In this article, we are going to discuss the 10 best Fortune 500 stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts.
The S&P 500 index, which tracks a majority of the American Fortune 500 companies, is currently hovering around its all-time high. As of the writing of this piece, the index has posted gains of 5% since the beginning of 2026, despite being weighed down by the conflict in the Middle East.
The index has received strong support from the better-than-expected results posted by Big Tech in the ongoing earnings season, with S&P 500 profits now expected to grow 27.8% in the first quarter, the strongest since the fourth quarter of 2021. According to UBS, companies representing around 70% of the index market cap have already reported their Q1 earnings, with approximately 80% of them beating sales and EPS estimates. Moreover, the US manufacturing sector also continued to expand in April, and consumer spending remained resilient.
With overall guidance pointing to solid earnings also in the second quarter, UBS maintains a solid outlook for US equities and sees attractive investment opportunities across financials, health care, industrials, utilities, and consumer discretionary sectors.
With that said, here are the Best Large Cap Stocks to Invest in According to Analysts.
Photo by Viacheslav Bublyk on Unsplash
Our Methodology
To collect data for this article, we scanned the top companies among the Fortune Global Rankings and shortlisted stocks with the highest upside potential according to Wall Street analysts, as of May 3, 2026. We then limited our final selection to companies that have recently reported noteworthy developments likely to impact investor sentiment. The following are the Best Large Cap Stocks to Buy According to Analysts.
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. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)
Upside Potential as of May 3: 17.42%
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) provides a broad selection, value, and convenience across a range of customer experiences, including online shopping, cloud computing, streaming entertainment, consumer electronic devices, advertising, healthcare, AI services, and more.
On April 30, Goldman Sachs upped its price target on Amazon.com, Inc. from $275 to $325, while keeping a ‘Buy’ rating on the shares. The target boost represents an upside potential of over 19% from the current share price.
Amazon delivered a strong Q1 2026 report on April 29, exceeding estimates in both earnings and revenue. The company grew its revenue by over 16% YoY to $181.5 billion, above the top end of guidance, driven by strength in Online Stores and AWS, which delivered the fastest growth rate in 15 quarters. Moreover, AWS boasted a backlog of $364 billion in the first quarter, supporting sustained growth.
Amazon.com, Inc. is expecting its Q2 net sales to be between $194 billion and $199 billion, with operating income forecasted in the range of $20 billion and $24 billion.
9. The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI)
Upside Potential as of May 3: 20.18%
The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) is a global health company that provides insurance and related products and services. It operates through two segments: Evernorth Health Services and Cigna Healthcare.
On May 1, Barclays increased its price target on The Cigna Group from $303 to $310, while maintaining an ‘Overweight’ rating on the shares. The raised target, which represents an upside of almost 10% from the current levels, comes following the company’s Q1 report.
The Cigna Group posted strong results for its first quarter on April 30, exceeding estimates in both profits and revenue. The company grew its adjusted EPS by around 16% YoY to $7.79, while its revenue of $68.5 billion was also up by 4.7% compared to last year. Notably, Cigna also revealed that it would exit subsidized plans offered under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, at the end of this year.
The Cigna Group also raised its full-year 2026 consolidated adjusted earnings per share outlook to at least $30.35, up from the prior guidance of $30.25 and slightly better than the consensus of $30.33.
8. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)
Upside Potential as of May 3: 21.26%
Merck & Co., Inc. is a global health care company working to deliver innovative health solutions through our medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and animal health products.
On May 1, Morgan Stanley analyst Terence Flynn raised the firm’s price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $109 to $112, while maintaining an ‘Equal Weight’ rating on the shares.
The target boost comes after Merck & Co., Inc. beat topline estimates in its Q1 results posted on April 30, driven by the strong demand for its aging cancer immunotherapy Keytruda. Sales of the medicine rose 12% to $8 billion during the quarter, beating expectations of $7.6 billion.
Merck & Co., Inc. also narrowed its previous guidance range, pushing up the midpoint of both its full-year revenue and EPS guidance. The company now expects a 2026 profit of $5.04 to $5.16 per share on sales of $65.8 billion to $67 billion, compared with a previous estimate of $5.00 to $5.15 per share on sales of $65.5 billion to $67 billion.
