3 Strong Buy Income Stocks To Buy Amid Market Fluctuations

A string of negative catalysts has come together in recent weeks. Beyond the very obvious, like the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and worries regarding oil prices, we were also witness to a disappointing jobs report. This marks the second week in a row where major indices fell. Last week alone, the S&P 500 shed 1.24% in value.

Unsurprisingly, the VIX, which measures volatility expectations, is elevated. In fact, it’s at the highest point it has been since late April of last year — and since the drivers behind such sentiments aren’t short-term catalysts, this state of affairs could last a while.

Conditions like these lead investors to turn to stability. In terms of equities, we can expect dividend stocks to see renewed interest. Moving early and finding underappreciated names can allow you to benefit from the ongoing rotation.

The issue is that honing in on the promising tickers is no easy task. There’s a lot of data to crunch there. Thankfully, there’s a way for you to expedite the process significantly — all you have to do is turn to…

Income Stock Strategy

We’ve developed our own proprietary quant rating system. It takes 115 fundamental factors and metrics and evaluates 4,600 stocks on a daily basis. Those insights are boiled down into a simple, approachable metric — a stock’s Zen Rating.

Only the stocks that rank in the top 5% based on the fundamentals are given a Zen Rating of A, equivalent to a Strong Buy rating. That narrows it down — but it still leaves you with roughly 230 stocks to consider on any given day. However, there’s a way to make your research even more efficient — by taking a look at one of our exclusive Zen Strategies.

There are 11 Zen Strategies in total — each is an exclusive portfolio consisting of just 7 carefully selected stocks. 

Today, we’ll be taking a look at a portfolio that has an all-time annual return of 25.96%. It has already provided a 12.78% return since the start of 2026, blowing the S&P 500’s 1.73% loss in the same timeframe out of the water. The portfolio is up 4.47% since the start of the month and returned 5.80% in February. Today, you’ll get a sneak peek at our Income Stock Strategy.

Global Industrial (GIC)

Our first pick is in the business of distributing industrial equipment and workplace supplies. Global Industrial shares have a Zen Rating of A, and currently rank in the top 1% of the equities we track. In fact, GIC is ranked 15th overall out of 4,600 stocks when it comes to the fundamentals.

GIC has a forward dividend yield of 3.87%, and that dividend has steadily increased over the past 10 years without any significant shocks. At a payout ratio of 55.9%, it’s quite sustainable. To boot, Financials are Global Industrial’s strongest rating — in this category, the stock ranks in the top 5%.

Shares are currently trading at 17x times earnings, placing GIC in the 83rd percentile for Value. Safety is another strong point — thanks to a stable, predictable business model, the stock ranks in the top 13% in terms of this Component Grade rating.

The drawbacks here are Growth and Momentum. Global Industrial ranks in the top 22% and top 31% in these categories, respectively — so it isn’t bad by any means, but there’s still room for improvement on those fronts.

On February 24, the company beat earnings estimates — and posted growing revenue after a 5.6% decline in 2025. Since the beat, the stock has only rallied by 3%. All in all, the dividend is great, the growth prospects are above-average, and the valuation is fair.

Barrick Mining (B)

Barrick is one of the world’s largest gold mining companies, with a bevy of mines in North America, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. B shares rank in the top 2% of the stocks that we track, and are currently rated 61st overall out of 4,600. It’s also the 2nd highest-rated stock in the Gold industry, which has an Industry Rating of A — so once again, we’re looking at a dominant position in a strong field.

The company recently increased dividends by 140%. Right now, the forward yield is at 3.31% — but since the payout ratio is just 17.9%, there’s plenty of room for additional hikes. Like our previous entry, Barrick also boasts a fortress balance sheet, and ranks in the top 4% of stocks for Financials.

On top of that, we have an appealing mix of Value and Growth — when it comes to these two Component Grade ratings, B shares rank in the 92nd and 88th percentile, respectively. The downside is a C rating for Safety, where it scores in the 65th percentile — although it’s fair to note that this isn’t a terrible showing by any stretch of the imagination.

The fundamentals are there — and seeing as how Barrick Shares have dipped by 10% over the past week, they are currently on a pretty appealing discount. 

Movado Group (MOV)

Our third pick is Movado, a luxury watch brand founded way back in 1881. MOV shares have a Zen Rating of A, and rank in the top 2% of the equities we track, placing them at number 82 overall. This is the top-rated stock in the Luxury industry, which has an Industry Rating of A, and which ranks as the 9th best industry out of 145.

Unlike our previous picks, MOV’s strengths are more dispersed. The stock ranks in the top 18% for Value, and currently trades at 25 times earnings and a price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio of 0.99x. It also ranks in the 88th percentile for Artificial Intelligence, which means that our in-house neural network has it pegged as a likely outperformer going forward.

On top of that, we have a placement in the top 10% for Sentiment, the top 30% for Growth, and the top 25% for Financials. MOV shares have pulled back by roughly 5.3% over the past week, creating an attractive entry point for investors seeking income. The stock currently offers a forward dividend yield of 6.81%, one of the highest in its industry.

This is the riskiest entry on this list, as it carries a C rating for Safety. However, if the next earnings report, due March 19, turns out well, it could serve to ameliorate some of those worries.

Interested In More Great Stock Picks? 

The 3 stocks highlighted above are just a fraction of what you get from our proven Income Stock Strategy. 

That’s because each day our system recalibrates — and Zen Strategies members get access to the top 7 value stocks based on 115 different parameters that point to outperformance. 

See all Top 7 Income stocks here >

However, value stocks aren’t your cup of tea. Perhaps you would like to see all 11 of our market beating strategies including Growth, Momentum, Technology, and our coveted AI Factor model. 

Each featuring the top 7 stocks.

Each featuring tremendous performance

We spell it all out in this timely presentation below that lives up to its name:

10 Minutes a Month to Beat the Market > 

What to Do Next?

• 77 Best Stocks NOW! >
• See All “A” Rated Stocks with +32.52% Average Annual Return >
• 2 New Stocks to Buy from Steve Reitmeister >

Want to get in touch? Email us at news@wallstreetzen.com.