Charles Schwab and DoorDash ranked among bargain stocks that could lead the market higher

HSBC's thesis rests on a simple but consequential idea: this earnings season may not depend solely on the usual leaders. Energy and semiconductor companies are expected to drive third-quarter profit growth, but the bank suggests the rally could broaden if other sectors begin contributing as well. In that scenario, stocks that have lagged the market—including names like Charles Schwab and DoorDash—could attract fresh attention as investors look beyond the headline growth engines.

The distinction matters because narrow leadership can leave an index vulnerable. When gains rely on a small group of companies, any disappointment in those names can weigh on the whole market. Broader participation, by contrast, can signal that earnings strength is spreading across the economy rather than concentrating in a few cyclical pockets.

What to watch: whether upcoming results confirm that energy and chipmakers are not the only sources of growth, and whether capital begins rotating toward cheaper, underperforming segments. That rotation, if it materializes, would be the clearest evidence that the market is genuinely widening out.