Performance
Performance
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ZACKS RANK AND RECOMMENDATION UPDATED: 2026-05-04 09:09
Zacks Rank Performance and Featured Stocks
Shares of Vicor Corporation (Ticker: VICR) and Harbour Energy plc (Ticker: HBRIY) have gained +53.01% (versus the S&P 500’s +2.78% increase) and +26.43% (versus the S&P 500’s +3.5% increase) since they were upgraded to Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and Zacks Rank # 2 (Buy) on February 23rd and February 20th, respectively.
Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (Ticker: AVAV) and Whirlpool Corporation (Ticker: WHR) have lost -11.56% and -10.19% (versus the S&P 500’s +4.15% increase), respectively, since they were downgraded to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) on March 4th.
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.
The Zacks Rank is a powerful predictive tool for timing investment decisions ahead of most other systems. A Zacks Rank of #1 or 2 signals strong potential for market outperformance. Conversely, a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) serves as an early warning of potential weakness, providing investors the opportunity to lock in profits and avoid unnecessary losses.
An equal-weight portfolio of Zacks Rank # 1 (Strong Buy) stocks outperformed the equal-weight S&P 500 index by 1.2 percentage points in the year-to-date 2026 period (through April 6th, 2026); The Zacks Rank #1 stocks returned +1.22% through April 6th, while the equal-weight S&P 500 index was unchanged. This portfolio outperformed the S&P 500 index by 5.4 percentage points (+1.22% gain for the Zacks #1 Rank stocks vs. -4.2% decline for the index).
Since its inception in 1988, this equal-weight portfolio of Zacks Rank # 1 stocks has outperformed the equal-weight S&P 500 index by 12.6 percentage points annually (through April 6th, 2026). The average annual return for the equal-weight portfolio of Zacks Rank # 1 stocks was +23.7% while the comparable equal-weight S&P 500 index returned +11.1% (the average annual gain for the S&P 500 index as a whole was +11.2%).
Zacks Recommendation Featured Stocks
Shares of NVIDIA Corporation (Ticker: NVDA) and Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. (Ticker: UVE) have gained +3.52% (versus the S&P 500’s +3.07% increase) and +3.11% (versus the S&P 500’s +2.79% increase) since their Zacks Recommendation was upgraded to Outperform on February 25th and February 27th, 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.
FOCUS LIST UPDATED: 2026-05-04 09:09
Zacks Focus List Model Portfolio Performance and Featured Stocks
Shares of Quanta Services, Inc. (Ticker: PWR) from the Zacks Focus List have gained +56.38% over the past three months. The stock was added to the Focus List on December 23rd, 2021. Another Focus-List holding, Micron Technology, Inc. (Ticker: MU), which was added to the portfolio on December 27th, 2016, has returned +30.69% over the past three months. The S&P 500 advanced by +4.17% over this period.
The 50-stock Focus List portfolio returned +0.32% in 2026 (through March 31st) vs. -4.3% for the S&P 500 index and +0.67% for the equal-weight version of the index.
The portfolio returned +22.1% in 2025 vs. +17.9% for the S&P 500 index and +11.4% for the equal-weight version of the index.
The 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%.
Through March 31st, 2026, the portfolio’s rolling returns on a one-year, three-year, five-year, ten-year, and since 2004 have been +26.26% (vs. +17.80% for the S&P 500 index), +19.46% (vs. +18.23%), +11.68% (vs. +12.06%), +15.33% (vs. +14.16%) and +12.02% vs. (+13.36%), respectively.
EARNINGS CERTAIN PORTFOLIO UPDATED: 2026-05-04 09:09
Zacks ECAP Performance and Featured Stocks
Oracle Corporation (Ticker: ORCL) has gained +4.41% over the past three months. Another ECAP stock, Costco Wholesale Corporation (Ticker: COST), has returned +3.41% 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 -7.14% in 2026 Q1 vs. -4.33% for the S&P 500 index.
For 2025, the portfolio returned -1.67% vs. +17.9% gain for the S&P 500 index. 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
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (Ticker: UNH) has gained +28.53% over the past three months. Another ECDP stock, Public Storage (Ticker: PSA), has returned +9.18% over the same time frame.
The Zacks Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP) returned -1.43% in 2026 Q1 vs. -4.33% for the S&P 500 index and +2.3% for the Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL).
The portfolio returned -0.6% in 2025 vs. +6.8% gain for the Dividend Aristocrat ETF. 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.
TOP 10 STOCKS UPDATED: 2026-05-04 09:09
Zacks Top 10 Stocks
APi Group Corporation (Ticker: APG), from the Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2026, has gained +17.89% since the list was released on January 5, 2026. During this period, the S&P 500 has increased by +5.51%.
The Top 10 portfolio retuned +4.5% in 2026 (through March 31st) vs. -4.3% for the S&P 500 index and +0.7% for the equal-weight version of the index.
The Top 10 portfolio returned +22.6% in 2025 vs. +17.9% for the S&P 500 index and +11.4% 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.
Through the end of March 2026, the Top 10 portfolio has produced a cumulative return of +2,607.4% since 2012 vs. +540.9% for the S&P 500 index and +406.6% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio has produced an average annual return of +26% in the period 2012 through March 31st, 2026 vs. +14.4% for the S&P 500 index and +13.4% for the equal-weight version of the index.
ETF MODEL PORTFOLIOS
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 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 is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index.