Bank of America named a number of stocks best positioned for earnings. Wall Street investment banks say companies like Amazon are attractive and have more room to run. Other buy-rated stocks reviewed by CNBC Pro include Brookdale, Corning, Vertiv, and Carvana. Amazon analyst Justin Post says Amazon Web Services’ growth will be a key metric to watch for the e-commerce giant over the next few quarters. “We believe Amazon’s valuation reflects uncertainty about AWS’s positioning, which could improve in 2026 if AWS’s revenue growth accelerates and the company strengthens its relative AI capabilities,” he said. Mr. Post urged investors to remain calm and accumulate stocks. The company says Amazon is well-positioned for multiple expansions as it ramps up its use of AI. “Meanwhile, Amazon’s profit growth should outpace its mega-cap peers as the retail sector continues to become more efficient,” he said. Amazon is scheduled to report earnings at the end of this month, and its stock is up 3% this year. Brookdale Senior Living was recently upgraded by the company to an underperforming acquisition. Analyst Joanna Gadjuk says Brookdale is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the aging boom in the coming years. “Improving operating leverage in low- and high-utilization units should result in more than 15% annual adjusted EBITDA growth over the next few years,” she wrote. Gajuku raised his price target on the company to $13 per share from $6.75 and said he also likes the company’s minimal exposure to government payors. “Industry tailwinds + portfolio improvement = upgraded to buy,” he said. Brookdale’s stock has risen nearly 13% since the beginning of the year, and the company is scheduled to report earnings in late February. Carvana says the used car company is firing on all cylinders and is in the best position for growth. In a note to clients, analyst Michael McGovern praised the company’s innovation in taking on new initiatives such as acquiring brick-and-mortar car dealerships. “While we expect CVNA’s efforts in the new vehicle space to remain a small part of the pie in the short term, they are still the kind of TAM (total addressable market) expansion that will be the catalyst for 2026,” he wrote. The company also raised its price target to $515 per share from $455, as earnings are looming in late February. “The company remains in growth mode, delivering best-in-class e-commerce growth through market expansion and increased penetration into existing markets,” he continued. The stock is up 6% this year. Corning: “Our buy rating on Corning is based on the fact that glass supply and demand remain in balance and the decline in glass prices remains modest, while the optical market benefits from a cyclical recovery in carrier spending and long-term gains from Gen AI. Corning has a strong capital return program.” Vertiv “We believe Vertiv will benefit in the near term from a recovery in margins and improved FCF generation. Demand for thermal management products is increasing. Pricing benefits from capacity constraints in data center infrastructure products.” Brookdale Senior Living “Industry tailwinds + portfolio improvements = upgrades to purchases…Improving operating leverage on low- and high-utilization units should result in more than 15% annualized adjusted EBITDA growth over the next few years.” Amazon “Amazon’s valuation is We believe the situation could improve in 2026 as AWS’s revenue growth accelerates and the company strengthens its relative AI capabilities…Meanwhile, Amazon continues to streamline its retail sector. “While we expect CVNA’s new vehicle efforts to remain a small portion of the overall pie in the near term, we still see TAM (total addressable market) expansion as a catalyst for 2026. …The company remains in growth mode, delivering best-in-class e-commerce growth through market expansion and increased penetration into existing markets.”
