Advisors Are Betting on These Investments in 2025

They say investors can’t time the markets, but that won’t stop them from trying. 

From cryptocurrencies to artificial intelligence to quantum computing, there’s never been more activity in the markets or more speculation over the next big thing. Sprinkle in a new administration settling into the White House this month, and the questions are coming in hot and heavy. Will a trade war upend global supply chains? Can a new round of tariffs spur the economy? Are cryptocurrencies finally for real? 

Seasoned advisors will tell clients to stay the course. But, while there’s always uncertainty in the markets, there’s also plenty of opportunity. Here’s a handful of investments that top advisors are watching in 2025.

Can I Get a Qubit?

Quantum computing may be 2025’s next buzzword. Google’s Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab — a joint initiative with NASA and Universities Space Research Association — announced a state-of-the-art quantum chip last month. It performed a benchmark task in under five minutes, something that would take today’s fastest supercomputers 10 septillion years, according to a release. (That’s longer than the age of the universe itself, but who’s counting?)

“One investment with the potential to disrupt even more than artificial intelligence in 2025 is quantum computing,” said Michael Martin, VP of market strategy at TradingBlock. To be fair, expectations for these stocks have soared and critics say the companies have sky-high valuations with little revenue to show for it. “While impressive, quantum computing still has a long way to go before reaching its full potential,” Martin said.

Any Given Sunday

Alternative investments could be primed to hit the mainstream in 2025, and so much so that even America’s new favorite pastime is getting in on the action. The National Football League allowed private equity firms to take stakes in franchises for the first time last year. Now, Arctos Partners and Ares Management have launched funds that invest in the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins, respectively. 

“The NFL announcing their partnership with private equity has changed the alternative investment playing field as we know it,” said Patrick Kennedy, co-founder of AllSource Investments. The new funds could provide plenty of upside for wealth managers:

• The average team valuation soared to $5.7 billion, according to data from AllSource.
• The NFL paid $402.3 million to each team in 2023 as their share of league revenue.

“That’s not a bad annual dividend,” he said. 

Keeping Stock. One thing to remember is if a client’s goals haven’t changed, neither should their portfolios, said Anthony Valeri, an investment management director with California Bank and Trust. That being said, he’s bullish on stocks in the new year: “Even after a two-year run of strong performance, investors should maintain their equity exposure.”

Tariffs, however, are expected to drive up inflation. While strong economic growth could fuel continuing advances in the stock market, it’s anyone’s guess as to what the combined impact of the new administration’s economic policies may be. “We find the outlook for stocks much better than real estate or commodities — two areas investors often associate with inflation protection,” he said. 

Investment Advisors Activate. Passive investing has been at the heart of most financial advisors’ investment portfolios for years, but that could be a thing of the past. Active management is gaining steam with asset managers and wealth managers alike, and the next presidential administration could push advisors to become more hands on, according to Nilesh Vaidya, Capgemini’s head of retail banking and wealth management.

Wealth management firms may benefit from using active styles to take advantage of policy changes, he said. It could encourage retail investors to “step back and allow professionals to take the lead.”