$93.63 USD +4.63 (5.20%)
3-Year Stock Price Performance
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- Zacks Rank
- Strong Buy 1
- Style Scores
B Value C Growth A Momentum B VGM
- Market Cap:$97.95 B (Large Cap)
- Projected EPS Growth: 74.14%
- Last Quarter EPS Growth: 19.58%
- Last EPS Surprise:32.56%
- Next EPS Report date:Feb. 19, 2026
Our Take:
Newmont is the world’s largest gold company with Tier-1 gold and copper assets across the Americas, Africa and Australia. The company is exiting non-core mines to focus on scale, long-life assets and strong jurisdictions. It holds an industry-leading reserve base of more than 134 million ounces of gold at 2024-end.
After acquiring Newcrest in 2023, Newmont continues to drive synergies while using asset sales to cut debt. It retired $2 billion of debt in the third quarter, improving cash conversion. These moves support stronger returns through metal cycles.
A Zacks Rank #1 with Style Scores of C for Value and Growth and B for Momentum signals improving revisions and supportive price action, despite mid-value. On the chart, the stock’s rebound coincides with a visible upturn in out-year EPS estimates for 2026–2027, evidence that the market is responding to improving fundamentals rather than the gold price alone.
Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM)
$166.44 USD +1.72 (1.04%)
3-Year Stock Price Performance
Premium Research for AEM
- Zacks Rank
- Strong Buy 1
- Style Scores
C Value B Growth A Momentum B VGM
- Market Cap: $84.69 B (Large Cap)
- Projected EPS Growth: 83.69%
- Last Quarter EPS Growth: 11.34%
- Last EPS Surprise:22.73%
- Next EPS Report date:Feb. 12, 2026
Our Take:
Agnico Eagle is a senior gold producer with a focused portfolio in Canada, Finland and Australia, led by tier-one mines like Detour Lake and Canadian Malartic. Its operations target long lives, low geopolitical risk and steady growth. Recent results showed record profits and strong free cash flow supported by higher gold prices.
Progress on underground work at Detour and continued spending across the Arctic platform provide multi-year visibility and leverage to gold. The Nunavut platform also gains longevity from the Meadowbank and Amaruq extensions.
A Zacks Rank #1 with Style Scores of D for Value, B for Growth and A for Momentum indicates strong estimate and price trends despite a richer multiple. The chart shows the uptrend aligning with rising 2026–2027 EPS lines, classic confirmation that revisions are leading the tape. With high-quality assets and disciplined capital allocation, Agnico’s momentum profile stands out among large-cap peers.
Argan (AGX)
$332.24 USD +12.93 (4.05%)
3-Year Stock Price Performance
Premium Research for AGX
- Zacks Rank
- Strong Buy 1
- Style Scores
F Value A Growth A Momentum B VGM
- Market Cap:$4.35 B (Mid Cap)
- Projected EPS Growth: 29.27%
- Last Quarter EPS Growth:-13.20%
- Last EPS Surprise: 19.23%
- Next EPS Report date: March 26, 2026
Our Take:
Argan is an engineering, procurement and construction contractor focused on natural-gas-fired and renewable power plants, primarily through Gemma Power Systems. Fundamentals are anchored by a record $3 billion backlog supporting multi-year revenue visibility. The company pairs that backlog with a consistent dividend and a debt-light balance sheet.
It is poised to benefit from rising U.S. electricity demand tied to data-center and industrial load growth. With global semiconductor and battery production expected to ramp up, electricity demand will grow, triggering requirements for AGX’s services.
A Zacks Rank #1 with Style Scores of F for Value, A for Growth and Momentum captures premium pricing but powerful earnings and price trends. On the chart, shares have rallied as 2026–2027 consensus estimates trend higher, reflecting backlog conversion rather than transitory optimism. With execution discipline and structural demand tailwinds, AGX’s growth and momentum case remains intact even after a strong run.
Best Stocks to Buy Now: How to Use This List
It’s important to understand what this list is, and what it isn’t.
