Ever wondered why some stocks are in the S&P 500 and others aren’t? Well, it turns out there’s a very specific set of criteria that must be met for a stock to gain entry into the index, which will be revealed below.

But now, three Fool.com contributors will name their top stocks that could be added to the index by 2025. Let’s dive right in.

Palantir meets all the criteria for inclusion in the S&P 500

Jake Lerch (Palantir Technologies): My choice as a stock that could join the S&P 500 by next year is Palantir Technologies (NYSE: PLTR). Palantir is the maker of an AI-powered platform that helps organizations understand complex datasets, and the company’s stock is red-hot.

So far this year, Palantir stock is up a remarkable 80%. Its market cap is now $68 billion, making the AI stock America’s 279th-largest public company by market cap. Yet, as of this writing, Palantir is still not a member of the S&P 500.

So what gives?

It’s a good question because Palantir checks all of the boxes needed for inclusion in the S&P 500:

• A U.S. Company

• Market cap of at least $18 billion

• Stock is highly liquid

• Public float is at least 50% of total shares outstanding

• Positive earnings in its most recent quarter and total positive earnings in the four most recent quarters

First off, Palantir is based in the U.S. and has a market cap of nearly $70 billion — check.

Second, Palantir’s stock is highly liquid; its public float is well over 50% of its outstanding shares available.

Finally, we come to profitability. Profitability, in all likelihood, is why Palantir is not in the S&P 500. While the company has reported positive earnings in each of the last six quarters, they have been tiny profits.

As you can see above, Palantir had quarterly losses as recently as late 2022. Because of that, the committee has likely delayed putting Palantir into the S&P 500 — waiting to see more quarters of positive earnings before giving Palantir the nod.

However, one more quarter of positive earnings might be enough to lead to the committee adding Palantir to the index by 2025. And that’s exactly what I think will happen.

S&P 500 inclusion might help make this company the next great advertising stock

Will Healy (The Trade Desk): Mega-cap tech stocks like Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) have built their fortunes on digital advertising. These companies generate tens of billions in revenue every quarter by helping businesses of all sizes reach desired audiences, and that market power makes them mainstays of the S&P 500.

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Amid the influence of this industry, the next advertising stock to enter the S&P 500 might just be The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD). Its demand-side platform allows agencies and companies to manage digital ad campaigns, running ads in the times and places where they believe they can generate the highest returns. Additionally, with the help of AI tool Kokai, users can further refine the timing and placement of ads to derive more value.

Thanks to its capabilities, it has become a stock with a $50 billion market cap, far above the minimum market cap required to enter the S&P 500. From that point, its financials will likely help boost this stock further.

Revenue for the first half of 2024 was just under $1.1 billion, a 27% increase compared with the same period last year. The company has also recovered from an earnings slump it faced in 2022. With that, its net income was $117 million in the first six months of 2024, rising 176% compared with year-ago levels.

Amid these fast-rising profits, its 205 price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is likely not representative of its valuation, but its price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 24 admittedly makes it expensive. Still, analysts forecast 26% revenue growth this year and 20% in 2025, meaning revenues will continue to place downward pressure on its sales multiple.

Finally, investors should remember what inclusion in the index means — a place in the portfolio of every investor who invests in the S&P 500 through index funds. That rising influence should further bolster the stock as more advertisers turn to its platform.

Coinbase would give the S&P 500 exposure to cryptocurrency’s potential upside.

Justin Pope (Coinbase): If the S&P 500 is going to look to innovation and add AI tech companies such as CrowdStrike and Super Micro Computer into the index, it makes perfect sense to add Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN), too. Cryptocurrencies are still hotly debated among investors, but the asset class is forcing its way into the conversation. According to research by The Motley Fool, approximately one-quarter of investors are “very likely” to buy at least some form of cryptocurrency.

The case for Coinbase is simple. It’s a publicly traded U.S. company, making it arguably the safest exchange and crypto-finance company after fraud and controversy have tainted or destroyed private and foreign competitors like Binance and FTX.

Next, it easily meets the criteria for inclusion in the S&P 500; its current $42 billion market cap meets the minimum threshold. Plus, it is comfortably GAAP profitable, with almost $1.4 billion in net income over the past four quarters.

Most importantly, it’s a fantastic business. Coinbase’s exchange is its core business, but its ambitions span the crypto economy, including financial products such as banking and payment cards that allow users to spend their crypto as dollars. Cryptocurrency can be cyclical, but Coinbase has proven it can endure the downturns. The company is also in a great financial position, with over $8 billion in cash on its balance sheet, nearly a fifth of the stock’s value.

Cryptocurrencies must continue to gain adoption among society and investors for Coinbase’s business to grow over the long term. However, there isn’t a better stock for exposure to crypto’s potential upside. Adding Coinbase to the S&P 500 would reflect a forward-thinking investment strategy and help lift the index higher over the coming years if cryptocurrency continues gaining steam.

Should you invest $1,000 in Palantir Technologies right now?

Before you buy stock in Palantir Technologies, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Palantir Technologies wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

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Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Jake Lerch has positions in Alphabet and CrowdStrike. Justin Pope has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Will Healy has positions in CrowdStrike, Palantir Technologies, Super Micro Computer, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Coinbase Global, CrowdStrike, Meta Platforms, Palantir Technologies, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

3 Fantastic Stocks That Could Join The S&P 500 by 2025 was originally published by The Motley Fool