Traders in the stock market can take advantage of special situations to exploit sentiment and momentum and make quick profits — if they are quick enough or lucky enough. But over the long haul, investors have profited by holding shares of companies that increase sales, earnings and cash flow. And the resulting increases in analysts’ ratings can help lift stock prices.
Among the S&P 500, 270 companies have majority “buy” or equivalent ratings among analysts polled by FactSet, but only two have majority “sell” or equivalent ratings. So ConocoPhillips COP, +1.85% tops the list because it has five more “buy” ratings than it did on Dec. 31 and because 96% of analysts polled by FactSet currently rate the shares a “buy.”
Highest percentage ‘buy’ ratings Here’s a list of 21 S&P 500 companies with the highest percentage of “buy” ratings among analysts polled by FactSet:The bottom two, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. J, +1.56% and Cigna Corp. CI, -6.40% are tied at 88%.
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