For decades, the Zacks Rank has been a proven system that has helped investors identify stocks most likely to outperform. Instead of relying on hunches or hype, it’s grounded in earnings estimate revisions — a factor strongly correlated with stock price movement. When combined with additional fundamental metrics, the approach becomes even more powerful.
Still, it’s important to understand these basics:
- While the list offers exposure across several industries, it is not a fully diversified portfolio. You should think of it as a starting point, not a complete investing strategy.
- Even though these stocks are backed by a proven system, nothing protects you from short-term downside. Depending on market conditions, most — or even all — could decline in the near term.
- The Zacks Rank works because it captures trends in earnings momentum. That power plays out over weeks and months, not days. Investors with patience and discipline are more likely to benefit.
- Before buying any single stock, check how it aligns with your goals, risk tolerance, and broader portfolio.
Methodology
The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that uses trends in earnings estimate revisions and earnings-per-share (EPS) surprises to classify stocks into five groups: #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy), #3 (Hold), #4 (Sell) and #5 (Strong Sell). The Zacks Rank is calculated through four primary factors related to earnings estimates: analysts' consensus on earnings estimate revisions, the magnitude of revision change, the upside potential and estimate surprise (or the degree in which earnings per share deviated from the previous quarter).
Zacks builds the data from 3,000 analysts at over 150 different brokerage firms. The average yearly gain for Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks is +23.62% per year from January, 1988, through June 2, 2025.
For this list, only companies in the top 50% of industries that have average daily trading volumes of 100,000 shares or more were considered. Stocks with a share value of $5 or less were excluded. These companies earned Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) between Nov. 24 and Dec. 6, 2025. All information is current as of market open, Dec.8, 2025.
Common Questions of New Investors
Where to Buy Stocks
To invest in stocks, you must open a brokerage account, fund the account and purchase stocks through your selected brokerage. Investors may also purchase stocks through a financial advisor or an automated robo advisor. Some publicly traded companies also offer a direct stock purchase plan, where you can purchase shares directly from the company.
Alternative Ways to Invest in Stocks
You can also invest in stock funds, such as mutual funds, index funds and exchange-traded funds, where the fund managers select the pool of stocks that follow an investing strategy. These funds may broadly cover an entire index, such as the S&P 500, or specific types of stocks, such as industries like technology and energy companies, company size such as small cap companies, or location like international companies.
How to Start Investing in Stocks Today
It’s easy to start investing by opening an online brokerage account. Opening a standard brokerage account takes about 20 minutes and you’ll need to have some personal information ready, such as your social security number and your bank details to fund your account.
You’ll need to decide whether to open a taxable account (most common), a tax-deferred retirement account such as a traditional IRA or a tax-free retirement account such as a Roth IRA, which is funded with after-tax dollars, but qualified withdrawals are tax-free. A margin account allows for borrowing to purchase stocks and is best for experienced traders.
Set goals before you begin investing – determine how much you can afford to invest and your tolerance for risk.
What to Look for When You Buy Stocks?
The goal in all equities investment is to buy low and sell high, growing your wealth over time. Researching the companies to invest in is key – what kind of product or service do they offer? How do they compare with competitors? How fast are they growing? Does the stock pay regular dividends to shareholders? Does the stock help diversify your portfolio by giving you exposure to a market segment you currently don’t hold?
Understanding fundamental analysis can help determine whether the stock has the potential for growth at its current purchase price. Factors that can help determine that include earnings per share (EPS), price-to-earnings ratio and PE growth. Technical analysis is used looking at statistical patterns to potentially predict future price moves. Some investors may look for a growth and income strategy, looking for stocks with solid revenues that pay good dividends, or a value strategy, looking if a current stock price is below what their revenue, EPS and other factors suggest.
Analysts also often look for the momentum of a stock by looking at moving averages of a stock's closing price over a 50-day, 100-day or 12-month trailing time period to determine signals whether to buy or sell a stock.
