What the SAVE Score Surfaces in April 2026: Highest-Scoring Large-Cap Stocks

Every week, the Equity Rank screener scores 800 large-cap and S&P 500 stocks using the SAVE methodology — a composite that blends 19 valuation models, analyst consensus signals, earnings quality metrics, and market sentiment indicators into a single 0–100 score. Higher scores correspond to conditions the methodology associates with potential undervaluation. Lower scores correspond to conditions associated with elevated pricing relative to fundamentals.

This article surfaces what the SAVE methodology is currently flagging at the top of its rankings as of April 2026. These are not investment recommendations. They are data points from a systematic, rule-based scoring process applied uniformly across 800 equities. Use them as a starting point for deeper independent research.

How the SAVE Score Works

The SAVE composite has four pillars:

S — Sentiment: Institutional ownership trends, analyst estimate revisions, and options market signals (implied volatility relative to realized, put/call positioning).

A — Analyst: Analyst price target consensus, estimate revision direction, and earnings surprise history. Not blind adherence to consensus — rather, treating consensus as one data source in a weighted blend.

V — Valuation: Blends 19 valuation models including DCF, Graham Number, Earnings Power Value, P/E ratio relative to sector, EV/EBITDA, Price-to-Book, Price-to-Sales, and a Dividend Discount Model where applicable. Each model contributes to a blended fair value estimate, and the Margin of Safety percentage reflects the gap between blended fair value and current price.

E — Earnings: Earnings quality metrics (accruals ratio, operating vs. reported earnings divergence), recent earnings growth trajectory, and forward earnings estimate stability.

The composite is designed to be multi-method by intention. Single-model outputs are highly sensitive to their specific assumptions. Blending eight methods across both valuation and quality signals reduces the risk of any one assumption dominating the output.

Scores are updated weekly and can shift materially between updates. A stock scoring 70 today may score 60 next week if analyst estimates are revised, earnings quality deteriorates, or the options market changes character.

The April 2026 Context

The SAVE scores below reflect market conditions as of mid-April 2026 — a period characterised by elevated volatility from US tariff policy, broad index pullbacks across technology and consumer sectors, and significant divergence between sectors. Some sectors (Utilities, Insurance, defensive Consumer Staples) have held up relatively well. Others (Technology, Semiconductors, Retail) experienced sharper drawdowns, which in some cases pushed valuation ratios lower and SAVE scores higher.

This context matters when interpreting scores: a higher SAVE score in a down market may reflect genuine undervaluation, or it may reflect cyclical earnings sensitivity that the model hasn't fully discounted. Both interpretations are possible. The SAVE score surfaces the condition; fundamental analysis determines the cause.

The 15 Highest-Scoring Large-Cap Stocks (April 2026)

The table below covers large-cap stocks (market cap above $10B) with full AlphaVantage data coverage and a valid SAVE score. Scores and prices are as of the most recent weekly update.

Risk Score: 0–30 Low, 31–60 Mid, 61–80 High, 81–100 Elevated. Margin of Safety is model-based and subject to significant uncertainty. Not investment advice.

What the Data Shows

Zoom (ZM) leads the SAVE rankings. The post-pandemic narrative on Zoom has been so thoroughly negative that the actual fundamentals have been largely ignored. ZM is profitable on a GAAP basis, trades at 14x trailing earnings and 15x forward earnings, generates consistent free cash flow, and has stabilised its enterprise customer base. The SAVE methodology scores it highly because eight independent valuation models converge on a fair value well above the current price. The risk score of 35 (Low) reflects relatively low beta and stable earnings quality. The fundamental question a researcher needs to answer is whether enterprise video conferencing is a structural commodity — if so, the valuation compression is deserved. If ZM retains pricing power in its enterprise cohort, the score corresponds to meaningful potential undervaluation.

Micron (MU) scores high with a high-risk flag. Micron's SAVE score of 75 reflects a forward P/E of 7.8x and a 26% Margin of Safety. The risk score of 88 (Elevated) reflects something important: semiconductor cycles create violent earnings swings. MU's earnings per share can move from $8+ in a cycle peak to near-zero in a trough. The SAVE score at the current forward multiple reflects trough-to-normalisation recovery assumptions. An investor needs to form a view on DRAM/NAND cycle timing — not just trust the multiple. This is a case where the SAVE score surfaces a condition worth investigating, but the risk flag is real and should not be ignored.

Edison International (EIX) scores highly on valuation metrics. EIX is a California utility trading at 6.2x trailing P/E and an estimated 55% Margin of Safety. Utility sector SAVE scores often run high because the sector's defensive earnings profile aligns well with valuation model inputs. The specific EIX situation requires attention to wildfire liability exposure, which is material and not fully captured by standard valuation models. The SAVE score is a starting point, not a conclusion.

