The stock market has charged to new all-time highs in the first full week of May.
Wall Street is celebrating the upbeat first quarter earnings season, which cements the bull case. Growth is happening across most of the economy, highlighted by surging spending throughout the broader AI ecosystem.
Investors are also more sanguine about what’s next in the Middle East. This backdrop, along with the rapid market comeback, shows why investors should consider adding exposure to the market in the early days of May.
Let’s explore how you can use a Zacks screen to help find some of the best Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks out of a group of over 200 highly-ranked companies to consider buying now and throughout May.
Zacks Rank Basics
Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks outperform the market in good and bad times. However, there are over 200 stocks that earn a Zacks Rank #1 at any given time.
Therefore, it’s helpful to understand how to apply filters to the Zacks Rank in order to narrow the list down to a more manageable and tradable set of stocks.
"Strong Buy" Stock Screen Parameters
There are only three items on this screen. But together, these three filters can result in some impressive returns.
• Zacks Rank equal to 1
Starting with a Zacks Rank #1 is often a strong jumping off point because it boasts an average annual return of roughly 24.4% per year since 1988.
• % Change (Q1) Est. over 4 Weeks greater than 0
Positive current quarter estimate revisions over the last four weeks.
• % Broker Rating Change over 4 Week equal to Top # 5
Top 5 stocks with the best average broker rating changes over the last four weeks.
This strategy comes loaded with the Research Wizard and is called bt_sow_filtered zacks rank5. It can be found in the SoW (Screen of the Week) folder.
Here is one of the five stocks that qualified for the Filtered Zacks Rank 5 strategy today…
Buy Soaring "Strong Buy" GRC Stock for Growth and Value
The Gorman-Rupp Company GRC designs, manufactures, and markets pumps and pump systems. The company’s leading portfolio of offerings spans water, wastewater, construction, dewatering, industrial, petroleum, original equipment, agriculture, fire suppression, HVAC, and beyond.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
GRC has grown its GAAP and adjusted earnings at impressive rates over the last several years. Gorman-Rupp posted a large beat-and-raise first quarter 2026 report on April 23.
The company posted record earnings and expanded its margins, driven by “pricing actions, a favorable product mix, improved leverage across labor, overhead, and SG&A, and efficient execution across our operations.”
The company’s consensus EPS estimates jumped 12% for 2026 and 2027 since its release to earn the stock a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Gorman-Rupp is projected to grow its revenue by 6.5% this year and 4.5% next year to help boost its adjusted earnings by 22% and 12%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
GRC stock has soared 210% in the past three years to blow away its industry’s 45% charge and the S&P 500’s 84%. This impressive run includes a 62% YTD jump that’s pushed it to new highs and into a new trading range.
Despite trading at new highs in terms of price, Gorman-Rupp trades at a 15% discount to its highs at 27.9X forward 12-month earnings. The company also pays a dividend.
Get the rest of the stocks on this list and start looking for the newest companies that fit these criteria. It's easy to do. And it could help you find your next big winner. Start screening for these companies today with a free trial to the Research Wizard. You can do it.
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Disclosure: 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.
Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: www.zacks.com/performance_disclosure
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See the Stocks It’s Turning Up Today >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
