In this article, we will look at the 8 Worst Blue Chip Stocks to Buy Now.
The word “worst” here is not about business quality. It refers to blue chip stocks that have lagged badly, traded near 52-week lows, or lost investor confidence despite still having recognizable franchises.
Fidelity says market pullbacks can create chances to buy quality stocks at “temporarily marked-down prices,” especially when investors are looking at companies with durable franchises rather than broken businesses. Capital Group makes a similar point from a market-cycle perspective, saying “stock market returns are typically stronger after sharp declines” and that “a selloff can create investment opportunities.” BlackRock is more direct about investor behavior, warning that “Selling falling stocks out of fear will just lock-in losses,” particularly when “the quality of a company remains sound.” In summary, a weak chart is not always the same as a weak business. Against this backdrop, sold-down blue chip stocks deserve a closer look.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the 8 Worst Blue Chip Stocks to Buy Now.
Our Methodology
We used the Finviz screener to identify blue-chip stocks that are trading near their 52-week lows. 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. Insider Monkey’s quarterly newsletter strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 599.2% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 372 percentage points (see more details here).
8. McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD)
On July 9, 2026, Deutsche Bank lowered the firm’s price target on McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) to $325 from $350 and kept a Buy rating on the shares ahead of the company’s Q2 report.
On July 2, McDonald’s announced that Bryan Brown will join McDonald’s USA as Chief Development Officer, effective July 14. The company said Brown most recently spent more than a decade with Raising Cane’s, where he helped the brand grow from a regional concept into a national restaurant system while maintaining a focus on restaurant operations and long-term performance.
On June 29, KeyBanc lowered the firm’s price target on McDonald’s to $315 from $330 and kept an Overweight rating on the shares. KeyBanc said it was reducing near-term U.S. same-store sales expectations. While the firm sees bright spots for McDonald’s during Q2, it said the core business has yet to regain meaningful momentum following a challenging April. KeyBanc sees less downside with valuation near multiyear low levels, but noted that questions around the company’s recently unveiled strategy and tougher comparisons ahead may keep pressure on shares in the near term.
McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) owns, operates, and franchises restaurants under the McDonald’s brand in the United States and internationally.
7. PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)
On July 10, 2026, RBC Capital lowered the firm’s price target on PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) to $161 from $163 and kept a Sector Perform rating on the shares. RBC Capital said the company reported a mixed quarter, leaving investors waiting for signs of a sustainable turn. RBC Capital said PepsiCo’s international business remains impressive and a consistent bright spot, while the domestic business continues to fall short amid a more difficult consumer environment.
Also on July 10, Deutsche Bank lowered the firm’s price target on PepsiCo to $155 from $168 and kept a Buy rating on the shares. Deutsche Bank said the PepsiCo Foods North America recovery is “still half-baked,” though international momentum continues.
On July 9, PepsiCo reported Q2 core EPS of $2.20, compared with consensus of $2.21, and revenue of $24.18B, compared with consensus of $23.96B. For 2026, the company continues to expect organic revenue to increase between 2% and 4%, core constant currency EPS to increase between 4% and 6%, a core annual effective tax rate of approximately 22%, capital spending below 5% of net revenue, a free cash flow conversion ratio of at least 80%, and total cash returns to shareholders of approximately $8.9B, including dividends of $7.9B and share repurchases of $1.0B.
PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells beverages and convenient foods worldwide.
6. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)
On July 10, 2026, Business Insider’s James Faris reported that The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is exploring making some Disney+ content available without a paywall, citing two people familiar with the matter. Faris said product and tech chief Adam Smith discussed the idea of enabling free-tier content during a virtual town hall on Thursday, though Smith did not provide a timeline or scope for such plans.
On July 2, Raymond James analyst Ric Prentiss lowered the firm’s price target on Disney to $111 from $119 and kept an Outperform rating on the shares. Prentiss cited the firm’s Walk in the Parks survey findings, other channel checks, and recent Comcast (CMCSA) as factors introducing some caution on very near-term park attendance and softer summer sentiment.
On June 30, JPMorgan raised the firm’s price target on Disney to $140 from $139 and kept an Overweight rating on the shares ahead of the fiscal Q3 earnings report. JPMorgan said investor sentiment on the stock “remains generally muted” amid concerns about park attendance and Disney’s future streaming growth. The firm believes this “could provide a catalyst for a re-rating” of the shares and remains bullish on Disney’s price and volume opportunity for experiences and direct-to-consumer.
The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) operates as an entertainment company in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific through its Entertainment, Sports, and Experiences segments.
5. Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG)
On July 9, 2026, BMO Capital analyst Vik Chopra initiated coverage of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) with an Outperform rating and $518 price target. Chopra said the da Vinci 5 upgrade cycle remains in the early innings, procedure growth is broadening into new specialties and geographies, and the earnings stream is “durable and visible.”
On July 6, Evercore ISI lowered the firm’s price target on Intuitive Surgical to $430 from $480 and kept an In Line rating on the shares. Evercore ISI said its Q2 preview for MedTech, Life Sciences Tools, and Diagnostics highlights generally healthy procedure volumes and capital expenditure trends across the sector.
