The stock market cooled off a bit to start the Labor Day-shortened trading week, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq trading slightly lower through early afternoon trading. The mundane start to the week came after Wall Street bulls jumped back in at some key technical levels following slightly dovish comments from Fed Governor Christopher Waller last Thursday.

The Fed and the possibility of a mid-September rate hike, along with rising bond yields and the U.S.-Iran conflict (and therefore the Strait of Hormuz), remain by far the most important macro-level factors Wall Street is watching. Further ahead, the upcoming midterm elections might create even more volatility.

All that said, the bulls could certainly press their advantage and push both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 to new all-time highs sooner rather than later, if everything breaks right.

Therefore, investors likely want to keep buying stocks in September and throughout the final stretch of 2026. Today, we highlight how investors can find surging, top-ranked stocks thriving in the current market conditions.

The momentum stocks this screen puts on your radar have also seen strong upward earnings revisions, earning them a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) right now. Let’s dive into how investors can find the best "Strong Buy" momentum stocks to buy now in September and beyond. 

Screen Basics: Finding the Best Momentum Stocks to Buy

The screen we are looking into today comes loaded with the Research Wizard. The screen helps investors dig through all of the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks, of which there are over 200 at any given time, to find some of the top momentum names.

The screen narrows down the list of Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocksto those with upward price momentum that are also trading within 20% of their 52-week highs. The screen then uses the PEG ratio and the Price to Sales ratio to help make sure investors are getting value as well. The screen then makes your life a little easier and narrows it down to just seven stock picks.

The screen basics are listed below…

·         Zacks Rank = #1 (Strong Buy)

·         Current Price/52-week High >= 0.8

·         PEG Ratio: P/E F(1)/EPS Growth <= 1

·         Price/Sales <= 3

·         Percentage Change Price -12 Weeks = Top # 7

This strategy comes loaded with the Research Wizard and it is called bt_sow_momentum_method1 It can be found in the SoW (Screen of the Week) folder.

The screen is simple, yet powerful. Here is one of the seven stocks that made it through this week's screen…

Best "Strong Buy" Stocks for September: Buy Oil Stock MPC and Hold Forever

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC Quick QuoteMPC - Free Report)  runs the largest oil refining business in the U.S. MPC turns crude into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other products at its 13 refineries, boasting about 3 million barrels per day of capacity.

On top of that, the oil company sells fuel at the retail level through Marathon and ARCO stations. Furthermore, MPC owns the general partner and majority limited partner interest in MPLX LP,  which moves oil, gas, and other petroleum products through pipelines and terminals.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Marathon Petroleum shares have skyrocketed 145% YTD as “crack spreads,” or the differences between wholesale petroleum product prices and crude oil prices, soar. Global crude disruptions—especially around the Middle East and Strait of Hormuz—plus heavy worldwide refinery downtime lifted product prices far more than crude costs. MPC’s R&M margin surged 106% YoY in Q2 to $36.33 per barrel, “driven primarily by higher crack spreads in all regions.”

MPC’s outlook is booming as it rides the current bullish trends driving its refining and marketing industry, which sits in the top 3% of ~250 Zacks industries. This is critical since studies have shown that roughly half of a stock's price movement can be attributed to a stock's industry group. In fact, the top 50% of Zacks Ranked Industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Marathon Petroleum’s earnings revisions have surged since its Q2 release in early August as the macro conditions surrounding its industry lead to soaring profits. MPC’s FY26 estimate surged 43% since its Q2 release, with its FY27 estimate 46% higher. Its upbeat EPS outlook helps MPC land its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). 

The oil refining powerhouse is projected to expand its earnings by 340% in 2026 to climb to $47.23 per share vs. $10.70 last year. And its growth is likely to come in even stronger, considering that its most accurate EPS estimate for 2026 came in 26% above the current consensus and 64% higher for 2027.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

MPC stock has soared ~2,800% over the last 15 years to crush the S&P 500’s ~630% and its highly ranked Oil and Gas - Refining and Marketing industry’s ~470%. Despite trading at all time highs, the oil and gas stock trades in-line with its 15-year median, ~80% below its highs, and slightly below its industry at 9.6X forward 12-month earnings.

Long-term investors should consider buying Marathon Petroleum stock for value, growth, dividends, and more. It is also worth stressing that even tech-focused investors should remember that oil and gas remains a critical driving force of the economy, and the best-in-class stocks in the space are key to creating a successfully diversified portfolio. 

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.

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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