5 Stocks to Watch: Week of 2/17/2025

By Jessie Moore, Stock Researcher and Writer

February 15, 2025 7:13 PM UTC

1- Bioventus Inc (NASDAQ: BVS)

Going under the knife is sometimes necessary — but never pleasant. Thankfully, healing doesn’t always require surgery. The human body is a wonder, and can often do the work on its own — and Bioventus Inc aims to help it achieve that goal. This company recently went through a process of streamlining — selling off its rehabilitation unit in order to focus on its core competencies in bone and post-surgical recovery.

Zen Rating: A (Strong Buy) — see full analysis >

Recent Price: $10.42 — get current quote >

Max 1-year forecast: $17.00

Why we’re watching:

A consensus Buy, BVS stock has 3 ratings — a Strong Buy, a Buy, and a Hold. With that said, the average price forecast sees a 35.75% upside. See the ratings
Notably, Canaccord Genuity researcher William Plovanic (a top 8% rated analyst) recently increased his Bioventus stock price target from $12 to $15, reissuing an earlier Strong Buy rating after the company released its Q3 2024 earnings report.
Plovanic called the quarter "strong," highlighting revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and pro forma EPS beats.
The analyst detailed that Bioventus delivered "double-digit growth in both its Pain Treatments and Surgical Solutions segments and saw continuing improved sales force execution in its Exogen business."
Bioventus stock is also the second-highest-rated stock in the entire medical device industry. In addition, it has seen an impressive 137.72% increase in price over the past year.
BVS stock carries an overall Zen rating of B — according to the 115 factors taken into account by our proprietary quant rating system, it is in the top 20% of all stocks — and has a high likelihood of outperforming the wider market.
Our Sentiment Component Grade rating takes into account analyst revisions, insider buying or selling, and earnings surprises. Our Growth Component Grade rating focuses on operating income growth, sales acceleration, and EPS growth. In both categories, the stock has an A rating. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

2- Axogen Inc (NASDAQ: AXGN)

Biotech stocks often get a bad rap. There’s a good reason for that, unfortunately — most “breakthroughs” don’t pan out — and even when they do, it’s a winner-takes-all scenario. Axogen Inc sidesteps both of these issues. For one, it’s the only publicly traded pure-play nerve repair company. Secondly, and more importantly, it already has a commercially proven, FDA-approved portfolio with minimal competition.

Zen Rating: A (Strong Buy) — see full analysis >

Recent Price: $18.14 — get current quote >

Max 1-year forecast: $22.00

Why we’re watching:

Although the stock is tracked by just 2 analysts we follow, the ratings are good. One rates it a Strong Buy while the other rates it a Buy — and the average forecast for AXGN stock sees double-digit upside potential in the cards. See the ratings
Caitlin Cronin, a Canaccord Genuity researcher (a top 26% rated analyst) maintained a prior Strong Buy rating on February 3.
Cronin told readers they updated their model in response because "the shares now merit a premium valuation compared to small-cap peers" after Axogen preannounced its Q4 and FY 2024 earnings.
Stocks with a Zen Rating of A, like AXGN, have provided an average annual return of 32.52% since the early 2000s.
Axogen stock has surged by 89.36% over the last 365 days — far outperforming even the class of vaunted peers that it is in.
Growth and Sentiment are Axogen’s strongest Component Grade ratings — in which it ranks in the 95th and 98th percentile overall. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

3- Mueller Water Products Inc. (NYSE: MWA)

Mueller Water Products ensures everything keeps flowing smoothly from the tiniest of valves to large, complex leak detection systems. This $ 3.6 billion company has been in business for 168 years — but like most providers of infrastructure components, it hasn’t necessarily spent a lot of time in the spotlight. But as you’ll find below, it’s not your typical conservative defense play…

Zen Rating: A (Strong Buy) — see full analysis >

Recent Price: $27.07 — get current quote >

Max 1-year forecast: $29.00

Why we’re watching:

