S&P 500 Inclusion Likely for Robinhood, AppLovin, and Cheniere Energy

Datadog has joined the S&P 500, and investors are wondering which stocks will be next. Robinhood Markets, AppLovin, and Cheniere Energy are predicted to be included due to their size, profitability, and growth. Robinhood has a market cap of over $80 billion, with $1.95 billion in net income in 2024 and 50% YoY revenue growth in Q1 2025. The company is expanding its services with AI tools, a banking service, and the acquisition of cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp.

Datadog has recently joined the S&P 500, raising questions about which companies might be next. Analysts predict that Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ: HOOD), AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP), and Cheniere Energy (NYSE: LNG) are strong candidates due to their size, profitability, and growth. Here's a closer look at these potential additions.

Robinhood Markets
Robinhood, with a market cap of over $80 billion, is one of the largest U.S. companies not in the S&P 500. The financial services and trading platform generated $1.95 billion in net income in 2024 and $336 million in Q1 2025. Its revenue grew by 50% year over year in Q1 2025, driven by new products and client acquisition strategies. The company has been expanding its services, including the introduction of AI tools like Cortex, a banking service, and the acquisition of cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp. Given its size and growth, Robinhood is viewed as the most likely candidate to be added to the S&P 500 [1].

AppLovin
AppLovin, with a market cap of over $115 billion, is currently the largest qualifying U.S. company not included in the S&P 500. The company generated net income of nearly $1.6 billion in 2024 and $576.4 million in Q1 2025. Its revenue grew by 40% year over year in Q1 2025, with advertising revenue soaring 70%. The company is transitioning to a pure-play adtech business and expects its mobile video gaming segment to grow by 20% to 30% annually. Despite recent short reports, its strong growth and large market cap make it a likely candidate for S&P 500 inclusion [1].

Cheniere Energy
Cheniere Energy, with a market cap of over $50 billion, is a solidly profitable company that benefits from strong and growing demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG). The company has been expanding its export capabilities, which should lead to solid future growth. With approximately 95% of its volumes contracted out until the mid-2030s, Cheniere has strong visibility into its future cash flows. Its size and profitability make it a strong candidate for S&P 500 inclusion [1].

Conclusion
While the S&P 500 committee considers various factors before adding a new stock, these three companies—Robinhood Markets, AppLovin, and Cheniere Energy—stand out due to their size, profitability, and growth. Investors should keep an eye on these companies as potential additions to the S&P 500 in the coming months.

References
[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/prediction-datadogs-p-500-debut-085600662.html