While the smaller-capitalization trades tend to attract the most speculative attention, for reliable upside prospects, investors may want to consider blue-chip stocks to buy. To better understand the motivation behind targeting these stalwarts, a baseball analogy may be helpful.

Some of the best clubs in Major League Baseball enjoy prolonged success thanks to their work in scouting out prospects. However, rearing young players from single-A ball to enter the big show – not even talking about making significant contributions – is a time-consuming and speculative effort. That’s the market equivalent of acquiring the small caps, which is a completely different proposition from high-growth blue-chip stocks.

With blue chips ready for a rebound, we’re talking about clubs acquiring proven contributors, either through trades or free-agency acquisition. Under this approach, teams will not usually receive the greatest magnitude of returns. However, they will increase their chances of amassing wins throughout the season via steady contributions from the acquired players. Even better, sometimes great ballplayers can suffer slumps. It’s the same with the market. By requiring top rebounding blue-chip stocks to buy, investors can potentially net significant returns.

Blue-Chip Stocks to Buy: Home Depot (HD)

Practically the go-to name for home improvement projects, Home Depot (NYSE:HD) stands among the giants of blue-chip stocks to buy. Featuring a market capitalization of just above $303 billion, HD underlines a well-recognized brand. However, the market doesn’t really care, with shares losing almost 5% since the beginning of this year.

Still, astute investors may be able to pick up a compelling discount among the top rebounding blue-chip stocks to buy. First, data from Gurufocus indicates that HD lands between 5% to 15% above its 52-week low, thus representing a relative discount. On the financial side, Home Depot represents an overlooked growth engine. No, it’s not some sexy quantum computing firm. However, on a per-share basis, it sports a three-year revenue growth rate of 15.2%, above 76.5% of its peers. Also, its EBITDA growth rate during the same period impresses at 16.7%. Thus, it’s worthy of consideration for blue chips ready for a rebound.

Blue-Chip Stocks to Buy: AbbVie (ABBV)

A pharmaceutical firm, AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) is no stranger to lists covering blue-chip stocks to buy, many of which I penned. Carrying a market cap of $244.6 billion, it more than meets the requirement of a blue-chip enterprise. Unfortunately for stakeholders at the moment, the market doesn’t care. Since the January opener, ABBV slipped nearly 15% in equity value.

Like Home Depot above and the other high-growth blue-chip stocks on this list, ABBV lands between 5% to 15% above its 52-week low. More specifically, in the trailing one-year period, it’s down more than 3%. Still, investors may be overlooking AbbVie’s acquisition of Botox and its underlying relevancy. Basically, with more workers forced to return to the office, products specializing in enhancing looks should rise in demand.

On a financial note, market participants also may be ignoring AbbVie’s growth narrative. Using data from Gurufocus, the company’s three-year revenue growth rate (again, on a per-share basis) clocks in at 13.4%. That’s above 71.84% of its peers, making ABBV a strong candidate for blue-chip stocks to regain market momentum.

Blue-Chip Stocks to Buy: Pfizer (PFE)

A multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology firm, Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) also frequently made prior lists focused on blue-chip stocks to buy. Carrying a market cap of over $226 billion, Pfizer dramatically inserted itself into the public discourse with the Covid-19 vaccine. However, because of fading fears of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, investors quickly abandoned PFE. Since the start of the year, shares tumbled nearly 22%.

While the red ink is certainly understandable, it might also make Pfizer one of the top rebounding blue-chip stocks to consider. True, Covid-19 may no longer be the public health crisis that it once was. At the same time, fading relevance for one use of the underlying messenger-RNA technology doesn’t mean that Pfizer can’t leverage the acumen for other uses.

