For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – May 5, 2026 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Shell SHEL, HSBC HSBC, Texas Instruments TXN and ABB ABBNY.
Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:
"Sell in May and Go Away?" Global Week Ahead
What happens across this Global Week Ahead?
On Friday, the latest April U.S. Federal non-farm jobs data arrives.
There's plenty of market trends and events for traders to mull over, in coming days:
From high oil prices, and the conflict in the Middle East, to Japan's yen An Australian rate decision, and A U.K. local electionNext are Reuters’ five world market themes, re-ordered for equity traders—
(1) On Friday, the crucial U.S. nonfarm jobs report for April comes out.
As the U.S. economy grapples with fallout from the Middle East war, Wall Street's radar turns to Friday's April monthly payrolls report.
The U.S. economy likely created 73,000 new jobs, economists polled by Reuters forecast. In March, payrolls increased by 178,000, the most since December 2024, but that followed a sharp decline in February.
The U.S. employment data comes amid signs of hawkishness at the Federal Reserve, as Donald Trump pick Kevin Warsh prepares to take over as chair with the U.S. president keen on rate cuts.
The Fed held rates steady on Wednesday, as expected, but three policymakers dissented because they thought language in the policy statement pointing to an "easing bias" was no longer appropriate — indications that the Fed faces hurdles to cut rates this year.
(2) Major energy companies report & likely raise European earnings estimates.
It's a big week for European earnings. Energy major Shell and bank major HSBC, among others, all report.
On aggregate, European earnings are likely to show robust growth of +3.2% in Q1, according to LSEG I/B/E/S.
Under the surface, it's a little bit more complicated.
Growth is expected to be driven by just three sectors: financials, tech and energy. The latter is seen as the biggest beneficiary of the Iran war due to higher oil and gas prices.
But if the war, and energy surge, persist, the overall outlook for Europe's earnings could turn.
For now, this reporting season might be too early for that to be reflected in company guidance, but it's one to watch in coming months.
And it's perhaps a reason why investors have turned their attention back towards surging U.S. stocks.
(3) Global oil prices are rising. Again.
Oil prices are rising again, briefly vaulting back above $120 a barrel this week to the highest since 2022 (remember that?), as the war with Iran enters a third month.
While the U.S. and Iran face pressure to end a conflict that has shut the Strait of Hormuz, the world watches anxiously as the biggest ever disruption to energy supplies unfolds.
For each week the Strait is closed, keeping oil elevated, the greater the economic risks via higher inflation or weak growth or, for some, both. Oil importer Japan just intervened to prop up a yen that has been weakened by the conflict.
Global stocks are holding up, bolstered by strong earnings and AI, but surely that can't last as the war drags on?
A new month is now underway and some traders will be mindful of that old adage — "Sell in May and Go Away.”
(4) On Tuesday AEDT, the Reserve Bank of Australia Sets its Policy Rate. A 3rd hike?
The Reserve Bank of Australia's decision on Tuesday for a potential third straight rate hike may come down to the wire, with the inflation picture and Middle East conflict no clearer than at its prior meeting.
The RBA raised its key rate 25 basis points to 4.1% in March after a 5-4 vote, the tightest margin since it started releasing breakdowns last year. Meeting minutes showed concerns about the length of the war were top of mind as rate-setters balance inflation and economic risks.
Another hike would raise the RBA's rate to a post-pandemic high and undo all of last year's rate cuts.
Governor Michele Bullock stressed the split-reflected timing rather than direction, with all board members agreeing further tightening was necessary.
Markets anticipate an 80% chance of a hike, slightly lower than before Wednesday's cooler-than-forecast core inflation numbers.
(5) Municipal elections happen in the U.K.
Thursday's municipal elections in Britain, usually a non-event for investors, could move markets in a big way, with opinion polls pointing to a heavy defeat for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labor Party.
Gilts have sold off this year at moments that threatened Starmer's political future.
He's struggling to justify his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to the United States, despite Mandelson's known ties to late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A heavy defeat could spark more widespread demands for his dismissal among his own lawmakers, and stoke expectations of a successor more willing to run looser budgets. That would bring more bad news for British bonds.
The 10-year gilt is already the worst performer among G7 peers since the Iran war started on February 28th, by a wide margin.
Zacks #1 Rank (STRONG BUY) Stocks
Next are three Zacks #1 (STRONG BUY) large-cap stocks, benefiting last week, from fresh covering analyst earnings upgrades.
(1) Shell: This is a $91 a share stock, with a market cap of $256.8B.
It is found in Zacks Oil & Gas Integrated - International industry. The stock holds a Zacks Value score of A, a Zacks Growth score of D, and a Zacks Momentum score of B.
F12M P/E: 9.1.
Shell PLC operates as an energy and petrochemical company. It explores for and extracts crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids; markets and transports oil and gas; produces gas-to-liquids fuels and other products.
Shell PLC, formerly known as Royal Dutch Shell PLC, is based in The Hague, the Netherlands.
(2) Texas Instruments: This is a $281 a share manufacturing stock, with a market cap of $255.8B.
It is found in the Zacks Semiconductor - General industry. The stock holds a Zacks Value score of F, a Zacks Growth score of C, and a Zacks Momentum score of A.
F12M P/E: 37.
Texas Instruments is an original equipment manufacturer of analog, mixed signal and digital signal processing (DSP) integrated circuits.
TI has manufacturing and design facilities, including wafer fabrication and assembly/test operations in North America, Asia and Europe.
Management's strategy has been to build assets that would be fully utilized through their lifetimes and outsource any excess demand in peak situations to outside foundries.
Analog products have been categorized into three: high performance analog, high volume analog and logic, and power management.
The Embedded Processing segment includes TI's OMAP, connectivity solutions, non-wireless DSPs and microprocessors.
The Other segment includes smaller semiconductor product lines, such as DLP products, RISC microprocessors and ASICs, calculators and other schoolroom tools, and royalties.
The company's products are sold in industrial, personal electronics, automotive, communications, enterprise and other end-markets.
(3) ABB: This is a $101 a share aluminum stock, with a market cap of $185.2B.
It is found in the Zacks Manufacturing - Electronics industry. The stock holds a Zacks Value score of F, a Zacks Growth score of C, and a Zacks Momentum score of A.
F12M P/E: 26.5.
ABB is a leading technology company.
Its products and services can be used in automated manufacturing, providing digital solutions, electrification of industry and transport and enhancing productivity.
It reports business under 4 segments - Electrification, Robotics & Discrete Automation, Process Automation and Motion.
Electrification segment is responsible for the manufacture and sale of products and services, including low and medium voltage switchgear, control products, DIN rail components, wiring accessories and installation material for a plethora of applications.
Robotics & Discrete Automation: This segment includes the machine and factory automation solutions from the business of B&R and a wide-ranging robotics solutions and applications suite.
Process Automation: This provides control and plant optimization systems and automation products and solutions for optimizing the productivity of industrial processes.
Motion: The segment specializes in supplying motors, drives and generator products.
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