The U.S. stock market is expected to remain volatile because trade talks with China have stalled, creating uncertainty. Investors are also nervous ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, which could adversely impact borrowing costs and business growth. In this context, creating a curated portfolio of low-beta stocks is a prudent strategy.\n\nThis provides a safeguard against uncertain market conditions, equipping investors to navigate volatility with greater resilience and foresight. Hence, stocks like Vipshop Holdings Limited VIPS, GDS Holdings Limited GDS, Futu Holdings Limited FUTU and Verona Pharma plc VRNA are worth betting on.\n\nWhat Does Beta of a Stock Measure?\n\nBeta measures the volatility or risk of a particular asset compared to the market. In other words, beta measures the extent of a security’s price movement relative to the market. In this article, we are considering the S&P 500 as the market.\n\nIf a stock has a beta of 1, then the price of the stock will move with the market. So, the stock is more volatile than the market if its beta is more than 1. In the same way, the stock is not as volatile as the market if its beta is less than 1.\n\nFor example, if the market offers a return of 20%, a stock with a beta of 3 will return 60%, which is overwhelming. Similarly, when the market slips 20%, the stock will sink 60%, which is devastating.\n\nScreening Criteria Using Research Wizard:\n\nWe have taken a beta between 0 and 0.6 as our prime criterion for screening stocks that are less volatile than the market. However, this should not be the only factor to be considered while selecting a winning strategy. We need to take into account other parameters that can add value to the portfolio.\n\nPercentage Change in Price in the Last 4 Weeks Greater Than Zero: This ensures that the stocks saw positive price movement over the last month.\n\nAverage 20-Day Volume Greater Than 50,000: A substantial trading volume ensures that the stocks are easily tradable.\n\nPrice Greater Than or Equal to $5: They must all be trading at a minimum of $5 or higher.\n\nZacks Rank Equal to 1: Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks indicate that they will significantly outperform the broader U.S. equity market over the next one to three months. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.\n\nHere are four of the 12 stocks that qualified for the screening:\n\nVipshop Holdings \n\nVipshop Holdings offers products that incentivize customers to come back. One key strategy is the Made for Vipshop program, where more than 200 brands create exclusive products just for Vipshop customers. The products are generally not available anywhere else, but are in high demand among those shoppers.\n\nGDS Holdings \n\nGDS landed a massive 152 MW order in early 2025 from an AI customer, with the data centers set to be fully up and running within a year—showing strong, reliable demand. To meet this rising demand, GDS has 900 MW of future-ready capacity in prime locations, which it plans to fully develop over the next four years.\n\nFutu Holdings\n\nBeing a tech-driven player, Futu Holdings is making investing easy and fully online. The company is also upgrading its platform with the recent update being Futubull AI – a smart assistant that answers investment-related questions quickly and accurately.\n\nVerona Pharma \n\nVerona Pharma’s drug Ohtuvayre is proving to be a game-changer in COPD treatment. It’s the first inhaled therapy with a new mechanism of action in more than two decades, combining bronchodilation with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory effects. This dual benefit is helping patients breathe better and reducing lung inflammation without relying on steroids.

Volatility-Proof Your Portfolio With VIPS, GDS, FUTU & VRNA Stocks

The article discusses U.S. stock market volatility due to stalled trade talks with China and the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision. It recommends low-beta stocks like VIPS, GDS, FUTU, and VRNA as a strategy to navigate uncertainty, explaining beta metrics and screening criteria for portfolio selection.