14 Best Extremely Profitable Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts

In this piece, we will discuss the 14 Best Extremely Profitable Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts.

Strong company earnings are instilling confidence in investors, helping justify continued investment in equities.

More than two-thirds into the first-quarter reporting season, S&P 500 companies are set to report their strongest quarterly earnings growth in over four years, Reuters reported on May 6, 2026. Most importantly, S&P 500 earnings are expected to have climbed 28.2% in the first quarter from a year earlier, per LSEG Data & Analytics. Deutsche Bank’s chief U.S. equity strategist, Binky Chadha, went further, calling that growth “arguably the strongest in two decades” when excluding special factors such as favorable base effects and corporate tax cuts.

Looking ahead, the overall setup is expected to improve further.

Full-year 2026 earnings are now projected to rise 22.6%, with estimates moving higher for each of the next three quarters compared to where they stood on April 1, per LSEG IBES. Analysts’ estimates for future 12-month U.S. earnings have also risen more than 10% since the start of the year, according to LSEG Datastream.

That gain is expected to be seen across sectors.

According to LSEG IBES, nine of the 11 S&P 500 sectors are on track for stronger first-quarter earnings, with eight up at least 10%. AI spending remains a crucial driver, with five hyperscalers projected to deploy $751 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, according to Goldman Sachs. Meanwhile, companies in AI-linked industries saw first-quarter earnings jump 50%, Deutsche Bank reported.

With that backdrop, let’s dive into our list of the best extremely profitable stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts.

Photo by Vitaly Taranov on Unsplash

Our Methodology

To curate our list of the best extremely profitable stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts, we used screeners to identify stocks with a net income (profit) margin exceeding 30%, narrowing that list to companies that have consistently delivered strong profitability over the past five years. Furthermore, we selected only stocks with market capitalizations above $2 billion, ignoring those with lower absolute profits and higher margins.

Finally, we assessed analyst sentiment toward these stocks, ranking them in ascending order by their upside potential.

Note: All data sourced on May 19, 2026.

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14. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V)

With a net income margin of 51.68% and upside potential of 20.30%, Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) ranks among the best extremely profitable stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The company reported net income of $20.06 billion for the recently completed fiscal year (FY25), with that momentum carrying into 2026.

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V)’s April 28, Q2 2026 earnings update gave investors a stronger-than-expected quarter. Adjusted net income rose to $6.3 billion, or $3.31 per share, compared with $5.44 billion, or $2.76 per share, last year. Meanwhile, LSEG estimates had called for $3.10 per share.

The quarter was supported by steady volume growth.

Payment volume increased 9%, and cross-border volume grew 12% on a constant-dollar basis. Data processing revenue came in at $5.54 billion, up 18% year-over-year. On the back of that robust performance, Visa lifted its full-year 2026 EPS growth outlook to low-teens from low-double-digit, while its board authorized a new $20 billion multi-year share repurchase program.

The strong quarter drew immediate analyst attention.

A day later, UBS raised its price target on Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) to $410 from $390, keeping a “Buy” rating, pointing to a beat-and-raise quarter and growth it expects to accelerate into year-end, with low-to-mid-teens compounding carrying into FY27.

That analyst support extended into May.

On May 12, 2026, Truist analyst Matthew Coad raised the firm’s price target on Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) to $371 from $361 and kept a “Buy” rating, as part of a broader note on the payments space following the group’s Q1 results. The firm raised its top-line estimates to reflect stronger expectations for Data Processing and Other Revenue, supported by improved pricing, strong demand for marketing-related value-added services ahead of the FIFA World Cup, and the inorganic contribution from Prisma/Newpay.

Meanwhile, stablecoin momentum provided an additional catalyst.

CEO Ryan McInerney told analysts the company’s stablecoin settlement volume is now running at a $7 billion annual rate, up more than 50% from the prior quarter. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) had already taken action in March 2026, expanding its Bridge collaboration to target stablecoin-linked card coverage across more than 100 countries in Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East before year-end.

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is a payment technology company operating in the United States and internationally. It operates VisaNet, a transaction-processing network that handles the clearing, authorization, and settlement of payments. The company offers its services under different brands, including PLUS, Visa, V PAY, Visa Electron, and Interlink.

13. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), featuring a net income margin of 55.60% and upside potential of 23.70%, secures a spot on our list of the best extremely profitable stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The company reported net income of $120.07 billion for the latest fiscal year (FY26).

Building on that strong earnings run, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) delivered another quarter of record results on May 20, 2026.

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) reported first-quarter fiscal 2027 revenue of $81.6 billion, up 85% from a year ago and 20% from the prior quarter. Data Center led the surge with revenue of $75.2 billion, up 92% year-over-year and 21% sequentially. Within that segment, Data Center compute revenue reached a record $60.4 billion, while networking revenue hit $14.8 billion, a 199% jump from a year ago. Meanwhile, the Edge Computing segment contributed $6.4 billion, up 29% annually.

GAAP and non-GAAP gross margins came in at 74.9% and 75.0%, respectively, while free cash flow for the quarter was $48.55 billion. Non-GAAP diluted EPS came in at $1.87, up 140% year-over-year.

Looking ahead, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) guided second-quarter fiscal 2027 revenue of $91.0 billion, plus or minus 2%, with GAAP and non-GAAP gross margins expected at 74.9% and 75.0%, respectively. Importantly, the company noted it is not assuming any Data Center compute revenue from China in that outlook.

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) also announced an additional $80.0 billion share repurchase authorization, approved by the board on May 18, 2026, with no expiration. The company raised its quarterly cash dividend from $0.01 per share to $0.25 per share, payable June 26, 2026, to shareholders of record as of June 4, 2026. During the quarter, NVIDIA returned a record $20 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends.

Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), commented:

“The buildout of AI factories, the largest infrastructure expansion in human history, is accelerating at extraordinary speed. Agentic AI has arrived, doing productive work, generating real value and scaling rapidly across companies and industries. NVIDIA is uniquely positioned at the center of this transformation as the only platform that runs in every cloud, powers every frontier and open source model, and scales everywhere AI is produced, from hyperscale data centers to the edge.”

Even so, the next phase of AI demand may be harder to dominate, as Reuters noted a day earlier that the market is shifting toward inference, where AI systems respond to queries and carry out tasks in real time. Alphabet has struck deals worth tens of billions of dollars for its custom tensor processing units, while Amazon’s Trainium processors are also starting to see increasing traction and market adoption. Furthermore, Intel and AMD are developing processors that are more optimized for smaller, cost-sensitive inference workloads.

In response to that growing competition, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) introduced a new central processor and AI system built on Groq technology in March 2026. Reuters noted those chips are not included in Nvidia’s $1 trillion Blackwell and Rubin sales forecast by the end of 2027.

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is a fabless semiconductor and AI computing company that designs GPUs, AI accelerators, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and system-on-a-chip units. Through its CUDA ecosystem, the company enables industries ranging from autonomous vehicles to scientific research by advancing AI, accelerated computing, and data center infrastructure.

12. Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD)

With a net income margin of 31.00% and upside potential of 24.20%, Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) ranks among the best extremely profitable stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The company reported net income of $8.51 billion for the recently completed fiscal year (FY25). That momentum continued into 2026, drawing analyst attention.

On May 8, 2026, Truist raised its price target on Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) to $157 from $155, while keeping a “Buy” rating on the shares. The firm pointed to the company’s Q1 top- and bottom-line beat, raised FY26 revenue guide, and continued strength in HIV portfolio, particularly Yeztugo.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD)’s first-quarter update, released on May 7, 2026, provided context for Truist’s bullish view.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) earned $2.03 per share on an adjusted basis, $0.12 above the average estimate compiled by LSEG. Revenue moved 4% higher to $6.96 billion, also clearing Wall Street’s $6.91 billion consensus.

The HIV portfolio remained the company’s strongest growth driver.

Biktarvy sales rose 7% to $3.36 billion, modestly above the $3.32 billion estimate, while Descovy, an older HIV pill, saw its sales jump a stronger-than-expected 38% to $807 million. Yeztugo, the twice-yearly HIV prevention injection launched in the U.S. last year, posted first-quarter sales of $166 million, ahead of the $143 million forecast.

