Analyzing the Best-Performing Russell 2000 Stocks in Relation to the Zacks Rank
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 12 2025
0mins
Should l Buy OPEN?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Russell 2000 Performance: The Russell 2000 index is poised to be a top performer as the Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts benefit small-cap stocks, with a year-to-date increase of 16% and a historically strong period approaching.
Top Performing Stocks: Notable stocks in the Russell 2000 include Celcuity, Better Home & Finance, and Cogent Biosciences, each showing significant year-to-date gains, although they face challenges regarding profitability and analyst coverage.
Investment Risks: While some stocks have shown impressive returns, caution is advised as many are not yet profitable, and investors should monitor earnings estimates and Zacks Rank for better buying opportunities.
AI Investment Outlook: The next phase of AI development is expected to create substantial wealth, with a shift towards new companies poised for growth, suggesting that early investors in this sector may see significant returns.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy OPEN?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on OPEN
Wall Street analysts forecast OPEN stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for OPEN is 4.35 USD with a low forecast of 1.40 USD and a high forecast of 8.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
5 Analyst Rating
1 Buy
2 Hold
2 Sell
Hold
Current: 4.700
Low
1.40
Averages
4.35
High
8.00
Current: 4.700
Low
1.40
Averages
4.35
High
8.00
About OPEN
Opendoor Technologies Inc. is an e-commerce platform for residential real estate transactions. By leveraging software, data science, product design and operations, the Company is engaged in building a technology platform for residential real estate that offers buyers and sellers a digital, on-demand experience. Its product offerings include Sell to Opendoor, List with Opendoor and Opendoor Marketplace. Sell to Opendoor enables sellers to utilize its core product offering to sell their home directly to it, and it resells the home to a home buyer. By selling to Opendoor, homeowners can avoid the stress of open houses, home repair coordination, overlapping mortgages, and the uncertainty that can come with listing a home on the open market. Its capital-light marketplace offering connects home sellers with both institutional and retail buyers, facilitating transactions without Opendoor taking ownership of the home. Its listing product is available in nearly all Opendoor markets.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Key Earnings Reports and Economic Outlook This Week
- DuPont Earnings Expectations: DuPont is expected to report earnings of $0.43 per share and revenue of $1.69 billion for Q4 2025, with analysts noting ongoing pressure in short-cycle businesses, while slight improvements in the automotive sector may influence investor sentiment.
- Cisco's AI Focus: Cisco anticipates earnings of $1.02 per share and revenue of $15.1 billion for Q2 FY2026, with CEO highlighting a major multi-year campus networking refresh, making AI infrastructure demand a critical growth driver.
- Importance of Employment Report: The January employment report is expected to show an addition of 80,000 nonfarm payrolls and an unchanged unemployment rate of 4.4%, directly impacting private consumption and U.S. GDP, making it crucial for investors to monitor.
- Consumer Price Index Insights: The January CPI is projected to increase by 2.5% year-over-year, with core CPI rising by 2.6%, providing essential inflation details despite not being the Fed's preferred measure, particularly regarding persistent shelter cost inflation.
See More
Opendoor Technologies Stock Volatility Analysis
- Significant Stock Volatility: Opendoor's stock surged over 260% in the past year, yet it is currently down 52% from its 52-week high, indicating high market uncertainty regarding its future performance.
- Declining Sales Performance: The company reported approximately $915 million in sales for Q3 2025, a substantial drop from $1.38 billion in the same quarter last year, reflecting severe challenges in its iBuyer business.
- Decreased Gross Margin: Opendoor's gross margin fell from 7.6% in the previous year to 7.2%, indicating increased pressure on profitability that could affect its long-term sustainability.
- AI Integration Proving Effective: Despite the sales decline, Opendoor managed to narrow its non-GAAP net loss to $61 million in Q3, down from $70 million the previous year, showcasing positive progress in cost control through AI-driven efficiency initiatives.
See More
Opendoor Stock Declines Amid Market Sentiment Shift
- Stock Fluctuation: Opendoor Technologies' stock fell 12% in January, with no specific negative news but a shift in retail investor sentiment causing a pullback, indicating market caution ahead of the upcoming earnings report.
- Revenue Decline: In Q3 2025, Opendoor's revenue dropped 34% year-over-year to $913 million, with home sales decreasing from 3,615 to 2,568, and inventory falling from 6,288 to 3,139 homes, highlighting pressures in the high-interest rate environment.
