Zacks.com featured highlights include Darden Restaurants, The Middleby, Intuit, Cullen/Frost and American Electric

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – March 7, 2025 – Stocks in this week’s article are — Darden Restaurants DRI, The Middleby Corp. MIDD, Intuit Inc. INTU, Cullen/Frost Bankers CFR and American Electric Power AEP.Bet on These 5 Stocks with Robust Sales Growth for Exceptional ReturnsMarkets started 2025 on a strong note, but volatility has since taken hold. Earlier this week, the introduction of new tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico triggered a sharp selloff, and all three major indexes tanked, erasing the S&P 500’s post-Election Day gains. Although markets rebounded yesterday, concerns over the economic impact of these tariffs—along with potential retaliatory measures—are likely to keep investor sentiment cautious.Against such a backdrop, the conventional method of selecting stocks is the need of the hour. One such way is choosing stocks with steady sales growth. In this regard, Darden Restaurants, The Middleby Corp., Intuit Inc., Cullen/Frost Bankers and American Electric Power are worth betting on.When evaluating a company, revenue often receives more scrutiny than earnings. Investors focus on a business’s ability to generate increasing sales over time, as this indicates its potential to expand its customer base. In contrast, stagnant or declining sales growth may signal underlying challenges. While a company can still generate short-term profits, sustained growth is necessary to attract new investors.Strong revenue growth is also essential for long-term profitability. Although earnings can be improved by cutting costs, consistent bottom-line expansion typically requires steady sales increases.However, sales growth alone doesn’t provide a complete picture of a company’s financial health. Evaluating a company’s cash position alongside its revenues is a more effective investment strategy. A strong cash balance and steady cash flow provide flexibility for strategic decisions, operational stability and future investments.5 Stocks with Strong Sales GrowthOrlando, FL-based Darden is one of the largest casual dining restaurant operators worldwide. DRI, operating via its subsidiaries, oversees restaurants throughout the United States and Canada, excluding two joint venture restaurants, four managed locations operating under contractual agreements and 91 franchised restaurants.Darden’s expected sales growth rate for fiscal 2025 is 6.3%. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present.Middleby, based in Elgin, IL, provides cooking, warming, food preparation and packaging equipment to commercial, industrial processing and residential markets. MIDD has manufacturing and distribution operations in the United States, Canada, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.Middleby’s expected sales growth rate for 2025 is 3.4%. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.Mountain View, CA-based Intuit is a business and financial software company that develops and sells financial, accounting and tax preparation software and related services globally. INTU has offices in the United States, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia and other locations.Intuit’s sales are expected to rise 12.4% in 2025. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present.Cullen/Frost, based in San Antonio, TX, is a financial holding company and a bank holding company. CFR provides a broad array of products and services throughout numerous Texas markets.Cullen/Frost’s expected sales growth for 2025 is 4.1%. The company, at present, sports a Zacks Rank #1.Columbus, OH-based American Electric Power is a public utility holding company that generates, transmits and distributes electricity, natural gas and other commodities. Approximately 37% of AEP’s power is generated from coal and lignite, 22% from nuclear energy, 22% from natural gas and oil and the remaining 19% from renewable sources.American Electric Power’s sales are expected to increase 5% in 2025. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present.Get the remaining stock on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and backtesting software.The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.Click here to sign up for a free trial of the Research Wizard today.For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2426455/bet-on-these-5-stocks-with-robust-sales-growth-for-exceptional-returnsZacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.Contact: Jim GiaquintoCompany: Zacks.comPhone: 312-265-9268Email: pr@zacks.comVisit: https://www.zacks.com/Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.Just Released: Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2025Hurry – you can still get in early on our 10 top tickers for 2025. Handpicked by Zacks Director of Research Sheraz Mian, this portfolio has been stunningly and consistently successful. From inception in 2012 through November, 2024, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,112.6%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +475.6%. Sheraz has combed through 4,400 companies covered by the Zacks Rank and handpicked the best 10 to buy and hold in 2025. You can still be among the first to see these just-released stocks with enormous potential. See New Top 10 Stocks >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP): Free Stock Analysis Report Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI): Free Stock Analysis Report Intuit Inc. (INTU): Free Stock Analysis Report Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (CFR): Free Stock Analysis Report The Middleby Corporation (MIDD): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks