Comfort Systems and Tractor Supply have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – March 20, 2026 – Zacks Equity Research shares Comfort Systems FIX as the Bull of the Day and Tractor Supply TSCO as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Archrock, Inc. AROC, TechnipFMC plc FTI and Nabors Industries Ltd. NBR.

Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:

Bull of the Day:

Comfort Systems, a Zack Rank #1 (Strong Buy), is a leading national provider of mechanical and electrical services, specializing in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

The stock has been one of the best performers over the last year and during the recent market sell off has held strong. This relative strength is a strong sign that investors want to stick with Comfort Systems and the company is not impacted by macro events.

A recent earnings beat, along with rising estimates, is further evidence that this stock will stay hot for the rest of the year.

About the Company

The company handles everything from design and engineering to installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement of HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and piping systems, serving facilities like manufacturing plants, office buildings, hospitals, schools, and government properties.

Through a network of 36 regional subsidiaries, FIX combines local expertise with national scale, allowing it to support both new construction projects and ongoing service needs, including retrofits and system upgrades. Its offerings also extend into advanced capabilities like off-site construction and remote monitoring of building systems, positioning the company as a full lifecycle partner for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) infrastructure.

FIX is valued at $50 billion and has a Forward PE of 39. The stock has Zacks Style Scores of "A" in Growth, but "F" in Value and Momentum.

Q4 Earnings Beat

Comfort Systems delivered a blowout Q4. FIX saw EPS of $9.37 crushing expectations of $6.77 on revenue of $2.65B versus $2.28B. This was a 38% EPS beat and the sixteenth beat on EPS, a streak that goes back to 2022.

Management highlighted powerful operating leverage and surging end-market demand as a reason for the big beat. Profitability inflected sharply, with adjusted EBITDA jumping to $464M from $261M a year ago and gross margins hitting a record 25.5%, while disciplined execution drove SG&A lower as a percentage of sales.

Backlog nearly doubled year over year to roughly $12B, fueled by strong data center and modular construction demand, extending visibility well into 2027–2028.

The company also returned capital to shareholders with a 16.7% dividend hike, showing confidence in sustained cash generation after producing over $1B in both net income and free cash flow in 2025.

Looking ahead, management sees continued momentum with same-store revenue growth in the mid- to high-teens for 2026.

Estimates Head Higher

While FIX continues to beat earnings, analysts continue to take estimates higher.

For the current quarter, estimates have gone from $5.88 to $7.00 since EPS. That is a jump of 19%.

Looking at the current year, we see a 20% move higher in estimates, going from $30.61 to $36.60.

The momentum looks to continue, with estimates for next year being raised aggressively over the last 30 days, going from $29.89 to $41.00. A hike of 37%.

The Technical Take

FIX has been nonstop since the start of 2025, moving over 200%. It's hard for investors to chase a move like that, but the stock has shown relative strength while markets have weakened.

A move over $1500 would signal another bullish run, taking the stock up to a Fibonacci extension near $1700. However, if markets do weaken, the stock could eventually give way to market pressures.

Let us look at those moving averages investors might want to target on any sell off.

21-day: $1415

50-day: $1265

200-day: $890

If the market does face a steep sell off, investors should watch the moving averages for support. The $200-day would be a great spot for long-term players to step in.

In Summary

Comfort Systems continues to check every box growth, execution, and demand visibility, making it one of the most compelling industrial stories in the market today.

The company is benefiting from powerful secular tailwinds in data centers and large-scale infrastructure, while its massive and growing backlog provides rare multi-year earnings visibility.

Even after an enormous run, the combination of consistent earnings beats, sharply rising estimates, and clear operational momentum suggests the story is far from over. While valuation is no longer cheap and near-term pullbacks are always possible, FIX remains a name investors will likely continue to buy on dips.

Bear of the Day:

Tractor Supply, a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), is the largest U.S. retail chain focused on farm, ranch, and rural lifestyles. The company provides everything from livestock and pet supplies to tools, apparel, and outdoor equipment, both in-store and online.

The stock has performed well over the years, but has struggled over the last two years. And with a recent earnings miss, the stock has dropped below 2025 lows.

