Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Upgraded Broker Ratings Make These 5 Stocks Worth Buying Now

Read MoreHide Full Article

A number of fundamental and technical aspects are involved in identifying stocks with solid prospects. It is not easy for individual investors to select stocks on their own. So, guidance from the experts is vital.

By following broker rating upgrades, one can easily find attractive stocks with profitable returns. Brokers have in-depth knowledge of what’s happening in a particular company, as they directly communicate with the top management. Also, they exhaustively go through the company’s publicly available documents and attend conference calls.

Additionally, brokers have a thorough understanding of the overall industry. They place the company fundamentals against the current economic backdrop to figure out how the stock will fare as an investment.

Therefore, when a broker upgrades a stock, one can rely on their judgment. Yet, depending only on broker upgrades is not a wise idea to build investment portfolio. One should also take into consideration few other factors to ensure steady returns.

Selecting the Winning Strategy

We have a screening strategy that will help you in your search for potential winners:

Broker Rating Upgrades (four weeks) of 1% or more: The screen selects stocks that have witnessed broker rating upgrades of 1% or more over the last four weeks.

Current Price greater than $5: The stocks must be trading above $5.

Average 20-day Volume greater than 100,000: A large trading volume guarantees that the stock is easily tradable.

Zacks Rank equal to #1 or 2: No matter whether market conditions are good or bad, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) have a proven record of success. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

VGM Score of A or B: Our research shows that stocks with a VGM Score of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 offer the best upside potential.

Here are the five of the 15 stocks that qualified the screening:

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (PPC - Free Report) is engaged in the processing, production, marketing and distribution of frozen, fresh and value-added chicken products. This Greeley, CO-based company’s earnings for 2021 are projected to grow at the rate of 147.3%. The stock, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, has witnessed 25% upward revision in broker ratings over the past four weeks.

Headquartered in Union, NJ, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. is a leading operator of specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Its earnings for fiscal 2022 are projected to grow at the rate of 323.7%. The stock, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2, has witnessed 15.4% upward revision in broker ratings over the past four weeks.

Owens Corning (OC - Free Report) is a world leader in building materials systems and composite solutions. This Toledo, OH-based company’s earnings are projected to increase 24% for 2021. The stock, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 at present, has witnessed 7.1% upward revision in broker ratings over the past four weeks.

Headquartered in Itasca, IL, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG - Free Report) provides insurance brokerage and consulting services and third-party claims settlement and administration services. The company’s earnings for 2021 are projected to rise 7.8%. The stock, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2, has witnessed 9.1% upward revision in broker ratings over the past four weeks.

Based in Omaha, NE, Valmont Industries, Inc. (VMI - Free Report) is primarily engaged in the production of fabricated metal products, metal and concrete pole and tower structures and mechanized irrigation systems. The company’s earnings for 2021 are projected to grow at the rate of 16.2%. The stock, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, has witnessed 25% upward revision in broker ratings over the past four weeks.

Get the rest of the stocks on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and backtesting software.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at:
https://www.zacks.com/performance

Published in