Top Pros' Top Picks 9/22/25

Market Minute ⏱️ 9/22/25: Tech Sector Scrambles Amid H1-B Policy Shift

Mike Larson | Editor-in-Chief

Stocks finished last week on a high note, but they’re giving back ground today. Cryptocurrencies are broadly lower, but gold just surged to a fresh record and silver rose alongside. The dollar is a bit lower along with crude oil prices.

Top US technology companies – and Indian outsourcing firms they work with – scrambled to figure out what to do on the staffing front over the weekend. The catalyst: New Trump Administration rules that would charge companies $100,000 each to bring in specialist foreign workers on H-1B visas. Companies like Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), and Meta Platforms Inc. (META) are the heaviest US users of the program.

The White House later clarified the fees would apply to new applicants, and only as a one-time fee versus annual. But companies in fields like technology and engineering rely on H-1B workers to fill specialized roles, and will now have to figure out what comes next. Supporters of the change say it will lead to more hiring in America, while detractors say firms will just shift more work overseas to cut costs.

AMZN, MSFT, META, PFE (YTD % Change)

Weight-loss drugs are all the rage in the pharmaceutical sector, and Pfizer Inc. (PFE) is trying to cash in. The Big Pharma company said it would acquire Metsera Inc. (MTSR) for up to $7.3 billion in cash and potential future milestone payments in a bid to speed up development of weight-loss treatments. Companies are particularly keen to develop drugs that help patients shed fat without losing too much muscle mass.

ODP Corp. (ODP) – the owner of the Office Depot retail chain – is being taken private. Atlas Holdings is paying $1 billion, or $28 per share, for ODP. That’s a 34% premium to where the shares traded at the end of last week. As more business and consumer customers shifted to buying office products online, the firm struggled. But Atlas will give it a go outside of public market scrutiny.

Argus’ Eade: Why this Bull Market is NOT Too “Old”

• SPX: Two Forces are Sending Stocks Higher Despite Job Worries
  👉️ TICKERS: ORCL, QQQ, UDN, SPX
  The major indices pushed to fresh record highs last week even as labor market data showed concerning signs of weakness. The equity market’s resilience in the face of deteriorating economic data has been driven largely by two forces: Artificial Intelligence (AI) enthusiasm and anticipation of more Federal Reserve rate cuts, counsels Michael Gayed, editor of The Lead-Lag Report.

• SCHW: A Discount Brokerage Pioneer with Attractive Growth Potential
  👉️ TICKER: SCHW
  The Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW) has been at the forefront of major changes in the brokerage industry over the past six decades. It was among the very first to offer discounted brokerage commissions when the Securities and Exchange Commission abolished the old fixed-fee system in favor of market competition on May 1, 1975, writes Doug Gerlach, editor of Investor Advisory Service.

☀️📈 Get year-end picks and strategies at the 2025 MoneyShow/TradersEXPO Orlando (Oct. 16-18). Registration is now OPEN!

💰 🏆 Download Our “Best of the Best 2025” Report with the Top-Performing MoneyShow Expert Picks Though August – FREE! Find out which stocks are ALREADY up 68.2% to 314.5% this year…and what’s coming next.