Forbes contributor Jason Kirsch’s February 24, 2025 article, “5 Stocks To Buy Now For March 2025,” named Microsoft (MSFT), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), Mastercard (MA), Eli Lilly (LLY) and Costco (COST). It is a historical stock list—not a current buy recommendation. The article described broad selection factors but did not publish a reproducible scoring method, and its price suggestion and company outlooks should be read in their February 2025 context.
Which five stocks did Forbes name for March 2025?
Kirsch’s list comprised five large companies from different industries. The reasons below summarize the Forbes article’s stated February 2025 thesis; they are not updated assessments of the businesses or their shares.
| Company | Ticker | Forbes article’s stated rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | MSFT | Enterprise software, Azure cloud growth, AI integration and gaming as growth avenues; the article also cited the balance sheet, dividends and buybacks. |
| UnitedHealth Group | UNH | The scale of its UnitedHealthcare insurance and Optum services businesses, technology, and demographic and healthcare-spending trends. |
| Mastercard | MA | Its international payments network, digital payments, network effects, and data, cybersecurity and other value-added services. |
| Eli Lilly | LLY | Diabetes and obesity medicines, including Mounjaro and Zepbound, and a pipeline that included donanemab. |
| Costco | COST | Its membership warehouse model, value proposition, customer loyalty, e-commerce and international expansion. |
How did the article say it selected the stocks?
Kirsch said the selection considered financial measures such as revenue growth, profit margins and return on equity, along with market position, management quality, industry trends, balance-sheet resilience, sector conditions and valuation relative to peers and historical averages. The article did not provide scoring weights, cutoffs, individual valuation calculations or a complete underlying source list. Those factors therefore describe the author’s stated approach, not a screen readers can reproduce from the article.
What did the February 2025 investment theses say?
Microsoft (MSFT)
The article’s thesis linked Microsoft’s enterprise software business with Azure and AI, while also pointing to gaming as another potential growth avenue. It described dividends, buybacks and the balance sheet as supporting factors. Forbes reported “nearly one billion dollars” in cash and liquid assets and referenced Microsoft’s 10-K, but the article text does not establish the original calculation behind that figure. Treat it as a claim reported in that 2025 article, not a verified current balance-sheet statistic.
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UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
Forbes highlighted the combination of UnitedHealthcare and Optum, the company’s scale and technology, and expected demographic and healthcare-spending trends. The article also noted a share-price drop in February 2025 after a reported Department of Justice civil fraud probe and suggested a $435 buy level. That entry price was a dated opinion, not a current target; the article’s view of the legal concern should not be treated as a settled outcome.
Mastercard (MA)
The thesis centered on Mastercard’s global payments network and the network effects associated with it, as well as the shift toward digital payments. Forbes reported a forecast that global digital payment volumes would grow at a 20% compound annual growth rate through 2027. The article text does not identify the forecast’s original publisher, so the figure is attributable to Forbes’s February 2025 article rather than independently established here. It also pointed to data, cybersecurity and other value-added services as growth areas.
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Eli Lilly (LLY)
Forbes discussed Mounjaro and Zepbound in the context of diabetes and obesity treatment, and mentioned donanemab as part of Lilly’s pipeline. It also reported an estimate that the obesity market could reach $100 billion by 2030. The article text does not identify the estimate’s original publisher, and its market forecast and pipeline discussion belong to the article’s 2025 context—not a current forecast or an independent assessment of clinical or commercial prospects.
Costco (COST)
The article emphasized Costco’s membership-based warehouse model, perceived value and customer loyalty, alongside e-commerce and international expansion. Forbes reported membership renewal above 90% and said 29 new warehouse openings were planned for fiscal 2025. The article text does not identify the original source or definitions behind the renewal figure; the openings figure was a plan, not a current store count or confirmation that every opening occurred.
Why this list should not be read as a current buy call
The title’s “buy now” language referred to the March 2025 investing context. A February 2025 entry-price suggestion, market forecast or business thesis cannot establish whether a stock is attractively valued today. The list does not provide current prices, updated company results, a documented valuation model or an investor-specific suitability assessment.
Similar headlines from other publishers referred to different stocks. For example, The Motley Fool’s March 8, 2025 list named Amazon, Merck, Nvidia, PayPal and Salesforce; MarketBeat’s February 28, 2025 list named Nvidia, Salesforce, 3M, SoundHound AI and Shopify. Naming Forbes and Kirsch matters: “five stocks for March” was not a single shared list.
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As Kirsch wrote, “When making investment decisions, investors should always consider their investment goals, risk tolerance, and portfolio diversification.” A historical list of five individual shares does not replace evaluating those factors or researching each company with current information.
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