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Buy 5 High-Flying Mid-Cap Stocks of 2025 to Tap More Gains in 2026
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Key Takeaways
FCFS, LYFT, IBP, LUMN and AEIS are five mid-cap stocks highlighted after strong gains during 2025.
LYFT is seeing strong rider and driver growth and is targeting the robotaxi market via partnerships.
AEIS is benefiting from semiconductor and data center demand, with Data Center revenues expected to double.
U.S. stock markets have been witnessing an astonishing bull run since the beginning of 2023 barring some minor fluctuations. The three major stock indexes — the Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite — are currently rotating around their all-time highs.
The small-cap benchmarks Russell 2000 and the S&P 600 Index are also up 14.3% and 7.5%, respectively. Similarly, the mid-cap-centric S&P 400 Index has advanced 7.6% year to date. Investment in mid-cap stocks is often recognized as a good portfolio diversification strategy. These stocks combine the attractive attributes of both small and large-cap stocks.
Top-ranked, mid-cap stocks have a high potential to enhance their profitability, productivity and market share. These may also become large caps over time. If economic growth slows down due to any unforeseen internal or external disturbance, mid-cap stocks will be less susceptible to losses than their large-cap peers owing to their lower international exposure.
On the other hand, if the economy continues to thrive, these stocks will gain more than small caps due to established management teams, a broad distribution network, brand recognition and ready access to capital markets.
The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks year to date.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
FirstCash Holdings Inc.
Zacks Rank #1 FirstCash Holdings is an operator of pawn stores and a provider of technology-driven point-of-sale payment solutions in the United States, Mexico and the rest of Latin America. FCFS operates through three segments: U.S. Pawn, Latin America Pawn, and Retail POS Payment Solutions segments.
FirstCash Holdings has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 5.7% and 21.8%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 3.9% over the last 60 days.
Lyft Inc.
Zacks Rank #2 Lyft operates a peer-to-peer marketplace for on-demand ridesharing in the United States and Canada. Autonomous vehicle-related ambitions bode well. LYFT also benefits from an uptick in driver supply. The company is witnessing strong rider and driver growth, highlighting improvement in the ride-share market.
LYFT aims to gain a stronghold in the highly promising robotaxi market through strategic partnerships. By adopting this approach, LYFT has avoided the massive R&D costs associated with developing autonomous systems independently. On the flip side, LYFT is mired in challenges like tariff tensions and, high debt load.
Lyft has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 14.6% and 25.9%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 5.6% over the last 60 days.
Installed Building Products Inc.
Zacks Rank #1 Installed Building Products operates as a residential insulation installer in the United States. IBP also installs complementary building products, including garage doors, rain gutters, shower doors, closet shelving and mirrors. IBP serves homebuilders, multi-family and commercial builders, individual homeowners, and repair & remodeling contractors.
Installed Building Products has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 1.1% and 0.1%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 1% over the last 30 days.
Lumen Technologies Inc.
Zacks Rank #2 Lumen Technologies is gaining from its focus on its AI pivot as opportunities arising from the proliferation of AI are fueling demand for its Private Connectivity Fabric (“PCF”) solutions. LUMN has secured a total of $10 billion in PCF deals, up $1 billion since the second quarter.
Higher adoption of its network-as-a-service (NaaS) solutions is another tailwind. LUMN plans to eliminate $1 billion in costs, with more than $350 million of run-rate cost benefit anticipated in 2025. LUMN continues to expect adjusted EBITDA in the band of $3.2-$3.4 billion, although it expects reporting numbers near the high end of the range.
Lumen Technologies has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of -5.2% and -71.9%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 14.7% over the last 30 days.
Advanced Energy Industries Inc.
Zacks Rank #1 Advanced Energy Industries is benefiting from higher demand in the semiconductor and data center computing markets. Growth in the semiconductor market is driven by strong customer demand for EVOS, eVerest, and NavX products. The data center computing market is benefiting from hyperscale expansion and AI investments.
AEIS expects overall 2025 revenue growth to be approximately 20% with Data Center revenues to double. In the industrial and medical markets, AEIS has secured design wins for innovative platforms like the high-power density Evergreen series and NeoPower line, which are expected to drive steady revenue growth. AEIS is expected to benefit from its new Thailand factory, ready to scale production and generate more than $1 billion in annual revenues.
Advanced Energy Industries has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 12% and 20.2%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 1.1% over the last 30 days.
