Stocks to buy ahead of earnings, Bank of America says
Bank of America named a slew of stocks that are best positioned heading into earnings. The Wall Street investment bank says companies like Amazon are compelling, with more room to run. Other buy-rated names screened by CNBC Pro include: Brookdale, Corning, Vertiv and Carvana. Amazon Analyst Justin Post says Amazon Web Services growth will be an important metric to watch for the e-commerce giant in the quarters ahead. “We believe Amazon’s valuation reflects uncertainty on AWS positioning, which has the potential to improve in 2026 if AWS revenue growth accelerates, and the company strengthens its relative AI capabilities,” he wrote. Post urged investors to remain calm and accumulate shares. The firm says Amazon is best positioned for multiple expansion as it ramps up use of AI. “Meanwhile, Retail continues to execute on efficiencies and Amazon’s profit growth should outpace Mega-Cap peers,” he said. Amazon is scheduled to report earnings later this month and shares are up 3% this year. Brookdale Senior Living The senior housing company was recently upgraded to buy from underperform by the firm. Analyst Joanna Gajuk says Brookdale is best positioned to capitalize on an aging boom over the next several years. “Improving low-occupancy units and the operating leverage on the high-occupancy ones should fuel 15%+ annual Adj EBITDA growth over the next several years,” she wrote. Gajuk raised her price target on the stock to $13 per share from $6.75 and says she likes the company’s minimal exposure to government payors, too. “Industry tailwinds + better portfolio = upgrade to Buy,” she said. Brookdale shares are up nearly 13% this year and the company is scheduled to report earnings in late February. Carvana The used car company is firing on all cylinders and is best positioned for growth, according to the firm. In a note to clients, analyst Michael McGovern praised the company’s innovation as it takes on new initiatives like acquiring physical auto dealerships. “We expect CVNA’s efforts in New Cars to remain a small piece of the overall pie near-term, but still like TAM [total addressable market] expansion as a 2026 catalyst,” he wrote. The firm also raised its price target to $515 per share from $455 as earnings loom in late February. “The company remains in growth mode, with best-in-class eCommerce growth driven by market expansion and greater penetration in existing markets,” he went on to say. The stock is up 6% this year. Corning “Our Buy rating on Corning is based on glass supply and demand remaining in balance and glass price declines remaining moderate while the Optical market benefits from a cyclical recovery of carrier spending and a secular benefit from Gen AI. Corning has a strong capital return program.” Vertiv “We view Vertiv as benefitting near-term from a margin recovery, and improving FCF generation. Artificial intelligence adoption within data centers adds incremental demand for Vertiv’s thermal management products. Pricing benefits from capacity constraints for data center infrastructure products.” Brookdale Senior Living “Industry tailwinds + better portfolio = upgrade to Buy. … Improving low-occupancy units and the operating leverage on the high-occupancy ones should fuel 15%+ annual Adj EBITDA growth over the next several years.” Amazon “We believe Amazon’s valuation reflects uncertainty on AWS positioning, which has the potential to improve in 2026 if AWS revenue growth accelerates, and the company strengthens its relative AI capabilities. … Meanwhile, Retail continues to execute on efficiencies and Amazon’s profit growth should outpace Mega-Cap peers.” Carvana “We expect CVNA’s efforts in New Cars to remain a small piece of the overall pie near-term, but still like TAM [total addressable market] expansion as a 2026 catalyst. … The company remains in growth mode, with best-in-class eCommerce growth driven by market expansion and greater penetration in existing markets.”
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