What are the best shares to buy in 2025?

As 2025 settles into a rapidly changing economic climate, with the continuation of the monetary tightening cycle, signs of recovery in certain key areas, and major technological upheavals, stock markets are being reshaped. In this shifting context, one question obsesses investors: what are the stocks to favour this year to capture growth while managing risks?

With tech giants making a comeback, industrial stocks boosted by reindustrialisation and the rise of clean energy, and players in artificial intelligence and precision health, 2025 could well be the year of structural choices for savvy portfolios. The key is knowing where to look — and more importantly, why.

Discover here the shares to watch, the best dividend shares as well as growth shares for long-term investment, in New Zealand and internationally.

Top 10 best shares of this year

1. Fisher & Paykel Healthcare – New Zealand’s healthcare export champion

F&P Healthcare is a global leader in respiratory and sleep care products. With its growing international demand, especially in hospitals, and strong R&D pipeline, it remains one of NZX’s most defensive growth stocks.

🎯 Target Price by end-2025: $30.00
(vs current ~$24.00)

📉 Despite global uncertainty, the healthcare sector remains resilient, and this stock offers long-term international exposure from a local base.

2. Mainfreight – Global logistics with Kiwi roots

Mainfreight has shown consistent revenue and earnings growth thanks to its global freight network. Its decentralised culture and customer-centric model are delivering strong margins worldwide.

🎯 Target Price by end-2025: $83.75
(vs current ~$67.00)

📉 While affected by global shipping cycles, its agility and scale make it a premium NZX-listed company.

3. Meridian Energy – Clean power with stable dividends

Meridian is a leading renewable energy provider in NZ. Backed by strong hydropower generation and long-term decarbonisation trends, it offers a sustainable yield with growth potential.

🎯 Target Price by end-2025: $6.70
(vs current ~$5.40)

📉 A reliable ESG-aligned pick, attractive to income and climate-conscious investors.

4. A2 Milk – A recovery story in premium nutrition

Once a market darling, A2 Milk is stabilising with improving China export sales and strategic changes. If execution continues to improve, it could be one of the NZX’s best comeback stories.

🎯 Target Price by end-2025: $7.40
(vs current ~$5.90)

📉 Volatility remains, but the upside for patient investors is notable if growth resumes.

5. EBOS Group – A growing healthcare distributor

EBOS operates across ANZ in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and veterinary products. Its consistent acquisitions and solid margins make it a long-term compounder.

🎯 Target Price by end-2025: $48.75
(vs current ~$39.00)

📉 EBOS’s stability and scale are appealing in uncertain economic conditions.

6. Infratil – Infrastructure investor with high-tech exposure

Infratil holds assets across digital infrastructure, renewable energy, and healthcare. With exposure to high-growth areas like data centres, it offers both yield and growth.

🎯 Target Price by end-2025: $13.00
(vs current ~$10.50)

📉 A unique hybrid of infrastructure safety and tech-style growth.

7. Contact Energy – Consistent performer in renewables

Contact is one of New Zealand’s major power generators and retailers, investing in new geothermal and wind assets to support growth and national decarbonisation.

🎯 Target Price by end-2025: $10.10
(vs current ~$8.10)

📉 Offers a mix of yield and defensiveness, attractive for long-term ESG investors.

8. Apple – Innovation and cash flow machine

Apple continues to lead in personal tech and services, with new product launches and ecosystem stickiness supporting its valuation.

🎯 Target Price by end-2025: $215.00
(vs current ~$172.00)

📉 Despite headwinds in hardware, its services and wearables businesses offer margin expansion.

9. NVIDIA – AI’s most powerful enabler

NVIDIA dominates the GPU and AI hardware space. With explosive demand from data centres and AI developers, it remains a strategic growth asset.

🎯 Target Price by end-2025: $117.00
(vs current ~$93.74)

📉 Volatile but fundamentally strong, and central to AI adoption globally.

10. Visa – Global digital payment backbone

Visa remains one of the most profitable and resilient businesses in fintech, benefitting from the global shift to cashless transactions.

🎯 Target Price by end-2025: $367.00
(vs current ~$293.65)

📉 Strong pricing power and digital expansion make Visa a core holding for growth-oriented portfolios.

