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Five Below and Builders FirstSource have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day
Read MoreHide Full Article
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – June 12, 2026 – Zacks Equity Research shares Five Below (FIVE - Free Report) as the Bull of the Day and Builders FirstSource (BLDR - Free Report) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Valero Energy Corp. (VLO - Free Report) and Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC - Free Report) .
Five Below is a specialty value chain retailer that offers a wide range of premium-quality, trendy merchandise typically priced at $5 or less. The company primarily targets teenage and pre-teen shoppers with its products, which include certain brands and licensed merchandise.
The stock sports the highly coveted Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), with bullish EPS revisions present across the board.
Five Below Raises Guidance
Five Below shares have recently taken a hit following its latest earnings release after an initial hot start to 2026. Though notable, the negative action is likely partly a reflection of profit-taking after a strong run over the past year, with overall results strong and the company seeing positive EPS revisions in the days following.
The retailer posted a double-beat relative to our consensus expectations in the latest quarterly release, with revenues increasing nearly 32% alongside a 160% jump in adjusted EPS. The YoY sales growth rate was the highest we've seen from the company in years, with it also raising its FY26 EPS and sales guidance following the release.
Comparable store sales also increased by an impressive 22.7% YoY, telling us that its existing locations are seeing strong growth, with FIVE also opening 49 new stores throughout the quarter.
The growth picture remains solid, with earnings forecasted to grow 30% in its current fiscal year, with estimates for the upcoming year suggesting a further 11% improvement. Sales are expected to grow 14.3% in its current fiscal year and 9.6% in its next.
Bottom Line
Investors can implement a stellar strategy to find expected winners by taking advantage of the Zacks Rank – one of the most powerful market tools that provides a massive edge.
The top 5% of all stocks receive the highly coveted Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). These stocks should outperform the market more than any other rank.
Five Below (FIVE - Free Report) would be an excellent stock for investors to consider, as displayed by its Zack Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Builders FirstSource is the largest U.S supplier of building products, prefabricated components, and value-added services to the professional market segment for new residential construction, repair, and remodeling.
Analysts have taken a bearish stance on the company's EPS outlook amid a harsh operating environment, with the stock a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). The company also resides in the Zacks Building Products – Retail industry, which is currently ranked in the bottom 1% of all Zacks industries.
Let's take a closer look at what's going on.
BLDR Shares Struggle
Down nearly 30% in 2026, BLDR shares have faced pressure on the back of a challenging operating environment. Quarterly results have largely skewed sentiment, with the company falling short of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate by double-digit percentages in back-to-back releases.
BLDR's YoY sales growth rates have been primarily negative in recent years, a major reason, alongside a challenging housing market, for the continued poor performance over recent years.
Margins have also been squeezed due to the less-than-ideal environment, resulting in a profitability crunch.
Bottom Line
Negative earnings estimate revisions, stemming from a challenging operating environment, paint a challenging picture for the company's shares in the near term.
Builders FirstSource is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), indicating that analysts have taken a bearish stance on the company's earnings outlook.
For those seeking strong stocks, the best idea would be to focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) – these stocks sport a notably stronger earnings outlook paired with the potential to deliver explosive gains in the near term.
Additional content:
2 Refining Stocks with 35%+ Upside in 6 Months Despite High Oil Prices
The Iran war shock is driving high crude oil prices, with West Texas Intermediate ("WTI") crude currently trading at more than $85 per barrel. The U.S. Energy Information Administration ("EIA") in its latest short-term energy outlook projected WTI at $88.32 per barrel this year, higher than $65.40 last year.
Thus, with oil prices likely to remain elevated, refiners could see pressure on their overall business. However, that does not appear to be the case. Notably, over the past six months, leading refiners such as Valero Energy Corp. and Marathon Petroleum Corp. have each witnessed more than 35% gains despite a highly favorable crude pricing environment. Let's delve deeper.
Constrained Global Refining Capacity
The global refining capacity is constrained, and fuel inventories are low. On the demand side, gasoline, diesel and jet fuel remain resilient. This means people are still driving and flying quite often, while diesel demand suggests transportation, freight, agriculture and industrial activity are still holding up. As a result, with busy refineries and fuel not in abundant supply, refining margins for refiners are quite strong.
Thus, surprisingly, with crude prices likely to remain high, investors shouldn't allocate their money only to exploration and production companies but also to refining players like Valero Energyand Marathon Petroleum, even though high crude prices have been increasing refiners' input costs.
Time to Bet on 2 Refiners: VLO, MPC
Valero Energy expects to generate strong refining margins as the world has very little spare refining capacity, while inventories of refined products such as gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel are low. VLO will likely benefit from strong demand and tight supply, given its large, complex refineries with the capacity to process discounted heavy sour crude oil.
Over the past six months, Valero Energy, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), jumped 47.6%, outpacing the energy sector's 22.2% gain.
Marathon Petroleum runs refining systems that are the largest in the United States. With high utilization of refineries, Marathon Petroleum is well-positioned to capture almost all of the available profitable opportunities. In its first-quarter earnings transcript, the leading refining player mentioned that roughly 6% of the world's ability to produce finished fuels went offline due to the conflicts in the Middle East.
Investors should note that the company has the capability of processing cheaper crude from the United States and Canada to produce diesel and jet fuels that are in high demand. The stock surged 38% over the past six months and currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank 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.