According to Morgan Stanley, pipeline execution and capital deployment are the two key factors for MRK.
7. Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX)
Upside Potential as of May 3: 24.92%
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is one of the world’s leading entertainment services offering TV series, films, games and live programming across a wide variety of genres and languages.
On April 27, Erste Group downgraded Netflix, Inc. from ‘Buy’ to ‘Hold’, without assigning the stock a price target. The analyst firm expects the company to grow its revenue by 12%-15% this year, indicating a lower growth rate compared to 2025. Erste sees a “significantly higher” valuation for Netflix compared to the rest of the sector, limiting further potential upside for the stock.
Netflix, Inc. is targeting a revenue growth of 12% to 14% for full-year 2026, with an operating margin expected at 31.5%. This includes the company’s goal of roughly doubling its advertising business to about $3 billion. It also needs mentioning that Netflix authorized an additional $25 billion in share repurchases on April 22. This builds on the approximately $6.8 billion already available for repurchase as of March 31 under the company’s December 2024 buyback program.
6. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE:DB)
Upside Potential as of May 3: 26.69%
Next on our list of the Best Large Cap Stocks to Buy Now is Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE:DB). It provides financial services to companies, governments, institutional investors, small and medium-sized businesses, and private individuals.
Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reported better-than-expected results for its Q1 2026 on April 29, with the company beating estimates in both earnings and revenue. Notably, the bank’s post-tax profit rose 8% YoY to a quarterly record of €2.2 billion, while diluted EPS also surged by 7% YoY to €1.06. Net revenue also grew by almost 2% YoY to €8.7 billion, driven by focused growth areas. At the same time, DB’s assets under management (AuM) rose to €1.8 trillion, including net inflows of €22 billion.
Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft’s first-quarter revenue was in line with guidance, as the company expected it to be flat compared to the same period last year, due to the “normalization of Corporate & Other revenue and against a strong FIC performance in the year-ago quarter”. The bank reaffirmed its full-year revenue target of approximately €33 billion, up from €32.1 billion last year.
Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft was also recently included in our list of the 10 Best Global Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts.
5. Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH)
Upside Potential as of May 3: 27.02%
Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH) is a distributor of pharmaceuticals and specialty products; a supplier of home-health and direct-to-patient products and services; an operator of nuclear pharmacies and manufacturing facilities; a provider of performance and data solutions; and a global manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory products.
On May 1, TD Cowen upped its price target on Cardinal Health, Inc. from $251 to $255, while keeping a ‘Buy’ rating on the shares. The revised target, which indicates an upside of 30% from the current price levels, comes after the analyst company updated its model following Cardinal’s quarterly report.
Cardinal Health, Inc. reported its Q3 results on April 30, with its adjusted earnings of $3.17 per share beating estimates by $0.38. However, the company’s revenue of almost $61 billion fell short of expectations by $1.3 billion, despite a YoY growth of 11%. Cardinal’s Pharmaceutical revenue growth was hurt by Inflation Reduction Act-related changes that impacted the wholesale acquisition costs of drugs.
Notably, Cardinal Health, Inc. raised its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS target to $10.70 to $10.80 per share, up from its previous forecast of $10.15 to $10.35 and the analyst consensus of $10.31 per share.
4. General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)
Upside Potential as of May 3: 28.02%
General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) designs, builds, and sells trucks, crossovers, cars, and automobile parts worldwide.
On April 29, TD Cowen bumped up its target on General Motors Company from $122 to $126, while keeping a ‘Buy’ rating on the shares. The target boost, which indicates an upside of over 66% from the current price levels, comes as the analyst firm updated its model following a solid Q1 report by the US carmaker. GM remains a top pick at TD Cowen.
General Motors Company reported strong results for its Q1 2026 on April 28, with the company beating estimates in both earnings and revenue despite a fast-changing geopolitical and regulatory backdrop that is reshaping the industry. The Detroit automaker also raised its profit outlook for FY 2026, now expecting a core profit of $13.5 billion to $15.5 billion, up from $13 billion to $15 billion previously.
