U.S. equities have remained resilient year to date, although performance has been highly uneven. After rebounding from early-period volatility, markets have pushed higher as solid corporate earnings, AI-led optimism and a still-supportive economic backdrop have helped offset broader macro concerns. Investor sentiment has remained sensitive to shifting Fed-rate expectations, Treasury-yield swings, oil-price volatility, geopolitical risks, particularly tensions in the Middle East, and evolving trade policies.
The traditional way of choosing stocks is a good idea. Sales growth provides a more reliable view for evaluating stocks compared with earnings-focused metrics. In this regard, stocks like HEICO Corporation HEI, Dillard's Inc. DDS and CBRE Group, Inc. CBRE are worth considering.
Sales growth is one of the clearest measures of a company’s underlying business expansion. While earnings can be influenced by several factors, revenues provide a more direct view of customer demand and whether a company is selling more of its products or services. Sustained sales growth may reflect healthy end-market demand, market-share gains, pricing power, successful product launches, or expansion into new geographies and customer segments.
Sales growth can also serve as a foundation for improved profitability. As sales rise, companies may be able to spread fixed costs across a larger revenue base, enhancing operating leverage and supporting margin expansion over time. However, sales growth should not be evaluated in isolation. It is most meaningful when considered alongside industry trends, peer performance, pricing dynamics, customer mix and the broader economic backdrop.
The quality and durability of sales growth are equally important. Recurring revenues, repeat purchases, volume-driven gains and sustainable end-market demand are generally more valuable than growth, driven by temporary factors, acquisitions or short-term price increases. Companies that consistently deliver high-quality sales growth across market cycles are often better positioned to generate reliable cash flows, reinvest in the business, strengthen their competitive position and create long-term shareholder value.
Selecting the Potential Winning Stocks
To shortlist stocks with impressive sales growth and a high cash balance, we have selected 5-Year Historical Sales Growth (%) greater than X-Industry and Cash Flow of more than $500 million as our main screening parameters.
But sales growth and cash strength are not the absolute criteria for selecting stocks. Hence, we have added other factors to arrive at a winning strategy.
P/S Ratio less than X-Industry: This metric determines the value placed on each dollar of a company’s revenues. The lower the ratio, the better it is for picking a stock since the investor is paying less for each unit of sales.
% Change F1 Sales Estimate Revisions (four weeks) greater than X-Industry: Estimate revisions, better than the industry, are often seen to trigger an increase in stock price.
Operating Margin (average last five years) greater than 5%: The operating margin measures how much every dollar of a company's sales translates into profits. A high ratio indicates that the company has good cost control and sales are increasing faster than costs — an optimal situation.
Return on Equity (ROE) greater than 5%: This metric will ensure that sales growth is translated into profits and the company is not hoarding cash. A high ROE means that the company is spending wisely and is, in all likelihood, profitable.
Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2: Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) stocks are known to outperform, irrespective of the market environment. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
3 Stocks With Solid Sales Growth to Buy
Hollywood, FL-based HEICO is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of Federal Aviation Administration-approved jet engine and aircraft component replacement parts. HEI also manufactures various types of electronic equipment for the aviation, defense, space, medical, telecommunications and electronics industries.
HEICO’s expected sales growth rate for fiscal 2026 is 15.2%. HEI carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present.
Headquartered in Little Rock, AR, Dillard's is a large departmental store chain featuring fashion apparel and home furnishings. As of May 2, 2026, DDS operated 272 Dillard’s stores, including 28 clearance stores across 30 states located in the Southwest, Southeast and Midwest regions of the United States.
Dillard's expected sales growth rate for fiscal 2027 is 2.1%. DDS currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.
Dallas, TX-based CBRE Group is a commercial real estate services and investment firm. CBRE provides leasing, property sales, commercial mortgage origination, loan servicing, valuations and other advisory services to tenants, owners, lenders and investors across major global markets.
CBRE’s sales are expected to rise 14.8% in 2026. CBRE Group carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present.
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Dillard's, Inc. (DDS): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).