2025 is in the history books, and the benchmark S&amp;P 500 Index notched a 16.39% return for the year. Investors now face a stock market that’s returned 80% over the past three years, mostly led by the same few big tech stocks.



There’s plenty of reason to think that big return streak won’t last. Not all stocks have shared in the broader market gains lately, tariffs have put a damper on many a company, while high inflation and interest rates, combined with massive investments in AI, have given rise to fears of a 2000-era tech bubble emerging.



Because of all these troubles, there was no shortage of high-octane companies that entered 2025 as market leaders but ended the year in a downward spiral. Valuations reset, cyclical sectors slowed down, and investors rotated into better-performing assets. 



Now, as the calendar flips to 2026, some of those 2025 underperformers are increasingly showing signs of stabilization and recovery. One major upside is that some, if not most, of those stocks will be buoyed by an expected stellar stock market in 2026, as key economic building blocks fall into place.



Here are the three best rebound stocks to buy for 2026.



“Certainly, we’re at a point where we’ve had incredibly strong performance from U.S. equity markets over the last three years. We don’t think that that means that we can’t have another good year next year,” said Kristy Akullian, head of iShares investment strategy for the Americas at BlackRock, in a recent research note. “We are still pretty optimistic in terms of our outlook for U.S. equities. We’re pretty upbeat, relatively bullish.”



With the wind likely at their backs, let’s shine a light on three comeback stocks investors may want to scoop up in early 2026, each with clear rebound catalysts and better stories to sell investors as the new year kicks off in earnest.



<h2>Amazon.com</h2>



2025 performance: +5.2%



No doubt, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) disappointed in 2026, with its share price up only 5.2% for the year, nowhere near the S&amp;P 500’s broader performance.



Investors showed angst over key intra-company issues like a massive $125 billion in capital spending last year, a rough year for the company’s Amazon Web Services, and an uphill climb in AI relative to industry competitors like Meta (NASDAQ:META) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG).



Yet AMZN should bounce back in a big way in 2026, market experts say.



“The combination of AI and robotics is inside Amazon’s core retail business,” said Rich Pleeth, CEO and Co-Founder of Finmile, an AI logistics SaaS company and a former Head of Marketing at Google Chrome. “This means they have some rocket fuel for their margins, especially with reducing people and replacing them with robots.”



Pleeth believes Amazon will double the GMV of its retail operation by 2033 without adding more people. “Robotics has cut the time from click to ship by 78%,” he said. “That’s the modern equivalent of what Ford’s assembly line did to car manufacturing when it slashed production time by 88%.”



The market still hasn’t fully factored in that reality, so investors may want to get into this rebound stock quickly. “In 2025, Amazon traded at a ratio of 33 versus a historical average of 58,” Pleeth said. “That gap exists because people still think of Amazon as a low-margin retailer.”



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<h2>The Trade Desk</h2>



2025 performance: -67.70%



Ventura, Calif.-based The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD) is self-service and cloud-based ad-buying platform that took it on the chin in 2025, and you can’t blame investors who aren’t jumping back in the ring on TTD shares.



Like many AI stocks, TTD developed a reputation as a tech company valued far too high for the market’s liking. Yet with a 67% decline in share performance last year, analysts are coming around on the stock, repricing TTD shares lower to a valuation level that should appeal to investors.



A recent canvassing of 36 Wall Street analysts tracking the stock showed a Moderate Buy rating, with 21 Buy ratings, 12 Holds, and 3 Sells. Average price targets vary, but they are trending way up among analysts, with most pegging TTD shares trading up to a range between $98 and $155 per share (it’s currently trading at $38 per share), with the higher levels kicking in if, as expected,  connected TV and AI-driven ad spend recover in 2026.



In that scenario, TTD could see both earnings growth and meaningful multiple expansion, triggering a classic rebound for Trade Desk. By and large, expect a 65% upside 12-month upside with TTD shares, market gurus say.



<h2>Salesforce</h2>



2025 performance: -20.76%



Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) shares have seen better days, with the stock up only 14% over the past half-decade, compared to +83% for the S&amp;P 500. That scenario, however, should change, as investors skittish about higher-risk AI technology plays may pivot to more stable providers like Salesforce, especially given the company trading significantly below analysts’ one-year price target estimates.



“(We expect) a shift in investor sentiment towards the relative safety of incumbent tech given its highly recurring, stable, and very profitable revenue bases and attractive relative valuations,” noted Brad Reback, a Stifel analyst, in a recent research note.



Salesforce has a lot going for it in 2026, particularly with the successful (and ongoing) integration of AI across its cloud suite, which should fuel renewed growth potential and continued CRM market dominance, boosting already durable pricing power.



Some high-profile investors have questioned the ability of software-heavy CRMs to compete with AI-powered newcomers, with billions of dollars in business management subscription revenue on the line. Yet Salesforce is a long-established leader in the business management realm, especially with legions of business clients using its leading CRM and SaaS platforms.



If Salesforce can translate expected AI momentum into tangible revenue growth, the stock could snap back as investors reassess its long-term growth trajectory, particularly with the company beating earnings estimates in its last four earnings reports. Other Wall Street analysts agree, with Evercore listing Salesforce as one of its top comeback stocks for 2026, citing robust AI momentum and expected revenue growth. 



A review of consensus analyst share price estimates shows an anticipated upside of 20%-to-25% for CRM shares this year.



<h2>Rebound Stocks Will Become a Familiar Theme in 2025</h2>



After years of chasing momentum, many investors are starting to look for valuation-driven opportunities with asymmetric upside. 



That’s a big reason why comeback stocks like Amazon, Trade Desk, and Salesforce should shine in 2026. While each company underperformed in 2025, more of those outcomes stemmed from investment sentiment rather than fundamental issues. Now that valuations have reset, share prices look more attractive as each company has identifiable catalysts that could unlock big gains in 2026.

AMZN

AMZU

In 2026, investors are optimistic about a recovery in the stock market, particularly for Amazon, which underperformed in 2025 with a 5.2% return. Experts believe Amazon's integration of AI and robotics will enhance its margins significantly. The Trade Desk, which saw a 67.7% decline in 2025, is also expected to rebound as analysts adjust their ratings positively. Overall, the outlook for U.S. equities remains bullish, with several underperformers showing signs of stabilization and potential growth.

- The S&P 500 Index achieved a 16.39% return in 2025, yet several stocks, particularly in tech, underperformed, causing market concerns about a potential bubble.  
- As 2026 begins, analysts highlight three rebound stocks—Amazon, The Trade Desk, and Salesforce—that could thrive due to stabilizing conditions and improved valuations following their struggles in 2025.  
- With expected growth from AI integration and investor sentiment shifting toward stable tech companies, these stocks may present attractive buying opportunities for investors.

3 Big Rebound Stocks for 2026