S&P 500 and US Stocks Picks for August 2025

By Aiza Belle | 10 August 2025 | | Share:

Some defensive US stock plays I'm eyeing that could act as potential hedges in light of the August tariff moves, while still riding the longer-term US Exceptionalism theme that's supported equities over the past year.

Following the August 1 & 7 tariffs implementation, markets especially stocks remained bullish while the dollar remains down, aligned with managing risks regarding the latter's stability.

S&P 500 momentarily tumbled down at the end of July to the 1st day of August while USD seems to be recovering as markets priced in the effects of tariffs, but quickly seem to recover. I was expecting S&P 500 index to drop below 6000, but its support at 6200 holds.

While the dollar remains dominant in global FX volumes, central banks' gradual diversification into gold and even Bitcoin has added weight to ongoing de-dollarization discussions. 

The 2nd half of 2025 will be a test for whether the US can maintain its market premium amid political unpredictability and shifting global trade alliances. For now, defensive positioning, selective buying, and patience through corrective waves seem like the most rational approach.

Disclaimer: For illustrative purposes only to guide the author in her own trades. This is not meant to be financial advice. Do your own research and due diligence and see the Disclaimer page.

SPX

📌 Wait for correction to fully play out in the short-term up to 6150 or lower

Expected a correction at 6400, especially after the US and EU agree on a lower 15% tariff on EU imports instead of the previous 30% plan, plus Trump firing the Bureau of Labor commissioner and setting new reciprocal tariffs by August 7. We can ride the current wave A correction in the short term up to 6150 or lower. Expecting the S&P 500 to move sideways before continuing to go up in the long term.

End of July 2025:

Start of August 2025:

I maintain my strategy of regular dollar cost averaging in US equity index fund and ETF (ex. VOO) once Wave A ends and get a confirmation for Wave B, and avoid FOMO-ing now on 6400, especially with Trump-related activities leading to more volatility and uncertainty.

GLD

📌 BUY on breakout at 317.74

Despite the current correction in the S&P 500 in the short term, gold ETF is consolidating below 317.4. Fears on tariffs and push to diversification contribute to gold's general safe-haven asset's appeal, and buying its ETF is another way to take advantage of gold's uptrend. 

End of July 2025:

Start of August 2025:

V

📌 Wait on possible retest at 335 or wait for breakout past 375

Regardless of developments regarding tariffs, Visa remains a defensive stock because of its position in global payments and resilient demand. Visa's revenue and total payment volume continue to rise annually.

End of July 2025:

Start of August 2025:

JPM

📌 Wait on possible retest at 235 or lower, or wait for breakout past 305

Similar to Visa, JP Morgan is a defensive stock with good fundamentals, especially better than expected earnings in Q2 2025 and steadily rising annual income. There are also talks about JP Morgan taking over Apple's credit card program. On the technicals, its chart looks similar to SPX price movement, so expecting corrective wave A if ever JPM doesn't get past the 305 resistance, and wait for wave B confirmation before buying. 

End of July 2025:

Start of August 2025:

GS

📌 Wait on possible retest at 665 or lower, or wait for breakout at 750-810 area

Goldman Sachs remain fundamentally strong, benefiting from higher trading and advisory revenues despite the uncertain macropolitical environment. Its role as a major institutional player in structured finance also positions it well if corporate hedging demand spikes.

Start of August 2025:

GE

📌 BUY on possible retest between 235-250, or wait for breakout at 283

The US-EU deal earlier exempting aviation from tariffs provides optimism for General Electric shares especially in its position in aerospace and defense sectors, though supply chain risks overall remains a concern. If GE can't get past the 283 resistance, will wait for for the bounce around 235-250 first before buying.

End of July 2025:

Start of August 2025:

Tech stocks I'm monitoring closely:

AVGO

📌 BUY after pullback near 250-270 or confirmed breakout past 300 

Broadcom, one of Nvidia's competitors, benefits from strong AI-related revenue growth especially after acquiring VMWare, creating strategic partnerships with Google and Meta to diversify from Nvidia's processors. Its CEO anticipates expansion of its AI chip market from $12B for year end 2024, to $60-90B by 2027.

End of July 2025:

Start of August 2025:

Aside from that, other fundamentals support Broadcom such as its strong cash generation with rising Net Operating Cash Flow and revenue growth.

source: WSJ Markets

NVDA

📌 Wait for bounce at 140-155 or at 182 breakout before buying

Nvidia maintains its appeal among tech stocks for its growing annual income, assets and net operating cash flow, and investors are gearing up for the next quarterly income release on Aug 27, on top of having better security for assuring its customers that unlike China-made ones, Nvdia's chips don't have any backdoor and spyware. 

Start of August 2025:

Source: WSJ Markets

But it's still unclear if Nvidia will be exempted from 100% tariffs on chips and semiconductors based on the new section 232 despite its AI servers getting exempt. The company may get away from it with its plans to expand its manufacturing operations in Phoenix, Arizona.

Other stocks I'm monitoring closely:

FIG

📌 Wait for bounce at 65-75 after correction from IPO mania

Figma continues to mark its own appeal in the UI/UX design space, with designers prefering them over the likes of Adobe. Adobe's failed acquisition attempt, blocked over monopoly concerns, as well as FigJam's adoption among several companies making it near-ubiquitous (I myself wanna try it out and see how it compares with say, Canva and Zoho Connect), underscores Figma stock's competitive moat. 

Start of August 2025:

A week after launch:

SCHD

📌 Sideways since 2021

If it doesn't breakout from its resistance at 28, it will continue testing next resistance at 25. Wait for its bounce there or or lower before resuming dollar-cost-averaging, and holding it for its dividends.

End of July 2025:

Start of August 2025:

Feature image by Anna Nekrashevich in Pexels.