Growing profits is one of the key components the Investor's Business Daily Methodology looks for in winning stocks, and three names are worth highlighting: IBD MarketSurge Growth 250 stocks BrightSpring Health Services and Construction Partners, along with IBD Leaderboard name EQT.
All three rank No. 1 in their respective industry groups. They all are among 177 names on the IBD Rising Profits screen where analysts recently raised earnings estimates.
EQT Stock Flits Around Buy Point
EQT stock climbed around 2.5% Monday. Shares are dancing around a buy zone that reaches up to 59.49 out of an early-stage consolidation pattern with a 56.66 buy point. The energy stock also formed a four-weeks-tight pattern near the top of the base with a 57.37 entry — its record high set on May 20.
EQT reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings and sales April 22. Its profit grew 44% for its second straight quarter. Its sales performance improved, with a 23% boost after declining for six out of the last seven quarters.
Analysts recently increased their full-year 2025 profit estimates to $3.36 per share, or a whopping 113% growth. Moreover, 2026 forecasts call for a 49% rise to $5 per share.
Stocks To Buy And Watch: Top IPOs, Big And Small Caps, Growth Stocks
The company specializes in clean natural gas production and boasts it is the largest natural gas producer in the U.S. Its operations are focused in the Appalachian Basin in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. EQT ranks No. 1 out of 22 stocks in the integrated oil and gas group, which holds the 79th spot out of the 197 industry groups that Investor's Business Daily tracks.
Mutual funds have piled into EQT stock, with 1,626 owning shares at the end of March, up from 1,545 in December. Further, IBD Mutual Fund Index name Fidelity Contrafund started a position in EQT in March.
The energy stock's 1.4 up/down volume ratio indicates positive demand for the stock over the last 50 days.
BrightSpring Health Stock Nears Buy Point
BrightSpring Health Services stock is nearing a 24.82 buy point out of a deep cup-with-handle base. The base shows two clusters of "Ants Indicators," as shown by black dots above the price bars. These signal unusually strong price and volume action over a rolling three-week period.
Shares jumped 16.6% in heavy volume May 2, following the company's beat on first-quarter profit and revenue forecasts. BrightSpring also raised its full-year 2025 revenue outlook to a range of $12 billion to $12.5 billion, topping projections.
Wall Street now sees full-year 2025 profit of 85 cents a share and earnings of $1.02 per share in 2026, up 20%.
BrightSpring was a recent IBD Stock Of The Day. The health care company provides at-home care and pharmacy services for patients needing specialized or chronic care.
Its IBD Accumulation/Distribution Rating of A indicates heavy institutional buying over the last 13 weeks. And its 1.7 up/down volume ratio shows positive demand over the last 50 days.
Shares started trading Jan. 26, 2024, with an offer price at 13 per share. It now holds a best-possible Composite Rating of 99 from IBD.
Construction Partners Hovers Near Buy Point
Infrastructure stock Construction Partners currently trades around a buy range up to 108.74 out of an early-stage cup base with a 103.69 buy point.
Shares hit a record high of 108.43 Thursday and its relative strength line is near its all-time high.
The company topped fiscal second-quarter earnings and sales projections May 9. It reported a surprise profit of eight cents per share while forecasts called for a loss of 12 cents per share. In addition, second-quarter sales growth accelerated to 54% from 13% and 42% in the prior two quarters.
Construction Partners also raised its fiscal 2025 sales forecast to a range of $2.77 billion to $2.83 billion, exceeding estimates.
The positive report prompted analysts to boost their fiscal 2025 forecasts to $2.22 profit per share — or a 69% increase — followed by $2.81 per share in fiscal 2026. It also scores a 99 Composite Rating and a 94 EPS Rating.
Follow Kimberley Koenig for more stock market news on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @IBD_KKoenig.
