LANXESS Aktiengesellschaft

JPMorgan has upgraded shares of German chemicals group Lanxess AG by two notches and now <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-25/lanxess-soars-as-jpmorgan-s-double-upgrade-provides-rare-boost">recommends</a>&nbsp;overweighting them. The company is set to gain a competitive advantage due to supply chain disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East, which should boost earnings, analysts said.

German chemical company Lanxess gets double upgraded by JPMorgan; shares soar

Five Below, Inc.

Mystery Dumpling toys that look like a large dumpling have gained viral popularity on TikTok

Wolfe Research has named a stock that will benefit from the hype surrounding the "new Labooboo" 

Ondas Inc.

Shares of <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/ONDS/">Ondas Holdings Inc.</a>, a mid-cap developer of autonomous drones and a partner of software maker Palantir Technologies, gained more than 5% in premarket trading on Wednesday. The move comes after investment bank Needham raised its target price for the stock by roughly a third. Less than a year ago, Ondas shares were trading below $1 and faced potential delisting; since then, the stock has surged following a shift in the company’s strategy. Over the last 12 months, Ondas shares have jumped 1,215%. The stock has attracted investor attention amid the conflict in the Middle East, Barron’s <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/trump-iran-stock-market-treasuries-things-to-know-today-1fd45954?mod=mw_quote_news&amp;adobe_mc=MCMID%3D83065470832406916711435245832042088155%7CMCORGID%3DCB68E4BA55144CAA0A4C98A5%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1774434576">writes</a>.

Shares of mid-cap Palantir partner Ondas jump after earnings, Needham TP upgrade

National Vision Holdings, Inc.

Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc.

Loop Capital has recommended three defensive stocks that could help investors preserve capital amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The war is “casting a major pall, as we think a prolonged period of high oil prices will not only reduce purchasing power but will also dent consumer confidence,” analyst Anthony Chukumba wrote in a note <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/23/stock-market-today-live-updates.html">cited</a>&nbsp;by CNBC.

Loop capital recommends three defensive stocks as Middle East conflict continues

Frontline plc

Nordic American Tankers Limited

DHT Holdings, Inc.

Teekay Tankers Ltd.

Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Inc.

The conflict between the U.S. and Israel and Iran has sharply reshaped the global oil market over the past three weeks. The Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of global oil supply transits, has been effectively closed. Prices have reacted quickly: oil is up about 50% and gas 55% versus the end of February. Brent crude has stabilized around $100 per barrel, having briefly jumped to $119, while regional benchmarks Dubai crude and Oman crude are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/middle-east-oil-benchmarks-hit-record-highs-war-cuts-supply-2026-03-16/#:~:text=Cash%20Dubai%20was%20assessed%20at%20a%20record%20%24157.66%20per%20barrel%20on%20Tuesday%20for%20May%2Dloading%20%E2%80%8Bcargoes%2C%20S%26P%20Global%20Platts%20said%2C%20surpassing%20Brent%20futures%27%20all%2Dtime%20high%20of%20%24147.50%20in%202008">above</a>&nbsp;$150 per barrel, with Dubai having&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/19/166-a-barrel-middle-east-oil-gives-clue-to-where-all-prices-could-be-headed-if-iran-war-drags-on.html#:~:text=Dubai%2520crude%2520oil%2520prices%2520surpassed%2520%2524166%2520a%2520barrel%2520to%2520a%2520new%2520record%2520high%2520on%2520Thursday%252C%2520according%2520to%2520market%2520data%2520provider%2520Platts.">rising</a>&nbsp;as high as $166. Against this backdrop, seaborne oil transport, as a sector, is experiencing one of its strongest periods in recent years – longer routes are boosting ton-mile demand, and freight rates have <a href="https://en.sedaily.com/news/2026/03/14/container-freight-rates-surge-30-percent-since-us-iran#:~:text=Container%2520Freight%2520Rates%2520Jump%252030%2525%2520Since%2520US%252DIran%2520Conflict">risen</a>&nbsp;30-40% depending on the region.

Tankers and oilfield services: Eight stocks and one ETF being buoyed by the oil shock

ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation

Bowman Consulting Group Ltd.

