Buy these stocks ahead of earnings. Bank of America says they offer plenty of upside
Bank of America said investors should buy several stocks ahead of upcoming earnings, highlighting Spotify, Cisco, RB Global, Ralph Lauren, and DoorDash. For Spotify, it expects 2Q26 results to show stable trends and accelerating revenue growth, with FX headwinds moderating. It also cited RB earnings improving from 2025 and earnings dates on Aug 4 for SPOT, RBA, and Ralph Lauren.
How this was made
The 30-second read
Why it matters
The main tradable element is the timing into upcoming earnings dates, but the article is largely a reiteration of analyst views rather than a disclosure of new company fundamentals.
Market read
This is a pre-earnings positioning article that may influence near-term sentiment, but it does not introduce new earnings prints, guidance changes, or regulatory events.
What to watch
The article provides qualitative theses but no new quantitative revisions; traders may need to verify whether consensus estimates and implied volatility already reflect these narratives into the Aug 4 prints.
Background
CNBC reports Bank of America’s pre-earnings stock picks and the specific analyst theses for several companies, including Spotify, RB Global, Ralph Lauren, DoorDash, and Cisco.
Ticker impact
Bank of America reiterates confidence in Spotify’s 2Q26 results ahead of the Aug 4 earnings date, citing stable KPIs and moderating FX headwinds.
Near-term bias toward holding or adding into Aug 4, with upside skew if results match the stable-trend thesis.
The article is an analyst thesis and not a new datapoint, but it is time-linked to the Aug 4 print and highlights specific drivers (FX, KPIs, pricing power, AI roadmap).
Bank of America flags RB Global as attractive ahead of Aug 4 earnings, arguing earnings prospects should improve from 2025 as the used equipment backdrop improves in 2026.
Potential pre-earnings support if investors buy into the 2025 to 2026 improvement narrative.
This is primarily a reiteration of an analyst view; the article provides no new company-specific metric beyond the earnings date and qualitative outlook.
Bank of America expects Ralph Lauren’s beat-and-raise story to continue into Aug 4 earnings, citing strong sales/AUR momentum and potential margin upside from a more favorable tariff environment.
Likely incremental bid into the Aug 4 print if the market is focused on margins and tariff sensitivity.
No fresh guidance or numbers are disclosed; the article is an analyst preview with qualitative drivers.
Bank of America reiterates a positive margin outlook for DoorDash, pointing to expense flexibility and a potential positive re-rating in 2H’26 as y/y margins improve.
Moderate support for the stock if investors align with the 2H’26 margin improvement narrative.
The article does not provide new earnings data or a specific new catalyst beyond the analyst’s framing.
CNBC Pro lists Cisco among buy-rated names ahead of earnings, with Bank of America focusing on AI orders, Campus revenue growth, and FY27 guidance into the print.
Mild pre-earnings upside bias if AI orders and backlog conversion translate into results.
The text provides a general earnings focus areas but no new guidance, datapoint, or estimate change.
Market effects
Reinforces a broadly constructive pre-earnings stance across software, consumer, and industrial marketplaces, with emphasis on AI demand and margin resilience.
Primarily US large-cap sentiment, with no explicit cross-region catalyst described.
Mentions FX headwinds for Spotify, implying global currency effects remain a key swing factor for reported growth.
Counterpoint
Analyst “buy ahead of earnings” framing can underweight the risk that KPI stability or margin upside fails to materialize, especially if FX or tariff assumptions move against expectations.
Key entities
- financial_institutionBank of America
Provides buy-rated pre-earnings theses and qualitative drivers for multiple stocks.
- analystJessica Reif Ehrlich
Spotify analyst cited for confidence in 2Q26 results and AI roadmap impressions.
- analystMichael Feniger
RB Global analyst cited for the used equipment backdrop and growth initiatives thesis.
- analystKendall Toscano
Ralph Lauren analyst cited for beat-and-raise expectations and tariff-driven margin upside.
- analystKendall Toscano
Ralph Lauren analyst cited for beat-and-raise expectations and tariff-driven margin upside.
