6 Stocks to Buy as European Markets Soar

Stocks in the United States are off to a choppy but positive start to the year, but the biggest story in markets so far in 2025 has been strength out of Europe.

Stock indices in England, France, and Germany have made new all-time highs in 2025, outpacing the modest gains from US stocks. The Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF is up more than 8% over the last three months, while the SPDR S&P 500 ETF has traded flat.

Here’s how to get in on this rally.

The Stoxx 600 index, which covers markets across the bloc, made several new all-time highs in February, led by a surge from the defense sector. Is this finally the year that European stocks beat their American counterparts? With the United States threatening to pull back from Europe, these tailwinds may have more room to run, especially if the EU follows through on defense spending expansion.

Today we'll look at six European stocks that could continue outperforming in 2025. Some of these companies are available to US investors through American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) or on over-the-counter (OTC) exchanges, so be sure to understand how these assets and markets function before putting any capital to work.

Novo Nordisk A/S NVO

Danish healthcare giant Novo Nordisk is responsible for Wegovy and Ozempic, two of the prescription GLP-1 medications taking the world by storm. Both are different forms of semaglutide, as Wegovy is FDA-approved for weight loss while Ozempic is only approved for Type 2 diabetes. Demand for these drugs has been so strong that shortages have been common, but the FDA recently announced that Wegovy and Ozempic are no longer on their shortage list.

Novo Nordisk suffered a lost year in 2024 during the shortage, losing ground to Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound. However, the company is still the top player in the GLP-1 space and posted solid revenue (8.1%) and earnings (9.6%) growth in the most recent report for Q4 2024.

The company's margins are also the envy of European drug makers: 34.8% gross, far outpacing EU competitors AstraZeneca (13%) and Roche (17.5%). NVO also sits on a formidable $9.8 billion cash pile. NVO shares have been choppy since the start of 2025, but the company issued strong guidance and is well-positioned to rebound after a rough 2024.

Unilever PLC UL

Unilever is a global consumer and household products company that markets itself under popular brands such as Ben and Jerry's, Axe, Dove, Breyers, Vaseline, and many more. The firm has offices in over 80 countries, but its headquarters has been in London for more than 100 years.

Uncertainty is beginning to weigh on investors as US consumer discretionary stocks have been tumbling for most of February while consumer staples surge higher. There's some evidence that businesses and consumers have been pulling forward demand on tariff threats, which could further boost the staples sector if big-ticket items have been already purchased and consumers focus on necessities over luxuries.

UL has a strong cash position and healthy margins to take advantage of this trend; it's also cheaper in terms of forward price-to-earnings and price-to-sales rates than American counterparts like Proctor and Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, and Colgate-Palmolive.

Airbus SE EADSY

Now, on to the defense contractors, who have been leading the European rally due to expectations that EU governments will ramp up defense spending to counter the growing influence of China and Russia in the East. Companies like Rheinmetall AG have stolen the headlines with substantial early 2025 gains, but Airbus might be the best buy of the group going forward.Now, on to the defense contractors, who have been leading the European rally due to expectations that EU governments will ramp up defense spending to counter the growing influence of China and Russia in the East. Companies like Rheinmetall AG have stolen the headlines with substantial early 2025 gains, but Airbus might be the best buy of the group going forward.

Airbus is under the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) umbrella and has a market cap of $139 billion, nearly $33 billion more than its closest competitor, Safran SA. Airbus has a cheaper valuation than Safran or Rheinmetall and a healthier free cash flow pile ($3.9 billion). Airbus might not be lagging in the European defense sector for much longer.

BNP Paribas SA BNPQY

BNP Paribas is a French bank and component of the CAC40, the country’s primary stock index. With a market value of over $80 billion, it is double the size of other European banking competitors like Societe Generale and Deutsche Bank.

BNP Paribas is attractive for several reasons, none more so than the 7.03 forward P/E ratio and 1.22 P/S ratio. Many European banks have extremely affordable valuations, but BNP offers the security of a large-cap with the upside of a smaller company. Plus, the 5% dividend yield is a nice bonus for investors.

Hermes International ADR HESAY

If one luxury brand can survive a consumer slowdown, it might be Hermes International, the high-end French brand with a nearly $300 billion market cap and some of the most desirable handbags in the world. In addition to handbags, Hermes sells clothing for men and women, equestrian products like saddles and bridles, jewelry, perfumes, watches, and tableware.

Hermes has a pricey valuation compared to European competitors like Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Burberry, but the free cash pile is large ($5.38 billion) and the 30% profit margin dwarfs them all. The stock is up more than 38% in the last three months alone, but the fundamentals are strong, and the stock is comfortably above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages with a Relative Strength Index (RSI) reading of 55.

ABB Ltd. ABBNY

ABB Ltd. is a multinational robotics and automation solutions company incorporated in Switzerland and Sweden. The company has several divisions of interest to the defense and aeronautics sector, such as Electrification, Process Automation, and Robotics and Discrete Automation. The stock has a market cap of just under $102 billion and pays a 1.7% dividend yield.

ABB Ltd. currently sits on a $4.2 billion cash pile and a forward P/E ratio of 22.6, with a profit margin of 11.9%. The stock has been range-bound since spring 2024 and recently dipped down to its 50-day moving average. If the 50-day proves to be a support level, the next leg higher for ABBNY shares could be right around the corner.