The bull case for another blockbuster year on Wall Street remains firmly in place in 2026.
Even though lower interest rates and strong earnings growth signal that stocks are set to climb again, there are signs that pockets of the market are a bit overheated right now, especially the AI names.
Check out the Zacks Earnings Calendarto stay ahead of market-moving news.
With this in mind, let’s dive into how investors can screen for the best Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) value stocks to add to their portfolios now and throughout 2026.
The screen we are digging into today comes loaded with the Research Wizard and aims to sort through highly-ranked Zacks stocks to find some of the top value names.
This value-focused screen searches only for stocks that boast Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buys) or #2 (Buys). It also focuses on stocks with price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios under the median for its industry. The screen also looks for stocks with price-to-sales (P/S) ratios under the median for its industry to help lock in relative value compared to its peers, since basing it off the wider market is not always the most useful tool.
The screen then digs into quarterly earnings rates above the median for its industry. This particular Zacks screen also uses a special blend of upgrades and estimates revisions to select the best seven stocks in this list.
The screen basics are listed below…
· Only Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy) Stocks
· P/E (using 12-month EPS) – Under the Median for its Industry
· P/S – Under the Median for its Industry
· Percentage Change Act. EPS Q(0)/Q(-1)
· Rating Change and Revisions Factors (to help narrow the list to the 7 best stocks in this list)
This strategy comes loaded with the Research Wizard and it is called bt_sow_value_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…
Cirrus Logic CRUSis a fabless semiconductor company specializing in low-power, high-precision mixed-signal processing solutions for audio, haptics, power management, and other features in mobile and consumer electronics. The bull case for Cirrus Logic hinges on its continued expansion across automotive, laptops and tablets, smartphones, wearables, and beyond.
Cirrus Logic posted 6% sales growth in its fiscal 2025 (period ended in March 2025) and 22% GAAP earnings expansion. The firm is projected to post solid earnings growth again in FY26.
On top of that, its earnings revisions have surged for FY26 and FY27 over the last few months, with its 2027 estimate 9% higher.
Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
“We were pleased with our continued momentum in the PC market as we secured our first mainstream consumer laptop design, expanded our collaboration with leading PC platform vendors, and further developed new products with enhanced audio and voice capture capabilities…”
“Additionally, we saw increased customer interest across our latest general market products that target the professional audio, industrial, automotive, and imaging end markets,” CEO John Forsyth said in a Q2 FY26 statement.
Cirrus Logic posted 6% sales growth in its fiscal 2025 (period ended in March 2025) and 22% GAAP earnings expansion. The firm is projected to post solid earnings growth again in FY26.
On top of that, its earnings revisions have surged for FY26 and FY27 over the last few months, with its 2027 estimate 9% higher.
Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The tech company’s most accurate estimates also came in well above consensus.
Cirrus Logic’s upward earnings revisions earn CRUS a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) right now. It has also crushed our bottom line estimates by an average of 32% in the past four quarters.
Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CRUS stock has climbed nearly 1,400% in the past 20 years to top the Zacks Tech sector’s 870%. It has underperformed over the past 10 years. But Cirrus Logic is now neck-and-neck with Tech in the past 12 months. Its average Zacks price target offers 14% upside from its current levels.
On the valuation front, it trades at a 50% discount to its 15-year highs and a 30% discount to Tech at 19.3X forward 12-month earnings. This backdrop makes Cirrus Logic a compelling technology stock to consider buying for growth and, more importantly, value. Wall Street loves the stock as well, with six of the eight brokerage recommendations Zacks has at “Strong Buys.”
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.
Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.
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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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