Growth investors have had to dig deeper in 2025. With the S&P 500 flat year to date amid President Trump's global trade reset and persistent inflation, the broad-market rally has stalled. But under the surface, a new class of winners is emerging, driven by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI), telehealth, and advanced computing.
The gap between outperformers and everything else has rarely been this wide. While the major indices have largely traded sideways, companies building the infrastructure for AI workloads, advanced data analytics, or pushing the boundaries of computation have posted jaw-dropping gains in 2025.
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Here are two growth stocks with the momentum, fundamentals, and strategic tailwinds to deliver meaningful upside in the months ahead.
Quantum computing pioneer
IonQ(NYSE: IONQ) is building the future of computing with its trapped-ion quantum systems. While traditional computers process information in binary bits, IonQ's quantum computers leverage quantum mechanics to solve complex problems exponentially faster. The company makes its systems accessible through major cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Alphabet's Google Cloud.
Shares are down 3.4% year to date but have rallied 47% in the past month as investors recognize the company's progress toward broad commercialization. Q1 2025 revenue of $7.6 million was essentially flat year over year, but management's full-year guidance of $75 million to $95 million implies approximately 97% growth, relative to 2024. This dramatic acceleration reflects major contracts coming online, including a $22 million deal with EPB to establish America's first commercial quantum computing hub in Chattanooga.
IonQ's balance sheet provides ample runway with $697 million in cash and investments. A solid balance sheet is critical when it comes to building systems that require decades to bring online and gain market traction. Moreover, IonQ is expanding beyond pure quantum computing into quantum networking through its acquisition of ID Quantique. That's an underappreciated development that significantly enhances the company's competitive positioning.
The bottom line? IonQ offers exposure to a technology that could revolutionize computing across industries, from drug discovery to cryptography. It's not a stretch to say that IonQ holds the potential to evolve into a titan of one of the world's next multitrillion-dollar industries. So while the stock is unquestionably overvalued from a fundamental standpoint (shares trade at over 200 times 12-month trailing sales), the company's multidecade growth potential, one that could be parabolic, is a solid reason to keep buying shares this month.
An AI software platform leader
AI software platform leader Palantir Technologies(NASDAQ: PLTR) continues its remarkable run, with shares up 74.2% this year. The data analytics company has successfully expanded beyond its government contracting roots into the enterprise market, with its Artificial Intelligence Platform driving explosive commercial growth while maintaining its dominant position in federal contracts.
Q1 2025 results showcased this dual-engine growth strategy -- total revenue grew 39% year over year to $884 million, with U.S. commercial revenue surging 71% to $255 million. The company closed 139 deals worth $1 million or more during the three months, including 31 exceeding $10 million. Customer count grew 39% year over year to 769. The company's unique "bootcamp" approach to customer onboarding is accelerating adoption, with enterprises using AIP to build AI applications in days rather than months.
Trading at 238 times forward earnings, Palantir stock isn't cheap. But here's why that multiple might be reasonable. The company is sitting at the intersection of two massive secular trends, AI adoption and data consolidation, where the winner could capture outsized market share. Current earnings reflect a business still in its early enterprise expansion phase, but as commercial revenue continues growing at 70% plus annually and operating leverage kicks in, those earnings should compound in the years ahead, especially as customer count swells.
More importantly, Palantir isn't just selling software. It's building the nervous system for how large organizations will operate in an AI-driven world. Once enterprises integrate Palantir's platform into their core operations, switching costs become prohibitive. If the company can maintain 50% plus growth while expanding its already impressive 44% operating margins, the stock's current valuation will look like a bargain in hindsight. So, for investors willing to stomach the volatility, Palantir represents one of the purest plays on enterprise AI adoption.
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John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. George Budwell has positions in IonQ, Microsoft, and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
