Zacks Rank Performance and Featured Stocks

Shares of Private Bancorp of America, Inc. (Ticker: PBAM) and Cushman & Wakefield Limited (Ticker: CWK) have gained +14.11% (versus the S&P 500’s +5.82% rise) and +13.74% (versus the S&P 500’s +3.01% rise) since they were upgraded to Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) on June 24^th and June 4^th, respectively.

Shares of PennyMac Financial Services, Inc. (Ticker: PFSI) and Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (Ticker: PPC) have lost -7.44% (versus the S&P 500’s +5.91% increase) and -2.99% (versus the S&P 500’s +4.22% increase) since they were downgraded to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) on June 26^th and July 6^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.

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 5.7 percentage points this year. Through July 6^th this year, the Zacks # 1 Rank portfolio returned +15.3%, which compares to a +9.7% gain for the S&P 500 index and a +12.6% 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 12.4 percentage points. The average annual return for this portfolio of Zacks # 1 Rank stocks since inception in 1988 was +23.9% through July 6^th, which compares to a +11.6% gain for the S&P 500 index and a +11.4% gain for the equal-weight version of the index.

Zacks Recommendation Featured Stocks

Shares of Marex Group Limited (Ticker: MRX) and ATI Inc. (Ticker: ATI) have gained +17.47% (versus the S&P 500’s +5.3% increase) and +15.63% (versus the S&P 500’s +5.89% increase) since their Zacks Recommendation was upgraded to Outperform on June 10^th and June 25^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 Bank of America Corporation (Ticker: BAC) from the Zacks Focus List have gained +29.58% over the past three months. The stock was added to the list on January 9^th, 2017. Another Focus-List holding, Arcosa, Inc. (Ticker: ACA), which was added to the portfolio on January 6^th, 2020, has returned +17.13% over the past three months. The S&P 500 advanced by +5.06% over this period.

The 50-stock Focus List portfolio returned +14.49% in the year-to-date period (through July 31, 2026) vs. +10.14% for the S&P 500 index and +13.26% 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 July 31, 2026, the portfolio’s rolling returns on a one-year, three-year, five-year, ten-year, and since 2004 have been +26.1% (vs. +16.7% for the S&P 500 index), +21% (vs. +19.3%), +12.9% (vs. +12.9%), +16.4% (vs. +15.1%) and +12.5% vs. (+10.9%), respectively.

Zacks ECAP Performance and Featured Stocks

Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (Ticker: MTD) has gained +37.55% over the past three months. Another ECAP stock, McCormick & Company, Incorporated (Ticker: MKC), has returned +17.95% 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 -9.4% in the first half of 2026 (through June 30^th) vs. +10.2% 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

The J. M. Smucker Company (Ticker: SJM) has gained +20.74% over the past three months. Another ECDP stock, General Mills, Inc. (Ticker: GIS), has returned +18.82% over the same time frame.

The Zacks Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP) returned -1.7% in the first half of 2026 (through June 30^th) vs. +10.2% for the S&P 500 index and +9.03% for the Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL).

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

VSE Corporation (Ticker: VSEC), from the Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2026, has gained +33.37% since the list was released on January 5, 2026. During this period, the S&P 500 has increased by +13.68%.

The Top 10 portfolio returned +14.63% in the year-to-date 2026 period (through July 31st) vs. +9.90% for the S&P 500 index and +12.47% 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 July 2026, the Top 10 portfolio has produced a cumulative return of +2,870.1% since 2012 vs. +628.7% for the S&P 500 index and +470% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio has produced an average annual return of +25.9% in the period 2012 through July 31, 2026, vs. +13.5% for the S&P 500 index and +11.2% for the equal-weight version of the index.