In this article, we will look at the 10 Best Stocks to Buy in Falling Markets According to Wall Street Analysts.
Stocks that can hold up in falling markets are getting more attention as investors look for places to hide without stepping completely out of equities. The screen naturally points toward areas where demand is less tied to the business cycle, especially gold-linked names and consumer defensive stocks. BlackRock says “Political and geopolitical uncertainty spurs safe-haven demand,” while gold has historically shown “low or negative correlation to equities during periods of market stress.” When broader risk appetite weakens, investors often start looking for assets and companies that do not depend on a strong market backdrop to stay relevant.
The consumer defensive side of the trade is more about steadiness than shock protection. Franklin Templeton says consumer staples offer a “defensive profile,” supported by “Resilient demand,” “stable cash flows and revenue generation,” and a potential “source of downside protection to shareholder returns.” Fidelity makes the business-cycle case more directly, saying staples are “not as sensitive to the broader economic environment” and have “less sensitivity to a decrease in consumer demand.” In summary, consumers may trade down or become more selective, but they still buy food, household products, personal-care items, and other everyday essentials.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the 10 Best Stocks to Buy in Falling Markets According to Wall Street Analysts.
Our Methodology
We used the Finviz screener to identify consumer staples and gold stocks that offer significant upside from analysts’ price targets. We then limited our final selection to companies that have recently reported noteworthy developments likely to impact investor sentiment. These stocks are also popular among analysts and elite hedge funds.
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. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM)
On May 4, 2026, ATB Cormark analyst Richard Gray upgraded Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM) to Outperform from Sector Perform with an unchanged price target of C$330 following the company’s Q1 results. The firm described Agnico as the “gold standard” among gold producers, citing its long-life, high-margin asset base in low-risk jurisdictions. ATB Cormark added that the company is well-positioned to benefit from record margins and production growth extending beyond 2030.
On April 30, 2026, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM) reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $3.41, versus the consensus estimate of $3.21. Revenue totaled $4.099B, versus the consensus estimate of $4.02B. The company reported payable gold production of 825,109 ounces during the quarter, representing about 24% of the midpoint of its full-year production guidance. Production costs per ounce came in at $1,158, while total cash costs and all-in sustaining costs were $1,093 and $1,483 per ounce, respectively. Agnico said operational performance was led by Detour Lake, Canadian Malartic, and Fosterville. President and CEO Ammar Al-Joundi said the company delivered a solid start to 2026, achieving record operating margins while keeping production and costs in line with expectations. Al-Joundi added that management expects stronger production in the second half of the year and continues to focus on cost discipline and asset optimization through its regional operating model.
The company also highlighted progress across its growth pipeline, including recently announced proposed acquisitions in Finland, which management described as part of the next phase of long-term growth. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM) reiterated its commitment to shareholder returns through dividends and an expanded share repurchase program. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM) expects FY26 gold production of 3.3M-3.5M ounces and capital expenditures of $2.465B-$2.725B.
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM) explores for and produces gold, silver, copper, and zinc.
9. Pan American Silver Corp. (NYSE:PAAS)
On May 11, 2026, TD Securities analyst Wayne Lam upgraded Pan American Silver Corp. (NYSE:PAAS) to Buy from Hold while raising the price target to $72 from $67. The firm said recent developments, including the La Colorada Skarn update, have improved the company’s outlook.
On May 5, 2026, Pan American Silver Corp. (NYSE:PAAS) reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $1.09, versus the consensus estimate of $1.06. Revenue totaled $1.15B, while attributable revenue reached $1.33B, versus the consensus estimate of $1.22B. President and CEO Michael Steinmann said the company delivered solid quarterly results driven by strong production, disciplined cost management, and higher quarter-over-quarter silver and gold prices. Steinmann added that Pan American remains on track to meet its 2026 guidance and generated $488M in free cash flow during the quarter, lifting cash and short-term investments to a record $1.8B.
Pan American Silver Corp. (NYSE:PAAS) raised its FY26 project capital expenditure outlook to $240M-$255M from $195M-$210M following the revised Preliminary Economic Assessment for the La Colorada Skarn Project released earlier in 2026. The company said it now expects to spend $92M-$95M on the project this year, up from its prior outlook of $47M-$50M. The company reaffirmed its broader 2026 operating outlook for silver and gold production, zinc, lead, and copper output, all-in sustaining costs, and sustaining capital expenditures. Pan American added that gold production is now expected to be weighted more heavily toward the fourth quarter after some second-quarter production was deferred later into the year.
Pan American Silver Corp. (NYSE:PAAS) explores for, develops, and operates precious and base metal mining assets across the Americas.
