Wall Street Analysts Highlight Promising Stocks Amid Economic Uncertainty

In a climate marked by economic uncertainty, Wall Street analysts are spotlighting three stocks that they believe have the potential to deliver significant long-term returns. The insights come from TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance, and emphasize the necessity for investors to remain focused on stocks capable of navigating short-term market volatility while ensuring robust execution.

The first stock on the list is Nvidia (NVDA), a semiconductor giant that has recently reported impressive results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026. Despite facing challenges from chip export restrictions, Nvidia maintains a positive outlook regarding demand for its artificial intelligence infrastructure. Harlan Sur, an analyst at JPMorgan and ranked 38th among over 9,600 analysts tracked by TipRanks, reiterated a buy rating on Nvidia with a price target of $170. Sur acknowledged that while Nvidia experienced a $4.5 billion write-down linked to its H20 chip inventory, excluding these shipments, the company is projected to see a 16% quarter-over-quarter growth in data center revenue for the upcoming July quarter. This growth is attributed to strong customer spending on AI and accelerated computing projects and a robust ramp-up in production and deployment of Nvidia's Blackwell platform. Sur concluded that Nvidia’s strong product pipeline and ecosystem position it well for sustained competitive advantage.

The second stock highlighted is Zscaler (ZS), a cybersecurity firm that has seen its fiscal third-quarter results exceed expectations, driven by the increasing demand for its Zero Trust Exchange platform. Following these results, Brian Essex, a JPMorgan analyst, maintained a buy rating on Zscaler, raising the price target from $275 to $292. Essex pointed out that Zscaler's performance has been bolstered by its emerging products, which are nearing $1 billion in annual recurring revenue. He noted that the customer base with over $1 million in annual recurring revenue has grown by 23% year-over-year, positioning Zscaler to exceed $3 billion in annual recurring revenue in the fiscal fourth quarter.

Lastly, Salesforce (CRM), a prominent customer relationship management software provider, reported better-than-anticipated revenue and earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 and raised its full-year forecast. Derrick Wood, an analyst at TD Cowen, reaffirmed a buy rating on Salesforce, setting a price target of $375. Wood highlighted Salesforce's renewed focus on sales capacity growth as a strong demand signal, which he believes will unlock higher growth next year. Notably, the company has seen a more than 120% year-over-year increase in its AI-related revenue, which reflects strong early traction for its Agentforce offering. The company is also increasing its workforce more aggressively, which Wood interprets as a positive indicator of demand.

The collective analysis of these stocks underscores a broader sentiment among analysts that despite the macroeconomic challenges, there remain significant opportunities for growth in select sectors, particularly in technology and cybersecurity. As investors navigate the current landscape, the recommendations from these top analysts could serve as valuable guidance for making informed investment decisions. Analysts advise that keeping a close watch on performance metrics and market trends will be crucial as companies adapt and evolve in response to ongoing economic pressures.