2025 will end with a bang for investors with S&P 500 nearing all-time highs as AI-driven bull market set to close third year.
The new year is also a time when investors think about reorganizing and rebalancing their portfolios. Growth investors, for example, might want to consider rotating into stocks that could bounce back higher next year.
Finding stocks that can double in a year isn’t easy, but it does happen. In fact, through December 29, 14 stocks on the S&P 500 have doubled this year. Read on to see two stocks that could double in 2026.
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Opendoor technologies (NASDAQ: OPEN) it was one of the biggest gainers of 2025. With the year almost over, the stock is up 260%. Opendoor has benefited from a rally in meme stocks as interest in the stock has increased on social media after shares fell to nearly $0.50 over the summer. An argument that the stock could be next CaravanThe similar recovery story fueled an initial pop in the stock, but there were also legitimate reasons for the rally.
Opendoor has replaced its CEO, tapping the former Shopify COO Kaz Nejatian to review the business, and two of his co-founders rejoined the board.
Opendoor’s business model has always been leveraged. The company relies on selling homes for more than they buy them for and charging fees for related services. The business was profitable during the pandemic, but has struggled since then as mortgage rates rose and the housing market slowed, which explains why the stock fell so low before recovering in 2025.
In 2026, there are signs that the housing market may start to recover. Mortgage rates have fallen to around 6%, and the latest Pending Home Sales report showed sales growth was the strongest since 2023. If the housing market improves, Opendoor is likely to be one of the biggest beneficiaries, especially as Nejatian has refocused the business around efficiency and growth, targeting break-even on an adjusted net income basis at the end of 2026.
Opendoor remains a high-risk investment, but there is potential for the stock to double if the macroeconomic environment cooperates.
Sweetgreen (NYSE: SG) had a disastrous 2025, but like Opendoor, the stock looks like a good candidate for a double if the macro economy cooperates.
A lot of things went wrong for Sweetgreen in 2025, but there are reasons the business could turn around in 2026. First, the company will benefit from easier comparisons as same-store sales declined in 2025. While that doesn’t necessarily mean comparable sales will increase in 2026, we should see an improvement in the year-over-year trend.
The company also signals that it is focusing on turning to profitability in 2026. It sold Spyce, the subsidiary that owned the Infinite Kitchen technology, though it retained the rights to use it, and scaled back its new store openings for 2026. Both moves should help improve profits and restore investor confidence in the business.
Finally, there were challenges in 2025 that were one-off in nature, such as the Los Angeles fires that affected a key market for the salad chain and a change to its loyalty program that turned off some customers.
Sweetgreen also faced a broader headwind in consumer discretionary spending that has hurt other fast-casual chains. This could persist until 2026, but even if it does, the stock could double. Its market cap is only around $1 billion and it has a long growth track ahead of it. Sweetgreen is still a popular restaurant chain, with average unit volumes, or average sales per restaurant, at $2.8 million, a level similar to leading fast-casual chains such as Chipotle.
A complete change is not required for the stock to double. If the business starts moving toward growth and profitability, the stock could rise.
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Jeremy Bowman has positions in Carvana, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Shopify. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill and Shopify. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: Short December 2025 $45 Chipotle Mexican Grill calls. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
2 Stocks That Could Double in 2026 was originally published by The Motley Fool
