Been thinking about this geopolitical situation and how it's actually creating an interesting opportunity in the market. Mid-March's rally surprised a lot of people, especially with all the Middle East tensions. But here's what caught my attention—while everyone was freaking out about oil prices, the smart money seemed to be looking at something else entirely.

The real question I've been asking myself: which stocks can actually weather this kind of uncertainty? That's where understanding leverage ratio becomes crucial. Most people don't think about how much debt a company is carrying until things get rough. Then suddenly it matters a lot.

So I started digging into companies with solid balance sheets—the ones that aren't overleveraged. The debt-to-equity ratio is basically your window into how much financial risk a company is taking on. Lower is better when things get volatile. I've been screening for stocks that are less leveraged than their industry peers, trading above $10, with decent volume and strong earnings momentum.

Here's what I'm watching: Everus Construction Group just posted fourth-quarter numbers that were pretty impressive—revenues jumped 33% to $1.01 billion, earnings up 61% year-over-year. They're a Zacks Rank 1, which matters. Telefonica Brasil is another one catching my eye. Their telecom business in Brazil showed solid growth, especially in mobile and fiber. Long-term earnings growth running at 25%.

Then there's Laureate Education. Their fourth-quarter results showed 28% revenue growth to $541 million with earnings per share jumping 88.7%. They're even increasing their share buyback program by $150 million. That kind of confidence tells me something. HNI Corporation, the workplace furnishings provider, posted 38% net sales growth. Their long-term earnings growth sits around 20%. And Costco—honestly, Costco is always worth watching. January sales hit $21.33 billion, up 9.3% year-over-year. That's the kind of steady growth you want when leverage ratio concerns are creeping into your decision-making.

What I like about all these picks is they're not drowning in debt. When you're looking at leverage ratio metrics, you want companies that have room to maneuver. These five have demonstrated they can grow earnings without relying on excessive borrowing. That's the defensive positioning I'm thinking about right now. Not flashy, but solid.