As the market sell-off gains steam, a handful of quality stocks could outperform and buck the broader weak trend for equities, according to Bernstein. All three major indexes continued to struggle on Tuesday. These moves follow a sell-off on Monday, with the 30-stock Dow slipping more than 900 points. The index also moved below its 200-day moving average for the first time since November 2023. Against this backdrop, Bernstein is focusing on quality stocks that can find growth ahead. The firm pointed out in a Monday note that quality stocks typically rebound 2% to 3% in the three months after a market sell-off. In more pronounced down markets, the uptick is historically 5% to 7%. Bernstein’s model to identify quality stocks examines factors including year-over-year sales growth, debt ratios and EBIT margins. Bernstein’s quality list includes only preeminent stocks that are considered “on sale.” Simply sticking with quality stocks alone isn’t enough, according to managing director Ann Larson. “[T]here is a premium associated with quality, and buying top quality today would expose an investor to high valuations relative to historical multiples,” Larson wrote. “While there are rarely cheap quality stocks to be had, we can more frequently find them ‘on sale,’ particularly during market declines.” Here’s a look at some of the names on Bernstein’s list. All stocks that are featured below are rated outperform by Bernstein. Nvidia made the list. The stock is down nearly 6% over the past week and has pulled back about 19% in 2025. This puts the chipmaker’s forward price-to-earnings ratio at roughly 23 times, down from as high as 40 in March 2022 . NVDA YTD mountain Nvidia stock. About 93% of analysts polled by FactSet maintain a buy or outperform rating on Nvidia. Consensus analyst price targets imply more than 66% upside ahead for Nvidia stock. Chipotle Mexican Grill also made the cut. Shares have pulled back more than 16% in 2025. Chipotle stock is still trading at a premium to the S & P 500, with its forward P/E currently sitting at roughly 37. The S & P 500 has a forward P/E of about 20, per FactSet data. CMG YTD mountain Chipotle stock. Despite headwinds such as sluggish same-store sales growth and tariffs from President Donald Trump that could boost avocado costs , analysts remain upbeat. About 75% of analysts surveyed by FactSet have a buy or outperform rating on the stock, and their consensus price target suggests shares could rise 33% from Monday’s close. Other names on Bernstein’s list include Applied Materials and Netflix .
