Zacks Strong Buy Stocks – The Facts

Zacks #1 Strong Buy Stocks

In this article, we’re going to talk about everything you need to know to get started with the Zacks Strong Buy list from Zacks Rank. We’re going to discuss:

Looking for our full Zacks review? CLICK HERE!

What Is Zacks?

Zacks was founded on the idea that earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices. 

In other words, when the net income estimate for a company in any given quarter is raised, that company’s stock will tend to perform well. When the net income estimate for a company is lowered, the stock will tend to underperform.

This has been Zacks’ guiding principle since it was founded, and it’s done extremely well. In fact, Zacks has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 for the past several decades, which we’ll discuss below.

Zacks is a well-respected company with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Zacks logo

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ZACKS INVESTMENT RESEARCH SUMMARY

What You Get:
  • Professional Stock Research Tools
  • Access to the Zacks #1 Strong Buy List
  • FREE Report on 5 Stocks Set to Double
VERIFIED Historical Performance:
  • #1 Strong Buys Have Beat the Market by Over 14%
  • #5 Strong Sells Have Underperformed the Market by 8%
How To Subscribe at the Lowest Price:

What Does #1 Strong Buy Mean?

Zacks uses a special ranking system to evaluate stocks on its Zacks Rank list. The system uses the power of analysis from institutional investors and earnings estimate revisions to produce a list separated into five categories:

  • #1 Strong Buy: Only the top 5% of stocks are rated as Strong Buys. These stocks have strongly outperformed the market.
  • #2 Buy: The next 15% of stocks earn a Buy rating.
  • #3 Hold: The middle 60% of stocks get a Hold rating. These stocks are predicted to mirror the market. (Stocks on the Zacks #3 Hold list have underperformed the S&P 500 by about 0.4% on average.)
  • #4 Sell: The next 15% of stocks are assigned a Sell rating. 
  • #5 Strong Sell: The bottom 5% of stocks get a Strong Sell rating. These stocks usually underperform the market significantly.
Zacks #1 Strong Buy Factors
Source: Zacks


The list utilizes data coming from about 3000 analysts at over 150 brokerage firms. Zacks believes that by compiling data from institutional investors and sharing it on the Zacks platform, it can empower retail investors like you and me to stay one step ahead of the market just like the big firms do.

So, Zacks #1 Strong Buy means that whenever you check the stocks on this list, you can feel pretty reassured that putting together a portfolio of those stocks will help you outperform the market in the long term!

If you’re wondering how to get started with Zacks, the best way to start is to get their FREE report on the 5 Stocks Set to Double, which is a list of some of the best Strong Buys for the month. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FREE REPORT!

Zacks Strong Buy Stocks vs. the S&P 500

Zacks #1 Strong Buy Stats
Source: Zacks

The stocks that are ranked as Strong Buys on the Zacks Rank list have significantly outperformed the S&P 500 in the last few decades. Let’s take a look at the numbers:

Performance of Zacks Rank Stocks

Zacks #1 Strong Buy Performance
Source: Zacks

As you can see, Zacks has been very consistent in its performance. For reference, the S&P 500 has returned an average of 11.3% for the last three decades. That means that the Strong Buy list has more than DOUBLED the market on average!

Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buy vs. the Market

Zacks #1 Strong Buy Graph
Source: Zacks

If you had invested $10,000 in a Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buy portfolio in 1988, your portfolio would now be worth a whopping $20.7 MILLION. On the other hand, if you had invested the same amount of money in the S&P 500, your portfolio would only be worth $350,00. That’s a huge difference!

Zacks has consistently proven itself to be a reliable tool that can help you outperform the market. All you have to do is read the daily newsletter that Zacks will send you and make the necessary changes in your portfolio! To get started with Zacks, you’ll want to check out their free report on the 5 Stocks Set to Double, which includes some of the best Strong Buys that Zacks has to offer. CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED WITH ZACKS STRONG BUY LIST NOW!

How to Access Zacks’ 5 Stocks Set to Double for FREE

In order to gain access to the full list of Zacks #1 Strong Buys, you’ll need a Zacks Premium membership. The Premium membership sets you up with everything you’ll need to strengthen your portfolio, like Premium stock screens and Equity Research Reports. 

If you’re unsure about whether or not Zacks Premium is right for you, you can CLICK HERE TO GET A FREE REPORT ON THE 5 STOCKS SET TO DOUBLE! This report will give you a sneak peek at what the full Zacks #1 Strong Buy list looks like. It’s complete with historical data, industry data, earnings estimates, and analyst commentary. 

On top of that, downloading this free report will give you access to a special offer: 30 days of full access to Zacks Ultimate, only $1. After that, you can choose to cancel your trial or keep your membership with Zacks!

This is how I got started with Zacks. I signed up for the free trial of Zacks Ultimate and immediately loved it. On top of the #1 Strong Buy list, I was able to utilize ALL of the rankings in Zacks Rank, which is super helpful because of the #5 Strong Sell list, which tells me which stocks to avoid. I also used the Equity Research Reports, Focus List Portfolio, Premium screens, and Blockchain Innovators to put together the perfect portfolio for me.

