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Sterling Infrastructure and Griffon have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day
Read MoreHide Full Article
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – March 12, 2026 – Zacks Equity Research shares Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. ((STRL - Free Report) ) as the Bull of the Day and Griffon Corporation’s (GFF - Free Report) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on —Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) , Mastercard Inc. (MA - Free Report) and American Express Co. (AXP - Free Report) .
AI data center infrastructure stock Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. soared 1,700% in the last five years, outpacing artificial intelligence powerhouse Nvidia’s 1,340% and blowing away the rest of the Magnificent 7.
The U.S. infrastructure company, which specializes in site development and mission-critical electrical services, is riding massive growth trends across the AI data center boom, tech-focused reshoring such as semiconductor fabrication, e-commerce distribution expansion, and beyond.
Sterling Infrastructure is positioned to benefit from these critical megatrends, which are driving the U.S. economy, for years to come. STRL more than quadrupled its earnings between 2020 and 2025 and doubled its revenue.
The AI data center infrastructure company posted an impressive beat-and-raise Q4 report in late February that helps Sterling Infrastructure land a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
STRL is projected to grow its revenue and earnings by 25% in 2026. Plus, STRL stock found some support at some key technical ranges recently after its post-earnings pullback.
All in, investors looking for an infrastructure stock that provides long-term upside exposure to AI data centers, reshoring, e-commerce, and other critical economic trends should consider buying Sterling Infrastructure now.
Buy AI Data Center Infrastructure Stock STRL Now and Hold
Sterling, which traces its roots to the 1950s, is a leader in large-scale site development and mission-critical electrical services for data centers and beyond.
STRL began pivoting its business to become the higher-margin, growth-heavy firm it is today roughly a decade ago. The company was able to looked ahead and see the massive growth pipeline across e-commerce, data centers, and more.
The infrastructure company doubled its sales between 2020 ($1.23 billion) and 2025 ($2.49 billion), including 18% YoY growth in 2025.
Sterling grew its GAAP earnings per share (EPS) by 525% between 2020 and 2025, soaring from $1.50 a share to $9.38 last year.
STRL operates across three core segments: E-Infrastructure, Transportation, and Building Solutions.
E-Infrastructure is by far its largest revenue contributor (59% in 2025, 69% in Q4) and driver, with sales up 59% YoY in 2025. Sterling completed its acquisition of leading specialty electrical and mechanical contractor CEC Facilities Group in September 2025 to “significantly expand” its E-Infrastructure capabilities.
This growth also makes sense considering that Sterling operates essential large-scale site development and services and mission-critical electrical services for AI data centers, semiconductor fabrication, manufacturing, e-commerce distribution centers, power generation, and more.
These five areas—AI data centers, semiconductor fabrication, manufacturing, e-commerce distribution centers, and power generation—could arguably become the growth engines of the entire U.S. economy.
The AI capex boom is heating up in 2026, driven by Nvidia NVDA, the AI hyperscalers, and more, as everyone races not to get left behind in the AI arms race.
The U.S. is reshoring critical industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, with heavyweights Taiwan Semi and Micron actively expanding their fabrication bases in the U.S.
The power-hungry AI data center boom, the broader electrification push, and years of underinvestment are leading to once-in-a-generation growth of the energy sector from nuclear power to grid expansion.
Meanwhile, Sterling’s Transportation Solutions, as the name suggests, is focused on highways, bridges, airports, rail, and more. Its Building Solutions segment is centered around concrete foundations for homes, parking structures, and commercial buildings.
The "Strong Buy" Stock’s Growth Outlook
The firm posted another solid beat-and-raise performance when it reported its Q4 results on February 25, offering robust 2026 guidance that helped Sterling earn its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Sterling ended 2025 with a signed backlog of $3.0 billion, which grew 78% from year-end 2024 (and 49% on a same-store basis). STRL said that its “signed backlog, unsigned awards, and future phase opportunities give us visibility into a pool of work approaching $4.5 billion.”
This backdrop is why its FY26 earnings estimate jumped another 15%, with its FY27 outlook 5% higher, extending its impressive run of upward EPS revisions.
Sterling is projected to grow its revenue by 25% in 2026 and another 9% in 2027 to reach $3.38 billion. Meanwhile, it is expected to expand its adjusted EPS by 26% and 15%, respectively.
