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Bet on These 5 Winning Stocks in Top-Ranked Industries

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U.S. equities closed at all-time highs on Tuesday, as all three major indexes continued their seemingly unstoppable march further into record territory. The Dow Jones industrial average rose more than 84 points heading into the close, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite gained about 0.2%.

Not to be left behind, the S&P 500 was up 0.2% as well. As a matter of fact, yesterday’s settlements marked Dow's second successive closing record, the Nasdaq's third, and the S&P 500's fourth. Even the Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks hit a new high.

Upbeat Sentiment

Brushing aside the North Korean tensions and ongoing concerns about the mass shooting incident at Las Vegas on Sunday evening — described by Trump as an act of “pure evil" – investors have driven up equities on evidence of economic growth.

Supporting the upbeat sentiment on Tuesday was better-than-expected September U.S. sales growth for automakers, turning around from the drop in new vehicle sales over the first eight months of 2017. Optimism around the upcoming earnings reports from corporate biggies, which will help support high valuations, also boosted sentiments.

Meanwhile, President Trump’s proposals to overhaul the tax law and make it business friendly, added to the positive sentiment and powered stocks higher.

Earlier in the week, data showed that domestic factory activity in September jumped to its highest level since May 2004 on the back of strong manufactured goods demand. In a separate report, the Commerce Department showed a rebound in August construction spending, pointing to underlying fundamental strength in the economy.

Moreover, with a recovering jobs market, low interest rates, strong U.S. dollar and cheaper fuel, the world's largest economy may have more leg to run in 2017.

Stick to Top-Ranked Growth Stocks in Best Performing Industries

The strong stock rally does not necessarily indicate that all scrips would be wise picks. To choose suitable ones that are expected to continue the growth streak, you need to identify the best industries.

Studies have shown that 50% of a stock's price movement is directly tied to the performance of the industry group that it’s in. In fact, an average stock in a strong group is likely to outperform a great stock in a poor industry. Therefore, taking industry performance into account becomes a necessary measure. The idea behind this is when markets are experiencing gains, industries with a higher rank are likely to do better. In any case, the odds of success in a lagging sector are pretty low.

However, finding the leading industries is not easy and many investors are often late to the party. This is where the Zacks Industry Rank can prove useful as it gives investors a clear view into which industries are outperforming. (To learn more visit: About Zacks Industry Rank.)

Of course, this does not mean that one can just pick any stock in a top group and hope to rake in profits. After shortlisting the ‘most attractive’ industries, an investor can use the Zacks Rank to pick the best stocks available within that particular industry.

Our Choices

The Fed continues to indicate that a rate hike is likely in December, which implies that it is satisfied with domestic economic trends. Additionally, third quarter earnings estimates indicate that a large number of companies are likely to post encouraging numbers.

This implies that the market is poised for further growth. Some volatility remains, which can be counteracted by the inherent strength of the industry the stock belongs to. Our selection is also backed by an excellent Zacks Growth Style Score. (To learn more visit: About Zacks Style Score System.)

Our Growth Style Score condenses all the essential metrics from a company’s financial statements to get a true sense of the quality and sustainability of its growth. Our research shows that stocks with Growth Style Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy), offer the best investment opportunities in the growth investing space. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Moreover, these stocks are from industries carrying a Zacks Industry Rank #16 or better.

First on our list is Micron Technology Inc. (MU - Free Report) . Headquartered in Boise, ID, Micron Technology has established itself as one of the leading worldwide providers of semiconductor memory solutions. This Zacks Rank #1 stock, sporting a Growth Score of A, is part of the Semiconductor Memory industry that also holds Zacks Rank of 1.

Sanderson Farms Inc. , another #1 Ranked stock, is our next pick. One of the largest poultry producers in the U.S. with operations encompassing production, processing, marketing and distribution of fresh and frozen chicken products, Laurel, MS-based Sanderson Farms has a Growth Score of A. The company’s standing in the Meat Products industry – with Zacks Rank #3 – places Sanderson Farms in the top 1% of industries.

Then we have Signet Jewelers Ltd. (SIG - Free Report) . Founded in 1950, and headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, Signet Jewelers – a #1 Ranked stock flaunting a Growth Score of A – is a retailer of diamond jewelry, watches as well as other products. The company sits within the Zacks #4 Ranked Retail – Jewelry industry, which places Signet in the top 2% of industries tracked by Zacks.

Our fourth choice is The Boston Beer Company Inc. (SAM - Free Report) - a producer of beer, malt beverages, and cider products at company-owned breweries and under contract. This Boston, MA-based Zacks Rank #2 stock, sporting a Growth Score of A, is part of the Alcoholic Beverages industry that holds Zacks Rank of 14.

Finally, there is Fujifilm Holdings Corp. (FUJIY - Free Report) . Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Fujifilm is a leading global producer of photographic imaging products. The company develops, manufactures, and markets traditional and digital imaging products. The company’s standing in the Semiconductor Equipment - Photomasks – with Zacks Rank #16 – places Sanderson Farms in the top 6% of industries.

Can Hackers Put Money INTO Your Portfolio?

Earlier this month, credit bureau Equifax announced a massive data breach affecting 2 out of every 3 Americans. The cybersecurity industry is expanding quickly in response to this and similar events. But some stocks are better investments than others.

Zacks has just released Cybersecurity! An Investor’s Guide to help Zacks.com readers make the most of the $170 billion per year investment opportunity created by hackers and other threats. It reveals 4 stocks worth looking into right away.

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