NYSEValue stocks have outperformed growth in 2026, with the iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF up 16.8%.If you're looking to ride the value wave, we asked 3 top value managers for their top stock picks.They included: Atmus Filtration Technologies, APA, and CBRE.Value stocks are back in vogue this year.It's been a rough stretch of years for cheap stocks, as their growth counterparts have soared on the back of the artificial intelligence boom that's carried giants like Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, and Nvidia to records.But the value category has had a hot start to 2026. So far this year, the iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD) is up 16% while the iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) has lagged, returning about 3%.The strong returns have been driven by a broadening out in earnings growth and favorable fiscal and monetary environments, according to JPMorgan.Even with the outperformance, Wall Street firms like Morgan Stanley and Nomura have continued to advocate in recent weeks for adding exposure to value stocks, as the broader market remains heavily concentrated in AI names.Popular funds like the Invesco S&P 500 Pure Value ETF (RPV) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) offer diversified exposure to the value trade.But if you're looking for more focused ways to ride the value wave, we spoke with three top value fund managers this week, who told us their top stock picks right now.Francis Gannon, co-chief investment officer at Royce Investment PartnersBloomberg/Getty ImagesFund: Royce Small-Cap FundTicker: PENNXWhy Gannon stands out: Gannon oversees $12.4 billion as CIO at Royce. This year, PENNX — which falls under Morningstar's small-cap value category — is up 17%, crushing the S&P 500's 9% return.Stock pick: Atmus Filtration Technologies (ATMU)Gannon highlighted Atmus Filtration Technologies as his top pick. The firm, which was spun off from Cummins in 2023, makes air filters, coolants, and ventilation systems for trucks and construction vehicles.Machines built to use only their products are often designed to do so, which means they have a guaranteed recurring revenue stream as filters and other components are replaced. Eighty-six percent of the firm's revenue comes from replacement products, he said.The industrial filtration industry is growing by 2x year-over-year, Gannon said, and rising truck shipping rates should help Atmos.The stock's forward PE ratio is 17.43. Year-to-date, its share price is down 2%.Bill Smead, founder of Smead Capital ManagementBloomberg/Getty ImagesFund: Smead Value FundTicker: SMVLXWhy Smead stands out: Smead's fund is in the top 2% of all US large-cap value funds over the last 15-year period, according to Morningstar data, and his firm oversees $5.46 billion in assets. SMVLX is up 18.8% in 2026 and 29.7% over the last 12 months.Stock pick: APA Corp. (APA)Smead's top pick is oil firm APA, or Apache, which trades at an incredibly low forward PE ratio of 5.3.Smead said the stock should continue to get a boost from the company's capital discipline — in other words, their choice not to invest their earnings in drilling for more oil even though prices are high, and instead returning that money to investors."Apache is an incredibly cheap stock that has changed their ways," Smead said. "They were a spender and a grower, and now they're just a wise steward and a creator of what Buffett called massive owner earnings."The capital discipline trend across the oil and gas industry also helps keep supply down, supporting prices.As of June 30, APA is Smead's fifth-largest holding with a 5.32% weighting. The stock is up 91% over the last 12 months, but is down 20% from its March 27 peak.Mark Zagata, portfolio manager at Parnassus InvestmentsParnassus InvestmentsFund: Parnassus Value Equity FundTicker: PARWXWhy Zagata stands out: Zagata's fund is in the top 1% of all US large-cap value funds over the last 15 year period, according to Morningstar data. This year, it's up 13.3%.Stock pick: CBRE Group (CBRE)Zagata highlighted CBRE Group, the largest commercial real-estate firm in the world, operating in more than 100 countries. The company acts as a broker, property manager, and developer.AI will help the firm become more productive, Zagata said, and employing the technology in tandem with its proprietary data should help the firm gain market share.Some argue, however, that CBRE will actually be disrupted by AI — that the business model would be simplified, allowing competitors to arise. But Zagata said that the company's data and large global footprint would continue to give the firm its edge."They have the most data, so although AI can crunch a lot of numbers, if you don't have the data, there's really not a whole lot of use to it," he said. "Or if you don't have the people stationed in those countries, they can't negotiate, handle local regulations, show up at the county clerk's offices, and make these deals come to fruition."The stock has a forward PE ratio of 16.6. So far in 2026, shares of CBRE are down
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