Management’s raised guidance reflected that strength. Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) now expects Yeztugo sales of $1 billion for full-year 2026, up from its prior $800 million estimate. The company also raised its overall 2026 sales outlook by $400 million, putting the new range at $30 billion to $30.4 billion.

Meanwhile, the updated earnings outlook reflected acquisition-related charges rather than a change in the underlying forecast. Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) now projects an adjusted loss of $0.65 to $1.05 per share for 2026, versus its earlier profit forecast of $8.45 to $8.85. CFO Andrew Dickinson said the adjustment incorporates an $11.5 billion second-quarter charge tied to the Arcellx, Ouro Medicines, and Tubulis acquisitions. Excluding that charge, the earnings forecast remains unchanged.

Truist said early Yeztugo persistency signals remain central to the company’s thesis for durable growth toward a $7 billion-plus peak revenue opportunity.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) is a drug manufacturer that develops medicines for unmet medical needs. The company provides treatments for HIV-1, chronic hepatitis C, primary biliary cholangitis, chronic hepatitis B, and serious invasive fungal infections. It also offers T-cell and CAR T-cell therapies for adult patients, intravenous injections, and treatments for COVID-19.

11. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY), featuring a net income margin of 34.99% and upside potential of 20.64%, secures a spot on our list of the best extremely profitable stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The company reported net income of $20.64 billion for the recently completed fiscal year (FY25).

That earnings strength was also evident in the April 30, 2026, update.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $8.55, well above the $6.66 Wall Street consensus tracked by LSEG. The company also raised its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $35.50-$37.00 from $33.50-$35.00 and lifted revenue guidance to $82-$85 billion from $80-$83 billion.

Mounjaro remained the standout.

The drug generated $8.7 billion in first-quarter sales, beating expectations by more than $1 billion, with growth driven primarily by higher volumes across markets. Internationally, management said Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) overtook Novo Nordisk as the GLP-1 market share leader. Zepbound added $4.2 billion in sales, also ahead of estimates.

In response to the earnings release, on May 5, 2026, Barclays raised its price target on Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) to $1,400 from $1,350, while maintaining an “Overweight” rating. Analyst Emily Field pointed to strength across Lilly’s tirzepatide franchises, including a 30% beat for international Mounjaro.

Barclays said international Mounjaro sales are essentially all cash-pay in obesity, pointing to consumer willingness to pay out of pocket. The firm raised its Mounjaro and Zepbound forecasts, partly offset by a lower Foundayo estimate for FY26 of about $1 billion, compared with the Bloomberg consensus of about $1.4 billion.

That strong operating backdrop coincided with a major capital markets move.

On May 7, Bloomberg reported that Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) sold $9 billion in investment-grade bonds, its largest-ever issuance, to help fund general corporate purposes and upfront cash consideration for the Centessa Pharmaceuticals and Kelonia Therapeutics acquisitions.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is a healthcare company that develops human pharmaceutical products across cardiometabolic health, oncology, and immunology.

10. The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW)

With a net income margin of 33.26% and upside potential of 27.70%, The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) ranks among the best extremely profitable stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The company reported net income of $8.85 billion for the recently completed fiscal year (FY25).

The company managed to carry that momentum into 2026.

On April 16, 2026, The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) reported first-quarter net income of $2.48 billion, or $1.37 per share, up from $1.91 billion, or $0.99 per share, a year earlier. Quarterly revenue surged 16% to a record $6.48 billion, supported by client engagement across wealth, trading, and lending. Schwab also announced a phased rollout of spot crypto trading, covering bitcoin and Ethereum, for retail clients in the coming weeks.

Trading stood out in the quarter.

Daily average trading volume jumped 34% to a record 9.9 million, with trading revenue rising 20% on record engagement, despite a volatile first quarter marked by the U.S.–Israel–Iran conflict, which rattled investors and revived stagflation fears amid oil supply concerns. Investors opened 1.3 million new brokerage accounts and brought $140 billion in net new assets to the company during the period.