What are the best dividend stocks?

Here is a summary table of the best New Zealand dividend stocks for 2025, selected for their high yield and financial strength. 

What are the best growth stocks in 2025?

Here is a summary table of the best growth stocks for 2025, selected for their potential for stock market appreciation, their sales dynamics and their long-term prospects. The selection emphasizes solid New Zealand companies, supplemented by some unmissable international stocks.

Geographic Focus: Where to Invest in 2025?

🇳🇿 New Zealand: Still the heart of innovation, but at what cost?

In 2025, the United States retains its status as the engine of global markets, driven by tech, AI, and services. Giants like Apple, Microsoft, or Nvidia continue to capture the majority of flows, with impressive growth. However, the demand for valuation remains high: investing in the USA means betting on innovation... but also accepting to pay dearly for this premium for excellence. Rigorous selection is essential.

🇳🇿 New Zealand: Selection of defensive and industrial opportunities

In New Zealand, the focus is on stability. While growth remains moderate, the environment favours solid industrial stocks and well-managed financial players. New Zealand also offers an attractive playground for cautious profiles looking for yield and diversification. Political risk, although present, is largely factored into prices.

🇳🇿 New Zealand & emerging markets: rebound or trap?

After a period of 2021-2023 marked by instability and regulatory restrictions, China is showing signs of recovery. Players like Alibaba are benefiting from a gradual re-rating. However, the geopolitical environment and lack of transparency still weigh heavily. In 2025, these markets represent more a tactical option than a fundamental conviction, to be handled with caution.

🇳🇿 / 🇳🇿 Other Specialised Markets: Spotlight on Commodities and Energy

Canada and Australia retain their appeal as niche markets focused on natural resources, renewable energy, or critical metals. Bombardier (Canada) or solar energy producers like SunPower (US/CA) are benefiting from renewed interest linked to infrastructure needs and the energy transition. Markets to watch for those who want to capture targeted opportunities that are less correlated with global indices.

Which shares should you invest in based on your investor profile?

Choosing shares on the stock market largely depends on your investor profile. Whether you are cautious, balanced, or dynamic, certain stocks correspond better to your performance objectives, your risk tolerance, and your investment horizon. Here is a selection of stocks suitable for each type of profile to start or adjust your portfolio in 2025:

How to buy the best stocks?

Now that you know what the best stocks are to buy currently according to the consensus of analysts, let's see how to proceed to acquire them simply in a few steps:

• First, you need to choose the financial intermediary or broker with whom you will place your stock market orders.
• Once chosen, open an online account, either a cash account or a margin account.
• Deposit your investment capital into this account.
• Search for the stock(s) that interest you and place a buy order to add them to your portfolio.

Example

Here you have the opportunity to build your own portfolio of securities or bet on a basket of securities or a particular sector by using, for example, ETFs or exchange-traded funds to invest.

4 investment tips for this year

• Adapt your strategy to your profile: Before investing, it's essential to know yourself well. Whether you are cautious, balanced or dynamic, choose shares consistent with your risk tolerance and goals. For example, cautious investors may prefer stable stocks like McDonald's or Visa, while balanced profiles will turn to a mix of growth technologies (Apple, Microsoft), defensive stocks and cyclical stocks. The most dynamic will seek high-potential opportunities with more volatile stocks like Tesla, Roblox or SunPower, while actively managing risks.
• Diversify to cushion shocks: Don't concentrate your investments in one sector or geographical area. In 2025, volatility can resurface at any time. A well-thought-out diversification between different sectors (technology, energy, finance) and geographical areas (United States, New Zealand, emerging markets) is a key strategy for smoothing performance and limiting losses.
• Identify performance catalysts: Beyond the quality of a company, it is often specific triggers that drive up its price. This could be the launch of a new product, a macroeconomic turnaround, an improvement in margins or entry into a major stock market index. These events can offer strategic entry points.
• Keep a cool head: In an environment that is still uncertain (geopolitical conflicts, interest rates, economic risks), discipline is essential. Avoid decisions dictated by emotion and adopt a long-term vision based on strong convictions and a rigorous strategy.

P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.