BTIG Research’s top stocks for the new year include Nike and Block. As 2026 begins, Jonathan Krinsky, chief market technologist at BTIG, predicts that both large and small-cap stocks will rise next year, with small-cap stocks outperforming large-cap stocks. This scenario requires economic indicators to remain strong, but not so strong that a rate cut is completely off the table. “On the S&P 500 side, it all comes down to technology/AI trading,” Krinsky said. “We continue to believe that a change in leadership is occurring, and a relative collapse would further confirm that.” In the same note, the company shared its most confident ideas for 2026. We highlight some names from the list below. One stock that caught the eye was sports apparel retailer Nike. The stock price has fallen 14% in the past 12 months. BTIG’s $100 price target represents an upside of about 57% from Wednesday’s closing price. The company has named Nike as one of its top large-cap stock picks for 2026. “Nike clearly still has many challenges ahead, but we believe it will see solid progress in its recovery in 2026,” analyst Robert Dolble said. “We believe there are ample catalysts in Nike’s product pipeline, supported by a continued focus on innovation, along with a complete ‘9-box’ running lineup, a novel approach to basketball, and global football (soccer!) momentum related to the upcoming 2026 World Cup.” Nike’s stock price rose earlier this week after insiders including Nike CEO Elliott Hill and Apple CEO and board member Tim Cook bought shares. The list also names a block of fintech stocks, which have fallen 26% in the past 12 months. However, BTIG’s $90 price target represents a 38% upside. “We see XYZ as the most attractive large-cap stock in our scope, based on Cash App and Square’s deep penetration of existing customers and profitable growth in the mid-teens with concurrent new customer acquisitions,” said analyst Andrew Hart. Sports betting stock DraftKings also made the list. The stock has fallen 2% in the last year, but BTIG’s $45 price target suggests the stock could rise 31% from here. “Looking forward, we believe the current pace for a healthier fourth-quarter 2025 result relative to consensus already creates a better picture for 2026, contrary to tempering investor expectations for 2026 guidance,” analyst Clark Lampen said.