What Other Membership Options Does Zacks Offer?

Zacks offers three different membership plans, each tailored to give you what you need most for your portfolio.

Zacks Premium

Zacks Premium is the least expensive Zacks service. For $249 per year, the Premium plan gives you access to:

  • Equity Research Reports
  • Focus List Portfolio
  • Premium Screens
  • Zacks #1 Rank List
  • Zacks Rank

Feel free to read our full Zacks Premium review.

Zacks Investor Collection

Zacks Investor Collection is meant for long-term investors and comes with its own set of tools and strategies. For $59 per month or $495 per year, you’ll get:

  • Zacks Premium
  • ETF Investor
  • Home Run Investor
  • Income Investor
  • Stocks Under $10
  • Value Investor
  • Zacks Confidential
  • Zacks Top 10 Stocks

Zacks Ultimate

Zacks Ultimate, the highest membership tier, costs $299 per month or $2995 per year. It is meant to give subscribers access to all of Zacks’ portfolio recommendations and investment strategies so that you can choose which one is best for you. Zacks Ultimate members have access to:

  • Zacks Premium
  • Black Box Trader
  • Blockchain Innovators
  • Commodity Innovators
  • Counterstrike
  • ETF Investor
  • Headline Trader
  • Healthcare Innovators
  • Home Run Investor
  • Income Investor
  • Insider Trader
  • Large-Cap Trader
  • Marijuana Innovators
  • Options Trader
  • Short Sell List
  • Stocks Under $10
  • Surprise Trader
  • Value Investor
  • TAZR
  • Technology Innovators
  • Zacks Confidential
  • Zacks Top 10 Stocks

Final Thoughts

When it comes to the quality and reliability of Zacks Strong Buy Stocks, Zacks’ past performance certainly speaks for itself. With a record that shows 26 years outperforming the S&P 500 (usually by a significant margin) out of 31 years, it’s hard to deny that the professionals at Zacks really know what they’re doing. But don’t take our word for it; get your FREE COPY of Zacks 5 Stocks Set to Double and your 30 DAY TRAIL OF ZACKS ULTIMATE!

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Ranking of Top Stock Newsletters Based on Last 3 Years of Stock Picks

We are paid subscribers to dozens of stock newsletters. We actively track every recommendation from all of these services, calculate performance, and share the results of the top performing stock newsletters whose subscriptions fees are under $500. The main metric to look for is "Excess Return" which is their return above that of the S&P500. So, based on last 3 years ending June 29, 2025:

RankStock NewsletterStock
Picks
Average
Return
Excess
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Percent
Profitable
Max %
Return
1.Seeking Alpha logo
Alpha Picks
7663%40%73%969%
Summary: 2 picks/month based on Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating; Retail Price is $499/yr. See details in our Alpha Picks Review.July, 2025 Promotion:
Save $50
2.Moby logo tiny
Moby.co
30843.3%12.3%74%1764%
Summary: 60-150 stock picks per year, segmented by industry; Retail Price is $199/yr. Read our Moby Review.July, 2025 Promotion:Next pick free!
3.Motley Fool logo
Stock Advisor
7241.2%6.9%78%258%
Summary: 2 picks/month and 2 Best Buy Stocks lists focusing on high growth potential stocks over 5 years; Retail Price is $199/yr.
Read our Motley Fool Review.
July, 2025 Promotion: Get $100 Off
4.Zacks logo
Value Investor
3917.5%6.1%38%410%
Summary: 10-25 stock picks per year based on Zacks' Quant Rating; Retail Price is $495/yr. Read our Zacks Review.July, 2025 PROMOTION:$1, then $495/yr
5.Motley Fool logo
Rule Breakers
6640.0%4.7%61%311%
Summary: 2 picks/month focusing on disruptive technology and business models; Lifetime average return of 355% vs S&P500's 149% since 2005; Now part of Motley Fool Epic. Read our Motley Fool Epic Review.Current Promotion: Save $200
6.TipRanks logo
TipRanks SmartInvestor
12110.6%3.7%55%340%
Summary: About 1 pick/week focusing on short term trades; Lifetime average return of 355% vs S&P500's 149% since 2015. Retail Price is $379/yr. Read our TipRanks Review.Current Promotion: Save $180
7.TheStreet logo
Action Alerts Plus
39420.0%3.4%57%220%
Summary: 100-150 trades per year, lots of buying and selling and short term trades. Read our Jim Cramer Review.Current Promotion: None
8.Motley Fool logo
Stock Advisor Canada
3632.3%0.5%69%378%
Summary: 1 pick/month from the Toronto stock exchange; Retail Price is CD$199/yr. Read our Motley Fool Canada Stock Advisor Review.July, 2025 Promotion: Save $100
Top Ranking Stock Newsletters based on their last 3 years of stock picks' performance through May 31, 2025 as compared to S&P500. S&P500's return is based on average return of S&P500 from date each stock pick is released. NOTE: To get these results you must buy equal dollar amounts of each pick on the date the stock pick is released. Investor Business Daily Top 50 based on performance of FFTY ETF.