5 Broker-Liked Stocks Worth Tracking Amid the Middle East Conflict

April 06, 2026 — 10:24 am EDT Written by Maharathi Basu for Zacks-> The ongoing war between Iran and Israel, backed by the United States, has injected extreme volatility into global financial markets. Markets rallied briefly on reports of potential negotiations between Washington and Tehran and falling oil prices, but renewed military escalation quickly reversed the trend, pushing crude oil higher again and sending risk assets into another volatile cycle. The CBOE Volatility Index, which highlights market expectations of near-term volatility, has surged significantly over the past month, reflecting rising uncertainty and heightened investor nervousness.The major oil supply line – the Strait of Hormuz – controlled by Iran, remained severely disturbed. About 20% of globally traded oil passes through this critical shipping route. Oil prices were up more than 50% in March alone. The inflated global crude oil prices will severely worsen the inflationary situation worldwide. The AI-driven disruption adds to the worries of investors.Despite this turbulent scenario, investors should not turn their backs on investing in stocks. Keeping a tab on broker-adored stocks like Cable One CABO, Phillips 66 PSX, Archer Daniels Midland Company ADM, CVR Energy CVI and Cross Country Healthcare CCRN appears prudent.We have designed a screen to shortlist stocks based on improving broker recommendations and upward revisions in earnings estimates over the past four weeks. Also, since the price/sales ratio is a strong complementary valuation metric in the presence of broker information, it has been included. The price/sales ratio takes care of the company’s top line, making the strategy a well-rounded one.# (Up- Down Rating)/ Total (4 weeks) =Top #75: This gives the list of top 75 companies that have witnessed net upgrades over the last 4 weeks.% change in Q (1) est. (4 weeks) = Top #10: This gives the top 10 stocks that have witnessed earnings estimate revisions over the past 4 weeks for the upcoming quarter.To ensure that the strategy is a winning one, covering all bases, we have added the following screening parameters:Price-to-Sales = Bot%10: The lower the ratio, the better. Companies meeting this criteria are in the bottom 10% of our universe of over 7,700 stocks with respect to this ratio.Price greater than 5: A stock trading below $5 will not likely create significant interest for most investors.Average Daily Volume greater than 100,000 shares over the last 20 trading days: Volume has to be significant to ensure that these are easily traded.Market value ($ mil) = Top #3000: This gives us stocks that are the top 3000 if one judges by market capitalization.Com/ADR/Canadian= Com: This takes out the ADR and Canadian stocks.Here are five of the 10 stocks that made it through the screen:Cable One is a leading U.S. broadband communications provider, serving more than 1.1 million residential and business customers across 24 states, primarily under its Sparklight brand.Cable One currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CABO’s 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 161%. EPS estimates for the current year have moved up by 13% over the past 30 days.You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Based in Houston, TX, Phillips 66 is a diversified and integrated energy company established following the 2012 spin-off of ConocoPhillips' downstream operations. Phillips 66 has diverse operations and a strong focus on returning capital to shareholders.Phillips 66 currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). PSX’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the last four quarters (missing once), the average beat being 16.3%.Archer-Daniels-Midland is increasingly positioning itself beyond its traditional commodity roots, focusing on nutrition, biosolutions and value-added ingredients.

This Zacks Rank #3 company has built a diversified portfolio that includes plant-based proteins, natural flavors and colors, as well as biotics supporting gut health and wellness. This positions ADM at the intersection of agriculture and evolving consumer nutrition trends.The company expects its 2026 earnings per share to increase 26% on a year-over-year basis. ADM’s earnings surpassed the consensus mark in three of the last four quarters and missed the mark in the remaining quarter. The average beat is 3.9%.Established in 2006, CVR Energy is a holding company that is primarily involved in renewable energy, petroleum refining, marketing and nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing through its stake in CVR Partners. It's committed to developing renewable biofuels and actively participating in the energy transition to reduce carbon emissions.This Sugar Land, TX-based oil and gas refining and marketing company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters, missing the mark on the other occasion.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings has been revised 110.5% upward over the past 60 days. CVR Energy currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.Cross Country Healthcare is a talent management and other consultative services provider for healthcare clients. It is benefiting from the strength in its current relationships and momentum in home care, physician staffing and education.CCRN’s home care staffing business is being aided by a rising number of PACE program wins. The physician staffing business is growing on higher billable days and revenue per day sales. Improving operating leverage from volume growth and proactive cost management are driving the bottom line.Cross Country Healthcare currently carries a Zacks Rank #3. CCRN’s earnings missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the last four quarters (surpassing the mark on the other occasion), the average miss being 97.3%. Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year. Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free reportArcher Daniels Midland Company (ADM) : Free Stock Analysis ReportCVR Energy Inc. (CVI) : Free Stock Analysis ReportPhillips 66 (PSX) : Free Stock Analysis ReportCross Country Healthcare, Inc. (CCRN) : Free Stock Analysis ReportCable One, Inc. (CABO) : Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchThe views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.This data feed is not available at this time.