Google owner Alphabet (GOOG 0.84%) (GOOGL 0.59%), ON Semiconductor (ON 0.96%), and Synopsys (SNPS +1.78%) have had vastly different years on Wall Street: So far in 2025, Alphabet stock is trading up 42%, while the other two trade down 16% and 4%, respectively. Still, Wall Street analysts view all three favorably, so which ones are buys and which are worth avoiding?
Wall Street favorites
Here's a quick look at how analysts rate the individual stocks.
| Metric | ON Semiconductor | Synopsys | Alphabet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy/outperform ratings | 15 | 18 | 57 |
| Hold ratings | 18 | 3 | 10 |
| Sell/underperform ratings | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Consensus price target | $58 | $556.40 | $263 |
| Expected 12-month change | 10.1% | 19.7% | (2.6%) |
Data source: marketscreener.com
It's never a good idea to slavishly follow Wall Street analysts' recommendations and price targets. But it is sometimes good to see what others are saying as part of a broader investigation into a stock.
With that in mind, consider that analysts upgraded Alphabet stock recently on the basis that its risks were meaningfully reduced by the favorable ruling the company received in the major antitrust case brought by the Department of Justice. This result means that Alphabet won't have to sell Chrome or Android, and it can continue to pay companies like Apple substantial amounts to preload its search engine on their devices. In addition, analysts see the potential for AI to boost Google Cloud's earnings.
Specialty chipmaker ON Semiconductor remains an analyst favorite, but it continues to suffer as investments in electric vehicle (EV) technology are pared back. The company has made power and sensing chip devices for the EV market a key focus. While there's plenty of near-term risk for the stock, its valuation looks attractive, and there's evidence suggesting that the worst of its end-market slowdown may be in the rear-view mirror.
Synopsys is another company that hit a speed bump in 2025. The electronic design automation (EDA) company's acquisition of engineering simulation software company Ansys is progressing smoothly so far. It remains on track to offer a "silicon to systems" solution, enabling customers to design chips using EDA tools and then test those chips' performance and the products with the chips embedded in them using simulation software.
That part of the business is fine, but its design intellectual property (IP) segment has run into difficulties in connection with customers in China, where companies are reluctant to buy IP blocks for fear that President Donald Trump will impose more sanctions. In addition, a large foundry customer (possibly Intel) faces challenges that impact demand for Synopsys' wares.
Image source: Getty Images.
Stocks to buy?
ON Semiconductor and Synopsys are both attractive businesses with strong long-term prospects, but both face near-term risks. It will take at least a few quarters for Synopsys to restructure, and sentiment toward ON Semiconductor will ebb and flow in line with EV makers' spending plans. Alphabet is an attractive company, but as it is already a megacap, it doesn't offer the upside potential of the other two.
On a risk/reward basis, ON Semiconductor looks like the most attractive of these three, followed by Synopsys, provided it can stabilize the performance of its smaller IP segment. At the same time, the big move in Alphabet's stock price leaves it looking only slightly undervalued at 28 times estimated 2025 earnings.
