3 Tech Stocks Defying Sector Weakness and Thriving in 2025

Core Viewpoint - The U.S. technology sector has experienced weak performance in 2025, with the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund returning -6% as of March 7, making it the second worst performing sector among SPDR S&P 500 ETFs [1] Group 1: Overall Sector Performance - As of March 7, only 33 out of 96 large-cap U.S. tech stocks have provided a positive total return in 2025 [1] - The consumer discretionary sector has performed worse, with a total return of -8% [1] Group 2: Top Performing Stocks - Okta has emerged as the best performer among large-cap U.S. tech stocks, with a return of nearly 43% in 2025 [2] - Cloudflare's stock is up nearly 18% as of March 7, driven by strong performance and growth in large customers [6] - IBM has provided a total return of nearly 20% in 2025, benefiting from positive earnings reports and strategic discussions with government officials [10] Group 3: Okta's Performance Details - Okta reported impressive earnings in early March, leading to a stock surge of over 24% in one day [3] - The company raised its full-year revenue growth guidance from 7% to 10% and adjusted earnings growth guidance to 13% [3] - Okta achieved its first quarter of $1 billion in bookings, with 20$13 million, and the company plans to cut 3% of its workforce to enhance growth [5] Group 4: Cloudflare's Performance Details - Cloudflare's significant gains were driven by strong earnings on February 7, with shares spiking 18% after beating Wall Street expectations [8] - The number of large customers increased by 27%, with $1 million+ customers rising by 47$2 billion GenAI-related business, with 75% of revenue coming from consulting services [12]