Investors close out July with megacap earnings landing after the July 30 bell and month-end positioning in full swing. Chair Kevin Warsh's June 17 FOMC left the fed funds range at 3.50%-3.75% and said inflation risks had "eased substantially," and CME Group's FedWatch tool continues to imply roughly an 80% probability of zero cuts for the remainder of 2026. Analysts used Thursday, July 30 to press a wide slate of pure Buy upgrades. Here are five Strong Buy candidates worth watching on Friday, July 31.
Bloom Energy (BE) — Mizuho Buys the Dip After Blowout Q2
Bloom Energy makes solid-oxide fuel cell platforms that generate on-site electricity for data centers, industrial sites and utilities, a marquee AI-power play. On July 30, Mizuho analyst Maheep Mandloi upgraded BE from Neutral to Outperform at a $242 price target, citing a strong Q2 with revenue and shipments above expectations and operating leverage materializing earlier than anticipated. Evercore ISI's Nicholas Amicucci reiterated Outperform at $350 on July 1, and UBS's Manav Gupta reiterated Buy at $350 the same day.
Shares traded at $201.62 on July 30, up 23.13% on the session, with a market cap of $59.38 billion and a trailing P/E of 176.86 on EPS of $1.14. The 52-week range is $32.52 to $351.28. The consensus rating is Buy, with 8 of 17 tracked analysts bullish, an average price target of $274.71, a median of $282, a high of $350 and a low of $176.
Risks: Fuel-cell margins remain sensitive to natural gas and hydrogen input costs, backlog conversion timing can lump quarter to quarter, valuation is extended after the post-earnings rally, and Wells Fargo's Praneeth Satish stays Equal-Weight at $176 with a more measured view on hyperscaler demand durability.
Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) — JPMorgan Sees a Sales Inflection
Sprouts Farmers Market is a Phoenix-based specialty grocery retailer focused on fresh, natural and organic produce with a differentiated attribute-driven merchandising model. On July 30, JPMorgan's Thomas Palmer upgraded SFM from Neutral to Overweight and lifted his price target to $103 from $80, arguing that sales growth is at a positive inflection point that could drive a multiple re-rating. Evercore ISI's Michael Morris reiterated Outperform at $90 the same day, and Wells Fargo's Edward Kelly maintained Overweight at $110 on February 12.
Shares traded at $90.07 on July 30, up 13.78% on the session, with a market cap of $8.47 billion and a trailing P/E of 17.32 on EPS of $5.20. The 52-week range is $64.75 to $160.49, placing SFM well below the highs. The consensus rating is Strong Buy, with 7 of 9 tracked analysts bullish, an average target of $103.22, a median of $100, a high of $130 and a low of $80.
Risks: Grocery gross margins remain sensitive to shrink and input costs, comp comparisons stiffen in the second half, competition from Whole Foods and Trader Joe's remains intense, and UBS's Mark Carden holds Neutral at $75 that frames a more cautious view than the group.
Werner Enterprises (WERN) — Baird Sees Trucking Attractive
Werner Enterprises is a U.S. truckload and logistics carrier operating a dedicated, one-way and cross-border Mexico fleet, along with a growing brokerage segment. On July 30, Baird analyst Daniel Moore upgraded WERN from Neutral to Outperform at a $43 price target, highlighting an attractive entry point after weakness and pointing to potential margin recovery as truckload capacity tightens into 2027. That said, most of the Street remains more cautious: JPMorgan's Brian Ossenbeck kept Underweight at $39 on July 29, B of A Securities' Ken Hoexter maintained Underperform at $36 on July 23, and Evercore ISI's Jonathan Chappell held Underperform at $31 in January.
Shares traded at $37.16 on July 30, up 1.39% on the session, with a market cap of $2.23 billion. The trailing P/E of 247.73 on EPS of $0.15 reflects a depressed earnings base near the truckload trough. The 52-week range is $23.06 to $47.49. The consensus rating is Hold, with 3 of 13 tracked analysts bullish, an average target of $42.92, a median of $43, a high of $55 and a low of $33.
Risks: Truckload spot and contract pricing remain soft, dry-van capacity has been slow to exit the market, dedicated-fleet demand is tied to weakening consumer freight, and JPMorgan's Ossenbeck continues to see downside risk at his $39 Underweight target.
Rio Tinto (RIO) — Berenberg Prefers the Iron Ore Laggard
Rio Tinto is the world's second-largest iron-ore producer alongside significant copper, aluminum and lithium businesses, with Oyu Tolgoi copper and Rincon lithium ramping through the decade. On July 30, Berenberg upgraded RIO from Hold to Buy, arguing that investors who have enjoyed BHP's outperformance year to date, up roughly 39% versus Rio's 16%, have an attractive opportunity to switch allegiance as second-half iron-ore fundamentals set up more favorably. Bernstein's Bob Brackett has held Outperform at $83.50 since April 27.
Shares traded at $96.34 on July 30, up 2.86% on the session, with a market cap of $156.55 billion and a trailing P/E of 14.78 on EPS of $6.52. The 52-week range is $58.40 to $112.58, with the stock near cycle highs. The consensus rating is Buy, with 2 of 3 tracked analysts bullish, an average target of $88.50, a median of $85, a high of $97 and a low of $83.50.
Risks: Iron-ore prices remain sensitive to Chinese steel demand and property-sector activity, Simandou ramp risk in Guinea is a multi-year execution test, capex intensity is rising, and Freedom Broker's Vitaly Kononov stays Hold at $97 on a more measured near-term view.
Garrett Motion (GTX) — Deutsche Bank Says "Firing on All Cylinders"
Garrett Motion is a leading global manufacturer of turbochargers and electric-boosting technologies for passenger and commercial vehicles, with growing exposure to hybrid powertrains. On July 30, Deutsche Bank analyst Edison Yu upgraded GTX from Hold to Buy and raised his price target to $36 from $33, saying the turbocharger maker is "firing on all cylinders" after a robust Q2 beat and another upward revision to full-year 2026 guidance. BWS Financial's Hamed Khorsand maintained Buy at $42 the same day, Stifel's Nathan Jones held Buy at $36 on May 14, and JPMorgan's Rajat Gupta reiterated Overweight at $33 the same day.
Shares traded at $30.39 on July 30, up 5.59% on the session, with a market cap of $5.69 billion and a trailing P/E of 17.77 on EPS of $1.71. The 52-week range is $12.26 to $36.25. The consensus rating is Strong Buy, with all 4 tracked analysts bullish, an average target of $36.75, a median of $36, a high of $42 and a low of $33.
Risks: Global light-vehicle production growth remains uneven, hybrid-turbo attach rates depend on customer program timing, EV mix shift is a long-run structural risk to turbo demand, and Stifel's Jones' $36 target sits at the average, framing limited upside from spot for the more measured view.
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