The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Costco, Chevron, Home Depot, IDT and Waterstone Financial

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – August 11, 2026 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Costco Wholesale Corp. COST, Chevron Corp. CVX, The Home Depot, Inc. HD, IDT Corp. IDT and Waterstone Financial, Inc. WSBF

Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:

Top Analyst Reports for Costco, Chevron and Home Depot

The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Costco Wholesale Corp., Chevron Corp. and The Home Depot, Inc., as well as two micro-cap stocks IDT Corp. and Waterstone Financial, Inc.. The Zacks microcap research is unique as our research content on these small and under-the-radar companies is the only research of its type in the country.

These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

You can see all of today's research reports here >>>

Today's Featured Research Reports

Shares of Costco have gained +10.4% over the year-to-date period against the Zacks Retail - Discount Stores industry's gain of +14.8%. The company remains well-positioned due to its differentiated membership-based warehouse model, strong value proposition and loyal customer base. It continues to benefit from recurring membership income, high renewal rates and growing engagement from higher-value members. Its focus on offering quality merchandise at competitive prices supports steady traffic and reinforces customer loyalty. 

Costco is also enhancing its digital ecosystem through e-commerce, personalization tools, AI-driven product discovery and convenient fulfillment options, helping improve the member experience. 

Also, the company is expanding its warehouse footprint and investing in productivity-enhancing initiatives to support long-term growth. Backed by a strong balance sheet, Costco is well-positioned to strengthen its market leadership and drive sustainable growth over time.

(You can read the full research report on Costco here >>>)

Chevron's shares have gained +24.7% over the year-to-date period against the Zacks Oil and Gas - Integrated - International industry's gain of +28.6%. The company remains well positioned for long-term growth, supported by its strong production growth, helped by the Hess acquisition, Permian expansion and Gulf of America operations. The Hess integration is progressing well, while cost efficiencies and lower capital intensity should improve resilience. 

Chevron is also expanding into data-center power, creating a potential new source of long-term growth. However, the company remains highly sensitive to oil and gas prices, while weaker refined-product demand could pressure its downstream business. 

Chevron's premium valuation limits the scope for further upside, and geopolitical disruptions could affect operations. Low U.S. natural gas prices and delays in international projects add further uncertainty. Hence, investors are advised to wait for a better entry point.

(You can read the full research report on Chevron here >>>)

Shares of Home Depot have outperformed the Zacks Retail - Home Furnishings industry over the year-to-date period (+4.9% vs. +2.8%). The company continues to invest in an integrated retail model, digital investments, and Pro-focused initiatives. Seamless connectivity across the stores, online platforms, and supply chain is enhancing customer experience and driving higher engagement.

The Pro segment continues to outperform, supported by targeted investments and expanding ecosystem capabilities. SRS remains a key Pro lever, with the Mingledorff's deal adding an HVAC vertical and extending cross-sell opportunities. 

However, Home Depot's EPS decreased year over year in first-quarter fiscal 2026 as mix and costs weighed on margins. Larger discretionary projects remain muted, and demand can swing with weather-driven repair activity. Management has reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 outlook for modest comp growth, reflecting housing affordability and low turnover.

(You can read the full research report on Home Depot here >>>)

IDT's shares have outperformed the Zacks Diversified Communication Services industry over the year-to-date period (+27.4% vs. -6.8%). This microcap company with a market capitalization of $1.62 billion has an investment thesis centered on a transition toward higher-growth, higher-margin businesses. NRS is expanding recurring revenues through retailer adoption, payments and SaaS, while advertising offers monetization potential. 

BOSS Money's digital shift is strengthening Fintech profitability and net2phone's expansion into CCaaS, AI and workflow solutions creates scalable growth opportunities. Meanwhile, legacy communications continue to generate cash that can fund these emerging businesses. 

However, main risks include competition, advertising execution, rising digital costs, early-stage AI monetization and volatile remittance funding needs. A debt-free balance sheet provides strategic flexibility. The valuation indicates that investors recognize IDT's improving earnings profile but remain cautious about the sustainability and execution of its growth transition.

(You can read the full research report on IDT here >>>)

Shares of Waterstone Financial have gained +29.4% over the year-to-date period against the Zacks Financial - Savings and Loan industry's gain of +29.8%. This microcap company with a market capitalization of $376.23 million has seen its first-half 2026 net interest income rise 19.7% as net interest margin expanded to 3.00% from 2.54%, reflecting higher asset yields and lower funding costs. These improvements helped drive a 34.3% increase in net income and EPS growth. 

Mortgage banking also returned to profitability, supported by a 15.7% increase in originations and higher non-interest income, adding diversification to earnings. Strong regulatory capital, $383.1 million of unused FHLB borrowing capacity and a healthy lending pipeline provide flexibility to fund further growth. Dividends and ongoing share repurchases should additionally support shareholder returns and per-share metrics. 

However, higher credit-loss provisioning, real estate concentration, deposit competition and expense growth remain key risks. Still, the stock trades at 12.14X earnings, below industry, sector and S&P 500 multiples.

(You can read the full research report on Waterstone Financial here >>>)

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

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