- CEO Strategic Shift: New CEO Kaz Nejatian has outlined three main strategies: scaling acquisitions, speeding up turnover, and enhancing operational efficiency, with plans to leverage artificial intelligence to expedite processes despite the challenging market conditions.
- Market Outlook: Although Opendoor's stock saw a rise after the CEO change, it has been slowly declining as the fourth-quarter earnings report approaches, currently trading at 0.9 times trailing 12-month sales, reflecting market concerns about the company's future performance.
See More
Lennar and Taylor Morrison Plan One Million 'Trump Homes' Development
- Housing Development Initiative: Lennar and Taylor Morrison are reportedly working on a plan to develop one million 'Trump Homes' in response to President Trump's affordable housing initiative, which is expected to significantly increase housing supply in the market.
- Innovative Financing Model: The proposal involves financing from private investors, with initial plans to rent these 'entry-level' homes to tenants, allowing rent payments to convert into down payments after three years, thereby lowering the barriers to homeownership.
- Market Scale Expectations: The initiative aims to deliver $250 billion worth of housing, and while initial losses will be borne by private investors, the project's scale could expand if more builders join, potentially driving industry growth.
- Policy Context: The proposal was pitched to the Trump administration in 2025, and although finer details are still being refined, this move indicates the government's focus on the housing market, which could influence future housing policies and market dynamics.
See More
PayPal Stock Plummets 20% to Historic Low Amid Leadership Changes
- Stock Plunge: PayPal's stock fell over 20% on Tuesday, reaching its lowest level in nearly a decade, marking the worst single-day decline in its history, which reflects investor disappointment following its latest earnings report.
- Leadership Change Impact: The announcement of HP CEO Enrique Lores taking over as PayPal's new CEO has triggered strong market reactions, indicating uncertainty about the company's future direction, especially after Alex Chriss's leadership raised concerns about the core product's viability.
- Criticism from Industry Leaders: Opendoor CEO Kaz Nejatian publicly criticized PayPal, arguing that the company prioritized the growth of its Braintree unit at the expense of its core product, leading to its current struggles, which highlights widespread dissatisfaction with PayPal's strategic direction within the industry.
- Retail User Sentiment Shift: Despite the significant stock drop, retail sentiment towards PayPal has shifted from 'extremely bearish' to 'extremely bullish' over the past month, indicating rising expectations for the new CEO, with message volumes reaching a one-year high, reflecting increased investor interest.
See More
January's Most Searched Stock Rankings Analysis
- Ranking Changes: In January, iShares Silver Trust, Brand Engagement Network, Intel, and Applied Digital entered the top ten for the first time, indicating a rising market interest in precious metals and tech stocks, which could influence investors' asset allocation strategies.
- iShares Silver Trust Performance: With a current price of $80.65 and a year-to-date return of +22.6%, it narrowly trailed Tesla for second place in January, suggesting increasing investor interest in precious metals that may lead to future capital inflows.
- Tech Stock Dynamics: Meta and Apple rose three and one spots respectively, with current prices of $697.54 and $268.87, reflecting the sustained appeal of large tech stocks in the market, which may affect investors' portfolio choices.
- Market Trend Observation: Despite declines in NVIDIA and Invesco QQQ Trust, the rising interest in Silver ETFs suggests that investors may reassess the value of tech stocks while seeking diversified investments.
See More
Key Earnings Reports and Economic Outlook This Week
- DuPont Earnings Expectations: DuPont is expected to report earnings of $0.43 per share and revenue of $1.69 billion for Q4 2025, with analysts noting ongoing pressure in short-cycle businesses, while slight improvements in the automotive sector may influence investor sentiment.
- Cisco's AI Focus: Cisco anticipates earnings of $1.02 per share and revenue of $15.1 billion for Q2 FY2026, with CEO highlighting a major multi-year campus networking refresh, making AI infrastructure demand a critical growth driver.
- Importance of Employment Report: The January employment report is expected to show an addition of 80,000 nonfarm payrolls and an unchanged unemployment rate of 4.4%, directly impacting private consumption and U.S. GDP, making it crucial for investors to monitor.
- Consumer Price Index Insights: The January CPI is projected to increase by 2.5% year-over-year, with core CPI rising by 2.6%, providing essential inflation details despite not being the Fed's preferred measure, particularly regarding persistent shelter cost inflation.
See More
Opendoor Technologies Stock Volatility Analysis
- Significant Stock Volatility: Opendoor's stock surged over 260% in the past year, yet it is currently down 52% from its 52-week high, indicating high market uncertainty regarding its future performance.