The $500 million raise matches the amount that the company expects to recover from refunds tied to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down some of President Trump’s tariffs. Notably, GM’s higher profit guidance comes despite the rising costs amid the US-Iran war.
3. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Upside Potential as of May 3: 33.31%
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is engaged in developing and marketing software, services, and hardware that deliver new opportunities, greater convenience, and enhanced value to people’s lives.
On April 30, Deutsche Bank trimmed its price target on Microsoft Corporation from $575 to $550, but kept its ‘Buy’ rating on the shares. The lowered target still reflects an upside of almost 33% from the current price levels. The analyst sees Microsoft’s recent Q3 2026 report as “very solid”, with the company checking “all the right boxes” and delivering accelerating AI growth.
Microsoft Corporation exceeded revenue and earnings expectations in its Q3 report on April 29. The company grew its revenue by 18% YoY to $82.8 billion, powered by the continued strength of Microsoft Cloud, which exceeded $54 billion in revenue, up 29% YoY.
Microsoft Corporation expects the revenue for its Azure and other cloud services business to grow between 39% and 40% in constant currency in Q4. Meanwhile, total revenue is targeted in the range of $86.7 billion and $87.8 billion, indicating a growth of 13% to 15%. Moreover, the company expects to spend $190 billion this calendar year.
2. Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT)
Upside Potential as of May 3: 33.63%
Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT) is the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service with 751 million users, including 290 million subscribers, in 184 markets.
On April 30, UBS analyst Batya Levi lowered the firm’s price target on Spotify Technology S.A. from $760 to $735, but maintained a ‘Buy’ rating on the shares. The reduced target still reflects an upside potential of more than 66% from the current price levels.
The target cut comes despite Spotify Technology S.A. reporting better-than-expected results for its Q1 on April 28, topping expectations in both revenue and earnings. The company posted a record operating income of €715 million during the quarter, beating estimates of € 681.6 million, driven by the lower payroll taxes.
However, Spotify Technology S.A. came under pressure after the company’s Q1 report was overshadowed by its disappointing outlook for premium subscriber growth for the second quarter. The company expects premium subscribers to increase to 299 million in Q2, falling short of estimates of 302 million.
Baron Capital, an investment management company, stated the following regarding Spotify Technology S.A. in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“Global digital music streaming platform Spotify Technology S.A. declined by 16.6% in the first quarter and detracted 72 bps from performance as investors were concerned about the impact AI music could have on the conversion of free subscribers to paying subscribers as well as how it could impact time on the platform. In addition, further concerns about the timing of price increases and resulting margin expansion also frustrated investors. However, the company continues to institute price increases across multiple regions and complete negotiations with major record labels. User growth remains strong, growing at a double-digit rate with high engagement and low churn even with price increases. The company remains on a path to increase gross margins through its high-margin artist promotions marketplace, growing podcast contribution, and ongoing investments in advertising where revenue growth is expected to accelerate this year. We continue to view Spotify as a long-term winner in music streaming with potential to reach 1 billion-plus subscribers by 2030.”
1. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)
Upside Potential as of May 3: 35.52%
Topping our list of the Best Large Cap Stocks According to Analysts is Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META). The company engages in the development of products that enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality (VR) headsets, and AI glasses. Its core business includes platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.
On April 30, Evercore ISI analyst Mark Mahaney bumped up the firm’s price target on Meta Platforms, Inc. from $900 to $930, while maintaining an ‘Outperform’ rating on the shares. The target increase, which reflects a significant upside of over 52% from the current price levels, comes as the analyst touts Meta as still the “best ad revenue growth story” following the company’s Q1 results.
Meta Platforms, Inc. reported better-than-expected results for its first quarter on April 29. However, the stock still took a hit after the company projected 2026 capital expenditure in the range of $125 billion and $145 billion, up from its prior forecast of $115 billion to $135 billion. The figures also exceeded analysts’ expectations and dampened investor sentiment, as this massive spending push may create some near-term drag on earnings. Meta Platforms, Inc. grew its revenue by 33% YoY to $56.3 billion in Q1. The company now expects its Q2 total revenue to be in the range of $58 billion to $61 billion.
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