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How to find the best Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks to buy now and in April.
Sterling Infrastructure offers growth upside across AI data centers, chip manufacturing, and more.
STRL stock, which has outpaced Nvidia in the past five years, earns a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Wall Street is hanging on every headline and update about Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. With that in mind, the market bounced back Tuesday morning after another drop on Monday.
The Nasdaq held firm at a key technical range through morning trading. It appears that Wall Street is still trading based on the idea that the conflict in the Middle East will come to some type of resolution sooner rather than later.
The stock market has already experienced a significant pullback, with the Nasdaq down nearly 12% from its October peaks. This backdrop might offer long-term investors a great chance to start buying beaten-down stocks.
The bullish outlook for earnings growth in 2026 makes buying stocks on the dip all the more sound of a strategy.
Despite the possibility of more near-term volatility and selling pressure, long-term investors should consider buying some best-in-class stocks across the market, highlighted by strong positive earnings revisions.
Let’s explore 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 and throughout April.
How to Find the Best "Strong Buy" Stocks
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.
“Strong Buy” Stock Screen Parameters
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…
Buy Soaring "Strong Buy" STRL Stock for AI and Chip Manufacturing Growth
Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL - Free Report) is a leader in large-scale site development and mission-critical electrical services for AI data centers and beyond, including semiconductor manufacturing plants.
STRL quadrupled its earnings and doubled its revenue between 2020 and 2025, as the U.S. infrastructure firm capitalizes on key megatrends.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The AI data infrastructure company posted an impressive beat-and-raise Q4 report in late February. Its upward earnings revisions activity earn Sterling its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Plus, Sterling ended 2025 with a signed backlog of $3.0 billion, up 78% YoY and 49% on a same-store basis. STRL is projected to grow its adjusted earnings by 26% in 2026 and 15% in 2027, with revenue expanding by 25% and 9%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Sterling’s recent upward earnings revisions extend a strong run over the last few years that helped send the stock soaring 1,700% in the past five years.
STRL stock is attempting to find support at its 50-day moving average. And its average Zacks price target represents 14% upside from its current price. On the valuation front, Sterling trades 28% below its recent highs at 28.7X 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.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
Image: Bigstock
Best "Strong Buy" Stocks to Buy Now in April
Key Takeaways
Wall Street is hanging on every headline and update about Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. With that in mind, the market bounced back Tuesday morning after another drop on Monday.
The Nasdaq held firm at a key technical range through morning trading. It appears that Wall Street is still trading based on the idea that the conflict in the Middle East will come to some type of resolution sooner rather than later.
The stock market has already experienced a significant pullback, with the Nasdaq down nearly 12% from its October peaks. This backdrop might offer long-term investors a great chance to start buying beaten-down stocks.
The bullish outlook for earnings growth in 2026 makes buying stocks on the dip all the more sound of a strategy.
Despite the possibility of more near-term volatility and selling pressure, long-term investors should consider buying some best-in-class stocks across the market, highlighted by strong positive earnings revisions.
Let’s explore 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 and throughout April.
How to Find the Best "Strong Buy" Stocks
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.
“Strong Buy” Stock Screen Parameters
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…
Buy Soaring "Strong Buy" STRL Stock for AI and Chip Manufacturing Growth
Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL - Free Report) is a leader in large-scale site development and mission-critical electrical services for AI data centers and beyond, including semiconductor manufacturing plants.
STRL quadrupled its earnings and doubled its revenue between 2020 and 2025, as the U.S. infrastructure firm capitalizes on key megatrends.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The AI data infrastructure company posted an impressive beat-and-raise Q4 report in late February. Its upward earnings revisions activity earn Sterling its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Plus, Sterling ended 2025 with a signed backlog of $3.0 billion, up 78% YoY and 49% on a same-store basis. STRL is projected to grow its adjusted earnings by 26% in 2026 and 15% in 2027, with revenue expanding by 25% and 9%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Sterling’s recent upward earnings revisions extend a strong run over the last few years that helped send the stock soaring 1,700% in the past five years.
STRL stock is attempting to find support at its 50-day moving average. And its average Zacks price target represents 14% upside from its current price. On the valuation front, Sterling trades 28% below its recent highs at 28.7X 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