Fantastic performance: In case you don’t recall, we featured MWA as a stock to watch in this newsletter on February 4. You can check out the story here. Since that feature, MWA has surged 16% — but the move may not be over.
More recently, Zen Investor Editor-in-Chief Steve Reitmeister highlighted MWA as his Stock of the Week. To summarize his article from last Monday:
Mueller's water management business benefits from both necessity and industry growth, making it a stable and resilient investment.
The company has a strong track record, with a projected 26% year-over-year EPS growth and an average 45% earnings beat over the last four quarters. If this trend continues, actual growth could far exceed expectations, driving significant share price gains.
The Zen Ratings analysis of 115 different factors for the firm are also mighty impressive. MWA earns an overall A rating, and is in the top 2% of 4,600 stocks analyzed.
Its Component Grades shed light on its particular strengths — notably, it’s in the top 7% for Sentiment (here’s what the “Smart Money” thinks of shares) and in the top 9% of stocks scanned for Financials. It’s also in the top 13% Safety, making it a solid pick in the face of tariffs. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

4. Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META)

Meta Platforms is more than just Facebook — it’s also the parent company of Instagram, and WhatsApp, plus an AI and VR innovator. Bottom line? Meta keeps redefining the digital landscape, and with strong ad revenue and bold bets on the future, it’s well worth watching.

Zen Rating: B (Buy) — see full analysis >

Recent Price: $728.56 — get current quote >

Max 1-year forecast: $935.00

Why we’re watching:

Among the 40 analysts we track issuing ratings on META, 26 are Strong Buys, 12 are Buys, and 2 are Holds. No Sell or Strong Sell ratings. Explore the ratings here
On the bullish side of things, Ivan Feinseth of Tigress Financial (a top 2% analyst) just raised their price target on META 45% from $645 to $935, following the most recent earnings report.
Feinseth told readers that Tigress Financial sees Meta Platforms' "tremendous AI-driven opportunities for personalized AI-driven functionality across its apps" driving "significant upside because of the ongoing potential for the company to monetize many of its critical applications and technologies, including Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp."
The analyst noted that their new price target represents a potential return with dividends of over 30% from the current price of the stock.
META enjoys an overall B Zen Rating. While investors love how much the stock has grown, one crucial area of strength to note with META is its Component Grade of A for Financials, indicating that in addition to amazing price appreciation, the stock is grounded in a solid financial foundation. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

5- Jones Lang Lasalle Inc (NYSE: JLL)

Real estate markets tend to ebb and flow — but Jone Lang Lasalle has been in business since 1997, and has managed to both weather crises and thrive when conditions are favorable. Recently named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune magazine, this real estate business has kept up with the times — and is active in high-growth subsectors such as logistics, data centers, and sustainable real estate.

Zen Rating: A (Strong Buy) — see full analysis >

Recent Price: $279.33 — get current quote >

Max 1-year forecast: $353.00

Why we’re watching:

5 analysts we track issue ratings on JLL stock. 3 of them rate it a Strong Buy, while 2 gave it a Buy rating. See the ratings
Notably, Anthony Pettinari of JP Morgan (a top 2% rated analyst) recently reiterated an earlier Strong Buy rating, while increasing his price target on the stock from $263 to $327.
Pettinari said they are maintaining a positive outlook on commercial real estate broker names. Further clarifying, the analyst stated that although the "easy money" has been earned, the companies are heading into a "beat-and-raise earnings cycle.
In addition, the JP Morgan researcher hinted at a possible resurgence in leasing and commercial real estate sales that could continue "for a while", and predicted outsized earnings growth compared to the overall equities market through 2027
On the whole, JLL stock earned a Zen Rating of A — more to the point, it ranks in the top 1% of all the stocks we track.
7 Component Grade ratings make up a Zen Rating. JLL earned above-average scores in several key areas, most notably Sentiment, where it scores in the 94th percentile, and Growth, where it’s in the top 10% of stocks we track. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)