More Reasons to Buy AI Data Center Infrastructure Stock STRL
STRL has skyrocketed ~1,700% in the past five years to blow away its highly-ranked industry’s 140%, the S&P 500’s 75%, and even outclimb Nvidia’s 1,340%. This is part of a much larger surge over the past 10 and 25 years.
Sterling stock has surged 260% in the past 12 months. Yet, its recent pullback after its earnings report has it trading 8% below its peaks.
Valuation-wise, STRL trade 22% below its recent highs at 31.1X forward 12-month earnings.
The stock found support at its 50-day and its longer-term 10-week moving averages in the first week of March.
Sterling's recent jump has it on the cusp of possibly breaking out to its all-time highs and then into a new trading range.
Griffon Corporation’s earnings estimates extended their downward trend after the maker of everything from garage doors to residential and industrial ceiling fans offered disappointing guidance on February 5.
GFF’s recent downward revisions earn the stock a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) as some of its business segments come under pressure against a tough-to-compete-against period of growth and other headwinds, such as a slowing housing market.
Should Investors Stay Away From GFF Stock Right Now?
Griffon is a diversified management and holding company that operates through two core reportable segments: Home and Building Products and Consumer and Professional Products.
GFF’s Home and Building Products is focused on residential sectional garage doors, alongside commercial sectional doors, rolling steel doors, and grille products sold across various brands.
Meanwhile, its Consumer and Professional Products portfolio features branded residential and industrial ceiling fans, wire and wood shelving, storage cabinets, long-handled tools, and landscaping products, and more.
GFF’s business experienced large growth between 2020 and 2022 as the housing market boomed amid low interest rates and historic Covid-based housing market trends. Things have cooled off over the last few years for Griffon.
Griffon’s earnings estimates slipped again after it offered downbeat guidance when it reported its Q1 fiscal 2026 results on February 5. Its recent string of negative revisions earn GFF a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
Some long-term investors might want to put Griffon on their watchlists. But it is likely best to look elsewhere right now for a stock to buy in March.
Additional content:
Visa Packs Its Bags for APAC Travel Boom: A Virtual Card Play
As Asia Pacific travel rebounds, Visa Inc. is positioning itself at the center of the region's evolving travel payments landscape. It has teamed up with Trip.com Group to roll out a global virtual travel card program aimed at streamlining and securing payment processes throughout the travel supply chain. The initiative, issued through Trip.com’s fintech arm TripLink, has already debuted in Singapore and is expanding to Hong Kong and the Netherlands.
The program introduces Visa virtual card credentials across Trip.com’s operations, making B2B payment transactions between travel agencies, hotels and suppliers much smoother. By automating the reconciliation process and boosting data visibility, this system helps reduce operational hiccups for travel partners while enhancing payment reliability across various booking platforms.
The timing of the rollout aligns with a strong rebound in regional tourism. Per V’s research, more than half of consumers in the Asia Pacific region are gearing up to travel internationally in the next few months, with Japan, China and Australia topping the list of popular destinations. As cross-border travel picks up, card-based payments remain the preferred method for overseas spending, thanks to security features, global acceptance and reward ecosystems.
This partnership boosts V’s presence in the fast-growing travel payments sector. Virtual cards are becoming increasingly popular as businesses look for payment solutions that are automated and easy to track. By integrating its network more deeply into the travel booking process, Visa not only increases its transaction volume but solidifies its position as the essential financial support for digital travel commerce.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Some of V’s competitors in the payments space include Mastercard Inc. and American Express Co.
Mastercard continues strengthening its travel payments footprint through partnerships with travel technology firms. Recently, MA teamed up with Travelsoft Pay to automate B2B travel settlements using virtual card technology, improving payment security and efficiency across travel suppliers and intermediaries.
American Express continues to focus on premium travel and lifestyle rewards through its Membership Rewards program. Cardholders benefit from flexible point redemption, access to exclusive experiences and partnerships with airlines and hotels, reinforcing AXP’s position in high-value, experience-driven loyalty.
Visa’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Over the past year, shares of Visa have declined 5.3% compared with the industry’s 17.2% fall.
From a valuation standpoint, V trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.12, above the industry average of 18.24. V carries a Value Scoreof D.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa’s fiscal 2026 earnings implies an 11.9% jump from the year-ago period.
