The Top Nasdaq-100 Stock in 2025 Has Nothing to Do With Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Group 1: Market Overview - In 2024, technology stocks involved in artificial intelligence (AI) led the Nasdaq-100 index higher, while healthcare stocks struggled due to concerns about Robert F. Kennedy's nomination for Health and Human Services Secretary [1] - In 2025, the technology sector has disappointed investors, while healthcare stocks have led the U.S. market higher, with Gilead Sciences being the best performing member of the Nasdaq-100 index as of March 9, achieving a year-to-date return of 27% [1] Group 2: Company Performance - AppLovin reported a 44% increase in revenue to $1.3 billion in Q4, with non-GAAP net income more than tripling, but the stock has fallen 47% from its high this year due to negative reports from short sellers [3] - Palantir consistently beat Wall Street's expectations with its financial results last year, but the stock has fallen 32% from its high this year due to concerns about insider selling and possible Pentagon budget cuts [4] - Nvidia, the market leader in data center GPUs, has seen its stock fall 25% from its high this year due to concerns about the sustainability of AI infrastructure spending and export restrictions [5] Group 3: Analyst Sentiment - Despite recent declines, Wall Street remains predominantly bullish on AppLovin, Palantir, and Nvidia, with median target prices implying substantial upside for shareholders [6] - AppLovin's median target price of $555 per share implies 132% upside from its current share price of $239, Palantir's median target price of $97 per share implies 22% upside from its current share price of $79, and Nvidia's median target price of $175 per share implies 65% upside from its current share price of $106 [10] Group 4: Gilead Sciences - Gilead Sciences is a pharmaceutical company with a strong presence in the HIV and oncology markets, known for developing the first once-daily tablet for HIV treatment and receiving approval for a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) HIV medication [7] - Gilead reported Q4 financial results that beat Wall Street expectations, with revenue increasing 6% to $7.6 billion and non-GAAP net income increasing 10% to $1.90 per diluted share [8] - Gilead anticipates regulatory approval of twice-yearly lenacapavir injections for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in the U.S. and updates from two phase-3 clinical trials involving Trodelvy, which has been designated as a breakthrough therapy by the FDA [9][12] - Gilead shares trade at a reasonable price, with Wall Street expecting adjusted earnings to increase at 32% annually over the next two years, making the current price-to-earnings (PE) multiple of 25 look fair [13]