In a video, popular market analyst Charlie from ZipTrader, which has over 861,000 subscribers, broke down two stocks he believes are in strong “buy now” territory for April 2026.
According to him, both companies have been heavily beaten down by current market conditions, not because their businesses are failing, but because of broader fear in the market.
His approach is to find strong companies that are temporarily discounted, then decide if the opportunity is worth it.
Let’s break down the two stocks in a simple, real-world way.
Microsoft (MSFT): A Strong Business Selling at a Discount
Microsoft has taken a surprising hit in recent days. The stock is down over 30% from its highs, marking one of its worst periods since the Global Financial Crisis.
But here’s where things get interesting. The business itself hasn’t fallen apart. In fact, revenue is still growing at around 17% year-over-year, and its cloud platform Azure is growing close to 40%. That’s not what a struggling company looks like.
What’s really happening is that the market is responding to the short-term concerns. The problem is that the investors are concerned with the amount of money Microsoft is putting into AI infrastructure costs.
The company is putting tens of billions of dollars into its data centers, GPUs, and infrastructure to support future demand. In a fearful market, that kind of spending looks risky. But long term, it could be exactly what keeps Microsoft ahead.
There’s also concern about the slow adoption of Copilot, Microsoft’s AI assistant. Right now, only a small fraction of its huge user base is paying for it. But that doesn’t necessarily mean failure. It just shows that the product is still early, with a lot of room to grow.
Another key point is demand. Microsoft has said that demand for its cloud services is actually higher than what it can currently supply. That’s not a weakness, it’s a capacity issue. And the ongoing investments are meant to fix exactly that.
Then there’s valuation. Microsoft used to trade at much higher earnings multiples, but now it’s cheaper. When you combine a strong business, massive future demand, and a lower price, it starts to look like a classic “buy the dip” situation.
Palo Alto Networks (PANW): Betting on the Future of Cybersecurity
The second stock is Palo Alto Networks, another major player that’s dropped nearly 30% from its highs despite strong performance.
This company operates in cybersecurity, a space that isn’t optional. Even during tough economic times, businesses don’t cut back on security. If anything, they spend more because the cost of a breach can be massive.
And as it continues to advance, so will cyber threats. That means the need for more sophisticated security solutions will only continue to escalate.
Palo Alto Networks is working on something very important: simplifying cybersecurity. The problem right now is that a lot of companies have different security solutions from different companies, and it’s all over the place. Palo Alto is trying to replace all of this with one single platform.
This strategy is powerful. When they win a client, they don’t just sell one product, they take a larger share of that company’s entire security budget. Over time, that can lead to stronger customer relationships and higher revenue.
The numbers also back this up. Revenue is growing steadily, future contracted revenue is rising, and newer product segments are expanding quickly.
So why is the stock down? Mostly short-term concerns. The company is investing heavily in growth, making acquisitions, and building out its platform. In a risk-off market, investors tend to punish that kind of spending. But long term, those investments could make the company even more dominant.
What really gives Palo Alto an edge is trust and scale. Security isn’t something companies experiment with. Once they trust a provider, they will remain loyal to that provider. It becomes harder for competitors to gain entry, and easier for Palo Alto Networks to continue growing.
But both Microsoft and Palo Alto Networks are examples of what happens when good companies get caught in a poor market. Their stocks have dropped, but their core businesses are still growing and expanding into the future.
That’s exactly the kind of setup many investors look for, solid fundamentals combined with temporary fear.
Still, as Charlie from ZipTrader always reminds his audience, the final decision is yours. If you’re taking the risk, you should also take the time to do your own research before jumping in.
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