For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – July 2, 2026 – Zacks Equity Research shares nVent Electric NVT as the Bull of the Day and Lululemon LULU as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Phillips 66 PSX and Halliburton HAL.
Here is a synopsis of all four stocks:
Bull of the Day:
nVent Electric designs, manufactures, markets, installs, and services high-performance products and solutions that connect and protect some of the world's most sensitive equipment, buildings, and critical processes.
The stock sports the highly-coveted Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), with its EPS outlook remaining bullish across the board. It also resides in a top 30% ranked Zacks industry, further highlighting its current favorable position.
nVent Reports Record Results
NVT shares have delivered a robust performance so far in 2026, up nearly 60% and widely outperforming relative to the S&P 500. Favorable quarterly results that have reflected records have aided the move, with NVT crushing our consensus expectations in its latest release.
Quarterly revenue of $1.2 billion in the above-mentioned release reflected 53% YoY growth, also setting a new company record. Underpinning its sales momentum, nVent also reported record orders and an all-time high backlog, reflective of the favorable demand environment it's currently in and providing strong top line visibility for time to come.
A major bullish development driving sentiment toward the company is that it's benefiting from the broader AI buildout, with momentum in data center solutions prompting it to raise its full-year sales and EPS guidance.
Sales revisions have followed the same upward trend, with expectations for its current and next fiscal years climbing 26% and 13%, respectively.
Bottom Line
Investors can implement a stellar strategy to find expected winners by taking advantage of the Zacks Rank – one of the most powerful market tools that provides a massive edge.
The top 5% of all stocks receive the highly coveted Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). These stocks should outperform the market more than any other rank.
nVent Electric would be an excellent stock for investors to consider, as displayed by its Zack Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Bear of the Day:
Lululemon designs, manufactures, and distributes athletic apparel and accessories for women, men, and female youth.
The stock is currently a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), with its near-term earnings outlook remaining cloudy across the board. It also resides in the bottom 26% of all Zacks industries, reflecting broader pressure across peers as well.
Lululemon's Growth Cools
LULU shares have faced pressure amid weakening trends in its consumer base, particularly so in North America, its biggest market. Quarterly results have put the spotlight on pressure in the region, with revenues in the broader Americas region declining 3% YoY and comparable sales declining 5% YoY.
As many likely remember, the company was once a high-growth company amid its initial ascent before things cooled off in a big way, with the weak price action reflective of the growth cooldown. Please note that the chart below tracks the YoY % change in sales, not actual sales numbers.
In addition, the overall profitability picture for LULU, which has historically been strong relative to peers in its industry, has been impacted negatively over recent periods, with its overall gross margin declining 410 basis points YoY to 54.2% in its latest period.
The chart below tracks the company's gross margin on a trailing twelve-month basis.
Bottom Line
Negative earnings estimate revisions stemming from a growth cooldown and an impacted profitability picture paint a challenging picture for the company's shares in the near term.
Lululemon is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), indicating that analysts have taken a bearish stance on the company's earnings outlook.
For those seeking strong stocks, the best idea would be to focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) – these stocks sport a notably stronger earnings outlook paired with the potential to deliver explosive gains in the near term.
Additional content:
Are These 2 Large-Cap Energy Stocks Still a Buy?
The United States and Iran had signed an interim deal last month that ended months of conflict and led to the resumption of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. With both countries having entered a 60-day negotiation period to reach a permanent peace deal, commodity prices have retreated from their recent highs.
Some investors may assume that energy companies' prospects will weaken from here. But the reality appears to be quite different. Two large-cap energy players, Phillips 66 and Halliburton, have surged 33.7% and 56.4%, respectively, over the past year, outperforming the broader oil-energy sector. Can this rally continue? Let's take a closer look.
2 Energy Stocks in the Spotlight: PSX & HAL
West Texas Intermediate ("WTI") oil is currently trading below $70 per barrel, according to data from Oilprice.com, significantly lower than the more than $100 per barrel reached in May this year. Phillips 66, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), is likely to gain from the softer crude pricing environment. This is because PSX, a leading refining company, is now able to purchase oil at a lower cost, enabling the production of end products.
Although a leading refiner, PSX, unlike most of its refining peers, has diversified its business across midstream and chemicals. It is to be noted that the midstream business, by its very definition, is resilient since it generates stable cash flows as the assets are being utilized for the long term, and is less vulnerable to commodity price volatility. Hence, having a diversified business model, the large-cap stock is insulated from commodity price volatility to a great extent. Given the strength and resilience of its business model, Phillips 66 has significant room to continue its upward trajectory.
Halliburton is a leading oilfield service player providing technologies, products and services to the exploration and production companies across the entire well life cycle. The current oil prices, which are much lower than the shut-in prices, are likely to aid upstream activities, which are expected to have a positive impact on demand for the #2 Ranked Halliburton's services encompassing Completion and Production & Drilling and Evaluation. The large-cap oilfield service company is thus well-positioned to sustain its upward momentum. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Free: Instant Access to Zacks' Market-Crushing Strategies
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 tap into those powerful strategies – and the high-potential stocks they uncover – free. No strings attached.
Get all the details here >>
Media Contact
Zacks Investment Research
800-767-3771 ext. 9339
https://www.zacks.com
Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."
Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.9% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>
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 report
Halliburton Company (HAL): Free Stock Analysis Report
lululemon athletica inc. (LULU): Free Stock Analysis Report
Phillips 66 (PSX): Free Stock Analysis Report
nVent Electric PLC (NVT): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research