Zacks.com featured highlights include Micron, Hilltop Holdings, Casey's, Agnico Eagle Mines and Dollar General

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – January 21, 2026 – Stocks in this week’s article are Micron Technology MU, Hilltop Holdings HTH, Casey’s General Stores CASY, Agnico Eagle Mines AEM and Dollar General DG.5 Stocks with Strong Relative Price Strength to Start 2026The new year opens with confidence after another strong stretch for U.S. stocks. Markets are coming off a third straight year of solid gains, supported by easing inflation, a steady economy and expectations that interest rates will trend lower over time. Add the continued push from artificial intelligence, and investors see reasons to believe the market’s momentum can extend rather than fade.Recent data has been mixed but encouraging. Factory activity has held up better than expected, even as housing shows some cooling. Earnings season is also ramping up, keeping the focus on company-level performance. Trade headlines and tariff threats have added short-term pressure, reminding investors that volatility is never far away. Still, markets tend to look past near-term noise and price in what lies ahead.In this environment, relative price strength makes sense. Stocks already outperforming the broader market often continue to lead, offering a practical way to stay aligned with strength as the year unfolds.At this stage, investors would be wise to consider companies such as Micron Technology, Hilltop Holdings, Casey’s General Stores, Agnico Eagle Mines and Dollar General.Relative Price Strength StrategyInvestors generally gauge a stock’s potential returns by examining earnings growth and valuation multiples. At the same time, it’s essential to measure the performance of such a stock relative to its industry, peers, or an appropriate benchmark.If you see that a stock is underperforming on fundamental factors, it would be prudent to move on and find a better alternative. However, those outperforming their respective sectors in terms of price should be selected because they stand a better chance of providing considerable returns.Then again, it is imperative that you determine whether or not an investment has relevant upside potential when considering stocks with significant relative price strength. Stocks delivering better than the S&P 500 for 1 to 3 months, at least, and having solid fundamentals, indicate room for growth and the best way to go about this strategy.Finally, it is crucial to find out whether analysts are optimistic about the upcoming earnings of these companies. In order to do this, we have added positive estimate revisions for the current quarter’s (Q1) earnings to our screen. When a stock undergoes an upward revision, it leads to additional price gains.Here are five of the 13 stocks that made it through the screen:Micron Technology: Boise, ID-based Micron Technology has established itself as one of the leading worldwide providers of semiconductor memory solutions. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings of the company indicate 297.5% growth. MU has a VGM Score of B.The firm has a market capitalization of over $400 billion. Notably, over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Micron Technology’s fiscal 2026 earnings has surged 91.9%. MU’s shares have gained 243% in a year.Hilltop Holdings: Based in Dallas, TX, the company provides banking, brokerage and advisory services to both consumer and business clients across multiple financial segments. Hilltop Holdings has a market capitalization of more than $2 billion. Hilltop Holdings has a VGM Score of B.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HTH’s 2026 earnings per share indicates 11.3% year-over-year growth. The company beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average being 79.7%. Hilltop Holdings shares have moved up 24% in a year.Casey’s General Stores: Based in Ankeny, IA, the company operates convenience stores under the Casey's and Casey's General Store names in 19 states, mainly Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. CASY’s expected EPS growth rate for three to five years is currently 16.3%, which compares favorably with the industry's growth rate of 10.4%. Casey’s has a VGM Score of B.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CASY’s fiscal 2026 earnings per share indicates 18.8% year-over-year growth. Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the retailer’s fiscal 2026 earnings has moved up from $16.37 per share to $17.39. Casey’s shares have gone up 64% in a year.Agnico Eagle Mines: Agnico Eagle is a gold producer with mining operations in Canada, Mexico and Finland, and exploration activities in Canada, Europe, Latin America and the United States. The company beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average being 11.6%. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, AEM has a VGM Score of B.The firm has a market capitalization of nearly $100 billion. Notably, over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Agnico Eagle’s 2026 earnings has moved up 9.1%. AEM’s shares have more than doubled in a year.Dollar General: Headquartered in Goodlettsville, TN, Dollar General is one of the largest discount retailers in the United States. The company trades in low-priced merchandise typically $10 or less. DG has a market capitalization of nearly $33 billion. It has a VGM Score of A.Notably, over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Dollar General’s fiscal 2026 earnings has moved up 5.4%. DG beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average being 22.9%. Dollar General stock has gained 117% in a year.You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.See Stocks Free >>For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2819740/5-stocks-with-strong-relative-price-strength-to-start-2026Disclosure: 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.About Screen of the WeekZacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine.  But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use.Strong Stocks that Should Be in the NewsMany are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has more than doubled the market from 1988 through 2016. Its average gain has been a stellar +25% per year. See these high-potential stocks free >>.Follow us on Twitter:  https://www.twitter.com/zacksresearchJoin us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ZacksInvestmentResearchZacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.Contact: Jim GiaquintoCompany: Zacks.comPhone: 312-265-9268Email: pr@zacks.comVisit: https://www.zacks.com/Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.Zacks' Research Chief Picks Stock Most Likely to "At Least Double"Our experts have revealed their Top 5 recommendations with money-doubling potential – and Director of Research Sheraz Mian believes one is superior to the others. Of course, all our picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier recommendations like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.See Our Top Stock to Double (Plus 4 Runners Up) >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Dollar General Corporation (DG): Free Stock Analysis Report Micron Technology, Inc. (MU): Free Stock Analysis Report Hilltop Holdings Inc. (HTH): Free Stock Analysis Report Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (AEM): Free Stock Analysis Report Casey's General Stores, Inc. (CASY): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks