The tenuous ceasefire between Iran and the United States has revived uncertainty in financial markets. Crude oil prices have experienced significant swings in response to developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping corridor. Oil has continued to trade at elevated levels, moving within the $90–$95 per barrel range amid concerns about rising inflationary pressures.
Robust conditions in the U.S. labor market, supported by recent economic data and optimism surrounding artificial intelligence, have provided a strong boost to investor sentiment. However, the resulting market turbulence has made it increasingly challenging for individual investors to build a consistently successful stock portfolio. Selecting the wrong stocks can affect returns and undermine the primary goal of investing hard-earned money in an inherently volatile market.
How should investors proceed in such an environment? One approach is to rely on broker recommendations and keep broker-favored stocks such as Alto Ingredients ALTO, Arrow Electronics ARW, Green Plains GPRE, American Airlines AAL and Air Canada ACDVF on their watchlists.
To identify promising opportunities, we have developed a screening strategy that focuses on stocks benefiting from improved analyst ratings and upward earnings estimate revisions over the past four weeks. In addition, the price-to-sales (P/S) ratio has been incorporated as a complementary valuation measure, given its effectiveness alongside broker insights. By emphasizing a company’s revenue performance, the P/S ratio helps create a more balanced and comprehensive investment approach.
Screening Parameters
# (Up- Down Rating)/ Total (4 weeks) =Top #75 (This gives the list of top 75 companies that have witnessed net upgrades over the last 4 weeks).
% change in Q (1) est. (4 weeks) = Top #10 (This gives the top 10 stocks that have witnessed earnings estimate revisions over the past 4 weeks for the upcoming quarter).
Price-to-Sales = Bot%10 (The lower the ratio, the better. Companies meeting this criterion are in the bottom 10% of our universe of over 7,700 stocks concerning this ratio).
Current Price greater than 5 (as a stock trading below $5 will not likely create significant interest for most of the investors).
Average Daily Volume greater than 100,000 shares over the last 20 trading days (Volume has to be significant to ensure that these are easily traded).
Market value ($ mil) = Top #3000 (This gives us stocks that are the top 3000 in terms of market capitalization).
Com/ADR/Canadian= Com (This eliminates the ADR and Canadian stocks).
Here are five of the 10 stocks that made it through the screen:
Alto is a leading producer and distributor of specialty alcohols, renewable fuels and essential ingredients in the United States. It is poised to gain from its compelling portfolio, its focus on customer relationships, and its leveraging of technologies. The company is undergoing a strategic transformation, shifting away from its legacy role as a traditional fuel ethanol producer toward a more diversified model centered on specialty alcohols and essential ingredients.
Alto beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the trailing four quarters. The average beat is 361.5%. The company, which is targeting higher-value end markets that offer more stable demand and improved margins, currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here
Arrow Electronics benefits from continued operational momentum across Global Components and ECS, with first-quarter 2026 consolidated sales of $9.47 billion, up 39% year over year and above guidance.
ARW’s diverse customer portfolio of thousands of leading manufacturers and service providers offers revenue stability and reduces concentration risk. Strong cash flow generation from its asset-light model supports share buybacks and strategic investments. For the second quarter of 2026, Arrow expects consolidated sales of $9.15 billion to $9.75 billion.
Arrow Electronics has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 20.1% and 73.8%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 44.6% over the last 60 days. The company currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.
Green Plains has been expanding its focus beyond ethanol through investments in high-protein feed ingredients and renewable corn oil. Green Plains continues to commercialize its Ultra-High Protein platform, which is designed to extract greater value from every bushel processed. As a result, GPRE has increasingly positioned ingredients and co-products as an important complement to its fuel business.
Green Plains’ earnings surpassed estimates in three of the last four quarters and missed the mark once. The average beat was 16%. Green Plains currently flaunts a Zacks Rank #1.
American Airlines is based in Fort Worth, TX. Strong air travel demand, particularly on the leisure front, despite high fuel costs, is aiding AAL. Efforts to broaden its network are also praiseworthy.
The company’s high debt levels are worrisome. The carrier’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the last four quarters (missing the mark in the other quarter). The average beat is 2.6%. American Airlines currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Air Canada has been benefiting from the impressive scenario in air travel demand. High fuel costs represent a headwind. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 sales has increased 13.1% on a year-over-year basis.
ACDVF surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in two of the last four quarters, missing the mark on the other occasions. The average beat was 51.4%. ACDVF currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
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Arrow Electronics, Inc. (ARW): Free Stock Analysis Report
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Air Canada (ACDVF): Free Stock Analysis Report
Alto Ingredients, Inc. (ALTO): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).