Last month, BofA analyst Travis Steed lowered the firm’s price target on Intuitive Surgical to $515 from $520 and kept a Buy rating on the shares. Steed noted that BofA’s services team continues to highlight a lower utilization environment and took a more conservative view on 2027 medtech company estimates, given that valuations already reflect utilization risk. Steed also assumed inflation will be more of a headwind in 2027, with less margin expansion for medtech, and lowered 2027 estimates across the firm’s larger-cap coverage with exposure to utilization and inflation.
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) develops, manufactures, and markets products that enable physicians and healthcare providers to enhance the quality of and access to minimally invasive care in the United States and internationally.
4. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE)
On July 10, 2026, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved PADCEV, a Nectin-4 directed antibody-drug conjugate, plus the PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda or Keytruda QLEX as neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment for adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, regardless of cisplatin eligibility. Pfizer said this marks the first platinum-free regimen approved for adult patients with MIBC, regardless of cisplatin eligibility.
The approval was based on results from the pivotal Phase 3 EV-304 clinical trial, which were presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. The expanded indication builds on the November 2025 U.S. FDA approval of the combination for use as neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment in cisplatin-ineligible adult patients with MIBC, based on results from the EV-303 Phase 3 clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Also on July 10, BofA lowered the firm’s price target on Pfizer to $26 from $27 and kept a Neutral rating on the shares. On July 6, HSBC downgraded Pfizer to Hold from Buy with a price target of $28, down from $32. HSBC lowered its view of the probability to market of sigvotatug vedotin to 40% following the Phase 3 setback in NSCLC and said it is now “less convinced” regarding short-term re-rating potential due to recent executive management changes and “a paucity of short-term re-rating catalysts.”
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products in the United States and internationally.
3. EQT Corporation (NYSE:EQT)
On July 8, 2026, UBS lowered the firm’s price target on EQT Corporation (NYSE:EQT) to $73 from $74 previously and kept a Buy rating on the shares.
On July 2, Jefferies analyst Lloyd Byrne lowered the firm’s price target on EQT Corporation (NYSE:EQT) to $75 from $77 and kept a Buy rating on the shares as part of a Q2 preview. Byrne said Jefferies expects EQT to post Q2 EBITDA of $1.13B, just below the consensus of $1.19B.
On June 30, Freedom Broker initiated coverage of EQT Corporation (NYSE:EQT) with a Buy rating and $79 price target on the shares. The firm said EQT is the largest U.S. natural gas producer and is positioned to benefit from improving natural gas market fundamentals.
EQT Corporation (NYSE:EQT) engages in the exploration, production, gathering, and transmission of hydrocarbons and natural gas.
2. VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE:VICI)
On July 8, 2026, Morgan Stanley lowered the firm’s price target on VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE:VICI) to $31 from $38 and kept an Equal Weight rating on the shares.
On June 25, RBC Capital analyst Brad Heffern initiated coverage of VICI Properties with a Sector Perform rating and $29 price target. Heffern said low coverage on the company’s Caesars Regional lease makes a rent cut feel likely at some point. Heffern also said VICI’s top two tenants potentially going private reduces visibility, while RBC sees a fair valuation at current share levels.
Last month, Club Med and VICI Properties announced the acquisition and planned redevelopment of the iconic Carambola Beach Resort in the U.S. Virgin Islands, marking the return of Club Med to U.S. shores. The company said the future Club Med St. Croix will reinforce the brand’s leadership in the premium all-inclusive category while bringing renewed activity to the destination’s historic beachfront property.
VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE:VICI) is an S&P 500 real estate investment trust that owns gaming, hospitality, wellness, entertainment, and leisure destinations.
1. Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX)
On July 10, 2026, Variety’s Todd Spangler reported that popular film-review social network Letterboxd has been shopping itself to interested parties in recent months, citing an unconfirmed report from Puck. Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is in talks to acquire the company, while Sony Pictures (SONY), Paramount Skydance (PSKY), and private equity firm TPG are also reportedly looking at a deal for Letterboxd.
Also on July 10, The Wall Street Journal’s Jessica Toonkel and Ben Fritz reported that while Netflix customer defections remain at industry lows, subscriber engagement has been showing signs of decline, citing sources quoting attendees of the company’s annual business review this spring. In response, Netflix executives have recently discussed adding live channels that would continuously stream certain programs and have also explored bundling other subscription-based streaming services.
On July 9, Citi analyst Jason Bazinet lowered the firm’s price target on Netflix to $100 from $115 and kept a Buy rating on the shares. Bazinet said tepid viewership, an M&A overhang, the perception that Netflix lacks catalysts, and investor enthusiasm for semis have pressured Netflix’s share price and sentiment, though Citi remains “more upbeat.” Bazinet also said potential new tiers could help Netflix segment more effectively, support top-line growth, and reignite investor interest, while M&A could help fortify its intellectual property position.
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) provides entertainment services worldwide, including TV series, documentaries, feature films, games, and live programming across various genres and languages.
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