After an initial setback at the beginning of the month, the broader U.S. equity markets witnessed a steady uptrend over the past few days as the technology stocks appeared to regain the lost ground. The stock market rally was further propelled by cooling inflation, with data from the U.S. Consumer Price Index revealing that the 12-month inflation rate declined to 2.5% in August – the lowest level since February 2021. This was followed by another healthy economic data that portrayed that the Producer Price Index, a measure of final demand goods and services costs that producers receive, increased 0.2% in August – in line with the broader expectations.

With a better-than-expected 2.8% annualized GDP growth in the second quarter and solid labor market conditions, it appeared that the economy was back on the growth track, cooling recessionary fears. Amid the uncertainty, investors often seek to employ time-tested winning strategies to fetch sustained profits. One of the most successful game plans to beat the blues is to bet on momentum stocks like Pilgrim's Pride Corporation PPC, Tenet Healthcare Corporation THC and MGIC Investment Corporation MTG when value or growth investing fails to generate the desired profits. 

This approach primarily tends to follow the adage, “the trend is your friend.” At its core, momentum investing is “buying high and selling higher.” It is based on the idea that once a stock establishes a trend, it is more likely to continue in that direction because of the momentum that is already behind it. Momentum investing is a way to profit from the general human tendency to extrapolate current trends into the future. It is based on that gap in time before the mean reversion occurs, i.e., before prices become rational again.

Momentum strategies have been known to be alpha-generative over a long period and across market stages. So, this strategy is quite tricky to implement, as detecting these trends is no child’s play. Here, we have created a strategy to help investors get in on these fast movers and rake in handsome gains. Our screen will help you benefit from both long-term price momentum and a short-term pullback in price.

Screening Parameters for Momentum Anomaly Stocks

Percentage Change in Price (52 Weeks) = Top #50: This selects the top 50 stocks with the best percentage price change over the last 52 weeks. This parameter ensures we get the best stocks that have appreciated steadily over the past year.

Percentage Change in Price (1 Week) = Bottom #10: From the above 50 stocks, we then choose those that are also among the 10 worst performers over a short one-week period. This parameter picks the ones that have witnessed a short-term pullback in price.

Zacks Rank #1: Stocks sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) have a proven history of outperformance irrespective of the market conditions. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Momentum Style Score of B or Better: A top Momentum Style Score knocks out a lot of the screening process as it takes into account several factors that include volume change and performance relative to its peers. It indicates when the timing is best to grab a stock and take advantage of its momentum with the highest probability of success. Stocks with a Momentum Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy), handily outperform other stocks.

Current Price greater than $5: The stocks must all be trading at a minimum of $5.

Market Capitalization = Top #3000: We have chosen stocks that are among the top 3000 in terms of market value to ensure the stability of price. 

Average 20-Day Volume greater than 100,000: A substantial trading volume ensures that these stocks are easily tradable.

Here are three stocks out of the eight that made it through this screen:

Greeley, CO-based Pilgrim's Pride is engaged in the processing, production, marketing and distribution of frozen, fresh and value-added chicken products. The company offers its services in the United States, Mexico, France, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico and Mexico through several distributors, retailers and food service operators. The stock has surged 65.4% in the past year but declined 9.3% in the past week. Pilgrim's Pride has a Momentum Score of B. 

Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Dallas, TX, Tenet is an investor-owned healthcare services company that owns and operates general hospitals and related healthcare facilities for urban and rural communities in numerous states and has offices in California and Florida. The company has investments in other healthcare companies and is one of the largest investor-owned healthcare delivery systems in the United States. The stock has gained 121.5% in the past year but declined 2.4% in the past week. Tenet has a Momentum Score of A.  

Based in Milwaukee, WI, and formed in 1957, MGIC Investment is the parent company of Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation, the largest private mortgage insurer in the United States. It established the private mortgage insurance industry to provide a private market alternative to federal government insurance programs for families wanting to buy a home with less than a 20% down payment. With a focus on sustainable homeownership, MGIC Investment provides a critical component of the country's residential mortgage finance system by protecting mortgage investors from credit losses. The stock has rallied 42.9% in the past year but lost 1.9% in the past week. MGIC Investment has a Momentum Score of B.

You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.