Take the Zacks Approach to Beat the Markets: Mirion Technologies, Avino Silver & Gold Mines, Quanta Services in Focus

Last week, the three most widely followed U.S. indexes — the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Nasdaq Composite, and the S&P 500 — suffered losses of 1.32%, 0.94% and 0.48%, respectively. Escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East between Israel and Iran have sparked fear among investors. Additionally, trade policy uncertainty, along with the impact of tariffs on future prices, remains a significant factor influencing the economic outlook.  Lower-than-expected inflation and a cooling labor market provided some optimism.Both the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) have shown progress toward achieving the Fed's 2.0% inflation target. CPI and PPI have both increased by 0.1% for the month of May. On a year-on-year basis, the CPI rose by 2.4%, whereas the PPI advanced 2.6% last month after rising 2.3% and 2.5%, respectively, in April. The significant escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly due to airstrikes between Israel and Iran, has led to a sharp surge in oil prices, raising concerns about potential inflationary pressures down the line. The U.S. labor market added 139,000 jobs in May, down from 193,000 a year ago. The unemployment rate held steady at 248,000, and wage growth was 3.9% year over year.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:Mirion Technologies and Oatly Following Zacks Rank UpgradeShares of Mirion Technologies, Inc. MIR have gained 42.8% (versus the S&P 500’s 11% increase) since it was upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) on April 16.Another stock, Oatly Group AB OTLY, which was upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 on April 14, has returned 37% (versus the S&P 500’s 11.7% increase) since then.Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks returned +6.51% in May 2025, which compares to +4.47% for the S&P 500 index and +4.12% for the equal-weight version of the index. This follows the Zacks Rank # 1 stocks’ +17.96% return in April vs. +15.04% for the S&P 500 index. This hypothetical portfolio has returned -2.59% in 2025 (through June 2) vs. -1.12% for the S&P 500 index and -4.41% for the equal-weight version of the index. This portfolio returned +22.4% in 2024, vs. +28% for the S&P 500 index and +19.9% for the equal-weight version of the S&P 500 index.This hypothetical portfolio returned +20.65% in 2023 vs. +24.83% for the S&P 500 index and +15% for the equal-weight S&P 500 index.The Zacks Model Portfolio - consisting of Zacks Rank #1 stocks – has outperformed the S&P index by more than 12 percentage points since 1988 (through June 2, 2025, the Zacks # 1 Rank stocks generated an annualized average return of +23.5% vs. +11% for the S&P 500 index).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 stocks here >>>Check Mirion Technologies’ historical EPS and Sales here>>>Check Oatly’s historical EPS and Sales here>>>Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchZacks Recommendation Upgrades Avino Silver & Gold and Comfort Systems USAShares of Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. ASM and Comfort Systems USA, Inc. FIX have advanced 81.6% (versus the S&P 500’s 16.2% increase) and 38.5% (versus the S&P 500’s 11.5% increase) since their Zacks Recommendation was upgraded to Outperform on April 22 and April 24, respectively.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 Quanta Services, Casey's General Stores Shoot UpShares of Quanta Services, Inc. PWR, which belongs to the Zacks Focus List, have gained 37.4% over the past 12 weeks. The stock was added to the Focus List on December 23, 2021. Another Focus-List holding, Casey's General Stores, Inc. CASY, which was added to the portfolio on August 20, 2019, has returned 27.9% over the past 12 weeks. The S&P 500 has dipped 6.1% over this period.The 50-stock Focus List portfolio returned +6.33% in April 2025 vs. +6.29% for the S&P 500 index and -5.01% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio had returned -0.27% in April 2025 (vs. -0.68% for the S&P 500 index) and -3.63% in March 2025 (vs. -5.63% for the S&P 500 index). Year to date, the Focus List portfolio has returned +2.90% (through May 31st, 2025) vs. +1.07% for the S&P 500 index and -7.74% 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%.The portfolio leads the broader market over the preceding one, three, five and 10-year periods. These annualized return comparisons are: +15.39% for the Focus List vs. +13.54% for the index over the one-year period, +16.56% vs. +14.41% over the 3-year period, +17.01% vs. +15.94% over the 5-year period, and +13.12% vs. +12.86% over the 10-year period. Since 2004, the Focus List portfolio has produced an annualized return of +11.60% (through the end of May 2025). This compares to a +10.22% annualized return for the S&P 500 index and +9.41% for the equal-weight version of the index in the same time period.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 Intuit & Cencora Make Significant GainsIntuit Inc. INTU, a component of our Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP), has jumped 25.9% over the past 12 weeks. Cencora COR has followed Intuit with 14.5% returns.The Zacks Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP), which consists of 30 concentrated, ultra-defensive, long-term Buy-and-Hold stocks, returned +3.20% in the first quarter of 2025 vs. the S&P 500 index’s -4.30% decline (SPY ETF). 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 Fastenal and Quest Diagnostics Outperform PeersFastenal Company FAST, which is part of our Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP), has returned 12.1% over the past 12 weeks. Another ECDP stock, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated DGX, has increased 5.9% 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 Fastenal’s dividend history here>>>Check Quest Diagnostics' 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 to significantly mitigate risk.The Zacks Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP) returned +5.74% in 2025 Q1 vs. the S&P 500 index’s -2.41% pullback and the Dividend Aristocrats ETF’s (NOBL) +3.11% return. 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 MasTec Delivers Solid ReturnsMasTec, Inc. MTZ, from the Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2025, has jumped 19.1% year to date, compared with the S&P 500 index’s 1.9% increase.The Top 10 portfolio returned -7.88% this year (through the end of April 2025) vs. -4.92% for the S&P 500 index and -2.88% 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.Since 2012, the Top 10 portfolio has produced a cumulative return of +1832.3% through the end of April 2025 vs. +434.2% for the S&P 500 index and +338.6% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio has produced an average return of +24.3% in the period 2012 through April 30, 2025, vs. +11.6% for the S&P 500 index and +9.58% for the equal-weight version of the index.Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant 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 Mirion Technologies, Inc. (MIR): Free Stock Analysis Report Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR): Free Stock Analysis Report Fastenal Company (FAST): Free Stock Analysis Report Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX): Free Stock Analysis Report Intuit Inc. (INTU): Free Stock Analysis Report Cencora, Inc. (COR): Free Stock Analysis Report Casey's General Stores, Inc. (CASY): Free Stock Analysis Report Comfort Systems USA, Inc. (FIX): Free Stock Analysis Report MasTec, Inc. (MTZ): Free Stock Analysis Report Avino Silver (ASM): Free Stock Analysis Report ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL): ETF Research Reports Oatly Group AB Sponsored ADR (OTLY): 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