Investment Strategies 1 March 2026 - 12 March 2026

Halma shares edged up 0.05% to 3,910p by 15:11 GMT after the company reaffirmed its full-year outlook, citing strong second-half trading and order intake ahead of revenue. The FTSE 100 group expects mid-teens organic revenue growth and a 22% adjusted operating margin, despite currency headwinds. Halma has spent £451 million on acquisitions this year. Full-year results are due June 11.

Zip Co shares traded at A$1.765 on Thursday ahead of a planned A$50 million on-market buy-back set to begin March 6, according to an ASX filing. The program follows a 34% stock plunge in February after a half-year earnings miss. The buy-back may run up to 12 months and will not exceed 10% of issued capital.

Ross Stores shares rose 6.9% to $211.35 Wednesday after reporting fourth-quarter sales up 12% to $6.6 billion and earnings per share of $2.00, both above guidance. Comparable store sales climbed 9%, and the company launched a $2.55 billion share buyback and raised its dividend. Executives cited strong traffic and broad gains across categories. Ross forecast 7%–8% comparable growth for the current quarter ending May 2.

Walmart shares rose 0.7% to $127.93 Tuesday, bucking a 1.7% drop in major U.S. indexes as Middle East conflict sent oil prices surging. Brent crude jumped 6.1% to $82.44 a barrel after U.S.-Israel strikes widened, raising concerns about inflation and future Fed rate cuts.

Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp. (EMAT) shares fell 3.2% to $9.84 in premarket trading Tuesday, after surging 27.5% to $10.16 Monday. The stock, which began trading on Nasdaq in January following a SPAC merger, remains thinly traded with about 70% of shares held by insiders, SEC filings show.

Whirlpool shares fell 1.7% to $62.97 in premarket trading Tuesday after the company cut its 2026 adjusted earnings outlook to about $6 per share, down from $7, following a $1.1 billion equity and preferred offering. The stock dropped 6.4% Monday. CFO Roxanne Warner said most proceeds will pay down debt. Stifel lowered its price target to $68 and maintained a Hold rating.

Wesfarmers shares fell 0.55% to A$79.62 as the S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.34% on Tuesday, pressured by rising oil prices and higher bond yields. Oil climbed for a third session, with Brent at $79.44 a barrel amid Middle East tensions. RBA Governor Michele Bullock cited persistent inflation risks, keeping rate expectations in focus ahead of the March 17 policy decision.

Johnson & Johnson shares closed up 0.05% at $248.56 in after-hours trading Monday after Bank of America raised its price target to $253. The company scheduled a first-quarter results call for April 14 at 8:30 a.m. ET. Shares traded between $246.87 and $251.71 during the session, with volume near 8.7 million. J&J remains involved in ongoing talc litigation.

Microsoft shares rose 1.4% to $398.30 Monday, outperforming a flat S&P 500 as U.S. crude jumped 6% after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Oil’s surge revived inflation concerns and rate speculation. Investors shifted focus to March 6 U.S. payrolls data and further moves in crude. Microsoft’s Middle East investments and AI growth remained in focus.

Rocket Companies shares fell 1.8% to $17.87 in premarket trading Monday after short interest surged nearly 50% to 54.43 million shares as of Feb. 13, according to MarketBeat. Investors are watching for management comments at a Morgan Stanley conference and Friday’s U.S. jobs report for signals on interest rates.

Sunrun shares plunged 35.11% to $13.25 Friday after the company projected 2026 cash generation below some analyst expectations and received multiple downgrades. Trading volume topped 56 million shares. Jefferies and GLJ Research cited concerns over growth, cash flow, and tightening tax equity funding. SolarEdge and First Solar also fell as investors eyed macroeconomic data and interest rate signals.

Palantir shares climbed 4% in premarket trading Monday to $142.73 after UBS upgraded the stock to “Buy” with a $180 target, citing a recent 35% pullback. The company last reported quarterly revenue of $1.41 billion and forecast full-year 2026 revenue above $7.18 billion. Traders are watching for Friday’s U.S. jobs report amid ongoing volatility in AI-related stocks.

Lockheed Martin shares jumped about 8% in early premarket trading Monday, indicated at $708.95 after closing at $658.08 Friday, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. RTX and Northrop Grumman also traded higher. Lockheed goes ex-dividend Monday ahead of a $3.45 payout due March 27. U.S. stock index futures fell over 1% as oil surged on Middle East tensions.

Aristocrat Leisure closed down 1.8% at A$47.23 in Sydney after disclosing a buyback of 563,499 shares for A$27.1 million on Friday. The company has repurchased about 15.6 million shares since the program began, totaling roughly A$954 million. Its on-market buyback is set to run until March 2027, up to A$1.5 billion. Half-year results are due May 13.

KKR shares fell 6.3% to $87.68 Friday, nearing a 52-week low amid a broad selloff in alternative-asset managers. Investors cited renewed concerns over private-credit liquidity and valuation risks following turbulence at Blue Owl Capital. KKR will hold a shareholder vote on charter changes April 21. The next key data is U.S. payrolls on March 6.