In this article, we will look at the 10 Must-Buy Stocks with the Strongest 1Q2026 Earnings Beats.
Earnings beats are getting more attention as investors look for companies that are not just surviving a choppier market backdrop, but actually clearing the bar set by Wall Street. A strong quarterly beat matters because it often forces investors to rethink whether expectations were too low, especially when the surprise comes with stronger guidance, improving margins, or signs that demand is holding up better than expected. AllianceBernstein notes that “Historically, when US companies delivered a positive earnings surprise, their stocks outperformed.”
Alphinity says it looks for stocks that can deliver “earnings surprises” to drive outperformance, adding that “A positive earnings announcement by a company is more likely than not to be followed by a period of sustained positive earnings revisions/surprises driving share price outperformance.” In summary, a good quarter can matter most when it starts an upgrade cycle, not when it is treated as a one-off event. BlackRock makes a similar point from a market-wide perspective, pointing to “Recent breadth in earnings growth surprises and revisions” and arguing that investors may need to “venture into AI beneficiaries, cyclical growers and undervalued or underowned names.”
That is why the strongest 1Q2026 earnings beats deserve a closer look. The more interesting names are not simply those that topped estimates by the widest margin, but those where the beat may signal stronger demand, better execution, or room for analysts to revise numbers higher. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the 10 Must-Buy Stocks with the Strongest 1Q2026 Earnings Beats.
Our Methodology
We used the Finviz screener to identify stocks that beat 1Q2026 earnings estimates by over 30%. 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. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)
On April 30, 2026, BofA analyst Justin Post raised the price target on Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) to $835 from $820 and maintained a Buy rating after the company’s Q1 results. Justin Post noted increased investment in AI capacity alongside headcount reductions, adding that the AI spending cycle is larger than expected and returns remain less clear than for Cloud providers. Justin Post also said AI-driven ad gains remain intact and raised 2027 revenue to $101B and EPS to $34.46 following the “strong” quarter.
Barclays analyst Ross Sandler also lifted the price target on Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) to $830 from $800 with an Overweight rating, saying the company is growing faster than the digital advertising industry while reducing costs. Ross Sandler added that AI progress following the Muse Spark introduction supports confidence in long-term investments. Meanwhile, Evercore ISI analyst Mark Mahaney raised the price target to $930 from $900 and maintained an Outperform rating, calling Meta the “best ad revenue growth story.”
On April 29, 2026, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) reported Q1 EPS of $10.44 versus consensus $6.82 and Q1 revenue of $56.31B versus $55.56B consensus. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company saw “strong momentum” across its apps and highlighted the release of its first model from Meta Superintelligence Labs. The company expects Q2 revenue of $58B to $61B, assuming a roughly 2% foreign exchange tailwind.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) develops products that enable people to connect and share across mobile devices, computers, VR headsets, and AI glasses globally.
9. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)
On April 28, 2026, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) and FPT announced a strategic relationship to deliver an AI-driven factory optimization solution. The collaboration combines AI, simulation, and digital manufacturing technologies to reduce bottlenecks, speed up decision-making, and improve downtime recovery as operations move toward more autonomous systems.
On the same day, Freedom Broker upgraded Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $100. The firm said the Q1 report “marks a credible inflection” in the company’s turnaround and includes guidance that “reinforces” the operational narrative. Freedom Broker added that demand is exceeding supply across segments and said the Foundry business is becoming more credible, citing progress in 18A yields and “encouraging” early signals for 14A. On April 24, 2026, Benchmark analyst Cody Acree raised the price target to $105 from $76 and maintained a Buy rating, saying the Q1 upside appeared driven more by improved factory output than one-time factors.
On April 23, 2026, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) reported Q1 adjusted EPS of 29c versus 1c consensus and revenue of $13.6B compared to $12.43B expected. CEO Lip-Bu Tan said demand tied to AI is increasing the need for CPUs and advanced packaging, while CFO David Zinsner cited “robust” results and “unprecedented demand for silicon.” Intel expects Q2 adjusted EPS of 20c versus 8c consensus and revenue of $13.8B to $14.8B compared to $13.06B expected.
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) designs, manufactures, and sells computing and related products and services globally.
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