More importantly, the financial data suggests that astute investors should keep tabs on PFE. While recent quarterly data isn’t exactly encouraging because of the fading Covid-19 story, its three-year revenue growth rate still pings at 34.4%. Also, the market prices PFE at a forward multiple of 12, which is quite undervalued. Thus, it might be one of the blue chips ready for a rebound.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO)

As a manufacturer and distributor of scientific and medical equipment, Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO) may represent a boring entity for some folks. Sure enough, since the beginning of this year, TMO slipped about 3%. However, the company carries significant influence in the broader healthcare sector, with a market cap of over $207 billion. Given its everyday relevance, TMO is a top idea among blue-chip stocks to buy.

To be fair, Thermo Fisher hasn’t delivered compelling results in the charts. Nevertheless, it’s a business built for the long haul. By undergirding the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, Thermo almost guarantees that it will keep its name at the forefront. Regarding its financial profile, Thermo benefits from a robust three-year revenue growth rate of 21.6%, beating out 70.3% of its peers. Also, its EBITDA growth rate comes in at 20.2%, above 60.62% of the competition. Finally, Thermo is a consistently profitable enterprise. Combined with its trailing-year net margin of 13.75%, TMO belongs on your radar of high-growth blue-chip stocks to buy.

Infosys (INFY)

An Indian multinational information technology firm, Infosys (NYSE:INFY) might not be the most recognizable name (for American investors) among blue-chip stocks to buy. Nevertheless, the company earns the distinction. At the moment, it commands a market cap of almost $67 billion. However, the market hasn’t been enthused about the IT space. Since the Jan. opener, INFY slipped over 13%.

It’s also an underperformer against the trailing-year framework, shedding almost 16%. Still, it’s possible that with shares rising since late April of this year, INFY may have hit a bottom. It’s no guarantee but if you want to speculate on blue-chip stocks to regain market momentum, INFY represents a “leveraged” opportunity of sorts. Looking at the financials, Infosys features a three-year revenue growth rate of 17%, beating out 70% of players in the software industry. As well, it enjoys consistent profitability with an impressive trailing-year net margin of 16.38%. As a bonus, the market prices INFY at a forward multiple of only 20.49. That’s conspicuously below the sector median stat of 26.32 times.

Occidental Petroleum (OXY)

Arguably one of the most credible blue-chip stocks to buy on discount, Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY) engages in hydrocarbon exploration. Currently, the company carries a market cap of over $52 billion, which may be on the smaller side compared to other entities on this list. Nevertheless, it deserves plenty of respect for its practical relevance to the overall economy. Still, the market doesn’t care, sending OXY down nearly 5% since the January opener.

Against the trailing-year comparison, OXY gained only half a percent, which seems ludicrous. True, many consumers may be transitioning to electric vehicles. Also, the Federal Reserve’s efforts to curb inflation appear to have gained some momentum. However, with more workers returning to the office, demand for hydrocarbons should blossom. After all, most drivers continue to operate combustion-powered vehicles.

On the financials, Occidental posts a better-than-average three-year revenue growth rate of 12.3%. Also, its EBITDA growth rate during the same frame lands at 33.1%, outpacing 72.38% of its peers. Combined with the aforementioned fundamental catalyst, OXY could be a candidate for top rebounding blue-chip stocks.

PayPal (PYPL)

Standing within the spectrum of high-risk, high-reward blue-chip stocks to buy, PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) presents an awfully compelling narrative. A digital payments processor and overall financial technology (fintech) specialist, PayPal carries tremendous brand awareness. In addition, it sports a market cap of just over $74 billion. Unfortunately, skyrocketing inflation that began in late 2021 and early 2022 sharply crimped PayPal’s business.

Unlike other tech plays, however, PYPL simply failed to recover. So far this year, shares tumbled nearly 11%. In the past 365 days, they gave up more than 8% of equity value. Fundamentally, PayPal suffers from challenges impacting the consumer economy. Also, the fintech space has become incredibly competitive.

Nevertheless, PayPal can still bank on its brand power, making it a possible candidate for blue chips ready for a rebound. Additionally, the company’s three-year revenue growth rate clocks in at 16.7%, outflanking 75.2% of its peers. Also, its book growth rate during the same frame comes in at 7.4%, above 60.65% of the competition.

On the date of publication, Josh Enomoto did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.