Allstate (ALL) combines a high SAVE score with the lowest risk score on this list (11). A Risk Score of 11 means the methodology sees below-average beta and stable earnings quality relative to price. The forward P/E of 8.7x is compressed for an insurer with improving combined ratios. The insurance sector is also flagged with a high AI Disruption Score (62 for ALL) — a variable to weigh in a 5+ year investment horizon as claims automation continues to evolve.

Cognizant (CTSH) has the highest Margin of Safety on this list at 70%. IT services companies have faced significant headwinds: spending freezes from enterprise clients, AI-driven automation of lower-tier consulting work, and currency exposure from offshore delivery models. CTSH trades at 10.7x forward earnings. The 70% Margin of Safety reflects the gap between blended fair value models and current price. An IT services company with this score requires a researcher to specifically evaluate: is the earnings compression cyclical (recovers with enterprise IT spending) or structural (AI permanently reduces demand for IT services outsourcing)?

PayPal (PYPL) at 9.5x forward earnings. PayPal's SAVE score of 69.5 and 51% Margin of Safety reflect a company that has dramatically derated from its COVID-era peak. The core payments processing business remains profitable, margins are improving, and management has cut costs aggressively. The competitive risk from Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Stripe is real — but at 9.5x forward earnings, the market is already pricing in significant structural pressure. Whether that pricing is sufficient is the research question.

Patterns in the Data

Several patterns emerge from this month's rankings:

Insurance sector appears three times in the top 15. PRU, RGA, and ALL all score in the top 10. This reflects the sector's compressed multiples (PE ratios in the 6–12x range), improving underwriting margins post-2022 rate cycle, and relatively stable earnings quality. The counterpoint is the AI Disruption angle: insurance workflows are among the most automatable, and if AI-native competitors can undercut pricing by removing labour costs, the current margins may not persist at scale.

Software appears twice (ZM, PTC) but at opposite ends of the narrative. ZM's score is driven by valuation compression from business model pessimism. PTC's score reflects an industrial software company at 18.4x forward earnings with a 44% Margin of Safety — suggesting the market is discounting PTC's recurring software revenue more than the models justify.

Negative Margin of Safety stocks still appear in the top 15. KGC (−37%) and GMED (−15%) have negative MoS estimates — meaning the blended fair value models suggest current prices exceed fair value. Yet they appear in the top 15 SAVE rankings because SAVE is a composite, not purely a valuation signal. These stocks may score highly on earnings momentum, analyst revisions, or sentiment signals even when valuation models suggest overpricing. The Overall Score (which is more valuation-weighted) is lower for both (58.4 and 61.0 respectively), which correctly reflects this tension.

How the Overall Score Differs from SAVE

It is worth noting that several stocks in this list score higher on the Overall Score than on the SAVE Score (for example, CTSH: SAVE 71.2, Overall 78.4) and some score lower (MKC: SAVE 69.6, Overall 68.9). The Overall Score weights the valuation models more heavily and de-emphasises the sentiment and momentum components. For investors who distrust market sentiment signals, the Overall Score may be a more relevant starting point than the SAVE composite.

Using This Data for Research

The SAVE leaderboard is a screening tool, not a conclusion. The 15 stocks above have been identified by a rule-based methodology as potentially scoring well on a combination of valuation, earnings quality, analyst positioning, and market sentiment signals. What the methodology does not assess:

• Business model durability. A low P/E can reflect either undervaluation or a declining business. The SAVE score treats both the same way. A researcher must form a qualitative view.
• Balance sheet quality. Debt levels, pension obligations, off-balance-sheet liabilities, and liquidity risk are not directly captured.
• Regulatory and litigation risk. PG&E's wildfire liability or a potential fintech regulatory action would not show up in SAVE until the earnings impact appears.
• Industry structure changes. The AI automation risk flagged by the AI Disruption Score for insurance and fintech companies in this list is a 5-year structural question that the SAVE score treats as a known, partially-priced variable — not as a predictive model.

The screener surfaces the condition. The research determines whether the condition is an opportunity or a trap.

Explore all 800 stocks in the Equity Rank screener to see SAVE Scores, Overall Scores, Margin of Safety estimates, Risk Scores, and AI Disruption Scores across the full large-cap universe — updated weekly.

This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not financial advice or a recommendation to purchase or sell any security. SAVE Scores, Margin of Safety estimates, and all other metrics referenced are model-based outputs subject to significant estimation uncertainty and may differ materially from actual outcomes. Scores are updated weekly and can change. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. Equity Rank is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own research and consult a qualified financial adviser before making investment decisions.