Zacks.com Highlights Include Orion, Coeur, Tim And Evercore

Chicago, IL – February 19, 2026 – The stocks in this week’s article are Orion Group ORN, Copa Holdings CPA, Coeur Mining CDE, Tim SA TIMB and Evercore EVR.

All three major U.S. stock indexes closed slightly higher on Feb. 17, 2026, even as continued declines in software stocks dampened investor optimism following a softer-than-expected consumer price index and stronger-than-expected jobs report recently released.

While this may encourage some investors to remain tied to the stock market, concerns about the possibility of artificial intelligence (AI) tools replacing sector-specific software providers may continue to pressure growth-oriented tech stocks in the near term.

This backdrop often reinforces the appeal of low-leverage safe havens, as the current uncertain market environment may lead investors to choose financial resilience and capital preservation over aggressive expansion. That’s why we recommend stocks such as Orion group, Copa Holdings, Coeur Mining, Tim S.A AndEvercoreas these have low leverage and can therefore provide a safer option for investors looking for stability during periods of market turmoil.

Before we pick low leverage stocks, let’s explore what leverage is and how picking low leverage stocks can help investors.

In finance, leverage refers to the practice of borrowing capital to help companies run smoothly and expand their operations. Such loans are made through debt financing. But there remains an option for equity financing. This is probably due to the cheap and easy availability of debt financing rather than equity financing.

Debt financing also has some disadvantages. It is only desirable as long as it successfully generates a return higher than the interest rate. To avoid significant losses in your portfolio, it is advisable to avoid companies that rely too much on debt financing.

The crux of safe investing lies in choosing a company that isn’t struggling with debt, as debt-free stocks are virtually impossible to find.

The stock market can be volatile at times. As an investor, if you want to avoid significant losses, we recommend that you focus on low-leverage stocks, which are generally less risky.

To identify such stocks, various leverage ratios have been developed in the past to measure the amount of debt a company has. The debt-to-equity ratio is one of the most commonly used financial ratios.

Debt/equity ratio = Total liabilities/equity

This measure is a liquidity ratio that indicates how much financial risk a company runs. A lower debt-to-equity ratio reflects improved solvency of a company.

As the fourth-quarter 2025 earnings season reaches its midpoint, investors should focus on stocks that have delivered solid earnings growth in recent periods.

If a stock has a high debt-to-equity ratio during an economic downturn, its seemingly strong gains can quickly turn into a nightmare.

Considering the above-mentioned factors, it would be wise to choose stocks with a low debt-to-equity ratio to ensure stable returns.

However, an investment strategy based solely on debt-to-equity ratios may not yield the desired results. To select stocks that can deliver stable returns, we have expanded our screening criteria to include additional factors.

Excluding stocks with a negative debt-to-equity ratio or zero, here we present our five picks from the 19 stocks that made it through the screen.

Orion group: It is a construction company that provides services on and around water, primarily in the continental United States, Alaska, Canada and the Caribbean Basin. On February 4, 2026, Orion Group announced that it had acquired JE McAmis, Inc. and acquired JEM Marine Leasing LLC for approximately $60 million, net of cash acquired.

This acquisition should strengthen Orion’s marine construction activities, given JE McAmis’ proven track record of delivering complex marine construction projects under challenging conditions, with work spanning jetties and breakwater construction, dredging, environmental restoration and dam and spillway construction.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ORN’s 2026 revenue indicates a 7% improvement from last year’s estimated level. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ORN’s 2026 earnings indicates a 63.6% improvement over last year’s expected earnings. It currently has a Zacks Rank #2.

Copa Holdings: It provides passenger and cargo services for airlines. On February 11, 2026, the company reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results. Fourth-quarter operating revenue rose 9.6% year over year, while earnings per share (EPS) increased 5.3%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CPA’s 2026 earnings indicates an improvement of 11.5% from last year’s reported numbers. The stock boasts long-term earnings growth (three to five years) of 8.20%. CPA currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see itThe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks can be found here.

Coeur Mining: It is a precious metals mining company. On February 17, 2026, the company reported its year-end 2025 mineral reserves and resources. CDE’s proven and probable mineral reserves increased to 4.4 million ounces of gold and 274.4 million ounces of silver in 2025. Measured and indicated mineral resources at the end of last year totaled 3.1 million ounces of gold, 172.0 million ounces of silver, 1,234 million pounds of zinc and 685.5 million pounds of lead.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CDE’s 2026 earnings indicates a 30.2% improvement over last year’s estimate. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CDE’s 2026 earnings indicates a 143.3% improvement over last year’s expected figure. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #1.

Tim S.A.: It provides commercial banking services. On February 11, 2026, the company announced that it will acquire 51% of the total share capital of I-Systems Soluções de Infraestrutura SA (“I-Systems”) for approximately $180 million. I-Systems operates in the neutral fiber network sector in the Brazilian market, providing independent infrastructure for the wholesale segment. This transaction reflects TIM’s strategy to expand in the broadband segment and thereby increase its customer base and revenue.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TIMB’s 2026 earnings indicates a 10.3% improvement over last year’s reported numbers. The stock boasts long-term earnings growth of 20.8%. It currently has a Zacks Rank #2.

Evercore: It is a leading global, independent investment banking advisory firm. On February 4, 2026, the company reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results. Fourth-quarter revenue rose 32% year over year, while adjusted earnings per share rose 50%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EVR’s 2026 revenue suggests a 22.6% improvement from the year-ago reported level. The stock boasts long-term earnings growth of 33.9%. It currently has a Zacks Rank #2.

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For the rest of this Screen of the Week article, visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2871126/buy-these-5-low-leverage-stocks-as-softness-in-software-remains-a-drag

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Contact: Jim Giaquinto

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