Buy 5 Non-Tech Nasdaq Stocks for 2026 That Helped It Surge in 2025

Wall Street has been witnessing an astonishing rally since the beginning of 2023 barring some minor fluctuations. The rally has been primarily driven by the global artificial intelligence (AI) technology boom. Generative and agentic AI have transformed the entire landscape of the information technology sector worldwide.

Consequently, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite jumped 43.4% and 28.6%, respectively, in 2023 and 2024. This trend has continued this year too. The AI momentum is rock-solid and it has been expanding periphery, scale and magnitude day by day. As a result, the tech-heavy index is up 20% year to date.
Despite the fact that the Nasdaq Composite is a tech-laden index, several non-tech Nasdaq-listed stocks have skyrocketed this year, aside from large technology behemoths. Investment in these stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank should be fruitful in 2026.

Five such non-tech Nasdaq Composite-listed stocks are: Monster Beverage Corp. MNST, Expedia Group Inc. EXPE, Five Below Inc. FIVE, Fox Corp. FOXA and Royal Gold Inc. RGLD. Each of our picks currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks year to date.

Monster Beverage Corp.

Monster Beverage has been benefiting from the expansion of the energy drinks market and product launches, reinforcing its category strength. MNST continues to benefit from constant growth in the global energy drink market, backed by strong demand across convenience stores and other key retail channels. 

In third-quarter 2025, the Monster Energy Drinks segment's sales grew 16% on a currency-adjusted basis. Improving margins, supported by easing supply-chain pressures and lower costs, have contributed to MNST’s financial stability.

Monster Beverage has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 9.4% and 13.2%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 4.7% over the last 60 days.

Expedia Group Inc.

Expedia operates a strong platform that connects travelers and suppliers, creating a cycle that supports stable demand, thus driving a stable increase in gross bookings. EXPE’s broad and well-recognized brand portfolio allows it to address diverse traveler needs across regions, supporting strong traffic, higher booking volumes and effective monetization. 

EXPE’s extensive global supply base enhances its competitive positioning, while continuing investments in technology and partnerships help to strengthen its international footprint. A solid balance sheet and healthy liquidity further support EXPE’s long-term stability.

Expedia has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 6.3% and 20.8%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 3.2% over the last 60 days.

Five Below Inc.

Five Below is delivering solid momentum, supported by accelerating traffic gains, improved marketing effectiveness and broad-based comparative strength across new and returning customers. Operating leverage was also a key highlight, with gross margin expanding 70 bps due to shrink mitigation in the last reported quarter and fixed-cost leverage, and EPS increasing more than 60% year over year. 

FIVE raised full-year expectations, citing a solid start to holiday trading and stronger expectations for sales, the operating margin and EPS. For fiscal 2025, FIVE’s total sales are now expected to be $4.62-$4.65 billion, an upward revision from the previously stated $4.44-$4.52 billion. 

Store expansion remained productive, highlighted by exceptional new-market openings, while curated assortments and stronger inventory positioning further reinforced FIVE’s growth trajectory.

Five Below has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 8.6% and 5.6%, respectively, for next year (ending January 2027). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 1.3% over the last seven days.

Fox Corp.

Fox posted strong first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, where adjusted earnings per share reached $1.51 with revenues growing 4.9% year over year. The Cable Network Programming segment of FOXA delivered a 48% EBITDA margin with revenues increasing 4% to $1.66 billion, while Tubi achieved quarterly profitability earlier than projected with 27% revenue growth. 

Total advertising revenues increased 6% to $1.41 billion, driven by FOX News' premium pricing and National Football League ratings averaging 22 million viewers. Upcoming Super Bowl LIX and FIFA Men's World Cup provide major advertising catalysts for FOXA. With $4.4 billion in cash and $1.5 billion in share repurchases, FOXA maintains financial flexibility despite escalating sports programming costs and streaming competition.

FOXA has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of -1.3% and -7.7%, respectively, for the current year (ending June 2026). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 5% in the last 60 days.

Royal Gold Inc.

Royal Gold has been benefiting from its solid streaming agreements. RGLD has been benefiting from its acquisitions and strong business model. Despite persistent inflationary pressures in the broader economy, the company has been maintaining high margins. 

RGLD maintains a strong balance sheet, which is likely to drive growth in the upcoming quarters. This rise in metal prices, like gold and silver, will boost RGLD’s results in the coming quarters. RGLD is focused on allocating its strong cash flow to dividends, debt reduction and new businesses. 

Royal Gold has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 28.8% and 48%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 17.3% over the last 30 days.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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