Goldman Sachs named a group of six stocks that it believes are best positioned this year. The Wall Street investment bank said companies such as Coinbase are compelling, with more room to run. Other buy-rated names screened by CNBC Pro include Mastercard, Visa, MongoDB , Dick’s Sporting Goods and Madison Square Garden Entertainment. Madison Square Garden Entertainment The entertainment company and owner of Madison Square Garden is firing on all cylinders following a robust holiday season, according to analyst Stephen Laszczyk. “We believe that the market is currently under-appreciating the opportunity for MSGE…” Goldman wrote. In addition, “the key catalyst in 2026 will likely be movement on the sale of the Theater at MSG related to the Penn Station Transformation Plan, where a developer is expected to be assigned by May 2026,” Laszczyk noted, citing the high value of the Madison Square Garden property in New York. Laszczyk also said MSGE’s Christmas Spectacular show at Radio City Music Hall displayed strong demand and that booking visibility at The Garden is increasing. Shares of the company are up 60% over the past 12 months and Goldman now has a price target of $60 per share, up from $53 previously. Visa and Mastercard In a recent 2026 outlook, a team led by analyst Will Nance called the two payment companies long term winners. “Fiscal stimulus, easy comps and commercial card adoption [will] sustain [high single digit] global card volume growth,” the team wrote. Goldman says both credit card processors are also best positioned for agentic commerce, too. “We see V and MA as particularly well positioned by offering a global payment ecosystem that already has widespread adoption and consumer trust, and believe that V/MA also have numerous opportunities to layer in Value-Added-Services,” he said. Shares of both stocks are up around 12% over the past 12 months. Dick’s Sporting Goods Shares of the sporting goods chain have plenty more room to run, according to Goldman. Analyst Kate McShane recently added Dick’s to the bank’s conviction buy list, saying it’s well positioned in the shoe category after its acquisition of Foot Locker. Nike also remains a featured vendor for Dick’s, McShane said, which should not only help boost Dick’s margin profile but can also aid in Nike’s transformation. “Additionally, DKS remains at the forefront of a broader health, fitness, and athleisure trend that is showing no signs of abating in the year ahead,” she said. The stock is up 9% this year. MongoDB “Bottom line: MongoDB is deepening its strategic relevance within the enterprise while increasingly positioning the platform as a foundational context layer for emerging AI workloads, supporting durable at-scale growth alongside an improving margin trajectory.” Coinbase “Recent product rollouts enhance competitiveness in core business & best-in-class play on growth of crypto infrastructure layer. … .We are constructive on COIN’s growing exposure to crypto infrastructure businesses through its subscription & services offerings, which should dampen earnings volatility over time.” Read more. Dick’s Sporting Goods “At the corner of retail/eCommerce’s blurring lines, restructuring, and the health and fitness craze … Additionally, DKS remains at the forefront of a broader health, fitness, and athleisure trend that is showing no signs of abating in the year ahead.” Visa and Mastercard “Fiscal stimulus, easy comps, and commercial card adoption to sustain HSD [high single digit] global card volume growth. … .We see V and MA as particularly well positioned by offering a global payment ecosystem that already has widespread adoption and consumer trust, and believe that V/MA also have numerous opportunities to layer in Value-Added-Services.” Madison Square Garden Entertainment “We believe that the market is currently under-appreciating the opportunity for MSGE. … .The key catalyst in 2026 will likely be movement on the sale of the Theater at MSG related to the Penn Station Transformation Plan, where a developer is expected to be assigned by May 2026.”
