50 Stocks to Buy (or Avoid) in April

Subscribers to Chart of the Week received this commentary on Sunday, March 29.

Somehow, we are not only entering the fourth month of 2026, but a new quarter as well, with April and Q2 queued up for next week. Whipsaw price action from geopolitical tensions between U.S. and Iran, has made traders uneasy to enter the scene. In uncertain times like this, it’s best to turn to quantitative data. Schaeffer’s Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White has investors covered with two lists, each containing 25 stocks to buy (or sell) in April. Let’s take a look at some standouts.

Criteria for both charts include S&P 500 Index (SPX) stock performance for the month of April, spanning the last 10 years. Making the top spot on the list of best performers is toymaker Hasbro (HAS), while carrying the crown for worst performer is networking giant Lumentum Holdings (LITE).

Consumer cyclicals like Hasbro (HAS), Constellation Brands (STZ), McDonald’s (MCD), Booking (BKNG), and Marriott International (MAR) are noteworthy outperformers. Tech and telecommunication stocks dominate the worst-of list, including Intec (INTC), Verizon Communications (VZ), and ON Semiconductor (ON).

HAS averages an April return of 6.1%, finishing the month higher in nine of the last 10 years. From Thursday’s close of $91.16, a jump of this magnitude would put Hasbro stock just under $100.

HAS recently pulled back to $90, which also happens to be the site of its ascending 80-day moving average. With ample support in place and Hasbro stock only a few weeks off its Feb. 12, six-year high of $106.98, now looks like the perfect opportunity for bulls to move in.

On the other end of the spectrum, the memory stock LITE has averaged a -7.5% April return over the past decade, finishing higher only twice. From the equity’s Thursday close of $688.80, a pullback of this amount would drag the shares back near $637.

Despite several attempts, LITE has been unable to maintain a break above $800, only briefly crossing the mark to hit a record high of $808 this past Wednesday, March 25. This also happens to be the site of a double top, a historically bearish indicator.

Downgrades look overdue as well, with 16 of the 21 covering brokerages sporting a "buy" or "strong buy" recommendation. Lumentum has tended to outperform traders' volatility expectations during the past year, per its Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) of 87 out of 100.

While quantitative seasonality isn’t foolproof, nothing is in this risk-off climate. If tables like these can take out just a fraction of the fear in finding the best risk/reward balance for your spring portfolio, then we’ve done our job.