- Declining Sales Performance: The company reported approximately $915 million in sales for Q3 2025, a substantial drop from $1.38 billion in the same quarter last year, reflecting severe challenges in its iBuyer business.
- Decreased Gross Margin: Opendoor's gross margin fell from 7.6% in the previous year to 7.2%, indicating increased pressure on profitability that could affect its long-term sustainability.
- AI Integration Proving Effective: Despite the sales decline, Opendoor managed to narrow its non-GAAP net loss to $61 million in Q3, down from $70 million the previous year, showcasing positive progress in cost control through AI-driven efficiency initiatives.
See More
Opendoor Stock Declines Amid Market Sentiment Shift
- Stock Fluctuation: Opendoor Technologies' stock fell 12% in January, with no specific negative news but a shift in retail investor sentiment causing a pullback, indicating market caution ahead of the upcoming earnings report.
- Revenue Decline: In Q3 2025, Opendoor's revenue dropped 34% year-over-year to $913 million, with home sales decreasing from 3,615 to 2,568, and inventory falling from 6,288 to 3,139 homes, highlighting pressures in the high-interest rate environment.
- CEO Strategic Shift: New CEO Kaz Nejatian has outlined three main strategies: scaling acquisitions, speeding up turnover, and enhancing operational efficiency, with plans to leverage artificial intelligence to expedite processes despite the challenging market conditions.
- Market Outlook: Although Opendoor's stock saw a rise after the CEO change, it has been slowly declining as the fourth-quarter earnings report approaches, currently trading at 0.9 times trailing 12-month sales, reflecting market concerns about the company's future performance.
See More
Lennar and Taylor Morrison Plan One Million 'Trump Homes' Development
- Housing Development Initiative: Lennar and Taylor Morrison are reportedly working on a plan to develop one million 'Trump Homes' in response to President Trump's affordable housing initiative, which is expected to significantly increase housing supply in the market.
- Innovative Financing Model: The proposal involves financing from private investors, with initial plans to rent these 'entry-level' homes to tenants, allowing rent payments to convert into down payments after three years, thereby lowering the barriers to homeownership.
- Market Scale Expectations: The initiative aims to deliver $250 billion worth of housing, and while initial losses will be borne by private investors, the project's scale could expand if more builders join, potentially driving industry growth.
- Policy Context: The proposal was pitched to the Trump administration in 2025, and although finer details are still being refined, this move indicates the government's focus on the housing market, which could influence future housing policies and market dynamics.
See More
PayPal Stock Plummets 20% to Historic Low Amid Leadership Changes
- Stock Plunge: PayPal's stock fell over 20% on Tuesday, reaching its lowest level in nearly a decade, marking the worst single-day decline in its history, which reflects investor disappointment following its latest earnings report.
- Leadership Change Impact: The announcement of HP CEO Enrique Lores taking over as PayPal's new CEO has triggered strong market reactions, indicating uncertainty about the company's future direction, especially after Alex Chriss's leadership raised concerns about the core product's viability.
- Criticism from Industry Leaders: Opendoor CEO Kaz Nejatian publicly criticized PayPal, arguing that the company prioritized the growth of its Braintree unit at the expense of its core product, leading to its current struggles, which highlights widespread dissatisfaction with PayPal's strategic direction within the industry.
- Retail User Sentiment Shift: Despite the significant stock drop, retail sentiment towards PayPal has shifted from 'extremely bearish' to 'extremely bullish' over the past month, indicating rising expectations for the new CEO, with message volumes reaching a one-year high, reflecting increased investor interest.
See More
January's Most Searched Stock Rankings Analysis
- Ranking Changes: In January, iShares Silver Trust, Brand Engagement Network, Intel, and Applied Digital entered the top ten for the first time, indicating a rising market interest in precious metals and tech stocks, which could influence investors' asset allocation strategies.
- iShares Silver Trust Performance: With a current price of $80.65 and a year-to-date return of +22.6%, it narrowly trailed Tesla for second place in January, suggesting increasing investor interest in precious metals that may lead to future capital inflows.
- Tech Stock Dynamics: Meta and Apple rose three and one spots respectively, with current prices of $697.54 and $268.87, reflecting the sustained appeal of large tech stocks in the market, which may affect investors' portfolio choices.
- Market Trend Observation: Despite declines in NVIDIA and Invesco QQQ Trust, the rising interest in Silver ETFs suggests that investors may reassess the value of tech stocks while seeking diversified investments.
See More