That client momentum carried into April, according to Schwab’s Monthly Activity Report, published on May 14, 2026. Daily average trades hit a record 10.3 million, while total client assets reached $12.61 trillion at month-end, up 27% from April 2025. Client margin loan balances rose 21% from year-end to $136.0 billion, and core net new assets for the month totaled $7.2 billion.

On May 15, Piper Sandler analyst Patrick Moley made a small adjustment, raising the firm’s target to $105 from $103 while maintaining a “Neutral” rating. The firm pointed to revenue upside from net interest margin improvement, while noting management’s pushback against the AI cash optimization narrative that had weighed on the stock. Piper Sandler also cited momentum in advisor services, opportunity in workplace services, and strength across Schwab’s self-directed trading and wealth businesses.

The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) is a savings and loan holding company. Through its subsidiaries, it provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services.

9. S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI)

S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI), featuring a net income margin of 32.76% and upside potential of 29.40%, secures a spot on our list of the best extremely profitable stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The company reported net income of $4.47 billion for the recently completed fiscal year (FY25).

First-quarter 2026 results reported on April 28, 2026, showed the core business holding up well ahead of the split of the Mobility division.

Revenue reached $4.171 billion, up 10% year-over-year. Adjusted diluted EPS came in at $4.97, a 14% increase, and adjusted operating margin hit 51.8%, expanding 100 basis points.

JPMorgan lifted its price target on S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) to $550 from $530 following those results, keeping an “Overweight” rating. The Q1 beat, the firm said, left the 2026 outlook looking de-risked.

Meanwhile, S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) filed a Form 10 registration statement on May 7, 2026, for the spin-off of its Mobility division into Mobility Global Inc.

The separation, targeted for mid-2026 pending customary approvals, moves CARFAX, Polk Automotive Solutions, automotiveMastermind, and Market Scan out of S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI)’s portfolio. What remains is a business built around financial data, ratings, benchmarks, indices, and commodity intelligence. Morningstar assigned that business a wide economic moat, citing intangible assets and network effects. The ratings, indexes, and energy segments, Morningstar adds, are relatively insulated from AI disruption.

Mobility Global made an independent move on May 18, launching a $2 billion private senior notes offering across three tranches, with maturities in 2029, 2031, and 2036, and entering into a $500 million senior unsecured revolving credit facility as it builds out its own balance sheet ahead of the separation.

S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) provides credit ratings, benchmarks, indices, market intelligence, commodity data, analytics, and financial information services for businesses, governments, investors, and institutions.

8. Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE)

With a net income margin of 30.51% and upside potential of 28.20%, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) ranks among the best extremely profitable stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The company reported net income of $3.32 billion for the recently completed fiscal year (FY25).

A strong first quarter has kept that momentum going in 2026.

On April 30, 2026, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) reported Q1 2026 adjusted earnings of $2.35 per share, above the $2.26 analyst consensus. Total average daily volume surged 45% year-over-year, with energy ADV up 32%. Exchange segment revenue, the company’s largest segment, rose 30% to $1.78 billion, while energy-related trading revenue climbed 46% to $814 million. Fixed income and data services revenue grew 10%, and mortgage technology revenue was up 6%.

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) President Ben Jackson said on the earnings call that recent trading activity reflected a “multi-year structural repricing across energy,” rather than short-term geopolitical events.

Most recently, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) gained investor attention after announcing a first-of-its-kind move to bring GPU compute pricing into the futures market.

On May 19, 2026, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) said it plans to launch a suite of GPU compute futures contracts based on Ornn’s Compute Price Index (OCPI), which tracks live-traded spot prices for GPU compute across major hardware types. The contracts will be U.S. dollar-denominated and cash-settled, pending regulatory approval. OCPI is to be built exclusively from printed transactions and will serve as the reference rate for cleared GPU compute derivatives, covering hardware including the H100, H200, B200, and RTX 5090.

Trabue Bland, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE)’s SVP of Futures Markets, said Ornn’s index brings transparency to volatile GPU costs and is a natural fit for futures markets, offering new tools for price discovery and risk management.