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Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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Sterling Infrastructure and Griffon have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – March 12, 2026 – Zacks Equity Research shares Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. ((STRL - Free Report) ) as the Bull of the Day and Griffon Corporation’s (GFF - Free Report) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on —Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) , Mastercard Inc. (MA - Free Report) and American Express Co. (AXP - Free Report) .
Here is a synopsis of all three stocks:
Bull of the Day:
AI data center infrastructure stock Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. soared 1,700% in the last five years, outpacing artificial intelligence powerhouse Nvidia’s 1,340% and blowing away the rest of the Magnificent 7.
The U.S. infrastructure company, which specializes in site development and mission-critical electrical services, is riding massive growth trends across the AI data center boom, tech-focused reshoring such as semiconductor fabrication, e-commerce distribution expansion, and beyond.
Sterling Infrastructure is positioned to benefit from these critical megatrends, which are driving the U.S. economy, for years to come. STRL more than quadrupled its earnings between 2020 and 2025 and doubled its revenue.
The AI data center infrastructure company posted an impressive beat-and-raise Q4 report in late February that helps Sterling Infrastructure land a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
STRL is projected to grow its revenue and earnings by 25% in 2026. Plus, STRL stock found some support at some key technical ranges recently after its post-earnings pullback.
All in, investors looking for an infrastructure stock that provides long-term upside exposure to AI data centers, reshoring, e-commerce, and other critical economic trends should consider buying Sterling Infrastructure now.
Buy AI Data Center Infrastructure Stock STRL Now and Hold
Sterling, which traces its roots to the 1950s, is a leader in large-scale site development and mission-critical electrical services for data centers and beyond.
STRL began pivoting its business to become the higher-margin, growth-heavy firm it is today roughly a decade ago. The company was able to looked ahead and see the massive growth pipeline across e-commerce, data centers, and more.
The infrastructure company doubled its sales between 2020 ($1.23 billion) and 2025 ($2.49 billion), including 18% YoY growth in 2025.
Sterling grew its GAAP earnings per share (EPS) by 525% between 2020 and 2025, soaring from $1.50 a share to $9.38 last year.
STRL operates across three core segments: E-Infrastructure, Transportation, and Building Solutions.
E-Infrastructure is by far its largest revenue contributor (59% in 2025, 69% in Q4) and driver, with sales up 59% YoY in 2025. Sterling completed its acquisition of leading specialty electrical and mechanical contractor CEC Facilities Group in September 2025 to “significantly expand” its E-Infrastructure capabilities.
This growth also makes sense considering that Sterling operates essential large-scale site development and services and mission-critical electrical services for AI data centers, semiconductor fabrication, manufacturing, e-commerce distribution centers, power generation, and more.
These five areas—AI data centers, semiconductor fabrication, manufacturing, e-commerce distribution centers, and power generation—could arguably become the growth engines of the entire U.S. economy.
The AI capex boom is heating up in 2026, driven by Nvidia NVDA, the AI hyperscalers, and more, as everyone races not to get left behind in the AI arms race.
The U.S. is reshoring critical industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, with heavyweights Taiwan Semi and Micron actively expanding their fabrication bases in the U.S.
The power-hungry AI data center boom, the broader electrification push, and years of underinvestment are leading to once-in-a-generation growth of the energy sector from nuclear power to grid expansion.
Meanwhile, Sterling’s Transportation Solutions, as the name suggests, is focused on highways, bridges, airports, rail, and more. Its Building Solutions segment is centered around concrete foundations for homes, parking structures, and commercial buildings.
The "Strong Buy" Stock’s Growth Outlook
The firm posted another solid beat-and-raise performance when it reported its Q4 results on February 25, offering robust 2026 guidance that helped Sterling earn its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Sterling ended 2025 with a signed backlog of $3.0 billion, which grew 78% from year-end 2024 (and 49% on a same-store basis). STRL said that its “signed backlog, unsigned awards, and future phase opportunities give us visibility into a pool of work approaching $4.5 billion.”
This backdrop is why its FY26 earnings estimate jumped another 15%, with its FY27 outlook 5% higher, extending its impressive run of upward EPS revisions.
Sterling is projected to grow its revenue by 25% in 2026 and another 9% in 2027 to reach $3.38 billion. Meanwhile, it is expected to expand its adjusted EPS by 26% and 15%, respectively.
More Reasons to Buy AI Data Center Infrastructure Stock STRL
STRL has skyrocketed ~1,700% in the past five years to blow away its highly-ranked industry’s 140%, the S&P 500’s 75%, and even outclimb Nvidia’s 1,340%. This is part of a much larger surge over the past 10 and 25 years.
Sterling stock has surged 260% in the past 12 months. Yet, its recent pullback after its earnings report has it trading 8% below its peaks.
Valuation-wise, STRL trade 22% below its recent highs at 31.1X forward 12-month earnings.
The stock found support at its 50-day and its longer-term 10-week moving averages in the first week of March.
Sterling's recent jump has it on the cusp of possibly breaking out to its all-time highs and then into a new trading range.
Bear of the Day:
Griffon Corporation’s earnings estimates extended their downward trend after the maker of everything from garage doors to residential and industrial ceiling fans offered disappointing guidance on February 5.
GFF’s recent downward revisions earn the stock a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) as some of its business segments come under pressure against a tough-to-compete-against period of growth and other headwinds, such as a slowing housing market.
Should Investors Stay Away From GFF Stock Right Now?
Griffon is a diversified management and holding company that operates through two core reportable segments: Home and Building Products and Consumer and Professional Products.
GFF’s Home and Building Products is focused on residential sectional garage doors, alongside commercial sectional doors, rolling steel doors, and grille products sold across various brands.
Meanwhile, its Consumer and Professional Products portfolio features branded residential and industrial ceiling fans, wire and wood shelving, storage cabinets, long-handled tools, and landscaping products, and more.
GFF’s business experienced large growth between 2020 and 2022 as the housing market boomed amid low interest rates and historic Covid-based housing market trends. Things have cooled off over the last few years for Griffon.
Griffon’s earnings estimates slipped again after it offered downbeat guidance when it reported its Q1 fiscal 2026 results on February 5. Its recent string of negative revisions earn GFF a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
Some long-term investors might want to put Griffon on their watchlists. But it is likely best to look elsewhere right now for a stock to buy in March.
Additional content:
Visa Packs Its Bags for APAC Travel Boom: A Virtual Card Play
As Asia Pacific travel rebounds, Visa Inc. is positioning itself at the center of the region's evolving travel payments landscape. It has teamed up with Trip.com Group to roll out a global virtual travel card program aimed at streamlining and securing payment processes throughout the travel supply chain. The initiative, issued through Trip.com’s fintech arm TripLink, has already debuted in Singapore and is expanding to Hong Kong and the Netherlands.
The program introduces Visa virtual card credentials across Trip.com’s operations, making B2B payment transactions between travel agencies, hotels and suppliers much smoother. By automating the reconciliation process and boosting data visibility, this system helps reduce operational hiccups for travel partners while enhancing payment reliability across various booking platforms.
The timing of the rollout aligns with a strong rebound in regional tourism. Per V’s research, more than half of consumers in the Asia Pacific region are gearing up to travel internationally in the next few months, with Japan, China and Australia topping the list of popular destinations. As cross-border travel picks up, card-based payments remain the preferred method for overseas spending, thanks to security features, global acceptance and reward ecosystems.
This partnership boosts V’s presence in the fast-growing travel payments sector. Virtual cards are becoming increasingly popular as businesses look for payment solutions that are automated and easy to track. By integrating its network more deeply into the travel booking process, Visa not only increases its transaction volume but solidifies its position as the essential financial support for digital travel commerce.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Some of V’s competitors in the payments space include Mastercard Inc. and American Express Co.
Mastercard continues strengthening its travel payments footprint through partnerships with travel technology firms. Recently, MA teamed up with Travelsoft Pay to automate B2B travel settlements using virtual card technology, improving payment security and efficiency across travel suppliers and intermediaries.
American Express continues to focus on premium travel and lifestyle rewards through its Membership Rewards program. Cardholders benefit from flexible point redemption, access to exclusive experiences and partnerships with airlines and hotels, reinforcing AXP’s position in high-value, experience-driven loyalty.
Visa’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Over the past year, shares of Visa have declined 5.3% compared with the industry’s 17.2% fall.
From a valuation standpoint, V trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.12, above the industry average of 18.24. V carries a Value Scoreof D.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa’s fiscal 2026 earnings implies an 11.9% jump from the year-ago period.
Visa stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Free: Instant Access to Zacks' Market-Crushing Strategies
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.
Today you can tap into those powerful strategies – and the high-potential stocks they uncover – free. No strings attached.
Get all the details here >>
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Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.