VSNT and BCC: Zacks Top Value Picks for July 2026

Versant and Boise Cascade hold Zacks Rank #1 ratings and trade at steep discounts to peers as earnings estimate revisions turn positive in July 2026.

Lead

Two companies from opposite ends of the economic spectrum — media and building materials — have earned placement on Zacks' best value stocks list for July 20, 2026. Versant Media Group (VSNT), the Comcast spinoff that began Nasdaq trading in January 2026, and Boise Cascade Company (BCC), a wood products manufacturer and building materials distributor listed on the NYSE, share a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) designation and Value Score A. Both trade at multiples that price in a degree of structural damage the underlying financials do not fully support.

What the Zacks System Measures

Zacks Rank #1 stocks are identified by upward earnings estimate revisions — a signal that analysts covering a company are increasing their forward expectations, which historically precedes stock outperformance. A Value Score of A adds a quantitative screen for low price-to-earnings, price-to-book, price-to-sales, and price-to-cash-flow ratios relative to sector peers. The combination of a top rank and top value grade is among the most selective filters Zacks applies, placing both VSNT and BCC in rare company heading into the second half of 2026.

Versant Media Group (VSNT)

VSNT stock's first-quarter 2026 results illustrated the company's ability to generate cash even as linear television continues its structural contraction. Revenue came in at $1.69 billion, down 1% year-over-year, as cord-cutting drove linear distribution revenue 7% lower. Against that revenue headwind, adjusted EBITDA rose 5% to $704 million and free cash flow reached $558 million. Earnings per share of $1.99 surpassed consensus estimates by approximately 26%, and VSNT shares rose 6.3% on the day of the release.

As of July 20, VSNT stock trades at $35.81 within a 52-week range of $27.17 to $59.00, giving the company a market capitalization near $5.0 billion. Its price-to-earnings ratio of 8.21 stands at roughly one-third the broader S&P 500 multiple of 22.73. The average 12-month analyst price target sits at $43.33, implying more than 20% upside. Zacks consensus earnings estimates for fiscal 2026 have risen 0.7% over the past 60 days, a modest but directionally meaningful positive revision.

Management's strategic roadmap centers on reducing pay-TV revenue dependence from roughly 81% of platform revenue toward 67% within three to five years and eventually 50%. Subscription-based offerings for MS NOW and CNBC are scheduled for launch in 2026. Versant is set to report second-quarter 2026 results on August 6.

Boise Cascade Company (BCC)

BCC stock's Q1 2026 results captured the pressure facing building materials companies amid persistently elevated mortgage rates and weakening housing starts, which fell 5% year-over-year during the quarter. Net income fell 56% to $17.8 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, on revenue of $1.50 billion — a 2.5% decline. EPS nonetheless beat analyst consensus of $0.43. A standout within the quarter: BMD's e-commerce channel surged 57% year-over-year, demonstrating durable share gains in digital procurement.

BCC stock trades near $76, within a 52-week range of $65.00 to $95.00 and approximately 18% below its July 2025 peak of $93.26. The P/E ratio of 14.44 compares to a wood products and building materials industry average of 26.47. The price-to-book ratio of 1.39 sits against a peer average of 3.67. The stock yields 1.16% annually, and the consensus analyst price target stands near $92.80.

For Q2 2026, Boise Cascade guided total adjusted EBITDA in a range of $83 million to $115 million, with a midpoint of $99 million — a sequential improvement over Q1's $66.6 million as seasonal construction activity increases. Zacks consensus earnings estimates for fiscal 2027 have risen 4.4% over the past 60 days, reflecting growing confidence in a housing recovery cycle.

Strategic Context

The appearance of VSNT and BCC among the best value stocks of July 2026 reflects a broader pattern: two cyclically sensitive sectors — media and residential construction supply — that have each absorbed structural or cyclical headwinds severe enough to compress their multiples far below market averages. Cord-cutting has weighed on media valuations as a category, and mortgage-rate pressure has suppressed building materials demand. In both cases, the sell-side consensus has begun to revise estimates upward, the signal that defines Zacks Rank #1 stocks and that historically precedes price recovery.

Outlook

Versant Media Group enters the second half of 2026 with strong free cash flow, a clear digital subscription strategy, and a valuation that assigns negligible premium to its portfolio of high-recognition brands. Boise Cascade faces a housing market in gradual normalization — residential prices in key markets are forecast to rise 2% to 4% in 2026 — which, combined with improving mortgage-rate conditions, sets a constructive backdrop for BMD volume recovery. Both companies carry positive earnings estimate revision trends, the core variable driving their Zacks Rank #1 designation, and both trade at valuations that reflect pessimism more than probability.

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