The Motley Fool·2025-12-16 19:59Group 1: Market Overview - The stock market is expected to close 2025 with a 15.7% increase in the S&P 500, marking the third consecutive year of double-digit gains [1] - There are mixed opinions on the market's direction in 2026, with some investors concerned about an AI bubble while others believe the gains will extend beyond the "Magnificent Seven" stocks [2] Group 2: Sweetgreen - Sweetgreen has faced significant challenges in 2025, with its stock down 77% year-to-date due to declining comparable sales and widening losses [4] - The company is taking steps to stabilize its finances, including selling its subsidiary Spyce and reducing new store openings from 37 in 2025 to 15-20 in 2026 [5] - Despite its struggles, Sweetgreen may see a recovery due to easier sales comparisons in 2026, with expected comparable sales declines of 7.7%-8.5% after a 6% gain in 2024 [7][9] - Sweetgreen maintains a quality product with average unit volumes of $2.8 million per store, comparable to industry leaders [8] - A 100% gain in Sweetgreen's stock next year is considered achievable, although it would still be down over 50% from the end of 2024 [9] Group 3: Amplitude - Amplitude, a cloud software company specializing in digital product analytics, is positioned for a strong recovery in 2026 [10] - The company has made strategic acquisitions and is enhancing its platform with AI capabilities, which is expected to drive growth [11] - In Q3, Amplitude reported a 16% increase in annual recurring revenue to $347 million and an 18% increase in revenue to $88.6 million, indicating growing customer confidence [13] - Amplitude's market cap is $1.4 billion, and it is trading at a price-to-sales ratio of 4.3, suggesting significant long-term potential if growth accelerates [14]