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5 Broker-Favored Stocks Worth a Look in the Current Scenario

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Regardless of the market conditions, investors want to design a portfolio of stocks that will fetch them handsome returns. As they invest their hard-earned money in the stock market, they naturally do not want to see the same go down the drain, especially in an uncertain scenario.

One way to do so is by following broker advice. Stocks like AdvanSix (ASIX - Free Report) , Bally's Corporation (BALY - Free Report) , DXC Technology (DXC - Free Report) , Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD - Free Report) and Bunge (BG - Free Report) are worth keeping an eye on.

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.

Screening Criteria

# (Up- Down Rating)/ Total (4 weeks) =Top #75 (This gives the list of the 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 with respect to this ratio).

Price greater than 5 (as a stock trading below $5 will not likely create significant interest for most of the 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 takes out the ADR and Canadian stocks).

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

AdvanSix is a diversified chemistry company that produces essential materials for its customers in a wide variety of end markets. The company’s operations are being hurt due to disruption at its Frankford site. Efforts to reward its shareholders, however, bode well.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AdvanSix’s 2024 earnings is currently pegged at $1.91 per share, indicating a 33.6% rise from the year-ago reported figure. ASIX’s earnings surpassed estimates in two of the last four quarters (missing the mark in the other two quarters). ASIX currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here

Bally’s shares have been moving north lately following the news of its merger agreement with Standard General L.P., valued at approximately $4.6 billion. The agreement involves combining Bally’s with The Queen Casino & Entertainment Inc., a regional casino operator. 

Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BALY’s current-quarter earnings has increased by 87%. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

DXC Technologyis benefiting from strength in the digital business and partnerships, which is helping it expand in the cloud computing space. DXC Technology is implementing robust cost-saving measures to enhance its financial performance.

Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for DXC’s current-quarter earnings has increased by 2.9%. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Warner Bros. Discovery benefits from impressive streaming subscriber growth, driven by an expanding content portfolio. The company’s focus on sports streaming, particularly live sports, is a further tailwind.

WBD currently carries a Zacks Rank #3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WBD’s 2025 earnings has been revised upward over the past 60 days by more than 100%.

Bunge benefits from its diversified mix across geographies, seasonal cycles and crops. These factors make the company better positioned to manage risk and increase resiliency. Its efforts to boost its footprint, build relationships with farmers and end consumers, and strengthen its digital capabilities will boost growth.

BG currently carries a Zacks Rank #3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BG’s current-quarter earnings is pegged at $2.11 per share, indicating a 5% rise from the year-ago reported figure. BG’s earnings surpassed estimates in three of the last four quarters (missing the mark in the other quarter). The average beat was 18.7%.

You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for a 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard stock picking and backtesting software. You can also create your own strategies and test them first before making investments.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

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.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance

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