Hot or Not, Stock Market Edition: 09/18/2026

Happy Friday. Here's what the Zen Ratings are buying into and passing on today:

• Hot: Apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) has doubled and still trades at 11x earnings; bill payment platform Paymentus (PAY) is nearly debt-free and climbing
• Not: Gold developer Perpetua Resources (PPTA) is digging with no revenue to show; nuclear fuel supplier Centrus Energy (LEU) just diluted shareholders by $500 million

P.S. For more stocks making moves, check out our Zen Ratings Upgrades & Downgrades screener.

A note from our sponsors...

The ONLY AI opportunity you should be looking at

This is the ONLY AI wealth-building opportunity you should be watching right now.

No. It's not about Nvidia, Tesla, or Meta...

It's about one overlooked company profiting off AI "digital goldmines" that are poised to experience 100x growth very soon.

This new opportunity will change the market and make investors a lot of money.

That's why it has received a $500 billion commitment from President Trump himself...

Learn more about this little-known company here >>>

🔥 HOT: Apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) has gone from mall relic to one of retail’s strongest turnaround stories. A slew of recent analyst upgrades reflect what the numbers already show: strong margins, solid cash flow, and a much healthier balance sheet. Shares have more than doubled from their 52-week low, yet still trade around 10% below their high. Better yet for investors, the stock remains inexpensive at just over 11x earnings.

ANF has a Zen Rating of B, a Buy recommendation. Looking at the underlying Component Grades, Financials earns an A, while Value and Sentiment both receive B grades. That combination says the business is financially strong, still reasonably priced, and attracting positive investor attention. Growth, Momentum, Safety, and Artificial Intelligence all sit at C, so this is not a high-growth story despite the strong stock performance. Bottom line: Abercrombie’s turnaround looks durable, and the valuation still gives investors something to work with, but future upside will likely depend more on execution than rapid earnings growth.

🥶 NOT: Pre-revenue mining developer Perpetua Resources (PPTA) is trying to turn its Idaho gold and antimony project into a strategically important U.S. mine. The antimony angle is compelling, but investors are still being asked to fund a business with no revenue and heavy cash burn. Projected spending is roughly equal to the company’s available cash, while our DCF model suggests the shares remain significantly overvalued even after falling nearly 40% from their 52-week high.

PPTA has a Zen Rating of F, a Strong Sell recommendation. Value, Growth, and Sentiment all earn F grades, while Safety, Financials, and Artificial Intelligence receive D grades. That mix says the problem is broader than simply being early-stage: the stock looks expensive, growth is not yet translating into a business, investor confidence is weak, and the financial risk remains elevated. Bottom line: the strategic-minerals story is interesting, but right now investors are paying a premium for a project that still has to prove it can become an operating mine. (Related reading: When to sell a stock?)

🔥 HOT: Electronic bill-payment platform Paymentus (PAY) provides the software utilities, municipalities, and other billers use to collect payments, a quietly essential business that continues to expand. Recent earnings beat expectations, estimates have been moving higher, and the company is broadening its reach into new sectors. Shares are up around 80% from their 52-week low but remain roughly 20% below the high, so investors may still have room if the growth story continues.

PAY has a Zen Rating of B, a Buy recommendation. Looking at the Component Grades, Growth, Sentiment, and Financials all earn B grades, which points to a company that is expanding steadily, gaining investor support, and doing it from a strong financial position. Value, Momentum, Safety, and Artificial Intelligence sit at C, so the main drawback is price: the stock still commands a rich earnings multiple. Bottom line: Paymentus has the kind of balance sheet and growth profile investors want, but at a premium valuation, continued execution is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. (Note: For more high-potential stocks, check out our recent video: 5 Stocks to Buy Before 2027)

🥶 NOT: Nuclear fuel supplier Centrus Energy (LEU) sits in one of the market’s hottest themes, supplying enriched uranium to the nuclear power industry. But investors have been hit hard by a fresh $500 million stock-and-warrant offering, which adds dilution just as profitability is weakening. Shares have fallen nearly 70% from their 52-week high and now sit close to their low, yet the stock still trades at a premium earnings multiple.

LEU has a Zen Rating of F, a Strong Sell recommendation. Value, Growth, Momentum, Safety, and Financials all earn D grades, while only Sentiment and Artificial Intelligence reach C. That tells us the weakness is widespread: the stock is still expensive, growth is lagging, the trend is poor, and the underlying financial picture has deteriorated. The nuclear theme may remain powerful, but the ratings suggest the company itself is not currently keeping pace with the story. Bottom line: Centrus has exposure to a compelling long-term market, but dilution, weak momentum, and sluggish growth give investors little reason to chase it here.

What to Do Next?

• 77 Best Stocks NOW! >
• Options Trading with the Zen Ratings >
• 2 New Stocks to Buy from Steve Reitmeister >

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