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5 Stocks Liked by Brokers Amid the Prevalent Uncertain Scenario
Uncertainty and fears continue to dominate the stock market as oil prices remain high due to Middle East tensions. The still-elevated inflation reading and uncertainty regarding the Federal Reserve's next policy decision continue to dent U.S. markets. Amid this uncertainty, the focus now shifts to third-quarter earnings reports due this week.
The uncertain environment has made it increasingly difficult for individual investors to construct a stock portfolio that consistently delivers strong performance. Choosing the wrong stocks can hurt returns and compromise the objective of growing hard-earned savings in an inherently unpredictable market.
So, how should investors navigate these conditions? One strategy is to follow broker recommendations and monitor broker-favored stocks such as Cracker Barrel, Best Buy, Beazer Homes USA, Cleveland-Cliffs and Bath & Body Works.
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.
Here are five of the 10 stocks that made it through the screen:
Cracker Barrel benefits from menu upgrades, loyalty engagement, operational discipline and retail stabilization. Cracker Barrel materially reduced total debt during fiscal 2026, strengthening its financial flexibility despite modest declines in cash and operating cash flow. Total debt fell to $337.2 million as of July 31, 2026, from $484.6 million at fiscal 2025-end after the company repaid $150 million of maturing convertible notes and deployed approximately $77 million of sale-leaseback proceeds toward debt reduction.
The company, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), has outshone the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters. The average beat is 228.6%. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Best Buy is benefiting from innovation-led demand across computing, mobile, home theater and emerging technology categories, while Marketplace and Best Buy Ads are expanding higher-margin profit streams. Investments in smaller stores, digital commerce, AI shopping tools and membership should broaden customer reach and deepen engagement.
Best Buy is expanding digital discovery and loyalty tools to deepen customer relationships across its ecosystem. The company, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), has outshone the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters. The average beat is 6.1%.
Beazer Homes, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. It is a leading national homebuilder in energy-efficient construction.
Beazer Homes surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters and missed the mark once, with the average beat being 29.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-quarter revenues of this construction company has increased 5.2% year over year.
Cleveland-Cliffs is benefiting from firmer domestic steel pricing, recovering automotive demand and better utilization across its finishing assets. The company's vertically integrated footprint and broad product mix support its position in value-added steel, while the Stelco acquisition adds exposure to an improving Canadian hot-rolled market.
Cleveland-Cliffs surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average beat being 12.7%. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Bath & Body Works is advancing its multi-year transformation through its Consumer First Formula, with encouraging progress across product innovation, digital recovery, marketplace expansion and international growth.
New and refreshed franchises are strengthening the innovation pipeline, while improved digital engagement, personalization and discovery are supporting return to growth. Marketplace momentum and the asset-light international model are expanding the brand's reach, while stronger cash generation and debt reduction provide flexibility to fund transformation initiatives. Bath & Body Works surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters, missing the mark once, with the average beat being 43%. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
About Screen of the Week
Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine. But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use.
Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News
Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has more than doubled the market from 1988 through 2016. Its average gain has been a stellar +25% per year. See these high-potential stocks free >>.
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/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
Image: Bigstock
Zacks.com featured highlights include Cracker Barrel, Best Buy, Beazer Homes USA, Cleveland-Cliffs and Bath & Body Works
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 14, 2026 – Stocks in this week’s article are Cracker Barrel (CBRL - Free Report) , Best Buy (BBY - Free Report) , Beazer Homes USA (BZH - Free Report) , Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF - Free Report) and Bath & Body Works (BBWI - Free Report) .
5 Stocks Liked by Brokers Amid the Prevalent Uncertain Scenario
Uncertainty and fears continue to dominate the stock market as oil prices remain high due to Middle East tensions. The still-elevated inflation reading and uncertainty regarding the Federal Reserve's next policy decision continue to dent U.S. markets. Amid this uncertainty, the focus now shifts to third-quarter earnings reports due this week.
The uncertain environment has made it increasingly difficult for individual investors to construct a stock portfolio that consistently delivers strong performance. Choosing the wrong stocks can hurt returns and compromise the objective of growing hard-earned savings in an inherently unpredictable market.
So, how should investors navigate these conditions? One strategy is to follow broker recommendations and monitor broker-favored stocks such as Cracker Barrel, Best Buy, Beazer Homes USA, Cleveland-Cliffs and Bath & Body Works.
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.
Here are five of the 10 stocks that made it through the screen:
Cracker Barrel benefits from menu upgrades, loyalty engagement, operational discipline and retail stabilization. Cracker Barrel materially reduced total debt during fiscal 2026, strengthening its financial flexibility despite modest declines in cash and operating cash flow. Total debt fell to $337.2 million as of July 31, 2026, from $484.6 million at fiscal 2025-end after the company repaid $150 million of maturing convertible notes and deployed approximately $77 million of sale-leaseback proceeds toward debt reduction.
The company, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), has outshone the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters. The average beat is 228.6%. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Best Buy is benefiting from innovation-led demand across computing, mobile, home theater and emerging technology categories, while Marketplace and Best Buy Ads are expanding higher-margin profit streams. Investments in smaller stores, digital commerce, AI shopping tools and membership should broaden customer reach and deepen engagement.
Best Buy is expanding digital discovery and loyalty tools to deepen customer relationships across its ecosystem. The company, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), has outshone the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters. The average beat is 6.1%.
Beazer Homes, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. It is a leading national homebuilder in energy-efficient construction.
Beazer Homes surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters and missed the mark once, with the average beat being 29.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-quarter revenues of this construction company has increased 5.2% year over year.
Cleveland-Cliffs is benefiting from firmer domestic steel pricing, recovering automotive demand and better utilization across its finishing assets. The company's vertically integrated footprint and broad product mix support its position in value-added steel, while the Stelco acquisition adds exposure to an improving Canadian hot-rolled market.
Cleveland-Cliffs surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average beat being 12.7%. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Bath & Body Works is advancing its multi-year transformation through its Consumer First Formula, with encouraging progress across product innovation, digital recovery, marketplace expansion and international growth.
New and refreshed franchises are strengthening the innovation pipeline, while improved digital engagement, personalization and discovery are supporting return to growth. Marketplace momentum and the asset-light international model are expanding the brand's reach, while stronger cash generation and debt reduction provide flexibility to fund transformation initiatives. Bath & Body Works surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters, missing the mark once, with the average beat being 43%. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/3006182/5-stocks-liked-by-brokers-amid-the-prevalent-uncertain-scenario
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
About Screen of the Week
Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine. But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use.
Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News
Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has more than doubled the market from 1988 through 2016. Its average gain has been a stellar +25% per year. See these high-potential stocks free >>.
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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.
Contact: Jim Giaquinto
Company: Zacks.com
Phone: 312-265-9268
Email: pr@zacks.com
Visit: 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.