3 S&P 500 Stocks to Target This Week

3 S&P 500 Stocks to Target This Week

Kayode Omotosho

Tue, February 24, 2026 at 1:41 PM GMT+9 3 min read

In this article:

^GSPC

-1.04%

GLW

+4.11%

INCY

-0.47%

MCD

+1.62%

The S&P 500 (^GSPC) is full of established businesses, but only some continue to outperform the market. A few standout companies are thriving thanks to strong fundamentals and sustained competitive advantages.

Not every big company is a great investment, and we’re here to help you find the best opportunities. That said, here are three S&P 500 stocks positioned to outperform.

McDonald’s (MCD)

Market Cap: $238.3 billion

With nicknames spanning Mickey D’s in the U.S. to Makku in Japan, McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) is a fast-food behemoth known for its convenience and broken ice cream machines.

Why Could MCD Be a Winner?

Fast expansion of new restaurants indicates an aggressive approach to attacking untapped market opportunities

Highly-profitable franchise model results in strong unit economics and a best-in-class gross margin of 57.1%

Impressive free cash flow profitability enables the company to fund new investments or reward investors with share buybacks/dividends, and its improved cash conversion implies it’s becoming a less capital-intensive business

McDonald’s stock price of $334.38 implies a valuation ratio of 24.9x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

Corning (GLW)

Market Cap: $124.6 billion

Supplying windows for some of the United States’s earliest spacecraft, Corning (NYSE:GLW) provides glass and other electronic components for the consumer electronics, telecommunications, automotive, and healthcare industries.

Why Is GLW on Our Radar?

9.9% annual revenue growth over the last two years surpassed the sector average as its offerings resonated with customers

Projected revenue growth of 15.2% for the next 12 months is above its two-year trend, pointing to accelerating demand

Earnings per share have massively outperformed its peers over the last two years, increasing by 22% annually

Corning is trading at $146.56 per share, or 44.9x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.

Incyte (INCY)

Market Cap: $20.07 billion

Founded in 1991 and evolving from a genomics research firm to a commercial-stage drug developer, Incyte (NASDAQ:INCY) is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes proprietary therapeutics for cancer and inflammatory diseases.

Why Are We Positive On INCY?

Annual revenue growth of 18% over the last two years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle

Performance over the past five years was turbocharged by share buybacks, which enabled its earnings per share to grow faster than its revenue

Free cash flow margin expanded by 7.3 percentage points over the last five years, providing additional flexibility for investments and share buybacks/dividends

 






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At $100.38 per share, Incyte trades at 13.8x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

Stocks We Like Even More

The market’s up big this year - but there’s a catch. Just 4 stocks account for half the S&P 500’s entire gain. That kind of concentration makes investors nervous, and for good reason. While everyone piles into the same crowded names, smart investors are hunting quality where no one’s looking - and paying a fraction of the price. Check out the high-quality names we’ve flagged in our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 244% over the last five years (as of June 30, 2025).

Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,326% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.

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