3 Stocks With Upgraded Broker Ratings to Buy Amid Bear Markets

Given the current bearish investor sentiments, it’s not easy for individual investors to pick stocks independently and generate solid returns. Persistent macroeconomic and geopolitical factors remain major concerns. So, selecting stocks can become very difficult.

How does one choose the right stocks? One way is to follow rating upgrades by brokers. In this regard, stocks like PBF Energy Inc. PBF, Suncor Energy Inc. SU and ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. ZIM are worth considering.

Brokers have more insight into what’s happening at a particular company as they directly communicate with management. Also, they have a better understanding of the overall industry and the economy.

Brokers go through a company’s publicly available financial statements, listen to conference calls and talk directly with the top brass. They even interact with customers to gauge what they like or dislike about the products and services offered by the company.

Therefore, after detailed research, brokers decide to rate a particular company’s stock. Indeed, when brokers upgrade a stock, one can easily rely on it. Yet, merely depending on brokers’ upgrades is not the correct way to build your investment portfolio. One must also take into consideration other factors to ensure robust returns.

Selecting the Winning Strategy

We have a screening strategy that will help you in your search for potential winners:

Broker Rating Upgrades (four weeks) of 1% or more: The screen selects stocks that have witnessed broker rating upgrades of 1% or more over the last four weeks.

Current Price greater than $5: The stocks must be trading above $5.

Average 20-day Volume greater than 100,000: A large trading volume guarantees that the stock is easily tradable.

Zacks Rank equal to #1 or 2: No matter whether market conditions are good or bad, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) have a proven record of success. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

VGM Score of A or B: Our research shows that stocks with a VGM Score of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 offer the best upside potential.

Here are the three stocks that qualified the screening:

PBF Energy, based in Parsippany, NJ, is a leading refiner of crude. Through five oil refineries and associated infrastructure in the United States, PBF provides end products that comprise heating oil, transportation fuels, lubricants and many related products.

PBF Energy’s 2022 earnings are projected to surge 371.6%. The stock, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 at present, has witnessed a 10% upward revision in broker ratings over the past four weeks.

Alberta-based Suncor Energy is Canada's premier integrated energy company. SU's operations include oil sands development and upgrading, conventional and offshore crude oil and gas production, petroleum refining and product marketing.

The company’s earnings for 2022 are expected to jump 191.2%. Suncor Energy, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1, has witnessed an 8.3% upward revision in broker ratings over the past four weeks.

Israel-based ZIM Integrated Shipping provides container shipping and related services in Israel and internationally. ZIM provides door-to-door and port-to-port transportation services for various types of customers, including end users, consolidators and freight forwarders.

ZIM Integrated Shipping’s 2022 earnings are projected to rise 3.8%. The stock, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, has witnessed a 20% upward revision in broker ratings over the past four weeks.

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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: https://www.zacks.com/performance

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