Beat the Market Like Zacks: Thermo Fisher, Cricut, Shopify in Focus

Oct 5, 2026 2:09 PM · YahooFinance

The three benchmark Wall Street indexes delivered mixed performance for the week ended October 2, 2026. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.26%, while the S&P 500 declined 0.27%. The Nasdaq Composite, however, gained 0.45%.

Stocks faced pressure early in the week as elevated Treasury yields, persistent inflation concerns and expectations for additional Federal Reserve tightening weighed on risk appetite. Uncertainty surrounding the Middle East conflict and higher oil prices further complicated the market outlook, while investors remained cautious ahead of the September employment report.

Sentiment improved sharply Friday after September payroll growth came in well below expectations, reducing the perceived likelihood of an October rate hike. Treasury yields initially declined, supporting equities, although recovering oil prices later limited the market's gains.

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

Shares of Biodesix, Inc. BDSX have gained 25.4% (versus the S&P 500's 0.1% increase) since it was upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) on August 7.

Another stock, Fastly, Inc. FSLY, which was also upgraded to a Rank #2 on August 7, has returned 13.8% since then.

A portfolio of Zacks # 1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks has outperformed the S&P 500 index by 2.3 percentage points this year. Through August 3rd this year, the Zacks # 1 Rank portfolio returned +12.08%, which compares to a +9.78% gain for the S&P 500 index and a +10.41% gain for the equal-weight version of the index in the same time period.

Since its inception in 1988, this portfolio of Zacks # 1 Rank stocks has outperformed the market by 12.4 percentage points. The average annual return for this portfolio of Zacks # 1 Rank stocks since inception in 1988 was +23.9% through August 3rd, which compares to a +11.5% gain for the S&P 500 index and a +11.3% gain for the equal-weight version of the index.

You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 stocks here >>>

Check Biodesix's historical EPS and Sales here>>>

Check Fastly's historical EPS and Sales here>>>

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Shares of Cricut, Inc. CRCT and Precigen, Inc. PGEN have surged 32% and 30.8% (versus the S&P 500's 0.2% fall), respectively, since their Zacks Recommendation was upgraded to Outperform on August 5.

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>>>

Shares of Palantir Technologies Inc. PLTR, which belongs to the Zacks Focus List, have soared 46% over the past 12 weeks. The stock was added to the Focus List on March 26, 2024. Another Focus-List holding, Shopify Inc. SHOP, which was added to the list on September 6, 2022, has returned 26.7% over the past 12 weeks. The S&P 500 has advanced 3.3% over this period.

The 50-stock Focus List portfolio returned +19.86% in the year-to-date period (through August 31, 2026) vs. +13.14% for the S&P 500 index and +15.59% 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 August 31, 2026, the portfolio's rolling returns on a one-year, three-year, five-year, ten-year, and since 2004 have been +28.7% (vs. +20.4% for the S&P 500 index), +24.1% (vs. +21.1%), +13.6% (vs. +12.8%), +17.1% (vs. +15.4%) and +12.7% vs. (+11%), 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 Thermo Fisher & Intercontinental Exchange Gain Significantly

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. TMO, a component of our Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP), has jumped 25.1% over the past 12 weeks. Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. ICE followed Thermo Fisher with 12.9% returns.

The Zacks Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP), which consists of 30 concentrated, ultra-defensive, long-term Buy-and-Hold stocks, returned -9.4% in the first half of 2026 (through June 30th) vs. +10.2% for the S&P 500 index.

For 2025, the portfolio returned -1.67% vs. a +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.

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated DGX, which is part of our Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP), has returned 8.2% over the past 12 weeks. Another ECDP stock, Fastenal Company FAST, has climbed 4.4% 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 Quest Diagnostics' dividend history here>>>

Check Fastenal'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 -1.7% in the first half of 2026 (through June 30th) vs. +10.2% for the S&P 500 index and +9.03% for the Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL).

The portfolio returned -0.6% in 2025 vs. a +6.8% gain for the Dividend Aristocrats 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.

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. MPWR, from the Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2025, has jumped 53.8% since January 5, 2026, compared with the S&P 500 Index's 12.7% increase.

The Top 10 portfolio returned +15% in the year-to-date 2026 period (through August 31st) vs. +12.9% for the S&P 500 index and +14.8% 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 August 2026, the Top 10 portfolio has produced a cumulative return of +2,881.3% since 2012 vs. +648.5% for the S&P 500 index and +481.7% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio has produced an average annual return of +25.8% in the period 2012 through August 31, 2026, vs. +13.6% for the S&P 500 index and +11.3% for the equal-weight version of the index.

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