We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
5 Relative Price Strength Picks for Choppy Market Phases
Read MoreHide Full Article
Key Takeaways
ALL, FIVE, AROC, BTSG and BODI highlighted as top relative strength picks in volatile markets.
Screen targets stocks beating S&P 500 across 1, 4 and 12 weeks with positive Q1 estimate revisions.
Each company shows earnings growth potential, estimate upgrades and strong recent share performance.
Markets are navigating a tense phase, with oil prices surging as the Middle East uncertainty deepens. Reports of troop deployments and stalled negotiations initially pulled stocks lower, as investors worried that prolonged high oil prices could weigh on growth. At the same time, policymakers are facing a tricky balance, with inflation and economic momentum sending mixed signals on the path ahead.
Yet, the market’s resilience is starting to show. Hopes of renewed talks and possible de-escalation helped stocks rebound, even as oil prices remained volatile. This push and pull reflects a market that is reacting quickly to headlines but not losing its underlying strength. Investors are also factoring in the possibility that central banks may step in later if conditions soften.
In this kind of environment, relative price strength becomes especially valuable. It helps investors focus on stocks that hold up well during uncertainty—often the ones that lead when stability returns.
Earnings growth and valuation multiples are indeed important for investors to determine a stock's ability to offer considerable returns. However, these are also essential for determining whether a stock’s price performance is better than its peers or the industry average.
If a stock’s performance is lacking that of the broader groups, despite impressive earnings growth or valuation multiples, then something must be wrong.
It’s always advisable to stay away from these stocks and bet on those that are outperforming their respective industry or benchmark. This is because betting on a winner always proves to be lucrative.
Then again, it is imperative that you determine whether or not an investment has relevant upside potential when considering stocks with significant relative price strength. Stocks delivering better than the S&P 500 for 1 to 3 months, at least, and having solid fundamentals, indicate room for growth and the best way to go about this strategy.
Finally, it is crucial to find out whether analysts are optimistic about the upcoming earnings of these companies. In order to do this, we have added positive estimate revisions for the current quarter’s (Q1) earnings to our screen. When a stock undergoes an upward revision, it leads to additional price gains.
Screening Parameters
Relative % Price change – 12 weeks greater than 0
Relative % Price change – 4 weeks greater than 0
Relative % Price change – 1 week greater than 0
(We have considered those stocks that have been outperforming the S&P 500 over the last 12 weeks, four weeks and one week.)
% Change (Q1) Est. over 4 Weeks greater than 0: Positive current-quarter estimate revisions over the last four weeks.
Zacks Rank equal to 1: Only Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks — that have returned more than 26% annually over the last 26 years and surpassed the S&P 500 in 23 of the last 26 years — can get through. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Current Price greater than or equal to $5 and Average 20-day Volume greater than or equal to 50,000: A minimum price of $5 is a good standard to screen low-priced stocks, while a high trading volume would imply adequate liquidity.
VGM Score less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a VGM Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy), offer the best upside potential.
Here are five of the nine stocks that made it through the screen:
The Allstate Corporation: Headquartered in Northbrook, IL, Allstate is the third-largest property-casualty (P&C) insurer and the largest publicly-held personal lines carrier in the United States. The company’s expected EPS growth rate for three to five years is currently 19%, which compares favorably with the industry's growth rate of 7.7%. ALL has a VGM Score of A.
Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Allstate’s 2026 earnings has moved up 7.5%. The company beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average being 54.3%. ALL shares have lost 2.2% in a year.
Five Below: It is a specialty value chain retailer that provides a wide range of premium quality and trendy merchandise for $5 or below. Five Below beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average being 63.4%. Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, the company has a VGM Score of B.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2027 earnings for Five Below indicates 17.5% growth. Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the firm’s fiscal 2027 earnings has moved up 16.2%. FIVE’s shares have surged 200.1% in a year.
Archrock: Houston, TX-based Archrock is a U.S. energy infrastructure company focused on midstream natural gas compression. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings of the company indicates 5.8% growth. AROC has a VGM Score of B.
The firm has a market capitalization of around $6.5 billion. Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Archrock’s 2026 earnings has gone up 9.8%. AROC’s shares have gained 37.2% in a year.
BrightSpring Health Services: It is a national home- and community-based healthcare services platform integrating pharmacy and provider care for medically complex patients across Medicare, Medicaid and commercial payors. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings of BrightSpring indicates 61% growth. BTSG has a VGM Score of A.
Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BrightSpring’s 2026 earnings has moved up 15%. The company has a market capitalization of $8.4 billion. BTSG shares have gone up 143% in a year.
The Beachbody Company: It is a digital fitness and wellness provider offering workout programs and nutrition products. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings of the company indicates 10% growth. BODI has a VGM Score of A.
The Beachbody Company has a market capitalization of $80.6 million. It beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average being 144.6%. The Beachbody Company shares have surged 54% in a year.
