The stock market rebounded on Tuesday after June inflation data came in lower than projected. The light inflation print helped investors back off fears that the Fed might raise interest rates at the end of July.
Meanwhile, the big banks such as JPMorgan kicked off the second quarter earnings season in style. The Wall Street heavy hitters posted soaring earnings growth, fueled by IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, and trading activity.
Given this backdrop, investors likely want to keep buying stocks for what’s shaping up to be a strong second half of 2026, given the impressive outlook for earnings growth across all 16 Zacks industries.
It might be wise to buy stocks that have already proven themselves to be winners in the 2026 market conditions. The momentum stocks this screen puts on your radar have also seen 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 buy in July as the second-quarter earnings season begins to heat up.
Screen Basics: Finding Top Momentum Stocks to Buy
The screen we are looking into today comes loaded with the Research Wizard. The screen helps investors dig through all of the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks, of which there are over 200 at any given time, to find some of the top momentum names.
The screen narrows down the list of Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocksto those with upward price momentum that are also trading within 20% of their 52-week highs. The screen then uses the PEG ratio and the Price to Sales ratio to help make sure investors are getting value as well. The screen then makes your life a little easier and narrows it down to just seven stock picks.
The screen basics are listed below…
· Zacks Rank = #1 (Strong Buy)
· Current Price/52-week High >= 0.8
· PEG Ratio: P/E F(1)/EPS Growth <= 1
· Price/Sales <= 3
· Percentage Change Price -12 Weeks = Top # 7
This strategy comes loaded with the Research Wizard and it is called bt_sow_momentum_method1 It can be found in the SoW (Screen of the Week) folder.
The screen is simple, yet powerful. Here is one of the seven stocks that made it through this week's screen…
Buy Soaring Logistics Stock ARCB or Growth, Value, and Breakout Potential
ArcBest ARCB is a major logistics and freight company that moves goods for businesses across the U.S. and globally. It offers less-than-truckload shipping, full truckload, expedited delivery, international transport, managed logistics, and beyond. Think of it as a one-stop shop that helps manufacturers, retailers, and others get products from factories or warehouses to stores or customers as efficiently as possible.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ARCB is projected to bounce back after a tough post-Covid boom stretch, with its fiscal 2026 revenue projected to jump 13% YoY and another 7.4% next year to reach $4.85 billion. Better yet, it’s projected to grow its adjusted earnings per share by 65% in 2026 and 42% in FY27 to reach $8.68 a share, based on the most recent Zacks estimates.
ArcBest is expected to easily double its EPS between 2025 and 2027. Plus, there is room for even more upside, with its most accurate estimates for 2026 and 2027 coming in 23% above its already improved consensus estimates. ARCB’s overall upward earnings revision trend helps it earn its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The dividend-paying logistics and transportation firm’s Transportation – Truck industry ranks in the top 6% of nearly 250 Zacks industries, which is critical since studies have shown that roughly half of a stock's price movement can be attributed to a stock's industry group. Better still, the top 50% of Zacks Ranked Industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
ARCB stock has soared 100% YTD as part of a 750% run in the past decade to blow away its highly ranked industry’s 380%. The stock is holding its ground at its 50-day moving average and its previous 2024 highs. It transportation and logistics standout trades at a nearly 50% discount to its own peaks and 41% below its industry at 19.9X forward 12-month earnings.
Get the rest of the stocks on this list and start looking for the newest companies that fit these criteria. It's easy to do. And it could help you find your next big winner. Start screening for these companies today with a free trial to the Research Wizard. You can do it.
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Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: www.zacks.com/performance_disclosure
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ArcBest Corporation (ARCB): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).