In this piece, we discuss the 10 Best Commodity Stocks to Buy in 2026.
With geopolitical conflict, inflation pressures, and growing policy uncertainty reshaping global supply dynamics, commodity markets are navigating an unusually volatile backdrop in 2026.
The Iran war, which started when the U.S. and Israel struck Iran in late February, has caused serious damage to global energy supply chains. The Strait of Hormuz closure pulled Middle East crude exports down from roughly 18.3 million barrels per day before the conflict to less than 8.8 million bpd since March, according to Kpler data.
A Reuters poll of 33 economists and analysts published May 29, 2026, now projects average Brent crude at $90.44 per barrel for the full year, compared with $63.85 estimated the day before the strikes. WTI is forecast at $84.63, up from $60.38 in those same February estimates. Both benchmarks have already reached four-year highs.
Meanwhile, analysts expect a global supply deficit ranging from 500,000 to 8 million barrels per day in 2026, with energy flows through Hormuz not expected to recover to pre-crisis levels even if a ceasefire holds through the year.
On the other hand, gold has had a more uneven run.
Spot prices were at $4,519.64 per ounce on May 29, 2026, but still finished the month down more than 2%. U.S. inflation rose at its fastest pace in three years in April, driven by energy costs tied to the Iran conflict, giving the Federal Reserve little reason to cut rates.
At the same time, copper is waiting on a policy decision. A U.S. ruling on refined copper import tariffs is due by the end of June, with first-quarter 2026 inbound shipments already more than doubling year-over-year to 533,000 tons.
With that context in mind, let’s jump to our list of the best commodity stocks to buy in 2026.
Our Methodology
To curate our list for this article, we relied on financial media and stock screeners to identify commodity stocks across agriculture, energy, and metals. Next, we assessed hedge fund sentiment surrounding these stocks using Insider Monkey’s hedge fund database, which tracks over 1,000 elite hedge fund managers and their portfolios as of Q1 2026.
Finally, we ranked the list in ascending order by upside potential after narrowing it to stocks with more than 20% expected upside.
Note: All data sourced on May 31, 2026.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 498.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 303 percentage points (see more details here).
10. Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE:DAR)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 61
On the back of strong hedge fund and analyst support, Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE:DAR) features on our list of the best commodity stocks to buy in 2026. The stock carries an upside of 26.9%.
Following its investor day, the stock drew renewed analyst attention, with its investment case now shifting toward margin improvement and debt paydown, while the investor day provided greater visibility into how management aims to achieve those goals.
Two analyst updates landed on May 12, 2026, telling a consistent story.
BofA analyst Conor Fitzpatrick raised the firm’s price target to $85 from $80 and kept a “Buy” rating, calling the company’s investor day a “multifaceted update on capital allocation and the balance sheet.” Fitzpatrick said details on the path to structurally higher margins via high-grading output “look solid and the gains are material.”
TD Cowen echoed that constructive view, reiterating a “Buy” rating and a $76 price target on the same day.
The firm cited strong margin conditions across Darling’s business segments and flagged margin expansion, rather than volume growth, as the bigger near-term opportunity. TD Cowen identified $150 million to $300 million in potential upside from Feed margin expansion and an estimated $80 million from the Food segment, not yet reflected in current estimates.
On the balance sheet, TD Cowen expects Darling’s cash generation to bring debt below its target levels by early 2027, in line with the firm’s forecasts. The analyst noted that Darling has not disclosed capital allocation priorities once that debt target is reached, though the firm views large-scale mergers and acquisitions as unlikely.
Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE:DAR) develops and produces natural ingredients from edible and inedible bio-nutrients. The company’s operations are divided into the following segments: Feed Ingredients, Food Ingredients, and Fuel Ingredients.
9. Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 60
On the back of strong hedge fund and analyst support, Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) features on our list of the best commodity stocks to buy in 2026. The stock carries an upside of 27.5%.
Amid improving lithium prices and a favorable long-term growth outlook, Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) is drawing increasing attention from Wall Street.
On May 26, 2026, RBC Capital raised its price target on Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) to $257 from $253 and kept an “Outperform” rating. The firm sees volume growing at a mid-single digit CAGR over the next several years, driven by brownfield expansion at CGP3/Wodgina, productivity gains at Atacama, and longer-term opportunities at Kings Mountain and Antofalla. RBC also views last month’s 9% pullback in share prices, tied to oil and broader market factors, as a buying opportunity.
Two earlier analyst updates added to the constructive tone.
On May 15, 2026, Scotiabank’s Ben Isaacson raised the firm’s price target to $215 from $200, keeping an “Outperform” rating, though he had a mixed view, flagging that Albemarle is pricing in line with Lithium Americas, a developer with no meaningful production expected until 2028. On May 12, 2026, Deutsche Bank’s David Begleiter lifted the firm’s target to $250 from $210 and kept a “Buy” rating, saying higher lithium prices suggest Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) should reach the upper end of its outlook.
That outlook spans three lithium price scenarios for 2026.
At around $10/kg lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE), Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) projects revenue of $4.1 billion to $4.3 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $0.9 billion to $1.0 billion. At $20/kg LCE, the Q1 2026 average, those figures rise to $5.7-$6.0 billion in revenue and $2.4-$2.6 billion in adjusted EBITDA. At $30/kg LCE, revenue could reach $7.5-$7.8 billion, with adjusted EBITDA of $4.2-$4.4 billion.
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) also plans capital expenditures of $550 million to $600 million and targets $100 million to $150 million in cost and productivity improvements for the year.
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) is one of the world’s leading lithium producers, with a fully integrated model spanning mining, processing, and refining operations across key global markets.