Zacks' 7 Best Strong Buy Stocks (New Research Report)
Valued at $99, click below to receive our just-released report
predicting the 7 stocks that will soar highest in the coming month.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
Image: Bigstock
5 Relative Price Strength Picks for Choppy Market Phases
Key Takeaways
Markets are navigating a tense phase, with oil prices surging as the Middle East uncertainty deepens. Reports of troop deployments and stalled negotiations initially pulled stocks lower, as investors worried that prolonged high oil prices could weigh on growth. At the same time, policymakers are facing a tricky balance, with inflation and economic momentum sending mixed signals on the path ahead.
Yet, the market’s resilience is starting to show. Hopes of renewed talks and possible de-escalation helped stocks rebound, even as oil prices remained volatile. This push and pull reflects a market that is reacting quickly to headlines but not losing its underlying strength. Investors are also factoring in the possibility that central banks may step in later if conditions soften.
In this kind of environment, relative price strength becomes especially valuable. It helps investors focus on stocks that hold up well during uncertainty—often the ones that lead when stability returns.
At this stage, investors would be wise to consider companies such as The Allstate Corporation (ALL - Free Report) , Five Below (FIVE - Free Report) , Archrock (AROC - Free Report) , BrightSpring Health Services (BTSG - Free Report) and The Beachbody Company (BODI - Free Report) .
Relative Price Strength Strategy
Earnings growth and valuation multiples are indeed important for investors to determine a stock's ability to offer considerable returns. However, these are also essential for determining whether a stock’s price performance is better than its peers or the industry average.
If a stock’s performance is lacking that of the broader groups, despite impressive earnings growth or valuation multiples, then something must be wrong.
It’s always advisable to stay away from these stocks and bet on those that are outperforming their respective industry or benchmark. This is because betting on a winner always proves to be lucrative.
Then again, it is imperative that you determine whether or not an investment has relevant upside potential when considering stocks with significant relative price strength. Stocks delivering better than the S&P 500 for 1 to 3 months, at least, and having solid fundamentals, indicate room for growth and the best way to go about this strategy.
Finally, it is crucial to find out whether analysts are optimistic about the upcoming earnings of these companies. In order to do this, we have added positive estimate revisions for the current quarter’s (Q1) earnings to our screen. When a stock undergoes an upward revision, it leads to additional price gains.
Screening Parameters
Relative % Price change – 12 weeks greater than 0
Relative % Price change – 4 weeks greater than 0
Relative % Price change – 1 week greater than 0
(We have considered those stocks that have been outperforming the S&P 500 over the last 12 weeks, four weeks and one week.)
% Change (Q1) Est. over 4 Weeks greater than 0: Positive current-quarter estimate revisions over the last four weeks.
Zacks Rank equal to 1: Only Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks — that have returned more than 26% annually over the last 26 years and surpassed the S&P 500 in 23 of the last 26 years — can get through. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Current Price greater than or equal to $5 and Average 20-day Volume greater than or equal to 50,000: A minimum price of $5 is a good standard to screen low-priced stocks, while a high trading volume would imply adequate liquidity.
VGM Score less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a VGM Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy), offer the best upside potential.
Here are five of the nine stocks that made it through the screen:
The Allstate Corporation: Headquartered in Northbrook, IL, Allstate is the third-largest property-casualty (P&C) insurer and the largest publicly-held personal lines carrier in the United States. The company’s expected EPS growth rate for three to five years is currently 19%, which compares favorably with the industry's growth rate of 7.7%. ALL has a VGM Score of A.
Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Allstate’s 2026 earnings has moved up 7.5%. The company beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average being 54.3%. ALL shares have lost 2.2% in a year.
Five Below: It is a specialty value chain retailer that provides a wide range of premium quality and trendy merchandise for $5 or below. Five Below beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average being 63.4%. Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, the company has a VGM Score of B.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2027 earnings for Five Below indicates 17.5% growth. Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the firm’s fiscal 2027 earnings has moved up 16.2%. FIVE’s shares have surged 200.1% in a year.
Archrock: Houston, TX-based Archrock is a U.S. energy infrastructure company focused on midstream natural gas compression. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings of the company indicates 5.8% growth. AROC has a VGM Score of B.
The firm has a market capitalization of around $6.5 billion. Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Archrock’s 2026 earnings has gone up 9.8%. AROC’s shares have gained 37.2% in a year.
BrightSpring Health Services: It is a national home- and community-based healthcare services platform integrating pharmacy and provider care for medically complex patients across Medicare, Medicaid and commercial payors. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings of BrightSpring indicates 61% growth. BTSG has a VGM Score of A.
Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BrightSpring’s 2026 earnings has moved up 15%. The company has a market capitalization of $8.4 billion. BTSG shares have gone up 143% in a year.
The Beachbody Company: It is a digital fitness and wellness provider offering workout programs and nutrition products. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings of the company indicates 10% growth. BODI has a VGM Score of A.
The Beachbody Company has a market capitalization of $80.6 million. It beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average being 144.6%. The Beachbody Company shares have surged 54% in a year.