The Quintessential Five Strong Buy Stocks For 2026

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 2, 2026, 3:23 PM

the quintessential five strong buy stocks for 2026

Thapana Onphalai/iStock via Getty Images Registration is now open for our Top Stocks for 2026 event with Steven Cress, featuring his newest list of high-conviction picks designed to target long-term performance. Steve's previous Top Stocks lists have demonstrated an impressive track record, so I am Steven Cress, Head of Quantitative Strategies at Seeking Alpha. I manage the quant ratings and factor grades on stocks and ETFs in Seeking Alpha Premium. I also lead Alpha Picks, which selects the two most attractive stocks to buy each month, and also determines when to sell them.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given that any particular security, portfolio, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person.

The author is not advising you personally concerning the nature, potential, value or suitability of any particular security or other matter. You alone are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, security or strategy, or any product or service, is appropriate or suitable for you based on your investment objectives and personal and financial situation. Steven Cress is the Head of Quantitative Strategy at Seeking Alpha. Any views or opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. The stock market bulls have pushed the Nasdaq right back above its critical 50-day moving average heading into Christmas.

The quick comeback came just when it looked like the selling might finally ramp up after a banner run off the stock market’s 2025 lows. Investors might want to start buying stocks heading into 2026, blocking out the noise, and focusing on the strong earnings growth outlook for the S&P 500 and the likelihood of more Fed rate cuts. Instead of looking for stocks to buy on the dip, it’s likely wise to consider buying at least a few stocks that have proven themselves in 2025 since the conditions look set to remain... The momentum stocks the screen puts on your radar have also experienced strong upward earnings revisions, earning them a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) right now. Let’s dive into how investors can find the best "Strong Buy" momentum stocks to add to their portfolios now and throughout 2026. Written by Daniel Foelber for The Motley Fool->

Despite the AI growth stock hype, there are still plenty of companies worth buying now. Adobe is getting crushed because investors aren’t convinced it is benefiting from AI. Netflix is a reliable choice for investors worried about a recession. With a little over two months left in the year and the major indexes hovering around all-time highs, many investors may be feeling uneasy about stock market valuations and how long the artificial intelligence... Whereas others may view AI as a game-changer that will boost productivity, earnings growth, and investment returns over the long run. The stock market bulls have pushed the Nasdaq right back above its critical 50-day moving average heading into Christmas.

The market environment heading into 2025 is influenced by three powerful forces operating simultaneously: artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly relevant in real-world business, interest rates are likely to remain higher than the average of... This combination favors companies with robust competitive advantages, not short-term hype. The best stocks 2026 investors will be those that can grow earnings even if economic growth slows, rates stay elevated, or capital becomes selective. Below, we will focus on stocks with the best potential in 2026, backed by real-world revenue, profit margins, and long-term demand. We will analyze true potential stocks without hype, as this is how every serious enough investor should approach stock markets in 2026. The list of the best stocks to buy in 2026 was developed by following three main criteria: clear long-term potential (AI, healthcare innovation, digital infrastructure, etc.), strong and improving free cash flow (loans are...

There are also some other minor criteria to ensure this list contains very robust companies across diverse industries, ensuring diversification. To ensure only serious picks with long-term potential, we avoided: Our goal here is not to predict anything, but rather to put emphasis on projects with robust business revenue and products or services, ensuring only triple-A investment stocks are picked. AI is the main trend of this year. It is transforming how companies build software, run operations, manage big data, and compete with one another. However, not every company that incorporates AI into its name will benefit, as most of these companies are merely hype and do not possess a genuine competitive advantage.

The biggest winners in this sector are companies selling infrastructure, compute, and critical tools, rather than applications and empty promises. It’s getting frothy out there. Pick any stock market metric, whether it’s the Nasdaq’s closing price or a more technical measure like the Shiller P/E ratio, and the number will look unusually large. Throw in crazy AI valuations, for privately held startups and publicly traded stocks alike, and what we’re seeing looks a lot like a bubble. Perhaps this time is different. But note that phrase served as the ironic title of an acclaimed 2011 book by economists Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff—a work whose subtitle is “Eight Centuries of Financial Folly.” In any case, if...

This section of this year’s Investor’s Guide offers some ideas on how to go about that. We offer tips on how to play defense in the current stock market (spoiler: Candymakers are a sweet bet for sour times). We also devote some space to stocks that might be best held at arm’s length; whatever these companies’ ultimate fates might be, these aren’t the times or the prices at which to be a... And for optimists, we have a preview of some buzzy rumored IPOs coming next year. Choppy markets can make for attractively priced debuts: Perhaps you will find the next UPS, which went public right before the dotcom bust, or Visa, which listed on the eve of the 2008 financial... We’ll also weigh in on gold and Bitcoin.

In the wake of Warren Buffett penning his final letter to investors, it feels fitting to say his most famous adage applies like never before: Be greedy when others are fearful, and fearful when... Jim Masturzo, chief investment officer of multi-asset strategies at investment manager Research Affiliates, says a good first step is to diversify beyond stocks to TIPS (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities) or commodities like gold. When it comes to equities, Roger Aliaga-Diaz, Vanguard chief economist in the Americas, advises embracing value stocks—stocks whose prices are low relative to their earnings. Not all value stocks are created equal, of course. Here are some categories and names to consider that are likely to fare well in an economic downturn (prices are as of market close Nov. 13):

The Quintessential Five Strong Buy Stocks For 2026

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Despite The AI Growth Stock Hype, There Are Still Plenty