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Buy 5 High-Flying Mid-Cap Stocks of 2025 to Tap More Gains in 2026
Key Takeaways
U.S. stock markets have been witnessing an astonishing bull run since the beginning of 2023 barring some minor fluctuations. The three major stock indexes — the Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite — are currently rotating around their all-time highs.
The small-cap benchmarks Russell 2000 and the S&P 600 Index are also up 14.3% and 7.5%, respectively. Similarly, the mid-cap-centric S&P 400 Index has advanced 7.6% year to date. Investment in mid-cap stocks is often recognized as a good portfolio diversification strategy. These stocks combine the attractive attributes of both small and large-cap stocks.
Top-ranked, mid-cap stocks have a high potential to enhance their profitability, productivity and market share. These may also become large caps over time. If economic growth slows down due to any unforeseen internal or external disturbance, mid-cap stocks will be less susceptible to losses than their large-cap peers owing to their lower international exposure.
On the other hand, if the economy continues to thrive, these stocks will gain more than small caps due to established management teams, a broad distribution network, brand recognition and ready access to capital markets.
Here, we recommend five mid-cap stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank for 2026 that have surged in 2025. These are: FirstCash Holdings Inc. (FCFS - Free Report) , Lyft Inc. (LYFT - Free Report) , Installed Building Products Inc. (IBP - Free Report) , Lumen Technologies Inc. (LUMN - Free Report) and Advanced Energy Industries Inc. (AEIS - Free Report) . Each of our picks currently carries either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks year to date.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
FirstCash Holdings Inc.
Zacks Rank #1 FirstCash Holdings is an operator of pawn stores and a provider of technology-driven point-of-sale payment solutions in the United States, Mexico and the rest of Latin America. FCFS operates through three segments: U.S. Pawn, Latin America Pawn, and Retail POS Payment Solutions segments.
FirstCash Holdings has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 5.7% and 21.8%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 3.9% over the last 60 days.
Lyft Inc.
Zacks Rank #2 Lyft operates a peer-to-peer marketplace for on-demand ridesharing in the United States and Canada. Autonomous vehicle-related ambitions bode well. LYFT also benefits from an uptick in driver supply. The company is witnessing strong rider and driver growth, highlighting improvement in the ride-share market.
LYFT aims to gain a stronghold in the highly promising robotaxi market through strategic partnerships. By adopting this approach, LYFT has avoided the massive R&D costs associated with developing autonomous systems independently. On the flip side, LYFT is mired in challenges like tariff tensions and, high debt load.
Lyft has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 14.6% and 25.9%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 5.6% over the last 60 days.
Installed Building Products Inc.
Zacks Rank #1 Installed Building Products operates as a residential insulation installer in the United States. IBP also installs complementary building products, including garage doors, rain gutters, shower doors, closet shelving and mirrors. IBP serves homebuilders, multi-family and commercial builders, individual homeowners, and repair & remodeling contractors.
Installed Building Products has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 1.1% and 0.1%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 1% over the last 30 days.
Lumen Technologies Inc.
Zacks Rank #2 Lumen Technologies is gaining from its focus on its AI pivot as opportunities arising from the proliferation of AI are fueling demand for its Private Connectivity Fabric (“PCF”) solutions. LUMN has secured a total of $10 billion in PCF deals, up $1 billion since the second quarter.
Higher adoption of its network-as-a-service (NaaS) solutions is another tailwind. LUMN plans to eliminate $1 billion in costs, with more than $350 million of run-rate cost benefit anticipated in 2025. LUMN continues to expect adjusted EBITDA in the band of $3.2-$3.4 billion, although it expects reporting numbers near the high end of the range.
Lumen Technologies has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of -5.2% and -71.9%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 14.7% over the last 30 days.
Advanced Energy Industries Inc.
Zacks Rank #1 Advanced Energy Industries is benefiting from higher demand in the semiconductor and data center computing markets. Growth in the semiconductor market is driven by strong customer demand for EVOS, eVerest, and NavX products. The data center computing market is benefiting from hyperscale expansion and AI investments.
AEIS expects overall 2025 revenue growth to be approximately 20% with Data Center revenues to double. In the industrial and medical markets, AEIS has secured design wins for innovative platforms like the high-power density Evergreen series and NeoPower line, which are expected to drive steady revenue growth. AEIS is expected to benefit from its new Thailand factory, ready to scale production and generate more than $1 billion in annual revenues.
Advanced Energy Industries has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 12% and 20.2%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 1.1% over the last 30 days.