Here Are Morgan Stanley's New Top Stock Picks For The Next 12-Months

• The 2026 Vintage Values model portfolio generated a 32.12% return over the past year, topping the S&P 500's nearly 19% gain.
• Alphabet, Apple, and Coca-Cola were named to the newly updated 2027 selection. 
• The strategy prioritizes large-cap quality and bottom-up fundamentals over short-term market momentum.

Morgan Stanley has updated its highly watched "Vintage Values" stock selections for the coming year, adding prominent market leaders such as tech giant Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and consumer goods staple Coca-Cola to its top-conviction 12-month buy-and-hold portfolio.

The reshuffle follows a stellar performance period for the firm's 2026 model list. Between Sept. 9, 2025, and Sept. 11, 2026, the strategy recorded a 32.12% gain, outpacing the S&P 500 index's 18.96% return by 1,316 basis points.

GOOGL stock rose 2% on Monday, Coca-Cola (KO) fell 1%, while Apple (AAPL) added 0.8%. 

Morgan Stanley’s Selection Process

To curate the updated list for 2027, Morgan Stanley equity strategists invited North American analysts to submit their single highest-conviction recommendation designed for a one-year holding period. From an initial pool of more than 50 companies, researchers narrowed the list to 15 equities.

According to Morgan Stanley equity strategist Michelle Weaver, the selection criteria combined quantitative factors, company fundamentals, macroeconomic risks, sector positioning, valuations, and overall risk-reward dynamics.

Focus on High Quality and Growth

The 2027 portfolio tilts heavily toward large-cap growth stocks with high quality metrics. Approximately 60% of the selected equities rank in the top two quality brackets, compared to 56% for the broader S&P 500 benchmark. 

While this emphasis leaves the new portfolio trading at a valuation premium over the general market across most metrics, strategists emphasize that the selections rely on individual company catalysts rather than recent stock market performance.

"Vintage Values 2027 has an 'anti-momentum' tilt — the stocks on the list are not simply stocks that have worked recently but rather ones our analysts have identified for their strong bottom-up drivers," Weaver noted in a report to clients, accessed by CNBC.

Among the key names making the 2027 roster alongside Alphabet and Coca-Cola are tech firm Apple, software provider Dynatrace (DT), pharmaceutical leader Eli Lilly (LLY), real estate investment trust Equinix, and energy infrastructure provider Williams Companies (WMB). 

The final 15 stocks selected include Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Coca-Cola, Dynatrace, Eli Lilly, Equinix, Honeywell Aerospace, Keysight Technologies, Liberty Formula One, LPL Financial, McKesson, TransUnion, Visa, and Williams Companies. 

GOOGL, KO, AAPL Stock: Retail View 

Retail sentiment on Stocktwits was between ‘bearish’ and ‘neutral’ for the three stocks, with normal message volumes. 

GOOGL stock has gained 14% year-to-date, while KO stock and AAPL stock have gained almost 25% during the same period. 

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