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5 Broker-Adored Stocks to Watch Amid Strong Start to Q1 Earnings
Agreed that the first-quarter 2026 earnings season is in its nascent stage, but the start has nevertheless been impressive. Quite a few companies have come up with better-than-expected earnings per share and the trend may very well continue throughout the reporting cycle. In the meantime, uncertainty prevails, with the war in Iran continuing to grab headlines.
On Friday, oil prices dropped sharply, and stocks were buoyed by the announcement that the Strait of Hormuz was open again for commercial tankers, raising hopes for a peace deal. Over the weekend, the optimism faded, with Iran declaring the Strait, a vital route connecting the Persian Gulf to global markets, closed in response to the continuing U.S. Navy blockade.
Given this backdrop, investors would do well to keep a tab on broker-adored stocks like Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge Global,ProFrac Holding,Cardinal Health and Centene.
We have designed a screen to shortlist stocks based on improving broker recommendations and upward revisions in earnings estimates over the past four weeks. Also, since the price/sales ratio is a strong complementary valuation metric in the presence of broker information, it has been included. The price/sales ratio takes care of the company’s top line, making the strategy a well-rounded one.
Here are five of the 10 stocks that made it through the screen:
Archer Daniels has been actively managing productivity and innovation as well as aligning work to the interconnected trends in food security, health and wellbeing. The company’s Nutrition segment is showing signs of recovery, led by improving performance in Human Nutrition.
Archer Daniels, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), expects its 2026 earnings per share to increase 26% on a year-over-year basis. ADM’s earnings surpassed the consensus mark in each of the last four quarters. The average beat is 3.8%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Bunge is a global agribusiness and food company worldwide. The company is executing a fundamental transformation anchored by the Viterra merger, expanding global origination, and processing scale and logistics efficiency. Management is prioritizing synergy capture, portfolio optimization and disciplined capital allocation to strengthen cash flows, reduce earnings volatility and enhance long-term returns across agricultural cycles.
Bunge, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), expects its 2026 earnings per share to increase 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. BG’s earnings surpassed the consensus mark in each of the last four quarters. The average beat is 15.9%.
ProFrac Holding has a strong foothold in premium techniques and technology serving the energy industry. ProFrac Holding supplies technology and solutions mainly to exploration and production companies to extract resources more efficiently and cost-effectively using advanced fracking technology and services.
ProFrac’s well stimulation services are centered around key basins like the Permian, Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Appalachia, the Bakken and the Rockies, supporting future earnings growth. The expected long-term (3-5 years) EPS growth rate is an impressive 28.4%. ProFrac currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
Cardinal Health, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2, is expected to maintain its operational momentum in 2026, driven by steady performance across both its Pharmaceutical and Medical segments. In Pharmaceutical, growth will likely come from continued volume gains with large retail chains, strong specialty distribution and expanding partnerships with health systems.
Specialty therapeutics, particularly in oncology and chronic care, remain key revenue drivers, supported by Cardinal Health’s extensive distribution network and manufacturer service offerings. Rising biosimilar adoption and growing demand for patient support programs further strengthen the segment’s outlook. CAH’s earnings surpassed the consensus mark in each of the last four quarters. The average beat is 9.3%.
Missouri-based Centene’s revenue growth is driven by strong performance in its Medicare and Medicaid businesses, contributing to increased contract wins and expanding membership. The ongoing inclination for Medicare Advantage plans among the aging U.S. population continues to fuel consistent demand for Centene’s Medicare offerings.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Centene’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $3.01 per share, which indicates a 44.7% rise from the year-ago figure. CNC’s earnings outpaced estimates in three of the last four quarters and missed the mark once, the average being 60.6%. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.
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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Zacks.com featured highlights include Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge, ProFrac, Cardinal and Centene
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – April 22, 2026 – Stocks in this week’s article are Archer Daniels Midland (ADM - Free Report) , Bunge Global (BG - Free Report) , ProFrac Holding (ACDC - Free Report) , Cardinal Health (CAH - Free Report) and Centene (CNC - Free Report) .
