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Use a Zacks screen to find the best #1 (Strong Buy) stocks to buy now in December.
Buy top-ranked tech stock PLUS for value and AI upside.
The stock market bulls dove back into hard-hit stocks in the final week of November following the first significant pullback in few months. Buyers stepped up again on Tuesday after a pullback on the first trading day of December.
It’s always difficult to say what’s next for the market in the immediate future.
No matter what happens in the short term, the bull case for stock market optimism should remain in place in December and throughout 2026.
First off, the technology and artificial intelligence-boosted earnings growth outlook looks strong for 2026 and 2027. On top of that, the Fed is projected to cut interest rates again.
This backdrop means investors should likely keep buying stocks in December and to start 2026.
Today, we dive into how investors can use a Zacks screen to help find some of the best Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks out of a group of over 200 highly-ranked companies to consider buying now.
Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks outperform the market in good and bad times. However, there are over 200 stocks that earn a Zacks Rank #1 at any given time.
Therefore, it’s helpful to understand how to apply filters to the Zacks Rank in order to narrow the list down to a more manageable and tradable set of stocks.
Screen Parameters: The Best Top Stocks to Buy
Clearly, there are only three items on this screen. But together, these three filters can result in some impressive returns.
• Zacks Rank equal to 1
Starting with a Zacks Rank #1 is often a strong jumping off point because it boasts an average annual return of roughly 24.4% per year since 1988.
• % Change (Q1) Est. over 4 Weeks greater than 0
Positive current quarter estimate revisions over the last four weeks.
• % Broker Rating Change over 4 Week equal to Top # 5
Top 5 stocks with the best average broker rating changes over the last four weeks.
This strategy comes loaded with the Research Wizard and is called bt_sow_filtered zacks rank5. It can be found in the SoW (Screen of the Week) folder.
Here is one of the five stocks that qualified for the Filtered Zacks Rank 5 strategy today…
Under-the-Radar Tech Stock PLUS Looks Like a Must Buy
ePlus ((PLUS - Free Report) ) is an enterprise IT solutions provider that posted a blowout quarter (Q2 fiscal 2026) in early November as it benefits from strength across its portfolio and a key acquisition to boost its AI expansion efforts.
PLUS makes money by solving big organizations’ technology challenges across AI, security, cloud and data center, networking, and collaboration.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The technology firm posted its first ever quarter of gross billings over $1 billion, with its revenue up 23% to $609 million. ePlus said it “completed the acquisition of certain assets of Realwave in the quarter to further enhance our AI capabilities, in line with our strategy to invest in fast growing categories including cybersecurity, networking, AI and cloud.”
Looking ahead, the company is projected to grow its revenue by 12% in FY26 to reach $2.32 billion, based on the most recent Zacks estimates.
PLUS is projected to grow its adjusted earnings by 3% in FY26 and 12% in FY27. The company’s earnings outlook has surged since its early November release, with its FY27 consensus earnings estimate 19% higher to help ePlus earn its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) status.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ePlus stock has soared 2,400% in the past 20 years to blow away the Tech sector’s 910%. Despite its long-term outperformance and its post-earnings charge, the tech stock trades 13% below its 2024 highs and 23% under its average Zacks price target.
On top of that, its Business - Software Services industry lands in the top 3% of 240 Zacks industries. And ePlus trades at a 33% discount to the Tech sector at 18.9X forward 12-month earnings.
Get the rest of the stocks on this list and start looking for the newest companies that fit these criteria. It's easy to do. And it could help you find your next big winner. Start screening for these companies today with a free trial to the Research Wizard. You can do it.
Want more articles from this author? Scroll up to the top of this article and click the FOLLOW AUTHOR button to get an email each time a new article is published.
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.
Image: Bigstock
Buying the Best Top-Ranked Stocks in December
Key Takeaways
The stock market bulls dove back into hard-hit stocks in the final week of November following the first significant pullback in few months. Buyers stepped up again on Tuesday after a pullback on the first trading day of December.
It’s always difficult to say what’s next for the market in the immediate future.
No matter what happens in the short term, the bull case for stock market optimism should remain in place in December and throughout 2026.
First off, the technology and artificial intelligence-boosted earnings growth outlook looks strong for 2026 and 2027. On top of that, the Fed is projected to cut interest rates again.
This backdrop means investors should likely keep buying stocks in December and to start 2026.
Today, we dive into how investors can use a Zacks screen to help find some of the best Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks out of a group of over 200 highly-ranked companies to consider buying now.
Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks outperform the market in good and bad times. However, there are over 200 stocks that earn a Zacks Rank #1 at any given time.
Therefore, it’s helpful to understand how to apply filters to the Zacks Rank in order to narrow the list down to a more manageable and tradable set of stocks.
Screen Parameters: The Best Top Stocks to Buy
Clearly, there are only three items on this screen. But together, these three filters can result in some impressive returns.
• Zacks Rank equal to 1
Starting with a Zacks Rank #1 is often a strong jumping off point because it boasts an average annual return of roughly 24.4% per year since 1988.
• % Change (Q1) Est. over 4 Weeks greater than 0
Positive current quarter estimate revisions over the last four weeks.
• % Broker Rating Change over 4 Week equal to Top # 5
Top 5 stocks with the best average broker rating changes over the last four weeks.
This strategy comes loaded with the Research Wizard and is called bt_sow_filtered zacks rank5. It can be found in the SoW (Screen of the Week) folder.
Here is one of the five stocks that qualified for the Filtered Zacks Rank 5 strategy today…
Under-the-Radar Tech Stock PLUS Looks Like a Must Buy
ePlus ((PLUS - Free Report) ) is an enterprise IT solutions provider that posted a blowout quarter (Q2 fiscal 2026) in early November as it benefits from strength across its portfolio and a key acquisition to boost its AI expansion efforts.
PLUS makes money by solving big organizations’ technology challenges across AI, security, cloud and data center, networking, and collaboration.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The technology firm posted its first ever quarter of gross billings over $1 billion, with its revenue up 23% to $609 million. ePlus said it “completed the acquisition of certain assets of Realwave in the quarter to further enhance our AI capabilities, in line with our strategy to invest in fast growing categories including cybersecurity, networking, AI and cloud.”
Looking ahead, the company is projected to grow its revenue by 12% in FY26 to reach $2.32 billion, based on the most recent Zacks estimates.
PLUS is projected to grow its adjusted earnings by 3% in FY26 and 12% in FY27. The company’s earnings outlook has surged since its early November release, with its FY27 consensus earnings estimate 19% higher to help ePlus earn its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) status.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ePlus stock has soared 2,400% in the past 20 years to blow away the Tech sector’s 910%. Despite its long-term outperformance and its post-earnings charge, the tech stock trades 13% below its 2024 highs and 23% under its average Zacks price target.
On top of that, its Business - Software Services industry lands in the top 3% of 240 Zacks industries. And ePlus trades at a 33% discount to the Tech sector at 18.9X forward 12-month earnings.
Get the rest of the stocks on this list and start looking for the newest companies that fit these criteria. It's easy to do. And it could help you find your next big winner. Start screening for these companies today with a free trial to the Research Wizard. You can do it.
Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.
Want more articles from this author? Scroll up to the top of this article and click the FOLLOW AUTHOR button to get an email each time a new article is published.
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: www.zacks.com/performance_disclosure