Zacks Rank Performance and Featured Stocks

Shares of CMS Energy Corporation (Ticker: CMS) and Shionogi & Co., Ltd. (Ticker: SGIOY) have gained +11.67% (versus the S&P 500’s -7.25% decrease) and +5.29% (versus the S&P 500’s -7.53% decline) since they were upgraded to Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) on January 27^th and January 24^th, respectively.

Zacks Rank, our short-term rating system, has earnings estimate revisions at its core. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

A hypothetical portfolio of Zacks Rank # 1 (Strong Buy) stocks returned -5.2% in the year-to-date period (through March 3, 2025) vs. a flat finish for the S&P 500 index (0.0%) and -3.6% for the equal-weight version of the index.

This portfolio returned +22.3% in 2024, vs. +28% for the S&P 500 index and +19.9% for the equal-weight version of the S&P 500 index.

This hypothetical portfolio returned +20.63% in 2023 vs. +24.83% for the S&P 500 index and +15% for the equal-weight S&P 500 index.

The portfolio of Zacks Rank #1 stocks is an equal-weight portfolio, while the S&P 500 index is a market-cap-weighted index that has been notably distorted by the concentrated performance of mega-cap stocks since late 2022.

The Zacks Model Portfolio – consisting of Zacks Rank #1 stocks – has outperformed the S&P index by more than 12 percentage points since 1988 (through the March 3, 2025, the Zacks # 1 Rank stocks generated an annualized average return of +23.8% since 1988 vs. +11.3% for the S&P 500 index).

Zacks Recommendation Featured Stocks

Shares of Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc. (Ticker: TKOMY) and Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (Ticker: PPC) have gained +19.57% (versus the S&P 500’s -7.25% decrease) and + 6.35% (versus the S&P 500’s -5.94% decline) since their Zacks Recommendation was upgraded to Outperform on January 27^th and January 28^th, respectively.

While the Zacks Rank is our short-term rating system that is most effective over the one- to three-month holding horizon, the Zacks Recommendation aims to predict performance over the next 6 to 12 months.

Zacks Focus List Model Portfolio Performance and Featured Stocks

Shares of Uber Technologies, Inc. (Ticker: UBER) from the Zacks Focus List have gained +22.9% over the past three months. The stock was added to the Focus List on August 16^th, 2019. Another Focus-List holding, Chevron Corporation (Ticker: CVX), which was added to the portfolio on June 29^th, 2023, has returned +14.54% over the past three months. The S&P 500 has decreased -6.25% over this period.

The Focus List portfolio returned +0.87% this year through the end of February 2025 vs. +1.44% for the S&P 500 index and +2.87% for the equal-weight version of the index.

The 50-stock Zacks Focus List portfolio returned +18.41% in 2024 vs. +25.04% for the S&P 500 index and +13% for the equal-weight S&P 500 index. The portfolio had returned +29.54% in 2023 vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index and +13.61% for the equal-weight S&P 500 index. In 2022, the portfolio returned  -15.2% vs. the S&P 500 index’s -17.96%. 

Since 2004, the Focus List portfolio has produced an annualized return of +11.63% (through the end of February 2025). This compares to a +10.37% annualized return for the S&P 500 index and +10.09% for the equal-weight version of the index in the same time period.

Zacks ECAP Performance and Featured Stocks

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (Ticker: ICE) has gained +15.9% over the past three months. Another ECAP stock, AutoZone, Inc. (Ticker: AZO), has returned +9.83% over the same period.

The Zacks Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP), which consists of 30 concentrated, ultra-defensive, long-term Buy-and-Hold stocks, returned -6.29% in December 2024 vs. the S&P 500 index’s -2.41% return (SPY ETF).

For the year 2024, the portfolio returned +16.26% vs. +24.89% for the S&P 500 index (SPY ETF).

In 2023, the portfolio returned +12.17% vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index. The portfolio returned -4.7% in 2022 vs. the S&P 500 index’s -17.96%.

Zacks ECDP Performance and Featured Stocks

Johnson & Johnson (Ticker: JNJ) has gained +12.19% over the past three months. Another ECDP stock, The Coca-Cola Company (Ticker: KO), has returned +9.28% over the same time frame.

The Zacks Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP) returned -7.44% in December 2024 vs. the S&P 500 index’s -2.41% pullback and the Dividend Aristocrats ETF’s (NOBL) -6.72% decline.

For the full-year 2024, the portfolio returned +6.95% vs. +24.89% for the S&P 500 index and +6.72% for NOBL. 

The portfolio returned -0.9% in 2023 vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index and +8.11% for NOBL. The portfolio returned -2.3% in 2022 vs. -17.96% for the S&P 500 index and -8.34% for NOBL.

Zacks Top 10 Stocks

Primo Brands Corporation (Ticker: PRMB), from the Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2025, has gained +4.94% since the list was released on January 2^nd. During this period, the S&P 500 has declined by -3.75%.

The Top 10 portfolio returned -2.37% this year (through February 2025) vs. +1.44% for the S&P 500 index and +2.87% for the equal-weight version of the index.

The Top 10 portfolio returned +62.98% in 2024, vs. +25.04% for the S&P 500 index and +13% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio had returned +25.15% in 2023 vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index.

Since 2012, the Top 10 portfolio has produced a cumulative return of +1948.35% through the end of February 2025 vs. +469.98% for the S&P 500 index and +364.63% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio has produced an average return of +25.29% in the period 2012 through the end of February 2025, vs. +12.47% for the S&P 500 index and +10.32% for the equal-weight version of the index.