8. OR Royalties Inc. (NYSE:OR)
On May 6, 2026, OR Royalties Inc. (NYSE:OR) reported Q1 adjusted EPS of 40c, versus the consensus estimate of 34c. President and CEO Jason Attew said the company delivered solid operational performance across its asset base during the quarter, establishing a strong foundation to achieve its 2026 guidance range of 80,000-90,000 gold equivalent ounces.
Last month, OR Royalties Inc. (NYSE:OR) announced it entered into a binding agreement with Canadian Copper for a $28M precious metals stream tied to Canadian Copper’s New Brunswick assets, including the Murray Brook properties and the Caribou property and processing plant. The company said the stream covers silver and gold production from the brownfield assets located in the Bathurst Mining Camp in New Brunswick, which OR Royalties classifies as a Tier-1 mining jurisdiction.
OR Royalties added that the brownfield nature of the project and the previously operating Caribou Complex are expected to support an accelerated permitting and development timeline, with first production targeted by 2029. The company also noted that a concurrent $35M concentrate prepayment facility from Ocean Partners is expected to provide the full construction financing required to advance the project into commercial production. The transaction is expected to contribute additional gold equivalent ounces above OR Royalties Inc.’s previously disclosed 2030 five-year outlook range of 120,000-135,000 GEOs.
OR Royalties Inc. (NYSE:OR) acquires and manages precious metal royalties, streams, and related interests in Canada and internationally.
7. US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE:USFD)
On May 11, 2026, BTIG lowered the firm’s price target on US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE:USFD) to $105 from $110 while maintaining a Buy rating on the shares. The firm said the company experienced a modestly weaker start to the year as poor weather and higher fuel prices pressured first-quarter case volumes and margins. BTIG added, however, that it still sees a relatively clear path toward double-digit EBITDA growth this year, supported by planned cost reductions and ongoing productivity improvements.
On May 7, 2026, US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE:USFD) reported Q1 adjusted EPS of 78c, versus the consensus estimate of 81c. Revenue totaled $9.61B, versus the consensus estimate of $9.66B. CEO Dave Flitman said the company accelerated year-over-year independent restaurant case growth during the quarter, gained market share with target customer groups, and delivered 15% adjusted diluted EPS growth despite a deteriorating macroeconomic backdrop and weather-related disruptions. Flitman added that momentum improved as weather conditions normalized later in the quarter. CFO Dirk Locascio said the company continued to benefit from self-help initiatives, driving adjusted EBITDA growth, margin expansion, and adjusted diluted EPS growth that outpaced EBITDA growth. Locascio also highlighted strong operating cash flow generation and disciplined capital allocation through investments in the business and share repurchases.
Last month, US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE:USFD) launched US Foods SIGNATURE, a new program designed to support hospitality operators across multiple operating categories. The company said the initiative combines its technology solutions with industry expertise to help foodservice customers address operational challenges.
US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE:USFD) markets, sells, and distributes food and non-food products to foodservice customers across the United States.
6. PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)
On May 5, 2026, PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) announced a new collaboration with agriculture technology company TalusAg aimed at advancing fertilizer decarbonization across global agricultural supply chains through low-carbon ammonia environmental attributes. PepsiCo said the agreements represent its first executed transactions of this kind and initially cover approximately 30,000 metric tons of low-carbon ammonia across its Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia Pacific, and global operations, with an option to purchase an additional 41,000 metric tons. The collaboration also extends to the United States and TalusAg’s proposed Blue Earth, Minnesota project. PepsiCo added that TalusAg’s distributed production model could strengthen fertilizer supply chain resilience by enabling localized ammonia generation closer to end users, while also supporting efforts to build credible and cost-effective environmental attribute markets tied to fertilizer decarbonization.
Last month, JPMorgan raised the firm’s price target on PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) to $178 from $172 while maintaining an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm said it updated its model following the company’s Q1 results and reiterated a bullish view, citing better-than-expected performance and a positive inflection in snack volume trends.
For FY26, PepsiCo continues to expect organic revenue growth of 2%-4% and core constant currency EPS growth of 4%-6%. The company also reiterated expectations for total shareholder returns of approximately $8.9B, including $7.9B in dividends and $1B in share repurchases.
PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells beverages and convenient foods worldwide.
While we acknowledge the potential of PEP to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PEP and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
Click to continue reading and see the 5 Best Stocks to Buy in Falling Markets According to Wall Street Analysts.
Disclosure: None. Follow Insider Monkey on Google News.
Hedge Fund Resource Center