About the Company

Headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, TSCO serves recreational farmers, ranchers, tradesmen, and small businesses.

Tractor Supply operates about 2,395 stores across 49 states, along with 207 Petsense pet specialty stores. Its stores are mostly in rural areas and suburban markets, with 15,000–20,000 square feet of inside space and additional outdoor areas for agricultural demonstrations.

The company also sells online through TractorSupply.com and Petsense.com, offering expanded product selections and services like buy online, pick up in-store.

TSCO has a market cap of $24B, with a Zacks Style Score of "A" in Growth and "A" in Momentum.

Q4 Earnings Miss

Tractor Supply reported a softer-than-expected Q4, with EPS of $0.43 missing the $0.46 consensus and revenue of $3.90 billion also coming in light. Comparable sales rose just 0.3% as management highlighted a clear shift in consumer behavior during the quarter saying discretionary spending weakened or moved outside the company's core categories.

While essential categories such as livestock, poultry, and pet supplies remained resilient with low to mid-single digit growth, big ticket items saw a notable step down from Q3 as customers became more selective.

Looking ahead, Tractor Supply issued cautious FY26 guidance, calling for EPS of $2.13 to $2.32 and revenue growth of 4 to 6%, both below expectations, alongside modest 1 to 3% comp growth.

Earnings Estimates Fall After Earnings

Analysts are lowering estimates across all time frames, reflecting the company's outlook.

For the current quarter, estimates have fallen for $0.38 to $0.35, or 8%. For next quarter, estimates fell from $0.89 to $0.86 or 3%.

Looking down the road, next year's numbers have been lowered 7% over the last 90 days.

Technical Take

The stock is taking out 2025 lows, which means investors are feeling some pain, especially in a market that has seen some selling.

TSCO likely continues lower towards the $38 level, which is the 161.8% Fibonacci extension target that can be found drawing 2025 lows to highs.

Investors interested in the stock, should wait out the down move and target that level under $40.

In Summary

Tractor Supply remains a high-quality operator with a strong niche in rural and farm retail, but the near-term story has clearly weakened. A combination of softer discretionary demand, cautious guidance, and falling earnings estimates suggests the stock may continue to face pressure despite its long-term strengths.

While the business is still executing on key initiatives and maintaining resilience in essential categories, the technical breakdown and negative estimate revisions point to limited upside in the near term.

Additional content:

3 Energy Growth Stocks Benefiting from Oil Market Strength

The energy sector is going through a highly volatile phase as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupt global supply chains. Attacks on key infrastructure and reduced flows through the Strait of Hormuz have pushed oil prices sharply higher, with Brent crude crossing $110 per barrel. Despite coordinated releases from the International Energy Agency, supply concerns remain. Markets are now pricing in real disruptions, not just risks, suggesting that prices could stay elevated for longer and keep the sector in focus.

In this environment, investors are increasingly looking at growth-oriented energy companies that can benefit from rising activity and pricing strength. Stocks like Archrock, Inc., TechnipFMC plc and Nabors Industries Ltd. stand out as they combine strong operational positioning with exposure to key areas of energy demand.

Energy Markets Under Pressure

Energy markets are currently being driven by supply-side shocks rather than demand weakness. The ongoing conflict in key oil-producing regions has disrupted production and transportation, tightening global supply. With nearly 20% of global oil flows affected, even temporary disruptions are having an outsized impact on prices and market sentiment.

At the same time, uncertainty remains high. While emergency stockpile releases have provided some relief, they have not fully offset the supply gap. As a result, oil prices continue to reflect a risk premium, and volatility is expected to persist in the near term.

Why Growth Stocks Matter Now

In such an environment, growth stocks play an important role. Companies that can expand operations, improve efficiency, or gain market share are better positioned to benefit from higher prices and increased industry activity. Their ability to grow earnings even during uncertain periods makes them attractive to investors.

Moreover, disciplined capital spending and stronger balance sheets are allowing select companies to invest in future opportunities without taking excessive risks. This combination of growth and financial stability is particularly valuable when the broader market remains unpredictable.

