A turbulent stock market presents an excellent chance for long-term investors to seize opportunities.
The stock market has had a rollercoaster journey in the early months of 2025. By mid-February, major Wall Street indexes, including the benchmark S&P 500, were hitting all-time highs. However, the following months brought tariff-related uncertainties, pushing the Nasdaq Composite into its first bear market in three years, while the S&P 500 dipped toward bear market levels.
Historically, major stock indexes experiencing double-digit percentage declines signal prime opportunities for long-term investors.
As of June 2, I maintain 38 positions in my portfolio, consisting of 37 stocks and one exchange-traded fund (ETF). Only four of these positions have been held for less than a year, highlighting my investment strategy of buying and holding stocks for the long haul.
With market volatility creating potential for investment, here are six stocks I’ve purchased during the first five months of 2025.
1. Pfizer
A notable addition to my portfolio this year is pharmaceutical leader Pfizer (PFE 0.24%). My two purchases have given me a cost basis of $23.47 per share, slightly above its closing price on June 2.
Pfizer’s attractiveness lies in its recent struggles due to its prior successes. After achieving over $56 billion in combined sales from its COVID-19 vaccine and oral therapy in 2022, sales dropped to approximately $11 billion in 2024. Despite this decline, Pfizer has seen over 50% growth in net product revenue over four years, creating a significant buying opportunity for long-term investors.
2. PubMatic
One of my most significant investments this year has been in the adtech firm PubMatic (PUBM 0.91%). I’ve more than doubled my stake since late February, with a cost basis of $9.29.
PubMatic is well-positioned to capture the shift in advertising spend from traditional media to digital platforms such as video and connected TV. Their cloud-based programmatic ad platform aids publishers in maximizing their digital ad sales. With sustained double-digit sales growth in digital advertising, PubMatic’s decision to expand its cloud infrastructure allows for greater retention of revenue, leading to stronger profit margins.
3. Sirius XM Holdings
In a market typically viewed as pricey, select value stocks can still be found. Satellite radio operator Sirius XM Holdings (SIRI 0.90%) fits this description perfectly. I added to my existing position at a rate of $19.28 per share on April 4.
The unique aspect of Sirius XM is its legal monopoly in the satellite radio space, allowing for subscription pricing power despite competition from traditional radio. Notably, the bulk of its revenue comes from subscriptions, making its cash flow more predictable during economic downturns. With a forward P/E of 7 and a dividend yield above 5%, it presents an attractive buying opportunity.
4. Intel
Semiconductor giant Intel (INTC -0.07%) is another long-term investment I added during the tariff-induced market dip, specifically on April 8 at $18.56.
My investment in Intel hinges on the expectation that the company can rebound from previous setbacks in the artificial intelligence sector. Despite delays in GPU production compared to competitors like Nvidia, Intel’s CPUs still dominate data centers and traditional computing. Its robust cash flow allows the company to funnel resources into growth-oriented projects, and the stock is trading near its book value, indicating potential for recovery.
5. BioMarin Pharmaceutical
Another new addition to my portfolio in 2025 is BioMarin Pharmaceutical (BMRN -1.22%), with a purchase made on April 8 at a cost basis of $56.01.
BioMarin’s focus on ultrarare diseases makes it a compelling investment. Positive clinical outcomes can lead to therapies with little competition and insurers often accept high prices for rare-disease medications. Currently, BioMarin’s top product, Voxzogo, targets achondroplasia treatment, likely leading to over $1 billion in annual sales.
6. Fastly
Lastly, I increased my position in edge cloud-computing company Fastly (FSLY -0.84%) during the recent market volatility, with an addition made on April 4 at $5.08 per share.
As businesses increasingly transition to online operations, the demand for efficient and secure content delivery network services like those offered by Fastly is set to grow. Although not all KPIs have shown improvement, key indicators such as a 99% revenue retention rate and increasing enterprise customer numbers suggest that management’s strategies are effective. Fastly’s most recent quarterly results also revealed a strong backlog above $300 million and positive operating cash flow, setting the stage for future profitability.
