The U.S. stock market navigated a volatile week with overall strong momentum as investors balanced geopolitical risks, economic data and upbeat corporate earnings. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite hit record highs, gaining 4.70% and 2.75%, respectively, for the week, marking their sixth consecutive weekly advance, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average also followed…
The U.S. stock market navigated a volatile week with overall strong momentum as investors balanced geopolitical risks, economic data and upbeat corporate earnings. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite hit record highs, gaining 4.70% and 2.75%, respectively, for the week, marking their sixth consecutive weekly advance, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average also followed the major indexes with a 1.36% increase. Markets swung throughout the week as tensions in the Middle East initially pushed oil prices above $106 per barrel before easing ceasefire hopes and U.S.-Iran negotiations pulled crude back below $95. However, benchmark indexes rebounded as ceasefire hopes grew and tech earnings fueled AI momentum.
Consumer sentiment dropped to 48.2 in May, the weakest since June 2022. However, economic indicators signaled resilience despite cooling consumer sentiment. The U.S. economy added 115,000 jobs in April, far above expectations of 48,000, while unemployment held steady at 4.3%. Wage growth remained moderate, with average hourly earnings rising 0.2% monthly and 3.6% annually. Overall, the economy showed steady growth, supported by hiring, spending, and corporate earnings, despite lingering geopolitical uncertainty.
Regardless of market conditions, we, here at Zacks, provide investors with unbiased guidance on how to beat the market.
As usual, Zacks Research guided investors over the past three months with its time-tested methodologies. Given the prevailing market uncertainty, you may want to look at our feats to prepare better for your next action.
Here are some of our key achievements:
Nabors Industries and Nordic American Tankers Following Zacks Rank Upgrade
Shares of Nabors Industries Ltd. NBR have gained 25% (versus the S&P 500’s 6.4% increase) since it was upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) on February 26.
Another stock, Nordic American Tankers Limited NAT, which was upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 on February 27, has returned 9.6% (versus the S&P 500’s 7% increase) since then.
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.
An equal-weight portfolio of Zacks Rank # 1 stocks outperformed the equal-weight S&P 500 index by 7.7 percentage points in the year-to-date 2026 period (through March 3, 2026); The Zacks Rank #1 stocks returned +6.57% through March 3, while the equal-weight S&P 500 index lost -1.14% of its value.
In 2025, this hypothetical equal-weight portfolio returned +17.81% vs. +10.85% for the index, while performance comparison was +22.4% vs. +13.7% in 2024. Over the preceding 10-year period (2016 through 2025), this portfolio of qual-weight Zacks Rank #1 stocks outperformed the equal-weight S&P 500 index by more than 7 percentage points (+18.55% vs. +11.65%).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 stocks here >>>
Check Nabors Industries’ historical EPS and Sales here>>>
Check Nordic American Tankers’ historical EPS and Sales here>>>
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Zacks Recommendation Upgrades MYR and BrightSpring Health Services
Shares of MYR Group Inc. MYRG and BrightSpring Health Services, Inc. BTSG have advanced 60% and 31.9% (versus the S&P 500’s 7.5% increase), respectively, since their Zacks Recommendation was upgraded to Outperform on March 3.
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. However, just like the Zacks Rank, the foundation for the Zacks Recommendation is trends in earnings estimate revisions.
The Zacks Recommendation classifies stocks into three groups — Outperform, Neutral and Underperform. While these recommendations are determined quantitatively, our analysts have the flexibility to override them for the 1100+ stocks they closely follow based on their better judgment of factors such as valuation, industry conditions and management effectiveness than the quantitative model.
Zacks Focus List Stocks Virtu Financial, Alphabet Shoot Up
Shares of Virtu Financial, Inc. VIRT, which belongs to the Zacks Focus List, have gained 35.3% over the past 12 weeks. The stock was added to the FocusList on July 31, 2023. Another Focus-List holding, Alphabet Inc. GOOGL, which was added to the portfolio on May 19, 2025, has returned 28.9% over the past 12 weeks. The S&P 500 has advanced 6.6% over this period.
The 50-stock Focus List portfolio returned +6.65% in 2026 (through February 28) vs. +0.68% for the S&P 500 index and +7.06% 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 February 28, 2026, the portfolio’s rolling returns on a one-year, three-year, five-year, 10-year basis, and since 2004 have been +29.35% (vs. +17% for the S&P 500 index), +23.13% (vs. +21.81%), +14.15% (vs. +14.19%), +16.79% (vs. +15.50%) and +12.38% vs. (+10.66%), respectively.
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Zacks ECAP Stocks FactSet Research Systems and Monster Beverage Make Significant Gains
FactSet Research Systems Inc. FDS, a component of our Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP), has jumped 15.4% over the past 12 weeks. Monster Beverage Corporation MNST has followed FactSet Research Systems with 6.8% returns.
The Zacks Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP), which consists of 30 concentrated, ultra-defensive, long-term Buy-and-Hold stocks, returned -2.3% in the fourth quarter of 2025 vs. the S&P 500 index’s +2.7% gain (SPY ETF). For 2025 as a whole, 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%.
With little to no turnover and annual rebalance periodicity, ECAP seeks to minimize capital loss by holding shares of companies whose earnings streams exhibit a proven 20+ year track record of surviving recessionary periods with minimal impact on aggregate earnings growth relative to the overall S&P 500.
The ECAP and many other model portfolios are available as part of Zacks Advisor Tools, a cloud-based solution to access Zacks award-winning stock, mutual fund and ETF research. Click here to schedule a demo.
Zacks ECDP Stocks Starbucks and Intercontinental Exchange Outperform Peers
Starbucks Corporation SBUX, which is part of our Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP), has returned 5.9% over the past 12 weeks. Another ECDP stock, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. ICE, has also climbed 2.5% over the same time frame. Of course, the inclination of investors toward quality dividend stocks to secure an income stream amid heightened market volatility contributed to this performance.
Check Starbucks’ dividend history here>>>
Check Intercontinental Exchange‘s dividend history here>>>
With an extremely low beta and a history of minimum earnings variability over the last 20+ years, this 25-stock portfolio helps to significantly mitigate risk.
The Zacks Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP) returned -2.1% in 2025 Q4 vs. the S&P 500 index’s +2.7% gain and the Dividend Aristocrats ETF’s (NOBL) +1.6% return. For 2025, the portfolio returned -0.6% vs. +6.8% gain for the Dividend Aristocrat ETF.
For the full year of 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.
Click here to access this portfolio on Zacks Advisor Tools.
Zacks Top 10 Stock Amkor Technology Delivers Solid Returns
Amkor Technology, Inc. AMKR, from the Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2026, has jumped 78.5% since the list was released on January 5, 2026, compared with the S&P 500 index’s 8% increase during this period.
The Top 10 portfolio retuned +10.5% in 2026 (through February 28) vs. +0.5% for the S&P 500 index and +6.3% 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 February 2026, the Top 10 portfolio has produced a cumulative return of +2,761.6% since 2012 vs. +564.8% for the S&P 500 index and +435% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio has produced an average annual return of +26.4% in the period 2012 through February 28, 2026, vs. +13% for the S&P 500 index and +11% for the equal-weight version of the index.
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Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (ICE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
