E-Commerce Powers Holiday Sales: 4 Stocks With Upside for 2026

E-Commerce Performance - The 2025 holiday shopping season set records, with e-commerce leading the retail sector, highlighted by Cyber Monday generating $14.25 billion in sales, a 7.1% increase year over year [1] - Black Friday online sales reached $11.8 billion, marking a 9.1% growth, while the total online spending during Cyber Week was $44.2 billion, up 7.7% from 2024 [1] - Total online sales for the holiday season are projected to reach $253.4 billion from November through December, making it the first quarter-trillion-dollar holiday season [1] Delivery Infrastructure - The e-commerce boom has significantly benefited logistics companies, with FedEx and Amazon experiencing volume increases of 5-8% during the holiday season, handling approximately 2.3 billion packages [2] - Delivery performance was strong, with FedEx achieving a 98.3% on-time rate, UPS at 98.9%, and USPS at 97.2% during Cyber Week [2] - Amazon's logistics network is now comparable to traditional carriers, offering same-day and next-day delivery services as standard [2] Technology Trends - Mobile commerce accounted for 57.5% of Cyber Monday purchases, while artificial intelligence influenced $9.3 billion in global online sales [3] - A FedEx survey indicated that 97% of large U.S. retailers are utilizing AI tools for various operational enhancements [3] Future Outlook - 98% of global e-commerce brands anticipate growth in international order volume in 2026, with the worldwide e-commerce market expected to reach around $7 trillion [4] - Key priorities for 2026 include improving delivery speed, expanding into new markets, and reducing fulfillment costs while leveraging AI for logistics optimization [4] Investment Opportunities - Companies such as Expedia, GigaCloud Technology, Fiverr International, and Amazon are identified as strong investment opportunities for 2026, each holding a Zacks Rank of either 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) [5] - GigaCloud Technology has seen a 120.1% increase in market performance over the past six months, while Expedia and Amazon have also shown significant gains [6] Company-Specific Highlights - Expedia reported strong Q3 2025 results with an adjusted EPS of $7.57 and 12% gross bookings growth, raising its full-year guidance for bookings growth to 7% [9] - GigaCloud Technology announced a new 617,000-square-foot fulfillment center and an acquisition to enhance its distribution capabilities, with a strong balance sheet supporting its growth [10] - Fiverr International reported a record Q3 2025 adjusted EBITDA of $24.2 million, with a 22.4% margin, and is well-positioned to benefit from the growing demand for AI-driven services [11] - Amazon's ambitious $35 billion expansion plan in India and advancements in AI technology position it strongly for continued growth in digital commerce and cloud computing [12][14]