Can These 2026 Celebrations Still Work?

As of August 2026, the S&P 500 appears to be facing a weak summer, although the market is still up 8% year-to-date (YTD). This is despite a long sell-off in the AI ​​industry that has made it very profitable this year. However, there are still opportunities for momentum plays for investors willing to dig deep.

Stocks with rallies of 70% YTD or better are still available, but investors will want to know if that momentum is likely to continue as they look ahead to the final quarter of the year.

Three stocks delivered big gains in 2026, but the strength of their rallies depend on very different motivations, fundamentals, and risk profiles: ArcBest Corp. NASDAQ: ARCBKulicke & Soffa Industries NASDAQ: KLICand Cohu Inc. NASDAQ: COHU. For investors, the key question is which companies have enough fundraising momentum to back them up—and which rallies might continue ahead of the underlying businesses.

ArcBest: Rally Depends on Stock Recovery and Shipping Growth

ArcBest is a logistics and logistics solutions company that has thrived as optimism for the logistics industry has grown steadily.

Trucks are plagued by overcapacity, weak demand, inflation, tax implications, and more. But ArcBest is still standing even though weaker competitors have left.

As investors await its Q2 2026 earnings report on July 29, the market will be watching to see if ArcBest can maintain or build on daily shipments.

Product-based operations experienced 2% year-over-year (YOY) growth in the first half of the year, while light products were highlighted by 10% YOY growth in daily shipments.

The company is also investing in technology to improve efficiency and customer experience. Its AI-powered City Route Optimization program delivered $15 million in savings by 2025, while ArcBest View brings quoting, booking, shipment visibility, and reporting to the customer in one place.

Management expressed optimism for the rest of the year, including forecasts for opportunistic stock purchases, as revenue grew a meager 3% YOY in the first quarter. Accelerating top-line growth will be key for ArcBest if it is to maintain its share price momentum.

ARCB shares are up a whopping 100% YTD, but analysts think there is still room for modest growth ahead. The company has an overall Average buy rating based on nine buys and six holds.

Kulicke and Soffa: The Growth of the AI ​​Package Faces the Bicycle Test

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Today

KLIC

Kulicke and Soffa Industries

$90.55 -7.67 (-7.80%)

From 03:10 PM Eastern

This is the fair market value given by Massive. Read more.

52 week interval

$31.32

▼

$135.80

Dividend Yield

0.91%

The P/E ratio

87.04

Target Value

$59.25

With a market capitalization of less than $5 billion, Kulicke & Soffa is often overlooked by investors compared to its larger competitors in the semiconductor and LED space.

Still, the company has been successful this year, with shares up nearly 98% YTD despite the AI ​​industry slowdown that has impacted many semiconductor makers.

The company stands out for its niche thermo-compression bonding business, which provides advanced packaging technology critical to certain AI applications, high-performance computing, and memory products.

Kulicke & Soffa has seen an increase in demand and sales thanks to this part of its business, as well as its constant hot pressing area.

Management expects 2026 thermo-compression bond financing to exceed $100 million and is expanding Advanced Solutions’ production capacity to support approximately $400 million annually.

Overall, revenue is growing rapidly for Kulicke & Soffa, as it rose nearly 50% YOY in the most recent quarter. Management expects strong growth to continue, although investors should, of course, be cautious given the cyclical nature of semiconductor equipment and, in particular, the recent volatility in the space. This may be the reason why some analysts are cautious, giving KLIC shares a consensus rating of hold.

Cohu: Expanding AI Exploration May Take Near-Term Margin Pressure

Cohu Today

$42.69 -5.12 (-10.70%)

From 03:11 PM East

This is the fair market value given by Massive. Read more.

52 week interval

$17.80

▼

$74.60

Target Value

$63.86

Cohu is another semiconductor play, although it has a more focused focus: it offers testing and evaluation solutions, which may protect it from the shock of the AI ​​industry this year.

This may be one reason why COHU shares have performed well, up nearly 82% YTD. This could expand as the company expands its reach into AI processor testing, new types of memory testing, and more.

Orders grew significantly in the first half of the year, rising 57% YOY in Q1 2026 and helping to grow revenue by 29% over the same period.

Management expects full-year revenue growth to be 20% to 25%, reflecting strong growth in recurring, high-volume sales such as software subscriptions.

At the same time, rising operating costs such as Cohu’s ratings and rising supply chain costs will likely continue to put pressure on the company’s bottom line in the near term.

Regardless, Wall Street sees the company continuing to improve: analysts expect about 50% upside potential and like the stock with seven buy ratings compared to one hold and one sell.

Before you consider ArcBest, you’ll want to hear this.

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