ZACKS·2025-12-31 16:36Core Insights - The year 2025 began with strong optimism for stock prices, but this was quickly challenged by low-cost AI initiatives from China, tariff issues, high inflation, and elevated interest rates [1] - Investor sentiment improved midyear as trade tensions eased and the Federal Reserve cut interest rates three times, but a U.S. government shutdown and concerns over AI sector valuations dampened enthusiasm [2] Investment Opportunities - Despite market volatility, investing in stocks remains viable; following broker recommendations and maintaining a watchlist of broker-favorite stocks can be beneficial [3][4] - A screening strategy was developed to identify stocks with improving broker recommendations and upward earnings estimate revisions, utilizing the price/sales ratio as a complementary valuation metric [5][6] Stock Highlights - Bunge Global SA (BG) is undergoing a strategic overhaul with the Viterra merger to enhance global scale and long-term returns; it has surpassed earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters with an average beat of 11.75% [8][9] - Air Canada (ACDVF) has seen a 98.9% increase in earnings estimates for 2026 due to strong travel demand and lower fuel costs, surpassing earnings estimates in two of the last four quarters [9][10] - Adient (ADNT), a major automotive seating supplier, has a strong market position with a 23.62% average earnings beat over the last four quarters [11] - Arrow Electronics (ARW) has a projected EPS growth rate of 10.7% over the next 3-5 years and has consistently surpassed earnings estimates, with an average beat of 14.6% [12][13] - ChargePoint Holdings (CHPT) is a leader in EV charging, recently launching a next-gen software platform; its earnings estimates for fiscal 2026 and 2027 suggest year-over-year improvements of 32.4% and 35.8%, respectively [14][15]