GigaGloud Technology and Vulcan Materials have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – March 16, 2026 – Zacks Equity Research shares GigaGloud Technology GCT as the Bull of the Day and Vulcan MaterialsVMC-- VMC as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on EOG Resources, Inc. EOG, Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM and ConocoPhillips COP.
Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:
Bull of the Day:
Recent market volatility has presented an opportunity to get in on one of the hottest stocks over the last year, GigaGloud Technology.
This comes as GCTGCT-- has seen compelling expansion as a provider of global end-to-end business-to-business (B2B) technology solutions for large parcel merchandise, offering a marketplace that connects manufacturers primarily in Asia with resellers in the U.S. and Europe.
GCT stock has been on a relentless surge in recent years, driven by strong revenue growth, upbeat earnings momentum, and investor enthusiasm following guidance upgrades and share buybacks.
That said, here are five key points as to why GCT stock looks so attractive right now.
1. Strong Multi-Year Revenue Growth Recognition
GigaCloud was named to TIME's America's Growth Leaders 2026 list, highlighting its top-tier compound annual revenue growth and expanding scale. Needless to say, this recognition has boosted investor confidence and has attracted momentum traders.
The company's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) has been exceptionally strong, averaging roughly 40-45% per year over the past several years based on its reported revenue trajectory.
Based on Zacks estimates, GCT's annual revenue is expected to increase 17% this year and is projected to rise another 5% in fiscal 2027 to $1.6 billion. It's noteworthy that FY27 revenue projections reflect 226% growth over the last five years, with GCT's sales at $490 million in 2022.
2. Earnings Beat + Upgraded Guidance
Serving as a major catalyst, GCT blasted Q4 EPS expectations in late February. GCT's Q4 EPS increased 37% year over year to $1.04 and crushed estimates of $0.65 per share by 60%.
Full-year fiscal 2025 EPS was up 18% YoY to $3.59, and has drastically increased in the past five years from $0.60 per share in FY22.
Further fueling investor sentiment, GCT provided positive revenue guidance for Q1, signaling continued strength. Revenue guidance for Q1 was given at $330-$355 million, which also came in ahead of expectations and equates to at least 21% growth.
With double-digit earnings growth in analysts' forecasts for the foreseeable future, FY26 and FY27 EPS estimates have spiked since GCT's Q4 report and have now risen over 15% in the last 60 days, respectively.
3. GCT's Cheap P/E Valuation
Making GCT's increased profitability more enticing is that this high-growth tech stock is trading at just 11X forward earnings, offering a sharp discount to the benchmark S&P 500's 22X and its Zacks Technology Services Industry average of 24X.
4. Share Buyback Program
Fewer shares outstanding typically boost EPS and can drive stock prices higher, with GCT stating it remains committed to returning capital to shareholders through ongoing buybacks.
Since the announcement of its latest $111 million share repurchase program in August 2025, GCT has executed $33 million in share buybacks at a weighted average price of $31.60 a share, representing 30% of the approved plan.
5. Strong Momentum & Long-Term Returns
With the broader market recently hitting its lowest point in 2026, GCT stock has spiked 17% in the last month, with a staggering return of nearly 700% in the last three years.
However, the buy-the-dip opportunity comes as GCT stock is down 16% from an all-time high of $48 a share, which it hit following its Q4 report.
Bottom Line
Sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) based on the very positive trend of EPS revisions, GCT is one of the hottest tech stocks to consider at the moment. Magnifying this strong buy rating is that GCT stock stands out in every aspect regarding trading indicators, checking an overall "A" Zacks Style Scores grade for the combination of Value, Growth, and Momentum.
Bear of the Day:
Higher input costs and pricing pressure in construction materials are playing a part in why it may be best to avoid Vulcan Materials stock at the moment.
Correlating with such, EPS estimates for VulcanVMC-- have been trending downward as analysts expect weaker growth than in prior years and compressed margins.
As the largest supplier of construction aggregates in the United States, Vulcan could start to take the brunt of the pain in regard to what has also been slowing demand for aggregate production.
Keeping this in mind, it's noteworthy that Vulcan's Zacks Building Products-Concrete and Aggregates Industry is currently in the bottom 1% of over 240 Zacks industries.
