Benzinga Bulls And Bears: Tesla, Nvidia, MicroStrategy, Dollar Tree, And Dogecoin Prediction Of $18 In 'Wild' Scenario

Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors’ favorite stocks over the last week — here’s a look at some of our top stories.

The Dow dropped 1.8% this week, while the S&P 500 fell 0.6%, ending a three-week winning streak. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq gained 0.3%, continuing its climb, driven by optimism in tech and artificial intelligence.

The Nasdaq 100, boosted by the Magnificent Seven, reached record highs, approaching the 22,000 mark and logging a 30% year-to-date gain. Five of the group's stocks, including Apple Inc. AAPL and Meta Platforms Inc. META, hit new highs, with their combined market value surpassing $18 trillion.

Inflationary pressures also persisted in November, with the Consumer Price Index rising 2.7% year-over-year, marking the second consecutive annual increase and presenting challenges for the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Shelter costs, which rose 0.3%, accounted for 40% of the monthly CPI gain, underscoring the sticky nature of inflation despite earlier signs of disinflation.

Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week’s most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.

The Bulls

“Tesla Is Analyst’s Top 2025 Stock Pick: Elon Musk Political Involvement May ‘Accelerate’ EV Maker Beyond Autos,” by Chris Katje, highlights Tesla Inc. TSLA as an analyst’s top automotive pick for 2025, citing Elon Musk's political influence as a catalyst for Tesla’s expansion into AI, robotics, and renewable energy beyond its core automotive business.

“Dogecoin Can Touch $18 If Things ‘Go Wild,’ Says Influential Crypto Trader: ‘Thankful For The Dip And Will Buy More’,” by Aniket Verma, shares a crypto analyst’s bullish prediction for Dogecoin DOGE/USD, targeting $3 with a potential high of $18 in a “wild” scenario, while using dips between $0.40 and $0.30 to increase holdings early in the bull cycle.

“MicroStrategy: Nasdaq 100 Inclusion On The Horizon Could Spell 59% Upside, Says Bernstein,” by Murtuza Merchant, highlights the significance of MicroStrategy Inc. MSTR joining the Nasdaq 100. Bernstein projects the move could enhance visibility, drive $2.1 billion in ETF inflows, and support a $600 price target, underpinned by the company's Bitcoin-centric growth strategy.

For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:

Bitcoin To $200,000, Ethereum To $7,000, Solana To $750 In 2025, Predicts Bitwise

Palantir Positioned To Become ‘The Next’ Oracle In 2025, Says Dan Ives: ‘Messi Of AI’ Set For Breakout Year

Russell 2000 High Flyers: 4 Stocks Shaping 2024 With Quantum, AI, Nuclear, Space

The Bears

“Nvidia China Antitrust Probe May ‘Remain Unsolved’ In Near Term Says Top Analyst; Investors Should Be Prepared For Increased Scrutiny,” by Ananya Gairola, discusses China’s investigation into NVIDIA Corp. NVDA for potential anti-competitive practices, with TF Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo predicting limited short-term financial impact but warning of escalating scrutiny, including possible future CUDA-related probes.

“Trump To Change Dollar Stores For Good? Dollar Tree Exec Says ‘Prepared To Act’,” by Chris Katje, highlights Dollar Tree Inc. DLTR and Dollar General Corp. DG bracing for cost pressures from proposed tariffs, with Dollar Tree's CEO stating the company is ready to adapt its pricing and supply strategies.

“Defense Stocks Face Headwinds As Trump’s DOGE Targets Spending Cuts: Goldman Sachs Downgrades General Dynamics,” by Piero Cingari, reports Goldman Sachs’ downgrade of General Dynamics Corp. GD to Sell, citing risks from Donald Trump‘s Department of Government Efficiency’s potential Pentagon budget cuts, while Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT and Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC remain under scrutiny for valuation concerns and slowing growth.

For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:

Larry Summers Warns Of Nixon-Era Risks In Trump’s Term: Policies Could Trigger ‘Significantly Larger’ Inflation

Intel CFO Hints at Possible Division Split as Company Struggles To Recapture Moat

Janet Yellen Warns Trump Tariffs Could ‘Undermine Confidence In Financial Markets’ And Raise American Household Costs

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Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.