Four quiet Q4 winners and what the stocks must do to keep rolling in 2026
Four portfolio stocks have been quiet winners in the fourth quarter. These are not the flashy names that grab all the headlines. Here’s what they need to do to continue their momentum in the new year. BMY mountain 2025-09-30 Bristol Myers since Sept. 30 close Bristol Myers Squibb shares have gained nearly 21% in the fourth quarter. Success in the new year depends on trial readouts for Cobenfy — the schizophrenia drug at the heart of our Bristol Myers investment thesis. While approved for schizophrenia in adults, Cobenfy fell short earlier this year in a trial for using it as an add-on treatment. The company fought through this setback and rewarded patient investors, like us, with a beat-and-raise quarter at the end of October. The stock has been on an upswing since. The next major catalyst for shares in 2026 will be data from a Cobenfy trial for the treatment of Alzheimer’s psychosis. One phase 3 trial update is expected this year, with two additional phase 3 trial readouts expected in 2026. We have our hold equivalent 2 rating on Bristol Myers and a $50 per share price target. CSCO mountain 2025-09-30 Cisco Systems since Sept. 30 close Cisco Systems shares have risen 14% for the quarter and will need to consistently beat estimates and raise guidance to sustain strength. In its fiscal 2026 first quarter, the company reported $1.3 billion in AI infrastructure orders from hyperscaler customers, putting a spotlight on future order growth. On the latest earnings call, CEO Charles Robbins said Cisco anticipates “roughly $3 billion in AI infrastructure revenue from hyperscalers in fiscal year 2026.” We also want to see tangible order acceleration tied to the enterprise networking refresh cycle, an integral piece of Cisco’s core business. One blip for Cisco’s last quarter was its security segment, which missed estimates. That division will definitely need to generate momentum after a soft quarter. We have our 2 rating on Cisco and a $85 price target. DOV mountain 2025-09-30 Dover since Sept. 30 close Growth acceleration is key for Dover heading into 2026. Dover’s shares have jumped about 8% since posting better-than-expected results late October, and up over 19% quarter to date. Dover has a multitude of businesses, including can-making and digital printing. Its vehicle repair and grocery store refrigeration businesses, however, dampened the industrial conglomerate’s growth this year. Mizuho analysts said headwinds in those divisions “are abating and can flip to a tailwind.” Dover also has ties to the buildout of AI data centers, with thermal connectors and heat exchangers to cool server racks and components used in natural gas turbines like the ones Club name GE Vernova builds. We have our buy-equivalent 1 rating on Dover and a $210 price target. DD mountain 2025-09-30 DuPont since Sept. 30 close DuPont is another company that has to beat expectations and elevate its guidance to keep building on its roughly 27% quarter-to-date gains. The stock has been especially viewed as more attractive after it spun off its electronic business, Qnity Electronics . Jim Cramer said at December’s Monthly Meeting that the lesson here is “do not give up on companies that are breaking up.” DuPont, which specializes in health care, water, and diversified industrials, has formally announced plans to buy back $2 billion of its own stock, with $500 million of accelerated share repurchases launched last month. Also, look out for possible mergers and acquisitions, especially in health care and water. We have our 2 rating on DuPont and a $44 price target. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long BMY, CSC, DD, DOV, Q. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
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