Rising Prices Create Opportunity

Higher oil prices typically lead to increased spending across the energy value chain. As producers generate more cash, they are more likely to invest in drilling, infrastructure and maintenance activities. This creates a favorable environment for service providers and equipment companies.

With oil prices potentially moving toward $120 per barrel or higher, activity levels could continue to rise. Even if prices stabilize, they are expected to remain well above earlier levels, supporting sustained demand for energy services and solutions.

Where Growth Could Come From

Growth opportunities are emerging across multiple areas of the energy market. Offshore development is seeing renewed interest as higher prices improve project economics. At the same time, drilling activity — especially in international markets — is picking up, supporting demand for rigs and related services.

Natural gas infrastructure is another key area, with rising global demand driving the need for compression and transportation solutions. Together, these segments offer multiple avenues for growth as the broader energy cycle strengthens.

Here Are the Stocks

Now, selecting the right growth stock among the existing choices can really be a challenging task. Finding the correct growth stock for your portfolio is made easy by our new style score system.

In particular, our Growth Style Score condenses all the essential metrics from a company's financial statements to get a true sense of the quality and sustainability of its growth. Our research shows that stocks with a Growth Style Score of 'A' or 'B', when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), offer the best investment opportunities in the growth investing space. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Archrock: Based in Houston, TX, Archrock is a U.S. energy infrastructure company focused on midstream natural gas compression. It provides contract compression services and equipment across all major U.S. basins, with a strong presence in the Permian, Gulf Coast, South Texas, and Mid-Continent regions. Archrock operates the largest compression fleet in the country, led by high-horsepower units.

The company also offers a broad range of aftermarket services that support customer-owned equipment. Compression is a must-run service, giving Archrock stable, recurring revenues and a resilient business model tied to natural gas transport and midstream activity.

Archrock beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average being 22%. Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company's 2026 earnings has gone up 9.8%. AROC carries a Zacks Rank of 1, with a Growth Score of B.

TechnipFMC plc: TechnipFMC is a global provider of subsea and surface technologies for oil and gas projects. The company operates through Subsea and Surface Technologies segments, delivering integrated engineering, equipment and installation services. Its iEPCI approach helps customers develop offshore fields faster, at lower cost, and with simpler project execution across deepwater and shallow-water developments.

TechnipFMC also supports emerging energy solutions, using digital tools and proprietary platforms to improve project economics and reduce carbon intensity. Strong subsea demand, a growing order backlog and disciplined execution support cash flow and balance-sheet strength. Backed by major customer wins and integrated solutions, the company is positioned for steady growth while advancing energy transition goals.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings of TechnipFMC indicates 18.4% growth. It beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters and missed in the other, with the average being 15.9%. This Zacks Rank #1 firm has a Growth Score of B.

Nabors Industries: It is a global provider of advanced drilling technology and services, operating in more than 20 countries. Nabors combines drilling operations, rig equipment and digital solutions to improve performance, safety and efficiency. Its vertically integrated model allows it to design automated rig technologies and deliver specialized services directly through its fleet. Nabors is a leading provider of high-specification rigs in the United States and deploys fit-for-purpose rigs across key international markets.

The company is also focused on innovation, sustainability and reducing debt. Nabors' recent moves include acquiring Parker Wellbore, divesting Quail Tools and refinancing debt to extend maturities. These steps strengthen its balance sheet while supporting long-term growth and energy transition goals.

Nabors has a market capitalization of $1.2 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings for the firm indicates 48.6% growth. The #2 Ranked firm has a Growth Score of A.

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The incredible demand for data is fueling the market's next digital gold rush. As data centers continue to be built and constantly upgraded, the companies that provide the hardware for these behemoths will become the NVIDIAs of tomorrow.

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Nabors Industries Ltd. (NBR): Free Stock Analysis Report

Tractor Supply Company (TSCO): Free Stock Analysis Report

TechnipFMC plc (FTI): Free Stock Analysis Report

Comfort Systems USA, Inc. (FIX): Free Stock Analysis Report

Archrock, Inc. (AROC): Free Stock Analysis Report

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