Take the Zacks Approach to Beat the Markets: Citigroup, Seanergy, PepsiCo in Focus

Last Friday, all three Wall Street benchmark stock indexes registered a week of gains. The tech-focused Nasdaq, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 6.8%, 4.5% and 3.2%, respectively.The rally was heavily influenced by developments in the Iran conflict, as easing tensions and emerging ceasefire signals reduced fears of a broader regional war. Concerns over potential disruption to global oil supply, especially via the Strait of Hormuz, had earlier weighed on sentiment, but signs of stabilization triggered relief across financial markets.As geopolitical risk premiums faded, oil prices and Treasury yields declined, improving liquidity conditions and boosting risk appetite. Investors rotated back into equities, particularly growth and technology stocks, while systematic buying amplified gains across the major indexes.Regardless of market conditions, we, here at Zacks, provide investors with unbiased guidance on how to beat the market. As usual, Zacks Research guided investors over the past three months with its time-tested methodologies. Given the prevailing market uncertainty, you may want to look at our feats to prepare better for your next action.Here are some of our key achievements:Seanergy Maritime and Sabra Health Surge Following Zacks Rank UpgradeShares of Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp SHIP have gained 35.9% (versus the S&P 500’s 2.3% increase) since it was upgraded to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) on February 10.Another stock, Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc. SBRA, which was upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) on February 11, has returned 8% (versus the S&P 500’s 2.6% increase) since then.An equal-weight portfolio of Zacks Rank # 1 (Strong Buy) stocks outperformed the equal-weight S&P 500 index by 7.7 percentage points in the year-to-date 2026 period (through March 3rd, 2026); The Zacks Rank #1 stocks returned +6.57% through March 3rd, while the equal-weight S&P 500 index lost -1.14% of its value. In 2025, this hypothetical equal-weight portfolio returned +17.81% vs. +10.85% for the index, while performance comparison was +22.4% vs. +13.7% in 2024. Over the preceding 10-year period (2016 through 2025), this portfolio of qual-weight Zacks Rank #1 stocks outperformed the equal-weight S&P 500 index by more than 7 percentage points (+18.55% vs. +11.65%).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 stocks here >>>Check Seanergy’s historical EPS and Sales here>>>Check Sabra’s historical EPS and Sales here>>>Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchZacks Recommendation Upgrades EuroDry and FortiveShares of EuroDry Ltd. EDRY and Fortive Corporation FTV have surged 61% and 8.1% (versus the S&P 500’s 4.2% rise), respectively, since their Zacks Recommendation was upgraded to Outperform on February 13.While the Zacks Rank is our short-term rating system that is most effective over the one- to three-month holding horizon, the Zacks Recommendation aims to predict performance over the next 6 to 12 months. However, just like the Zacks Rank, the foundation for the Zacks Recommendation is trends in earnings estimate revisions.The Zacks Recommendation classifies stocks into three groups — Outperform, Neutral and Underperform. While these recommendations are determined quantitatively, our analysts have the flexibility to override them for the 1100+ stocks they closely follow based on their better judgment of factors such as valuation, industry conditions and management effectiveness than the quantitative model.To access our research reports with Zacks Recommendations for the 1100+ stocks we cover, click here>>>Zacks Focus List Stocks Celanese, Quanta Services Shoot UpShares of Celanese Corporation CE, which belongs to the Zacks Focus List, have gained 40.24% over the past 12 weeks. The stock was added to the Focus List on December 5, 2016. Another Focus-List holding, Quanta Services, Inc. PWR, which was added to the portfolio on December 23, 2021, has returned 29.9% over the past 12 weeks. The S&P 500 has advanced 4.8% over this period. The 50-stock Focus List portfolio returned +6.65% in 2026 (through February 28th) vs. +0.68% for the S&P 500 index and +7.06% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio returned +22.1% in 2025 vs. +17.9% for the S&P 500 index and +11.4% for the equal-weight version of the index. The Zacks Focus List portfolio returned +18.41% in 2024 vs. +25.04% for the S&P 500 index and +13% for the equal-weight S&P 500 index. The portfolio had returned +29.54% in 2023 vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index