Wednesday, July 22, 2026

The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (ISRG) and Stryker Corp. (SYK), as well as two micro-cap stocks Frequency Electronics, Inc. (FEIM) and Good Times Restaurants Inc. (GTIM). The Zacks microcap research is unique as our research content on these small and under-the-radar companies is the only research of its type in the country.

These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>

Ahead of Wall Street

The daily 'Ahead of Wall Street' article is a must-read for all investors who would like to be ready for that day's trading action. The article comes out before the market opens, attempting to make sense of that morning's economic releases and how they will affect that day's market action. You can read this article for free on our home page and can actually sign up there to get an email notification as this article comes out each morning.

You can read today's AWS here >>> Pre-Markets Down After Solid Tuesday Session

Today's Featured Research Reports

Shares of Qualcomm have gained +10.8% over the past year against the Zacks Electronics - Semiconductors industry’s gain of +62.5%. The company continues to pivot from a handset-centric model toward a broader connected processor portfolio. Solid traction in the automotive business augurs well, with more than 1 million cars operating ADAS and autonomy on Snapdragon Ride processors. 

Higher content per vehicle on the Snapdragon Digital Chassis, broader edge AI adoption across devices and data center traction are positives. The Alphawave buyout adds high-speed wired connectivity IP and custom silicon capabilities to help accelerate its expansion into data centers. 

However, Qualcomm faces persistent competition in premium mobile chipsets and in the adjacent compute market. It continues to carry meaningful debt alongside an elevated expense base. Weak demand from Chinese smartphone vendors will likely impact revenue growth during the third quarter. Macro headwinds remain a concern.

(You can read the full research report on QUALCOMM here >>>)

Intuitive Surgical’s shares have underperformed the Zacks Medical - Instruments industry over the past year (-30.3% vs. -13%). The company’s U.S. procedure growth has moderated in deferrable categories, bariatric volumes remain weak, and China faces lower tender activity, local competition and pricing constraints. 

Tariffs, product mix and the planned extended-use instrument program may also limit margins and instruments revenue per procedure. Hospital budget cycles can still disrupt placements outside the United States. Nevertheless, Intuitive Surgical beat second-quarter estimates for earnings and sales. 

The company’s broad robotic platform, rising installed base and recurring revenue model support durable growth. Da Vinci 5, SP and Ion adoption should widen procedure reach, while digital tools deepen customer engagement. Procedure growth remains healthy, and the balance sheet supports product development and manufacturing investment.

(You can read the full research report on Intuitive Surgical here >>>)

Shares of Stryker have declined -20.8% over the past year against the Zacks Medical - Products industry’s decline of -28.3%. The company’s diversified MedSurg and Orthopaedics portfolio continues to benefit from robotics adoption and a steady hospital capital environment, but first-quarter results were distorted by a cybersecurity incident that delayed shipments and revenue recognition. 

Stryker also reorganized key orthopaedics technologies under the new Ortho Tech unit to simplify the customer experience. Management maintained full-year organic growth and adjusted EPS guidance and expects most deferred sales to be realized over the balance of 2026. 

Product launches, international expansion, and targeted M&A remain supportive. Offsetting this, tariffs and higher interest expense weighed on margins, and execution risk around cyber recovery, manufacturing absorption, and integration could limit near-term upside.

(You can read the full research report on Stryker here >>>)

Frequency Electronics’ shares have outperformed the Zacks Instruments - Control industry over the past six months (+47.1% vs. +14.4%). This microcap company with a market capitalization of $788.08 million is underpinned by a record-funded backlog of $111 million, with 73% expected to convert into fiscal 2027 revenues. Frequency Electronics is repositioning toward higher-growth defense markets, while benefiting from expanding opportunities across secure communications, electronic warfare and precision navigation. 

Strategic investments in engineering talent, manufacturing capacity and a new Colorado facility position FEI to support higher production as backlog converts, and a solid balance sheet with positive operating cash flow provides financial flexibility to execute its growth strategy. 

However, the company remains highly dependent on U.S. government funding, a concentrated customer base and fixed-price contracts. Supply chain disruptions and intensifying competition in advanced defense technologies could pressure margins and growth. FEI trades at a significant premium to historical and peer valuation multiples. 

(You can read the full research report on Frequency Electronics here >>>)

Shares of Good Times Restaurants have outperformed the Zacks Retail - Restaurants industry over the past six months (+18.1% vs. -5.8%). This microcap company with a market capitalization of $14.68 million is demonstrating improving operational discipline despite a challenging demand environment. Margin expansion has been supported by lower food waste, improved labor efficiency and disciplined cost controls, while stronger operating cash flow has enabled debt reduction and progress toward a debt-free balance sheet. 

Management is also investing in long-term growth through value offerings, loyalty expansion and customer engagement initiatives. However, traffic and comparable sales remain negative, reflecting soft demand and intense competition. 

Greater reliance on promotions, rising commodity and labor costs, limited pricing flexibility and the small operating footprint remain key risks. The valuation suggests investors remain cautious about sustained traffic recovery and earnings durability, while offering upside if operational improvements continue.

(You can read the full research report on Good Times Restaurants here >>>)

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNQ), State Street Corp. (STT) and Healthpeak Properties, Inc. (DOC).

Mark Vickery
Senior Editor

Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview reports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>