Aggregate Production & Demand Issues
Six Straight Quarters of Declining Production
· U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data shows aggregate production volumes fell for six consecutive quarters up until Q2 of 2025.
· Crushed stone production was down 5.5% at midyear 2025, and shipments were down 4.4% across April-June.
· Material producers cited inclement weather as a major factor reducing output and demand.
Broad Construction Slowdown
· U.S. construction growth dropped sharply from 6.6% in 2024 to just 1.4% in 2025.
· The slowdown spanned all major construction sectors, including residential, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure.
· Weak investor confidence is a key driver of reduced project starts, which directly lowers aggregate consumption. When investors (developers, lenders, private equity, REITs, industrial owners) lose confidence in the economic outlook, they pull back on committing capital to new construction. That hesitation cascades through the entire project pipeline.
Post-Boom Normalization
· After five years of strong growth spurred by post-pandemic demand (over 40% cumulative), construction spending is now rising roughly 2% year over year, which feels like stagnation when adjusted for inflation.
Vulcan's Q4 Earnings Miss
Causing concern amid slowing demand for construction aggregates is that Vulcan missed Q4 EPS expectations by 20% last month, with quarterly earnings at $1.70 per share compared to estimates of $2.13. This was also a steep drop from EPS of $2.17 in Q4 2024.
Declining EPS Revisions Spark P/E Premium Concerns
Following Vulcan's Q4 earnings miss, EPS estimates for FY26 and FY27 have continued to trend lower and are now down over 10% and 3% in the last 60 days, respectively.
Magnifying the alarming drop in EPS revisions is that Vulcan's 29X forward earnings multiple is 30% above its Zacks industry peers and reflects an even sharper premium to the benchmark S&P 500's 22X.
Bottom Line
Although Vulcan Materials is still expected to post steady EPS growth, the noticeably weakening earnings outlook is concerning for a stock that investors are paying over $260 a share for. There could be downside risk ahead, as this price point still appears to reflect sentiment for what were much loftier EPS projections.
Additional content:
Oil Prices Back to the Glory Days: How Much Will Big Oil Gain?
The Energy sector is at the forefront now, with the ongoing war in the Middle East driving oil prices back to levels reminiscent of their glory years. Many investors are wondering whether to include or sell oil stocks in their portfolio. Amid the backdrop, investors can keep their eye on energy majors like EOG Resources, Inc., Exxon Mobil Corp. and ConocoPhillips.
Oil Price May Remain High
The price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude is trading at more than $90 per barrel, according to data from oilprice.com, owing to the ongoing war in the Middle East. Also, in its latest short-term energy outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration ("EIA") mentioned its expectation for the WTI oil price this year at $73.61 per barrel, higher than $65.40 last year.
Thus, the present crude pricing environment is highly favorable for exploration and production activities. This will increase demand for drilling rigs and oil field services.
3 Stocks to Gain: XOM, EOG, COP
ExxonMobil has a strong footprint in the Permian, the most prolific oil and gas play in the United States, and offshore Guyana. In the Permian, the integrated giant has been employing lightweight proppant technology and hence has been capable of boosting its well recoveries by up to as much as 20%.
In Guyana, XOM has made several oil and gas discoveries, further highlighting its solid production outlook. Record production from both resources has been aiding its top and bottom lines. In both resources, the breakeven costs are low. With presence in prolific upstream assets, ExxonMobil, carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), will likely gain from the favorable pricing environment of oil. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
ConocoPhillips has a strong presence in the Lower 48, which comprises the Permian – the most prolific basin in the United States – Eagle Ford and Bakken. The company's acquisition of Marathon Oil has further bolstered its footprint in the prolific Lower 48.
The breakeven costs in the resources are low, and hence will likely enable #3 Ranked COP to reap the benefit of favorable oil prices.
Among the prolific resources where EOG Resources has a strong footprint are the Delaware Basin and Eagle Ford. The company with a Zacks Rank of 3 has roughly 12 billion barrels of oil equivalent resource across its multi-basin portfolios, and is thus well-positioned to gain from the prevailing crude prices.
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Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM): Free Stock Analysis Report
ConocoPhillips (COP): Free Stock Analysis Report
Vulcan Materials Company (VMC): Free Stock Analysis Report
EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG): Free Stock Analysis Report
GigaCloud Technology Inc. (GCT): Free Stock Analysis Report
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