Memory, Sneakers, and Utility Companies: Freedom Names the 12 Best Stocks for the Rest of the Year

Micron, one of the world’s largest memory chip manufacturers; Nike, a sports equipment giant; and Alibaba, the “Chinese Amazon,” have made it onto Freedom analysts’ list of investment ideas for the fourth quarter. Compared to the previous quarter, the list of favorites has been almost completely updated, according to a report available to Oninvest. Here are the stocks that Freedom analysts have identified as the best in their respective sectors:

Target price*: $1,600

Current price**: $1,065

Micron is Freedom’s top pick in the IT sector. As a supplier of HBM, high-capacity DRAM, and server SSDs, the company remains a key beneficiary of the AI trend amid a memory shortage. Historically, Micron has been a distinctly cyclical business. But the shift to multi-year take-or-pay agreements—which lock in volumes and minimum margins above the peaks of past cycles—makes its revenue more predictable, analysts note.

Target price: $270

Current price: $163

The telecom operator’s strengths include stable business performance, growing free cash flow, and a moderate discount to fair value. The recent decline in the stock price is linked to a warning from management about a short-term increase in churn and a slowdown in the growth of postpaid subscribers as customers switch to more expensive plans, analysts note. At the same time, the company’s key financial metrics—service revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and free cash flow—remain stable, Freedom notes.

Target price: $54

Current price: $35.4

Nike shares are currently trading at their lowest levels since 2013. The retailer’s main problem is a double-digit decline in sales in China. Sales are also under pressure in the EMEA region—Europe, the Middle East, and Africa—partly due to events in the Middle East. At the same time, the domestic market continues to show positive momentum: footwear sales increased by 5% in the most recent fiscal year. Nike is working to restore its business in China and modernize its retail network, and is also preparing to introduce more than ten new footwear models with a focus on innovation and the premium segment.

Target price: $140

Current price: $107.5

Alibaba’s cloud and AI businesses remain undervalued amid rapid revenue growth and expected margin improvements in the coming quarters, Freedom notes. The growing popularity of Chinese AI solutions abroad could serve as an additional driver for the stock: they are cheaper and are closing the quality gap with U.S. models. Potential government measures to support domestic demand in China—including incentives for home appliance purchases and restrictions on price competition in the food delivery sector—could also provide support for the stock price.

Target price: $142

Current price: $114

The American discount retailer Dollar Tree significantly exceeded expectations in the previous quarter. Sales grew due to increases in both average transaction value and store traffic. In the long term, analysts maintain a positive outlook on the stock, anticipating a steady improvement in store efficiency.

Target price: $14 .5

Current price: $9 .7

Freedom’s top pick in the healthcare sector is a company with a market capitalization of $122 million. Legacy Education offers educational programs for mid-level healthcare professionals. The stock came under pressure after the company reported a decline in student enrollment for the last two consecutive quarters. Analysts attribute this to stricter admission requirements and view the decline as temporary, expecting enrollment to recover with the launch of new programs.

Target price: $14

Current price: $8

In the financial sector, Freedom also favored a small company. Abacus, with a market capitalization of $775 million, specializes in investments and asset management in the life insurance segment. Freedom believes the market underestimates Abacus’s long-term potential, driven by low penetration in the life insurance market, growing demand from institutional investors for alternative assets, and the scaling of stable fee income, which could account for up to 70% of revenue by 2030.

Target price: $31

Current price: $18 .6

The company, valued at $334 million, is undergoing a transformation from a niche avionics supplier to an integrated player in the aerospace and defense market. Management expects to increase revenue from $84.3 million in fiscal year 2025 to $250 million by fiscal year 2029, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 25–30%. The main drivers of growth will be existing products for the F-16 and KC-46 military aircraft, business expansion through acquisitions, and a contract to develop a cockpit for a Japanese eVTOL aircraft manufacturer, with production set to begin in 2027.

Target price: $40

Current price: $16 .4

Digital brokerage Real (market cap: $358 million) agreed this year to acquire Re/Max, a franchisor that provides real estate brokerage and mortgage lending services in the U.S., Canada, and internationally. The deal transforms Real into a globally scalable platform and creates new sources of growth. The company is Freedom’s top pick in the real estate sector.

Target price: $122

Current price: $84

As the heating season approaches, Freedom recommends keeping an eye on natural gas producers. Expand Energy is one of the largest natural gas producers in the U.S. In the first six months of 2026, the company reduced its net debt by 31%. Further debt reduction could lower debt servicing costs and create opportunities to increase shareholder returns.

Target price: $13

Current price: $8 .9

Shares of the U.S. pesticide manufacturer are trading well below historical levels, but Freedom expects them to rebound. FMC is nearing completion of a program to sell non-core assets and other measures that could generate about $1 billion to reduce debt. An $825 million share buyback program offers additional upside potential, although its implementation is limited to 2028. New products could also support growth as the industry recovers.

Target price: $57

Current price: $46 .7

NWN is engaged in natural gas distribution, water supply, and wastewater treatment in the northwestern United States, Texas, and other regions. Analysts note that the company combines the stability of a regulated utility business with a dividend yield of about 4% and the potential for accelerated earnings growth through expansion in Texas and investments in natural gas infrastructure. This is the only company that Freedom has retained on its investment list since the previous quarter.

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* Here and everywhere: the target price is calculated for 12 months

** The current price is based on the closing price on September 30