The resumption of hostilities between the United States and Iran and the resultant deepening of the impasse surrounding the Strait of Hormuz implies that there is no end in sight to the crisis that has rattled markets worldwide. Adding to the woes, the Ukraine-Russia tensions show no signs of subsiding even after so many years.

Moreover, the expectation that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates higher for longer highlights that we are not yet out of the woods on inflation. Amid this uncertainty, the strong jobs report has reinforced the resiliency of the U.S. economy. Another encouraging factor is the impressive second-quarter 2026 earnings reports amid this turbulent scenario.

In this challenging scenario, investors would like to design their portfolio of stocks prudently so that their hard-earned money is not wasted. One way to move forward is to bet on broker-favored stocks like Beazer Homes USA (BZH Quick QuoteBZH - Free Report) , Centene (CNC Quick QuoteCNC - Free Report) , HP (HPQ Quick QuoteHPQ - Free Report) , ChargePoint Holdings (CHPT Quick QuoteCHPT - Free Report) and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store  (CBRL Quick QuoteCBRL - Free Report) .

Since brokers meticulously follow the stocks in their coverage, they revise their earnings estimates after carefully examining the pros and cons of an event for the concerned company. Naturally, their estimate revisions serve as an important pointer regarding the price of a stock. Given this extensive know-how, brokers are deemed to be experts, equipped with thorough knowledge and a clear insight into the nitty-gritty of the investment world. Paying heed to such well-researched information is, therefore, advisable for investors.

Screening Parameters    

# (Up- Down Rating)/ Total (4 weeks) =Top #75 (This gives the list of top 75 companies that have witnessed net upgrades over the last 4 weeks).

% change in Q (1) est. (4 weeks) = Top #10 (This gives the top 10 stocks that have witnessed earnings estimate revisions over the past 4 weeks for the upcoming quarter).

Price-to-Sales = Bot%10 (The lower the ratio, the better. Companies meeting this criterion are in the bottom 10% of our universe of over 7,700 stocks concerning this ratio).

Current Price greater than 5 (as a stock trading below $5 is unlikely to create significant interest for most investors).

Average Daily Volume greater than 100,000 shares over the last 20 trading days (Volume has to be significant to ensure that these are easily traded).

Market value ($ mil) = Top #3000 (This gives us stocks that are the top 3000 in terms of market capitalization).

Com/ADR/Canadian= Com (This eliminates the ADR and Canadian stocks).

Here are five of the 10 stocks that made it through the screen:

Beazer Homes, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. It is a leading national homebuilder in energy-efficient construction. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here

BeazerHomes surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters and missed the mark once, the average beat being 29.4%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-quarter revenues of this construction company has increased 5.2% year over year.

Centene, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1, is benefiting from disciplined pricing, portfolio optimization and favorable Medicaid rate actions. Centene has consistently used acquisitions and partnerships to expand its scale, deepen capabilities and strengthen its Medicaid footprint. 

Centene surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters. The average beat is 151.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings per share has increased by a massive 135.1% year over year.

HP’s expanding AI PC mix, premium PC share gains and broader exposure to workstations, workforce solutions and industrial printing support a better revenue and profit mix. Product innovation and recurring print offerings add durability beyond traditional hardware cycles. Pricing, supply actions and product redesign should help offset rising component costs, while a higher cash-flow outlook and disciplined capital returns provide further support.

HP surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters. HP is using a four-part program to manage higher memory and storage costs through supply actions, demand shaping, targeted cost reduction and disciplined pricing. The stock currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.

ChargePoint is building the infrastructure that makes widespread electric vehicle, or EV, adoption possible. The company has built one of the largest EV charging ecosystems in the world, connecting drivers to more than 1.4 million public and private charging ports globally. Its managed network includes roughly 400,000 charging ports, including more than 41,000 DC fast chargers, with a growing presence across Europe.

ChargePoint, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), has an impressive earnings surprise history. CHPT surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average beat being 35.3%.

Cracker Barrel’s brand heritage remains a differentiator, and the company continues to lean into food, value and shared traditions to reinforce guest affinity. Menu upgrades, loyalty engagement and value messaging support traffic recovery, while cost discipline, retail resets and digital tools aid margins at Cracker Barrel.

Cracker Barrel, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2, has an impressive earnings surprise history. CBRL surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters and missed the mark once, with the average beat being 128.6%.