These 2 Stocks and Shares ISA buys are on fire in 2026 keeps showing up in conversations for a reason. The story below covers what is actually happening, where the trade-offs sit, and what a careful reader should take from it.
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Investors have been slow to get started in the new Stocks and Shares ISA year. And so far, the main ISA platforms are seeing many of the same old favourites carrying on from last year.
Buying has been led by Legal & General, Rolls-Royce Holdings, Lloyds Banking Group and Barclays. But we’re also seeing a resurgence in popularity for Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW.) and Barratt Redrow (LSE: BTRW).
The two housebuilders have been through a tough time, hit by high mortgage rates and a serious squeeze on buyers’ pockets. But is their long-term resilience starting to shine through? I think it might be.
Cash cows
If dividend yields are anything to go on, I’d say both of these should be on our Stocks and Shares ISA shortlists. Analysts are predicting an inflation-busting 6.4% from Barratt Redrow for the current year. And over at Taylor Wimpey, we’re looking at a stunning 8.9%.
Companies can’t guarantee their dividends, but with forecasts like these, analysts clearly appear upbeat about the sector now. In fact, 15 out of 19 analysts I can find with recommendations on Barratt Redrow rate the stock a Buy. The others have it as a Hold, with not one on a Sell rating. Their average price target for the shares, at 430p, is a whopping 60% ahead of the price at the time of writing.
The current year looks good. With April’s Q3 update, Barratt Redrow CEO David Thomas said: “We expect the Middle East conflict to have limited impact on FY26 performance, given our strong forward sales position and advanced build programme.”
And he predicted full-year “total housing completions and adjusted profit before tax in line with consensus expectations.”
Revenue rise
Analysts appear a bit less charmed by the outlook for Taylor Wimpey. And a couple of them even think we should dump the shares. But we still have 10 urging us to Buy. The forecast price target of 117p doesn’t put quite the same premium on the stock. But it’s still 35% ahead of the latest trading.
The City’s more modest enthusiasm for Taylor Wimpey is surely partly based on 2025 full-year results released in March. The housebuilder saw revenue in the year rise 13%, but with adjusted operating profit only slightly up due to tighter margins.
And we saw a painful 54% drop in profit before tax, which was put down largely to exceptional costs. Those arose through cladding fire safety provisions and related commitments.
Still, completions rose 6%, and the board announced a new £52m share buyback.
Solid forecasts
Forecasts suggest a few years of progressive profits gains for both these housebuilders. If they’re right, we could be looking at a 150% rise in earnings per share (EPS) for Barratt Redrow by 2028, with EPS at Taylor Wimpey up 250%.
However, caution’s still needed. How many times have we seen green shoots of a housebuilding recovery, only for them to be killed off by the next crisis that comes along? It could happen again. But I do see these two as attractive considerations for a 2026 Stocks and Shares ISA.