5 Broker-Adored Stocks to Watch Amid Strong Start to Q1 Earnings
Agreed that the first-quarter 2026 earnings season is in its nascent stage, but the start has nevertheless been impressive. Quite a few companies have come up with better-than-expected earnings per share and the trend may very well continue throughout the reporting cycle. In the meantime, uncertainty prevails, with the war in Iran continuing to grab headlines.
On Friday, oil prices dropped sharply, and stocks were buoyed by the announcement that the Strait of Hormuz was open again for commercial tankers, raising hopes for a peace deal. Over the weekend, the optimism faded, with Iran declaring the Strait, a vital route connecting the Persian Gulf to global markets, closed in response to the continuing U.S. Navy blockade.
Given this backdrop, investors would do well to keep a tab on broker-adored stocks like Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge Global,ProFrac Holding,Cardinal Health and Centene.
We have designed a screen to shortlist stocks based on improving broker recommendations and upward revisions in earnings estimates over the past four weeks. Also, since the price/sales ratio is a strong complementary valuation metric in the presence of broker information, it has been included. The price/sales ratio takes care of the company’s top line, making the strategy a well-rounded one.
Here are five of the 10 stocks that made it through the screen:
Archer Daniels has been actively managing productivity and innovation as well as aligning work to the interconnected trends in food security, health and wellbeing. The company’s Nutrition segment is showing signs of recovery, led by improving performance in Human Nutrition.
Archer Daniels, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), expects its 2026 earnings per share to increase 26% on a year-over-year basis. ADM’s earnings surpassed the consensus mark in each of the last four quarters. The average beat is 3.8%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Bunge is a global agribusiness and food company worldwide. The company is executing a fundamental transformation anchored by the Viterra merger, expanding global origination, and processing scale and logistics efficiency. Management is prioritizing synergy capture, portfolio optimization and disciplined capital allocation to strengthen cash flows, reduce earnings volatility and enhance long-term returns across agricultural cycles.
Bunge, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), expects its 2026 earnings per share to increase 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. BG’s earnings surpassed the consensus mark in each of the last four quarters. The average beat is 15.9%.
ProFrac Holding has a strong foothold in premium techniques and technology serving the energy industry. ProFrac Holding supplies technology and solutions mainly to exploration and production companies to extract resources more efficiently and cost-effectively using advanced fracking technology and services.
ProFrac’s well stimulation services are centered around key basins like the Permian, Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Appalachia, the Bakken and the Rockies, supporting future earnings growth. The expected long-term (3-5 years) EPS growth rate is an impressive 28.4%. ProFrac currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
Cardinal Health, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2, is expected to maintain its operational momentum in 2026, driven by steady performance across both its Pharmaceutical and Medical segments. In Pharmaceutical, growth will likely come from continued volume gains with large retail chains, strong specialty distribution and expanding partnerships with health systems.
Specialty therapeutics, particularly in oncology and chronic care, remain key revenue drivers, supported by Cardinal Health’s extensive distribution network and manufacturer service offerings. Rising biosimilar adoption and growing demand for patient support programs further strengthen the segment’s outlook. CAH’s earnings surpassed the consensus mark in each of the last four quarters. The average beat is 9.3%.
Missouri-based Centene’s revenue growth is driven by strong performance in its Medicare and Medicaid businesses, contributing to increased contract wins and expanding membership. The ongoing inclination for Medicare Advantage plans among the aging U.S. population continues to fuel consistent demand for Centene’s Medicare offerings.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Centene’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $3.01 per share, which indicates a 44.7% rise from the year-ago figure. CNC’s earnings outpaced estimates in three of the last four quarters and missed the mark once, the average being 60.6%. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
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For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2904708/5-broker-adored-stocks-to-watch-amid-strong-start-to-q1-earnings
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Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.
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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.