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/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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Five Below and Builders FirstSource have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – June 12, 2026 – Zacks Equity Research shares Five Below (FIVE - Free Report) as the Bull of the Day and Builders FirstSource (BLDR - Free Report) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Valero Energy Corp. (VLO - Free Report) and Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC - Free Report) .
Here is a synopsis of all four stocks:
Bull of the Day:
Five Below is a specialty value chain retailer that offers a wide range of premium-quality, trendy merchandise typically priced at $5 or less. The company primarily targets teenage and pre-teen shoppers with its products, which include certain brands and licensed merchandise.
The stock sports the highly coveted Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), with bullish EPS revisions present across the board.
Five Below Raises Guidance
Five Below shares have recently taken a hit following its latest earnings release after an initial hot start to 2026. Though notable, the negative action is likely partly a reflection of profit-taking after a strong run over the past year, with overall results strong and the company seeing positive EPS revisions in the days following.
The retailer posted a double-beat relative to our consensus expectations in the latest quarterly release, with revenues increasing nearly 32% alongside a 160% jump in adjusted EPS. The YoY sales growth rate was the highest we've seen from the company in years, with it also raising its FY26 EPS and sales guidance following the release.
Comparable store sales also increased by an impressive 22.7% YoY, telling us that its existing locations are seeing strong growth, with FIVE also opening 49 new stores throughout the quarter.
The growth picture remains solid, with earnings forecasted to grow 30% in its current fiscal year, with estimates for the upcoming year suggesting a further 11% improvement. Sales are expected to grow 14.3% in its current fiscal year and 9.6% in its next.
Bottom Line
Investors can implement a stellar strategy to find expected winners by taking advantage of the Zacks Rank – one of the most powerful market tools that provides a massive edge.
The top 5% of all stocks receive the highly coveted Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). These stocks should outperform the market more than any other rank.
Five Below (FIVE - Free Report) would be an excellent stock for investors to consider, as displayed by its Zack Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Bear of the Day:
Builders FirstSource is the largest U.S supplier of building products, prefabricated components, and value-added services to the professional market segment for new residential construction, repair, and remodeling.
Analysts have taken a bearish stance on the company's EPS outlook amid a harsh operating environment, with the stock a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). The company also resides in the Zacks Building Products – Retail industry, which is currently ranked in the bottom 1% of all Zacks industries.
Let's take a closer look at what's going on.
BLDR Shares Struggle
Down nearly 30% in 2026, BLDR shares have faced pressure on the back of a challenging operating environment. Quarterly results have largely skewed sentiment, with the company falling short of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate by double-digit percentages in back-to-back releases.
BLDR's YoY sales growth rates have been primarily negative in recent years, a major reason, alongside a challenging housing market, for the continued poor performance over recent years.
Margins have also been squeezed due to the less-than-ideal environment, resulting in a profitability crunch.
Bottom Line
Negative earnings estimate revisions, stemming from a challenging operating environment, paint a challenging picture for the company's shares in the near term.
Builders FirstSource is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), indicating that analysts have taken a bearish stance on the company's earnings outlook.
For those seeking strong stocks, the best idea would be to focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) – these stocks sport a notably stronger earnings outlook paired with the potential to deliver explosive gains in the near term.
Additional content:
2 Refining Stocks with 35%+ Upside in 6 Months Despite High Oil Prices
The Iran war shock is driving high crude oil prices, with West Texas Intermediate ("WTI") crude currently trading at more than $85 per barrel. The U.S. Energy Information Administration ("EIA") in its latest short-term energy outlook projected WTI at $88.32 per barrel this year, higher than $65.40 last year.
Thus, with oil prices likely to remain elevated, refiners could see pressure on their overall business. However, that does not appear to be the case. Notably, over the past six months, leading refiners such as Valero Energy Corp. and Marathon Petroleum Corp. have each witnessed more than 35% gains despite a highly favorable crude pricing environment. Let's delve deeper.
Constrained Global Refining Capacity
The global refining capacity is constrained, and fuel inventories are low. On the demand side, gasoline, diesel and jet fuel remain resilient. This means people are still driving and flying quite often, while diesel demand suggests transportation, freight, agriculture and industrial activity are still holding up. As a result, with busy refineries and fuel not in abundant supply, refining margins for refiners are quite strong.
Thus, surprisingly, with crude prices likely to remain high, investors shouldn't allocate their money only to exploration and production companies but also to refining players like Valero Energyand Marathon Petroleum, even though high crude prices have been increasing refiners' input costs.
Time to Bet on 2 Refiners: VLO, MPC
Valero Energy expects to generate strong refining margins as the world has very little spare refining capacity, while inventories of refined products such as gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel are low. VLO will likely benefit from strong demand and tight supply, given its large, complex refineries with the capacity to process discounted heavy sour crude oil.
Over the past six months, Valero Energy, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), jumped 47.6%, outpacing the energy sector's 22.2% gain.
Marathon Petroleum runs refining systems that are the largest in the United States. With high utilization of refineries, Marathon Petroleum is well-positioned to capture almost all of the available profitable opportunities. In its first-quarter earnings transcript, the leading refining player mentioned that roughly 6% of the world's ability to produce finished fuels went offline due to the conflicts in the Middle East.
Investors should note that the company has the capability of processing cheaper crude from the United States and Canada to produce diesel and jet fuels that are in high demand. The stock surged 38% over the past six months and currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank 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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https://www.zacks.com
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/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.