Founded in 2000, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) is a leading American multinational financial services company that, together with its subsidiaries, specializes in providing technology and data to financial institutions, corporations, and government entities. Its headquarters is in Georgia.

7. Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

With a net income margin of 45.88% and upside potential of 30.00%, Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) ranks among the best extremely profitable stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The company reported net income of $14.97 billion for the recently completed fiscal year (FY25).

That momentum remained visible in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)’s first-quarter 2026 results reported on April 30, 2026, where net revenue rose 16%, or 12% on a currency-neutral basis. Payment network revenue grew 12%, driven by gross dollar volume of $2.7 trillion, cross-border volume growth of 13%, and switched transaction growth of 9%. Meanwhile, value-added services and solutions revenue climbed 22%, or 18% on a currency-neutral basis.

During the quarter, Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) repurchased 7.8 million shares for $4.0 billion and paid $777 million in dividends. About $11.7 billion remains under approved repurchase programs.

CEO Michael Miebach stated,

“Building on our strong foundation, we’re advancing agentic commerce with Mastercard Agent Pay and expanding our stablecoin solutions through the planned acquisition of BVNK. We’re well positioned to capture the next wave of digital payments growth and continue to support secure commerce around the world.”

In response, analysts expressed caution on the volume side.

On May 12, 2026, Truist trimmed its price target on Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) to $561 from $590, keeping a “Buy” rating, citing weaker cross-border volume and softer EMEA payments activity. Earlier, on May 1, 2026, Susquehanna cut its target to $665 from $670, maintaining a “Positive” rating and noting that cross-border travel growth slowed to 2% in April from 8% in Q1.

While analysts reassess cross-border growth expectations following a solid first quarter, Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) continues to draw investor attention after announcing a sweeping partnership with JD.com.

The partnership, announced May 15, 2026, combines Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)’s payments infrastructure with JD.com’s digital retail, logistics, and supply chain capabilities. The two companies plan to build out global payment connectivity to support JD.com’s international expansion, explore a cross-border supply chain finance ecosystem for small and medium-sized businesses, and expand international card acceptance for travelers in China. They also said they would explore agentic AI-powered purchasing solutions through Mastercard Agent Pay and pursue co-branded card initiatives.

Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) operates in the payments industry and is one of the leading payment processors for everyday consumers, financial institutions, governments, and businesses. The company is headquartered in New York, United States.

6. Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET)

Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET), featuring a net income margin of 38.32% and upside potential of 30.50%, secures a spot on our list of the best extremely profitable stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The company reported net income of $3.51 billion for the recently completed fiscal year (FY25).

Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET) remains in analysts’ focus as they weigh in following strong first-quarter earnings and a raised full-year outlook.

On May 6, 2026, Piper Sandler raised its price target on Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET) to $181 from $175, keeping an “Overweight” rating. The firm acknowledged shares had pulled back after a 35% run over the prior month, with early concerns around peak growth and de-commitment commentary weighing on sentiment. Still, the investment firm pointed to AI-driven acceleration and noted Arista’s customer base spans hyperscalers, AI Titans, neoclouds, edge platforms, and large enterprises, giving it broad inference-era exposure.

Also on May 6, Rosenblatt raised its target to $210 from $180 and kept a “Buy” rating, saying Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET)’s business update confirmed the reasoning behind the firm’s upgrade the prior month. The analyst specifically cited Microsoft’s shift to Ethernet from InfiniBand at production scale as a notable data point.

Both updates followed Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET)’s first-quarter 2026 results, reported May 5, 2026, with revenue of $2.71 billion, up 35.1% year-over-year. Management raised the full-year revenue growth outlook to 27.7%, pointing to approximately $11.5 billion in fiscal 2026 revenue. The AI fabrics goal was lifted to $3.5 billion from $3.25 billion, while the campus revenue target was maintained at $1.25 billion. Gross margin guidance for the year remained at 62% to 64%, with operating margin expected to be around 46%.

For Q2, Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET) guided for revenue of approximately $2.8 billion and diluted EPS of roughly $0.88.

Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET) is a computer hardware company that develops client-to-cloud networking solutions for AI, data center, campus, and routing environments.

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