Bank of America this week named a slew of stocks it believes are well positioned for times of market uncertainty. The investment bank said stocks like Williams-Sonoma can go higher and have myriad of positive catalysts ahead. Other stocks Bank of America rates as buy include Jabil , Kroger, Celsius Holdings and Victoria's Secret. Kroger Kroger shares are off more than 7% in 2026, but analyst Robert Ohmes is standing by the grocery chain. He said he sees growth accelerating and is bullish on the company's foray into e-commerce. "KR should also benefit from its store locations & format, improving store execution through labor investments, and the acceleration of e-commerce," he said. Ohmes also highlighted the company's private label, Our Brands, and said Kroger remains best positioned for the long term. "We reaffirm Buy and maintain our PO of $85 based on 16x F28E EPS as we see KR well-positioned under [CEO] Greg Foran's leadership given strong digital & in-store execution, personalization, value, and Own Brands," the analyst said. Williams-Sonoma Analyst Christopher Nardone recently reinstated coverage of the home furnishings retailer and upgraded the stock to buy from neutral. "WSM's 'affordable luxury' positioning targets a core customer with ~$150K household income, supporting relative resilience," he wrote. The firm said it sees margin upside and that housing does not necessarily need to recover in order for the stock to work. "WSM is in a demographic sweet spot, luxury demand is soft, while lower income consumers remain pressured," he said. Shares are up almost 34% in 2026. "A rare, quality compounder in consumer discretionary," Nardone said. Victoria's Secret The lingerie company is firing on cylinders, according to the firm. "We think the company can get to a 10% [earnings before interest and taxes] margin by F28 through expense leverage and full-price sales, giving it runway for several years of mid-to-high-teens EPS growth," analyst Mary Sport wrote. The firm also said the company's store refresh is paying off. "Remodeled stores are seeing double-digit sales lift at lower square feet, driven by improved traffic and conversion rates," she added. Shares are up about 63% this year, but Sport said there's still plenty of opportunity for growth. "We think significant upside to EPS remains," she said. Celsius Holdings "Our Buy rating reflects our view that both Alani Nu and Core Celsius are sustaining strong consumption trends, which should support upward sales revisions and drive CELH shares higher. Alani Nu continues to benefit from its transition into the PEP distribution system, while Core Celsius remains a solid performer and is likely to face less inventory‑related noise in FY26." Kroger "KR should also benefit from its store locations & format, improving store execution through labor investments, and the acceleration of e-commerce. ... We reaffirm Buy and maintain our PO of $85 based on 16x F28E EPS as we see KR well-positioned under Greg Foran's leadership given strong digital & in-store execution, personalization, value, and Own Brands." Williams-Sonoma "A rare, quality compounder in consumer discretionary. ... WSM is in a demographic sweet spot, luxury demand is soft, while lower income consumers remain pressured. ... WSM's 'affordable luxury' positioning targets a core customer with ~$150K household income, supporting relative resilience." Victoria's Secret "We see meaningful catalysts ahead. We think the company can get to a 10% EBIT margin by F28 through expense leverage & full-price sales, giving it runway for several years of mid-to-high-teens EPS growth. ... We think significant upside to EPS remains. ... Remodeled stores are seeing double-digit sales lift at lower square feet, driven by improved traffic and conversion rates." Jabil "Our Buy rating is based on investment positives, including tailwind from secular growth in Automotive (EV), healthcare, industrial (renewables), recovery in semiconductor capital equipment, and growing Cloud business, which outweigh risks from continuing uncertain macro, component shortages and supply-chain challenges, and unfavorable mix that can offset margin improvement."
<small>Source: CNBC</small>
