Goldman Sachs is starting 2026 with a clear message for investors: several well known companies are positioned to benefit from long term trends that the market may still be underpricing.

In a recent outlook, analysts at the Wall Street firm highlighted six stocks they believe are particularly compelling this year, citing catalysts ranging from artificial intelligence and digital payments to live entertainment and consumer spending habits.

The group includes Coinbase, Visa, Mastercard, MongoDB, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Madison Square Garden Entertainment. While these companies operate in very different industries, Goldman’s core argument is the same across the board: each business is tied to structural growth trends that could drive revenue, margin expansion and stronger shareholder returns in 2026 and beyond.

Below is a closer look at why Goldman sees upside in each name and what investors should be watching this year.

Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE)

Madison Square Garden Entertainment, the company behind Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall, is drawing renewed attention from analysts after a strong stretch of live event demand.

Goldman analyst Stephen Laszczyk said the company is performing well across multiple venues, supported by high attendance and strong ticket pricing. He also believes the stock does not fully reflect the long term value of its real estate and entertainment assets.

“We believe that the market is currently under-appreciating the opportunity for MSGE…”

One of the biggest potential catalysts is tied to redevelopment plans around Penn Station. Laszczyk pointed to the possibility of a sale related to the Theater at MSG as part of the broader Penn Station Transformation Plan.

“The key catalyst in 2026 will likely be movement on the sale of the Theater at MSG related to the Penn Station Transformation Plan, where a developer is expected to be assigned by May 2026.”

Beyond real estate, Goldman highlighted strong demand for flagship events like the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and increasing booking visibility at Madison Square Garden itself. That suggests steady revenue from concerts, sports and seasonal shows.

From an investor standpoint, MSGE also benefits from limited competition in premium live entertainment venues in New York City, giving the company pricing power when demand is strong. With consumer spending shifting more toward experiences rather than goods, live events remain one of the more resilient discretionary categories.

Goldman raised its price target on the stock, reflecting confidence that both operating performance and potential asset sales could unlock further value.

Visa (V) and Mastercard (MA)

Goldman continues to view Visa and Mastercard as long term winners in global payments, especially as digital transactions expand across emerging markets and business to business payments.

In its 2026 outlook, the firm pointed to several tailwinds that could keep transaction volumes growing at a steady pace.

“Fiscal stimulus, easy comps and commercial card adoption [will] sustain [high single digit] global card volume growth.”

Beyond traditional consumer spending, Goldman is increasingly focused on how Visa and Mastercard may benefit from agent driven commerce and artificial intelligence powered transactions. As more purchases are automated through apps, digital assistants and enterprise systems, payment networks that already have global reach and trusted infrastructure are well positioned to capture that volume.

“We see V and MA as particularly well positioned by offering a global payment ecosystem that already has widespread adoption and consumer trust, and believe that V/MA also have numerous opportunities to layer in Value-Added-Services.”

Those value added services include fraud detection, data analytics, cross border payment tools and identity verification, which generate higher margin revenue streams than basic transaction fees.

For investors, Visa and Mastercard also remain attractive because of their business models. They do not take credit risk on balances, unlike banks, and they benefit from inflation because transaction values rise as prices increase. That combination gives them relatively stable earnings growth even in uncertain economic environments.

As governments continue to push for digital payment adoption and cash usage declines globally, both companies stand to benefit from long term secular trends that extend well beyond 2026.

Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS)

Goldman recently added Dick’s Sporting Goods to its conviction buy list, signaling strong confidence in the retailer’s competitive position heading into 2026.

Analyst Kate McShane said the company is benefiting from improved positioning in footwear, especially following its acquisition of Foot Locker assets. That move strengthens Dick’s access to top athletic brands and allows it to capture more of the sneaker and performance shoe market, which tends to carry higher margins than general sporting goods.

Nike remains a major vendor partner, and Goldman believes that relationship supports both product innovation and merchandising strength at Dick’s stores. McShane also noted that the company continues to benefit from broader lifestyle trends.

“Additionally, DKS remains at the forefront of a broader health, fitness, and athleisure trend that is showing no signs of abating in the year ahead.”

From a strategic standpoint, Dick’s has also invested heavily in store formats that blend retail with experiential elements such as in store training areas, golf simulators and interactive product testing. That approach helps differentiate physical locations from online competitors and drives higher customer engagement.

For investors, Dick’s offers a combination of steady cash flow, disciplined inventory management and shareholder friendly capital returns through dividends and buybacks. In a retail environment where many chains struggle with excess discounting, Dick’s has maintained pricing power and brand partnerships that support healthier margins.

MongoDB (MDB)

MongoDB continues to be one of Goldman’s favored software plays as enterprises ramp up investments in cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence.

Goldman described the company as becoming increasingly central to how businesses manage and analyze data at scale, particularly for AI driven workloads.

“Bottom line: MongoDB is deepening its strategic relevance within the enterprise while increasingly positioning the platform as a foundational context layer for emerging AI workloads, supporting durable at-scale growth alongside an improving margin trajectory.”

MongoDB’s database platform is designed to handle large volumes of unstructured and semi structured data, which is exactly the type of data used by machine learning and AI applications. As more companies deploy AI tools across customer service, logistics, fraud detection and product development, demand for flexible data infrastructure is expected to grow.

Goldman also pointed to improving profitability as the company scales, which is a key factor for investors who have become more focused on earnings and cash flow rather than pure revenue growth.

With corporate technology budgets increasingly prioritizing AI readiness, MongoDB’s role as an underlying data layer could make it a long term beneficiary of enterprise digital transformation trends.

Coinbase (COIN)

Goldman remains constructive on Coinbase as a core beneficiary of expanding crypto infrastructure and institutional adoption.

The firm said recent product launches have strengthened Coinbase’s competitive position, not just in retail trading but across broader crypto services.

“Recent product rollouts enhance competitiveness in core business & best-in-class play on growth of crypto infrastructure layer. … We are constructive on COIN’s growing exposure to crypto infrastructure businesses through its subscription & services offerings, which should dampen earnings volatility over time.”

Those subscription and service revenues include custody for institutional clients, blockchain infrastructure services and compliance tools. That diversification matters because trading volumes can fluctuate sharply depending on market sentiment.

With the Trump administration continuing to signal support for clearer crypto regulation and more industry friendly policies, institutional participation in digital assets could continue to rise. That would benefit companies like Coinbase that already serve as gateways for both retail and professional investors.

For shareholders, the key question in 2026 is whether Coinbase can continue shifting its business mix toward recurring revenue streams that reduce dependence on volatile trading fees. Goldman’s analysis suggests that transition is underway.

Why Goldman’s Picks Matter for Investors in 2026

What ties these six stocks together is not short term market momentum but exposure to long term behavioral and technological shifts.

Live entertainment continues to benefit from consumers prioritizing experiences. Digital payments expand as cash usage declines. AI drives demand for data infrastructure. Fitness and lifestyle trends support athletic retail. Crypto infrastructure develops alongside regulatory clarity.

Goldman’s view is that these companies are not just surviving current economic conditions but are positioned to compound growth as these structural trends accelerate.

For investors, the takeaway is not necessarily to chase every analyst pick, but to recognize where institutional research is seeing durable demand drivers rather than temporary cycles. Stocks tied to real adoption trends tend to hold up better across market corrections and policy shifts.

In 2026, with interest rates, trade policy and global growth still uncertain, businesses with scalable platforms and diversified revenue streams may offer more stability than highly cyclical sectors.