Zacks Rank Performance and Featured Stocks

Shares of HF Sinclair Corporation (Ticker: DINO) and LifeStance Health Group, Inc. (Ticker: LFST) have gained +49% and +14.58% (versus the S&P 500’s +0.67% rise), since they were upgraded to Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), respectively, on August 10^th.

Shares of AlTi Global, Inc. (Ticker: ALTI) and AECOM (Ticker: ACM) have lost -41.35% and -21.84% (versus the S&P 500’s +0.67% increase), respectively, since they were downgraded to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) on August 10^th.

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.

A portfolio of Zacks # 1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks has outperformed the S&P 500 index by 3.9 percentage points this year. Through October 5^th this year, the Zacks # 1 Rank portfolio returned +16.9%, which compares to a +13% gain for the S&P 500 index and an +8.1% gain for the equal-weight version of the index in the same time period.

Since its inception in 1988, this portfolio of Zacks # 1 Rank stocks has outperformed the market by 12.2 percentage points. The average annual return for this portfolio of Zacks # 1 Rank stocks since inception in 1988 was +23.8% through October 5^th, which compares to a +11.6% gain for the S&P 500 index and a +11.2% gain for the equal-weight version of the index.

Zacks Recommendation Featured Stocks

Shares of TAL Education Group (Ticker: TAL) and Avnet, Inc. (Ticker: AVT) have gained +6.37% (versus the S&P 500’s 1.11% increase) and +2.64% (versus the S&P 500’s 1.27% increase), since their Zacks Recommendation was upgraded to Outperform on August 6^thand August 7^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.

Through October 5^th, 2026, the Zacks Outperform-rated stocks produced a +14.2% return, which compares to a +13% return for the S&P 500 index. Since 2016, Zacks Outperform rated stocks have produces an average excess return of 5.8 percentage points (Zacks Outperformed rated stocks produced an average annual return of +15.7% since 2016, which compares to an average annual return of +12.1% for the S&P 500 index).

Zacks Focus List Model Portfolio Performance and Featured Stocks

Shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (Ticker: HCA) from the Zacks Focus List have gained +10.95% over the past three months. The stock was added to the list on January 7^th, 2019. Another Focus-List holding, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (Ticker: AMD), which was added to the portfolio on May 19^th, 2025, has returned +9% over the past three months. The S&P 500 advanced by +3.15% over this period.

The 50-stock Focus List portfolio returned +13.78% in the year-to-date period (through September 30^th, 2026) vs. +12.75% for the S&P 500 index and +10.03% 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 September 30^th, 2026, the portfolio’s rolling returns on a one-year, three-year, five-year, ten-year, and since 2004 have been +17.49% (vs. +15.74% for the S&P 500 index), +24.4% (vs. +22.9%), +13.5% (vs. +13.8%), +16.4% (vs. +15.3%) and +12.4% vs. (+10.9%), respectively.

Zacks ECAP Performance and Featured Stocks

Accenture plc (Ticker: ACN) has gained +54.6% over the past three months. Another ECAP stock, Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (Ticker: MTD), has returned +19.58% 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 -4.7% in 2026 (through September 30^th, 2026) vs. +12.75% for the S&P 500 index.

For 2025, the portfolio returned -1.67% vs. a +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

Tractor Supply Company (Ticker: TSCO) has gained +10.75% over the past three months. Another ECDP stock, American Tower Corporation (Ticker: AMT), has returned +8.1% over the same time frame.

The Zacks Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP) returned +2.01% in the year-to-date period (through September 30^th) vs. +12.75% for the S&P 500 index.

The portfolio returned -0.6% in 2025 vs. a +6.8% gain for the Dividend Aristocrats 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.

Zacks Top 10 Stocks

FirstCash Holdings, Inc. (Ticker: FCFS), from the Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2026, has gained +36.31% since the list was released on January 5, 2026. During this period, the S&P 500 has increased by +13.96%.

The Top 10 portfolio returned +8.34% in the year-to-date 2026 period (through September 30^th) vs. +12.75% for the S&P 500 index and +10.03% 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 September 2026, the Top 10 portfolio has produced a cumulative return of +2,706.5% since 2012 vs. +645.9% for the S&P 500 index and +453.8% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio has produced an average annual return of +25.1% in the period 2012 through September 30^th, 2026, vs. +13.5% for the S&P 500 index and +10.8% for the equal-weight version of the index.