Live trading forums are where market participants let loose, sharing ideas, debating stock picks, and occasionally venting about everything from Tesla to geopolitics. It's unfiltered market sentiment in real time, and the conversations from 2025 paint an interesting picture.
Ryan Faloona, co-host of the Pre-Market Playbook and Happy Hour shows and director of customer success for a trading platform, compiled thoughts from active chat room participants about what worked, what didn't, and what might be coming next.
The 2025 Scoreboard
Traders had strong opinions about their winners and losers this year. The bullish calls centered on three names:
Ferrari (RACE) caught attention after taking a beating earlier in the year. The thinking now? The luxury automaker benefited from buybacks, and with those pausing this month, the price is holding steady on its own merits.
International Paper (IP) earned praise for streamlining operations. As one trader put it: boxes rule the world, and this company makes them. Box inflation is real, and demand keeps growing.
AO Smith Corp. (AOS) makes water heaters, tanks, and water treatment systems. Most of the business is domestic, supplying things people need rather than want. When your water heater breaks, you're buying a replacement regardless of the economy.
On the flip side, three stocks drew skepticism:
Tapestry (TPR) got dismissed as overvalued "poor people luxury brands" at a time when consumers are struggling with car payments. Ouch.
DoorDash (DASH) sparked predictions that it might become a "remember when" conversation piece. Business and human trends aren't looking favorable, according to chat participants.
Spotify (SPOT) drew criticism for lack of evolution. No moat, rising prices, and essentially the same platform for eight years. The consensus? It's peaked.
Looking Ahead to 2026
One trader, TheVinylGuy, joked that Tesla (TSLA) is heading back to $200 (emphasis on the joke part), while noting that GSI Technology (GSIT) is having a moment. More seriously, he predicts 2026 will see escalation of the China-Taiwan situation, creating swings in semiconductor stocks.
Faloona's own 2026 picks include Apple (AAPL) heading down and ExxonMobil (XOM) moving up.
The Detailed Bull Cases
Dollar General (DG) appeals for its lower tariff exposure and rising demand for consumer bargains as inflation persists. The valuation looks fairly reasonable now, though a correction to the 20-day SMA could be coming. The company has posted positive EPS growth for several quarters and expects that to continue based on recent guidance.
Energy Transfer (ET) is positioned as a major player in American energy production, plus it supplies new power plants and data centers. The stock has been trending down since late January 2025 and could test around $14.50, give or take a quarter. There's downside risk if debt concerns arise around energy contracts with Oracle (ORCL). Still, the company looks undervalued given future energy demand, particularly for natural gas.
The Bear Case
United Airlines (UAL) is up over 18% year-to-date and nearly 120% since the Liberation Day unwind. But the West Coast fuel crisis could mean fewer flights across that entire region, hitting revenue hard. The stock might trade higher into next year, but it's approaching oversold territory on longer timeframes.
Whether these predictions pan out remains to be seen, but one thing's certain: trading chat rooms won't be boring in 2026.
