Key Moments
- HSBC identifies 11 U.S. stocks it believes could outperform as the fourth-quarter earnings season gets underway.
- The bank’s analysis centers on sustainability of 2026 outlooks, margin pressures, and AI capital expenditure themes.
- The list spans consumer, healthcare, and technology names, including AbbVie, Johnson & Johnson, Oracle, Salesforce, and Walmart.
HSBC’s Framework for Selecting Potential Outperformers
Investing.com — HSBC has outlined 11 U.S. equities it believes are positioned to outperform as the fourth-quarter earnings season begins, focusing on companies with durable competitive advantages, strengthening fundamentals, and exposure to structural growth themes.
Analyst Nicole Inui said the bank’s coverage is centered on the “sustainability of 2026 outlook, margin pressures, and AI capex,” emphasizing that the chosen stocks cut across consumer, healthcare, and technology sectors.
Healthcare: AbbVie and Johnson & Johnson Feature Prominently
Within healthcare, AbbVie is described as one of HSBC’s top Buy-rated ideas. The firm points to “solid growth and execution with large moat of long patent life,” with Inui writing that the market has yet to fully price in the company’s “potential for operational gearing.”
Johnson & Johnson is also included among the highlighted names, with HSBC underscoring “accelerating growth and favourable exposure to immunology and oncology.”
Technology: Oracle and Salesforce in Focus
In the technology space, Oracle stands out in HSBC’s lineup. The company ended the year with “over USD500bn of backlog, almost 10x the company’s FY25 total revenue,” which HSBC argues offers substantial visibility into future growth.
Salesforce is likewise part of the group, supported by HSBC’s view of the company’s “strategic position between the customer and the sales channel.”
AI-Related Power and Life Sciences Recovery Themes
HSBC highlights Bloom Energy as a beneficiary of trends in power generation and data-center infrastructure. The firm describes Bloom as a “pure play on natural gas-fuelled power generation equipment for AI data centers.”
Thermo Fisher Scientific is cited as a leading player in Life Sciences tools that should “lead recovery trends in 2026.”
Consumer and Financial Names Round Out the List
Rounding out the 11 names, HSBC includes Booking, Monster Beverage, PNC Financial, Royal Caribbean, and Walmart. The bank says Walmart continues to gain share across income brackets, supported by a strong perception of value among consumers.
Summary of HSBC’s 11 Highlighted U.S. Stocks
| Company | Sector / Theme (as described) | HSBC Commentary (exact phrases preserved) |
|---|---|---|
| AbbVie | Healthcare | “solid growth and execution with large moat of long patent life”; “potential for operational gearing” |
| Johnson & Johnson | Healthcare | “accelerating growth and favourable exposure to immunology and oncology” |
| Oracle | Technology | “over USD500bn of backlog, almost 10x the company’s FY25 total revenue” |
| Salesforce | Technology | “strategic position between the customer and the sales channel” |
| Bloom Energy | Power / AI data centers | “pure play on natural gas-fuelled power generation equipment for AI data centers” |
| Thermo Fisher Scientific | Life Sciences tools | should “lead recovery trends in 2026” |
| Booking | Consumer | Included on HSBC’s list (no additional description provided) |
| Monster Beverage | Consumer | Included on HSBC’s list (no additional description provided) |
| PNC Financial | Financials | Included on HSBC’s list (no additional description provided) |
| Royal Caribbean | Consumer / Travel | Included on HSBC’s list (no additional description provided) |
| Walmart | Consumer / Retail | continues to gain market share across income groups with strong value perception |
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