Nearly three years have passed since the launch of ChatGPT, yet the fervor surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) continues to propel Wall Street’s bull market. Analysts remain optimistic about stocks delivering another profitable year in 2025, overlooking previous concerns regarding tariffs and other macroeconomic pressures that could potentially derail growth.
Despite the ongoing enthusiasm for AI, certain stocks remain under the radar for investors. Among them are Sweetgreen and Amplitude, both of which have unique offerings that could yield significant returns.
Sweetgreen, a fast-casual salad chain, is more than just your typical dining experience. The company is investing heavily in its innovative robotic system known as the Infinite Kitchen, which facilitates ingredient preparation, measurement, and dispensing for its salads. This technology aims to enhance operational efficiency, increase throughput, and reduce labor costs. Sweetgreen plans to expand the Infinite Kitchen to more locations, with 20 of at least 40 new restaurants slated to feature this cutting-edge technology.
However, Sweetgreen’s recent performance has raised alarms. The stock has declined significantly over the past year, impacted by a broader downturn in discretionary consumer spending and concerns about its pricing strategy. Additionally, the company faced challenges due to wildfires in Southern California, one of its key markets.
Despite these setbacks, analysts suggest that Sweetgreen still has substantial recovery potential. With a market capitalization of just $1 billion, the company could see improved year-over-year comparisons in the latter half of 2025. Sweetgreen’s ambitions to nearly quadruple its store presence to at least 1,000 locations underscore its growth potential, particularly if consumer demand rebounds and the macroeconomic landscape becomes more favorable.
On the software front, Amplitude is gaining traction as a small-cap player poised to benefit from the AI boom. Specializing in product analytics, Amplitude assists businesses in understanding how customers interact with their digital offerings—be it websites or apps. Its newly launched AI agents enhance its platform by enabling customers to extract actionable insights from their data.
Despite the cloud software company’s small size, it is positioning itself as a leader in product analytics, overshadowing traditional offerings from marketing technology giants. With a market cap of approximately $1.5 billion, Amplitude has room for substantial growth as its new AI functionalities gain traction. The company has already begun to see acceleration in growth as it navigates through post-pandemic challenges.
While some analysts have flagged Sweetgreen as a stock to watch, others recommend considering alternatives that are currently positioned for better returns. Historical performance from other stocks like Netflix and Nvidia, which have seen tremendous growth after being highlighted by investment advisors, illustrates the potential for significant returns when choosing the right stocks at the right time.
Investors seeking a promising opportunity should weigh their options carefully, keeping in mind the volatile nature of the market and individual company performances.