Portfolio managers of three funds at Royce Investments, Jim Stoeffel and Andrew Palen, <a href="https://www.royceinvest.com/insights/2026/1Q26/how-micro-caps-can-stay-on-top">named</a>&nbsp;three small-cap stocks “in which we have long-term conviction.” Two of them, in their view, will benefit from investments in AI, while one will gain from rising U.S. infrastructure spending.

Three 'long-term conviction' holdings from Royce

BankUnited, Inc.

Champion Homes, Inc.

ESAB Corporation

FirstService Corporation

AZZ Inc.

Patrick Industries, Inc.

Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc.

Primoris Services Corporation

The S&amp;P SmallCap 600 index has <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/%5ESP600/">risen</a>&nbsp;1.5% year to date, while the broader-market S&amp;P 500 has <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/%5EGSPC/">fallen</a> more than 3.0%. On the one hand, investors are seeking more attractive alternatives to tech stocks and diversifying their portfolios, Barron's <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/small-cap-stocks-funds-21f99423?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqfo1dD7hiMDWoiAMoUesBM2U_8b7jNmNWUguoHoGBVCLwkL3scN4izy&amp;gaa_ts=69b7c082&amp;gaa_sig=z-A7l6M0qp-rQ1Zzcerb0ado3JXtJhXJMAXeCQnPcOkZCjhr9CqVAUeiO1Og_NZnMSI40M3x8Uiu4sgZCnx8vA%3D%3D">writes</a>&nbsp;in a feature. On the other, earnings among small-cap companies are recovering after nearly three years of decline. That “represents a meaningful shift” for smaller companies, T. Rowe Price notes. Trailing 12-month earnings for the S&amp;P SmallCap 600 have increased nearly 30% since last October, following almost three years of contraction.

Four 'top-notch' funds, eight 'under-the-radar' stocks for small-cap investors

Associated Banc-Corp

Century Communities, Inc.

Choice Hotels International, Inc.

Primo Brands Corporation

Columbia Sportswear Company

Barron’s has <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/small-cap-value-fund-crushing-peers-f3b098da?mod=RTA">highlighted</a>&nbsp;five stocks held by Heartland Value, a fund focused on investing in small-cap companies. The fund delivered a 30.8% one-year return, compared with 25.4% for the Russell 2000 Value index. Morningstar has ranked Heartland Value among the top 4% of funds in its category based on that performance.

Five holdings of outperforming small-cap value fund Heartland 


Devon Energy Corporation

Diamondback Energy, Inc.

Permian Resources Corporation

One of Japan's largest banks advised betting on relatively small oil producers

In search of 'undervalued value': Mizuho names stocks that have yet to recover from oil's rise

Bulgaria's transition to the euro has become one of the main drivers of the local stock market in early 2026, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-14/euro-entry-makes-bulgarian-stocks-world-s-best-in-early-2026?embedded-checkout=true">wrote</a>. Since the beginning of the year, Bulgaria's main index SOFIX has risen by almost 7% - investors are betting that the country's entry into the eurozone currency bloc will accelerate the integration of the economy with Europe and attract new capital. Alexander Buyukli, Director of Freedom24 in Bulgaria, told Oninvest why the transition to the euro is not only a new opportunity for investors, but also a test of the maturity of the Bulgarian economy.

"Euro changeover is a test of the economy's maturity": interview with Freedom24 head in Bulgaria

Wells Fargo has <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/13/wells-fargo-upgrades-this-discount-retail-chain-on-store-growth-and-value-shopping-tailwinds.html">upgraded</a>&nbsp;mid-cap discount retailer Ollie’s Bargain Outlet as the company expands its store network and increases comparable-store sales, while it may also benefit from new tax incentives in the U.S. As a result, the analysts say “confidence is building into an attractive '26 set-up.”

'Confidence is building': Wells Fargo upgrades mid-cap discount retailer Ollie's

Investors should not panic because of the rapidly changing market situation related to the war in Iran and the rising cost of oil, according to analysts <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/where-to-invest-stock-market-strategy-oil-us-iran-war-2026-3">surveyed by</a> Business Insider. Their advice is based on historical experience: in the post-World War II period, markets recovered losses 72% of the time within six months of the outbreak of military conflicts, according to Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth Management's Art Hogan. "So any abrupt change in a long-term investment portfolio is likely to be a mistake," he told Business Insider.

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