The stock market is trading almost exclusively on the latest Middle East updates. The bulls have continued to hold their ground at some critical technical levels despite the continued bombings and the lack of clarity on what’s next.

That said, the bulls appear sanguine despite the recent escalatory threats. Outside of Iran, Wall Street is waiting for the big banks to unofficially kick off Q1 2026 earnings season on Tuesday, April 14.

The latest Zacks data shows that overall S&P 500 earnings are projected to grow +13.4% YoY in Q1, marking a big improvement from the +11.3% estimate just a month ago on March 4.

Therefore, the market could be ready to rip higher if a deal with Iran is reached and earnings outlooks confirm the current bullish estimates.

Given this backdrop, long-term investors might want to continue buying strong stocks amid all of the uncertainty, as the bulls keep holding their ground.

One area of Wall Street that investors might want to start buying are strong, best-in-class, cheap stocks trading under $10 a share.

On top of their cheap stock prices, the stocks we learn to find earn strong Zacks Ranks, driven by improving earnings outlooks. Wall Street is also very high on these cheap stocks trading for under $10 a share.

Penny Stocks

One dollar or less used to be the common threshold for what we call “penny stocks.” Today, the SEC has expanded penny stocks to securities that trade for less than $5 a share. Many investors avoid these stocks because they are speculative in nature.

Meanwhile, penny stocks often trade infrequently and hold wide bid/ask spreads. These stocks also carry many other traits that, in many cases, cause excessive volatility. With that said, some penny stocks perform incredibly well, which helps them remain attractive.

How to Find the Best Cheap Stocks Under $10 to Buy Now

Moving on, let’s briefly discuss the next class of cheap stocks. Stocks that trade in the $5 to $10 range are generally less risky than their penny stock counterparts. Investors might be more likely to have heard of these companies or seen the tickers. They are, however, still inherently more speculative than many other higher-priced stocks.

Investors can obviously find winning stocks for under $10 if they are extremely selective. So today, we narrowed the list of thousands of these more speculative stocks down to a more manageable group of $10 and under stocks that might help boost your portfolio.

Screen Parameters

• Price less than or equal to $10

• Volume greater than or equal to 1,000,000

• Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2

(No Holds, Sells or Strong Sells.)

• Average Broker Rating less than or equal to 3.5

(Average Broker Rating of a Hold or Better.)

• # of Analysts in Rating greater than or equal to 2

(Minimum of at least two analysts covering the stock.)

• % Change F1 Earnings Estimate Revisions -- 12 Weeks greater than or equal to 0

(Preferably upward earnings estimate revisions, but definitely no downward revisions.)

Here is one stock out of the roughly 50 highly-ranked stocks trading under $10 a share that made it through the screen today…

Buy Soaring Cheap ALTO Stock for Earnings Growth and Breakout Potential  

Alto Ingredients (ALTO Quick QuoteALTO - Free Report)  is a leading U.S. producer and distributor of specialty alcohols, renewable fuels, and essential ingredients. The company makes a range of products sold into markets such as health, home & beauty, food & beverage, industrial/agriculture, and animal feed.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

ALTO stock has soared over 70% since its big beat and raise report on March 4. Its 2026 earnings estimate has surged 19% since then to help it earn its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

The company is projected to grow its adjusted earnings by a whopping 171% in 2026 and another 84% next year to reach $0.35 a share, up from $0.07 in 2025. It has also crushed our EPS estimates over the past three quarters.

Despite its recent surge, which includes a 425% run in the past 12 months, ALTO Trades 55% below its 2020 levels and miles below its all-time highs. On top of that, its average Zacks price target marks 9% upside to its current $4.50 a share.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

ALTO is also on the verge of a potential technical breakout (see green line above). And all three of the brokerage recommendations that Zacks has are “Strong Buys.”

Alto’s specialty alcohols serve as key ingredients or solvents in many everyday items. For example, they appear in mouthwash, hand sanitizers, disinfectants, cosmetics, fragrances, pharmaceuticals, and much more.

It categorizes its business under the broader umbrellas of Alcohol and Essential Ingredients, with alcohol featuring food & beverage, pharmaceutical, industrial and renewable fuel. Meanwhile, its Essential Ingredients unit is comprised of Oil, Protein, and Yeast, which are used in a variety of industries.

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