So, 2025 is in the rearview mirror, and guess what? Tech stocks and communication companies basically threw a party while everyone else watched from the sidelines. The S&P 500 managed a respectable 16% return, which is like getting a B+ on your report card – not bad, but your parents still ask why it wasn’t an A.
Now here’s where it gets interesting: Wall Street analysts just dropped their 2026 predictions, and spoiler alert – they’re still obsessed with the same sectors that made them money last year. According to FactSet’s deep dive into nearly 13,000 stocks, analysts are handing out “Buy” ratings like candy on Halloween, with 57.5% of stocks getting the thumbs up.
The Popular Kids Table
Information Technology is still the prom king with 67% buy ratings, followed by Energy at 65% (because apparently oil is cool again), and Communication Services at 64%. It’s like high school all over again – the same clique dominates while everyone else fights for scraps.
Meanwhile, Consumer Staples is sitting in the corner with only 44% buy ratings, probably wondering why nobody wants to invest in toilet paper and cereal anymore. Utilities isn’t doing much better at 48% – turns out “steady and boring” isn’t exactly what gets investors excited these days.
The Teacher’s Pets
Want to know which stock has a perfect 100% buy rating? Qnity Electronics – a company that makes the guts for semiconductor chips. It’s like being the kid who always gets picked first for dodgeball, except with way more money involved.
The usual suspects are also crushing it: Microsoft (98% buy), Amazon (96% buy), and Meta (92% buy). These companies are basically the financial equivalent of that friend who always lands on their feet, no matter what chaos is happening around them.
The Detention Hall
On the flip side, some stocks are getting the cold shoulder. Expeditors International leads the “most likely to be sold” list with 44% sell ratings. It’s like being voted “most likely to be unfriended” in the yearbook – not exactly the recognition you want.
T. Rowe Price is having an especially rough time with 33% sell ratings and exactly zero buy recommendations. That’s the financial equivalent of showing up to a party where nobody wants to talk to you.
The Reality Check
Here’s the thing though – analyst ratings are like weather forecasts. They’re educated guesses based on current conditions, but sometimes it rains when they said it would be sunny. These ratings reflect short-term thinking, and we all know the market loves to do the exact opposite of what everyone expects.
The smart money? Do your own homework. These ratings are a starting point, not a finish line. Because at the end of the day, investing is less about following the crowd and more about understanding what you’re buying and why.
Just remember: past performance doesn’t guarantee future results, but it does make for some interesting dinner party conversations.