These Are the S&P 500 Stocks With the Most Upside—and Downside—According to Wall Street

Stocks are trading near record highs, and Wall Street expects them to continue their march higher over the next year.

Analysts expect the S&P 500 to rise 7.5% to nearly 6,700 over the next 12 months, according to a recent analysis of stock price targets by FactSet Research analyst John Butters. (The index-level target is calculated by aggregating the median stock price target of the index’s components.)

Several Wall Street banks lifted their year-end S&P 500 forecasts in the last month as stocks rebounded from a tariff-driven sell-off in April to regain all-time highs. The S&P 500, which ended last week at a record, fell 0.8% to 6,230 on Monday as President Donald Trump’s fresh tariff threats aggravated simmering trade anxiety.

At the sector level, analysts see the most potential for upside in health care (+15.9%) and energy (+13.5%). These sectors account for half of the 10 stocks with the biggest gap between their closing price on July 2, when Butters did his analysis, and their median price target. Those stocks include health care providers Centene (CNC), Molina Healthcare (MOH), and Elevance Health (ELV), each of which saw their stocks tumble last week after Centene withdrew its full-year earnings guidance. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) and Coterra Energy (CTRA) are also in the top 10 stocks with the most upside. 

Analysts are bullish on used car companies, with used parts retailer LKQ Corp. (LKQ) and online car auction platform Copart (CPRT) also in the top 10. President Trump’s tariffs on imported cars, aluminum, and steel are expected to increase new car prices and nudge some buyers into the used car market. 

Financials and industrials, which are expected to return 3.2% and 4.2%, respectively, in the next year, are the sectors with the least upside potential, according to Wall Street. Financials are especially pricey: Investment managers Franklin Resources (BEN) and Northern Trust (NTRS) closed 23% and 18% above their respective median price targets last week. Goldman Sachs (GS) and Coinbase (COIN) were also among the 10 stocks with the most downside potential. 

Retail investor favorites Super Micro Computer (SMCI) and Palantir (PLTR) are also expected by the average analyst to see their share prices decline. Palantir, the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 so far this year, on Monday closed more than 26% above its median share price target. Supermicro stock closed at a 20% premium to its average target.