and +13.61% for the equal-weight S&P 500 index. In 2022, the portfolio returned -15.2% vs. the S&P 500 index’s -17.96%.Through February 28th, 2026, the portfolio’s rolling returns on a one-year, three-year, five-year, ten-year, and since 2004 have been +29.35% (vs. +17% for the S&P 500 index), +23.13% (vs. +21.81%), +14.15% (vs. +14.19%), +16.79% (vs. +15.50%) and +12.38% vs. (+10.66%), respectively.Unlock all of our powerful research, tools and analysis, including the Focus List, Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research Reports, Zacks Earnings ESP Filter, Premium Screener and more, as part of Zacks Premium. Gain full access now >>Zacks ECAP Stocks Walmart & PepsiCo Gain SignificantlyWalmart Inc. WMT, a component of our Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP), has jumped 7.4% over the past 12 weeks. PepsiCo, Inc. PEP followed Walmart with 6.8% returns.The Zacks Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP), which consists of 30 concentrated, ultra-defensive, long-term Buy-and-Hold stocks, returned -2.3% in the fourth quarter of 2025 vs. the S&P 500 index’s +2.7% gain (SPY ETF). For 2025 as a whole, the portfolio returned -1.67% vs. +17.9% gain for the S&P 500 index.For the year 2024, the portfolio returned +16.26% vs. +24.89% for the S&P 500 index (SPY ETF). In 2023, the portfolio returned +12.17% vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index. The portfolio returned -4.7% in 2022 vs. the S&P 500 index’s -17.96%.With little to no turnover and annual rebalance periodicity, ECAP seeks to minimize capital loss by holding shares of companies whose earnings streams exhibit a proven 20+ year track record of surviving recessionary periods with minimal impact on aggregate earnings growth relative to the overall S&P 500.The ECAP and many other model portfolios are available as part of Zacks Advisor Tools, a cloud-based solution to access Zacks award-winning stock, mutual fund and ETF research. Click here to schedule a demo.Zacks ECDP Stocks Public Storage and Quest Outperform PeersPublic Storage PSA, which is part of our Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP), has returned 8.4% over the past 12 weeks. Another ECDP stock, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated DGX, has climbed 3.2% over the same time frame. Of course, the inclination of investors toward quality dividend stocks to secure an income stream amid heightened market volatility contributed to this performance.Check Public Storage’s dividend history here>>> Check Quest’s dividend history here>>>With an extremely low beta and a history of minimum earnings variability over the last 20+ years, this 25-stock portfolio helps significantly mitigate risk.The Zacks Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP) returned -2.1% in 2025 Q4 vs. the S&P 500 index’s +2.7% gain and the Dividend Aristocrats ETF’s (NOBL) +1.6% return. For 2025, the portfolio returned -0.6% vs. +6.8% gain for the Dividend Aristocrat ETF. For the full year 2024, the portfolio returned +6.95% vs. +24.89% for the S&P 500 index and +6.72% for NOBL. The portfolio returned -0.9% in 2023 vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index and +8.11% for NOBL. The portfolio returned -2.3% in 2022 vs. -17.96% for the S&P 500 index and -8.34% for NOBL.Click here to access this portfolio on Zacks Advisor Tools.  Zacks Top 10 Stock Citigroup Delivers Solid ReturnsCitigroup Inc. C, from the Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2025, has jumped 11.4% since January 5, 2026, against the S&P 500 Index’s 4% increase.The Top 10 portfolio retuned +10.5% in 2026 (through February 28th) vs. +0.5% for the S&P 500 index and +6.3% for the equal-weight version of the index. The Top 10 portfolio returned +22.6% in 2025 vs. +17.9% for the S&P 500 index and +11.4% for the equal-weight version of the index.The Top 10 portfolio returned +62.98% in 2024, vs. +25.04% for the S&P 500 index and +13% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio had returned +25.15% in 2023 vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index.Through the end of February 2026, the Top 10 portfolio has produced a cumulative return of +2,761.6% since 2012 vs. +564.8% for the S&P 500 index and +435% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio has produced an average annual return of +26.4% in the period 2012 through February 28th, 2026 vs. +13% for the S&P 500 index and +11% for the equal-weight version of the index.Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge GainsQuantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power.Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks