Best Stocks to Buy This February: Finding Top Momentum Winners

The stock market continues its upward trajectory as earnings season reaches its critical juncture. With major technology companies—including Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Tesla—unveiling their quarterly results and forward guidance, investors have good reason to maintain a bullish stance heading into 2026. The earnings environment is particularly encouraging, as all 16 sectors within the market are now projected to expand earnings for the first time since 2018. This broad-based growth extends well beyond the AI-dominated mega-cap narrative.

For those seeking the best share to buy in this environment, the key is not necessarily hunting for beaten-down names that might rebound. Instead, the smartest approach involves focusing on companies that have already demonstrated resilience and strength through the 2025 market cycle. These are the stocks with proven upward earnings momentum and strong relative price performance. If you’re looking for the best stocks to buy heading into February, those carrying the strongest fundamental and technical signals deserve your attention.

Understanding How to Screen for Quality Momentum Stocks

The challenge for most investors is sifting through hundreds of potential candidates to find those best positioned for continued growth. A systematic screening approach can help narrow the field considerably. The methodology uses a multi-factor framework to identify what truly constitutes the best share to buy from a momentum and value perspective.

The screening process starts with identifying stocks that carry the highest conviction rating from analysts—those ranked as Strong Buy. From this universe of over 200 candidates at any given time, the process applies additional layers of discipline. First, stocks must demonstrate upward price momentum by trading within 20% of their 52-week highs, confirming that buyers remain in control. Second, valuation metrics are applied to ensure you’re not overpaying: the PEG ratio (which compares price-to-earnings to growth rate) must be at or below 1.0, and the Price-to-Sales ratio must stay below 3. These filters ensure that quality companies aren’t priced at speculation levels.

The final refinement looks at 12-week price momentum, ranking candidates by recent performance. This combination of analyst conviction, momentum confirmation, and valuation discipline typically narrows a list of several hundred names down to roughly seven stocks—your best candidates to buy.

The Travel Tech Opportunity: Why Expedia Deserves Your Attention

Among the stocks that emerge from this rigorous screening process, Expedia Group represents a compelling case study for understanding what makes a company worthy of a best buy designation. This technology-driven travel platform operates three major consumer-facing brands—Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo—creating a diversified marketplace that connects millions of travelers with accommodations, flights, car rentals, and vacation properties globally.

Expedia’s growth narrative is particularly striking. While the company recorded 7% revenue growth in 2024, this represents a stabilization after an extraordinary run from 2021-2023, when average annual revenue growth exceeded 37%. The deceleration from those peaks is natural, yet the company has maintained double-digit gains in its B2B segment, which grew 26% last quarter—marking the 17th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in this division. Consumer bookings expanded 7% as well, suggesting that travel demand remains robust among affluent consumers.

From an earnings perspective, the story becomes even more compelling for investors seeking the best stocks to buy. Expedia’s upward earnings revisions have been substantial, earning the company its Strong Buy designation. Management projects adjusted earnings growth of 27% in 2025, followed by 20% growth in 2026, driving per-share earnings from $12.11 in 2024 to an estimated $18.39 by 2026. On the revenue side, the company expects 7% growth in both 2025 and 2026, potentially reaching $15.56 billion this year.

Evaluating the Technical Setup for Entry

From a chart perspective, Expedia stock has delivered impressive returns—surging 55% over the past 12 months and compiling a remarkable 434% gain over the past 15 years. However, the stock recently encountered some profit-taking, pulling back roughly 10% from its all-time highs reached in late January. This pullback has restored technical balance to the setup, with the stock finding support near its 50-day moving average and recording some of its lowest RSI (Relative Strength Index) readings in the past year.

For investors specifically seeking the best share to buy in the current environment, this technical reset creates a more attractive entry point. The combination of strong fundamental growth, upward earnings revisions, attractive valuation metrics, and technical support near moving averages makes this an opportune moment to consider accumulating shares for a longer-term portfolio holding.

Starting Your Search for Best Stocks to Buy

The methodology described here—combining analyst conviction with momentum confirmation and valuation discipline—provides a systematic framework for identifying stocks positioned to outperform in the months ahead. Whether using professional screening tools or applying these principles manually, the focus should remain on companies already thriving in current market conditions rather than waiting for beaten-down stocks to bounce back.

As you evaluate your portfolio heading into February and throughout 2026, remember that the best stocks to buy are typically those combining three elements: analyst support, technical strength, and valuation attractiveness. Expedia exemplifies this combination, but the screening process itself remains the most valuable tool—helping you identify similar opportunities before they become obvious to the broader investing public.