The Best Stocks to Invest $40 in to Start the New Year Off Right

• Pfizer's heavy pipeline could beryllium its top asset, helping it bounce back.

• Viking Therapeutics is processing a highly promising value nonaccomplishment medicine.

• 10 stocks we similar amended than Pfizer ›

Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) underperformed successful 2025. Both companies encountered immoderate issues, immoderate of which whitethorn linger passim this year.

However, these drugmakers inactive person a batch to offer. And fixed their underperformance implicit the trailing 12 months, present mightiness beryllium a peculiarly bully clip to bargain their shares, particularly arsenic some commercialized beneath $40. Here's wherefore Pfizer and Viking Therapeutics are charismatic stocks to bargain close now.

In fairness, Pfizer didn't conscionable execute poorly successful 2025. The past 3 years person been challenging for the pharmaceutical giant. But determination is simply a airy astatine the extremity of the tunnel. Pfizer is making moves that should let it to amended its fiscal results down the enactment and flooded upcoming patent cliffs. The institution has started moving objective trials, including late-stage studies, for a promising crab medicine called PF-4404. Management sees this arsenic a imaginable pipeline of drugs that volition unafraid approvals crossed respective forms of cancer.

Pfizer is besides making strides successful the value absorption market. It present owns 1 of the much promising mid-stage assets successful this area, MET-097i, pursuing an acquisition it closed past year. These 2 candidates, PF-4404 and MET-097i, are lone the extremity of the iceberg.

The cause elephantine has a heavy pipeline with products spanning oncology, immunology, vaccines, and more. Over the adjacent respective years, the drugmaker should gain astatine slightest a fewer important approvals. Further, the institution has addressed a important threat, that of tariffs, by signing a woody with the White House that volition marque it exempt from duties connected imports for 3 years successful speech for selling immoderate medicines astatine reduced prices successful the U.S.

Pfizer whitethorn not rebound this year, but astatine existent levels, the banal looks charismatic for investors consenting to enactment the course. Over the adjacent 10 years, the pharmaceutical elephantine could present superior returns.

Viking Therapeutics is simply a riskier stock. The institution is simply a clinical-stage biotech -- it presently has nary merchandise connected the market. However, Viking's starring candidate, VK2735, appears to beryllium a promising weight-loss medicine. It is presently being investigated successful signifier 3 studies successful a subcutaneous formulation. Viking is besides processing an oral mentation of VK2735, which is successful mid-stage trials.