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Bankrate Inc. (NYSE: RATE), a digital publisher of personal finance content, has agreed to a merger with privately held Red Ventures in which Bankrate shareholders will receive $14 in cash for each Bankrate share. The total value of the all-cash deal is approximately $1.4 billion.
The acquisition price represents a premium of 31% to Bankrate’s three-month average closing price and has been approved unanimously by the Bankrate board of directors.
The company’s stock closed at $12.85 on Friday and traded up more than 7% Monday morning at $13.75. The stock’s 52-week range is $6.91 to $12.95.
Red Ventures is headquartered in Fort Mill, South Carolina, and specializes in online marketing, telephone sales and building technology, according to a Bloomberg profile of the company. It was founded in 2000 and has operations in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Seattle, as well as São Paolo, Brazil and Waltham, Massachusetts.
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Ric Elias, CEO of Red Ventures said:
We’re excited to join forces with the Bankrate team, which has built an impressive and powerful platform of consumer-facing financial services content and brands. Our capabilities are highly complementary. We see significant potential to leverage our technology, strategic partnerships and digital expertise and build on Bankrate’s leading platforms to help more consumers find the financial services and products that meet their needs.
Bankrate CEO Kenneth Esterow said:
We are thrilled to have reached an agreement that delivers immediate and significant value to our shareholders while joining with Red Ventures, a world-class organization that will take the Bankrate businesses to the next level of success. As a part of Red Ventures, Bankrate will be better positioned than ever to be the partner of choice for providers to acquire customers.
The transaction is expected to close this year, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.
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]]>[cnxvideo id=”625477″ placement=”ros”]Stocks were indicated slightly lower on Wednesday, although a 20-point Dow drop and three-point S&P 500 retreat are hardly worth getting down in the dumps about. After all, the Dow is still above 20,000 and the S&P 500 remains within striking distance of the 2,300 level. Despite this bull market being eight years old, investors keep finding new reasons to buy every sell-off. Those same investors are also looking for new and overlooked opportunities. And there is still a path for DJIA 21,422 later in 2017 or in early 2018.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst reports each day of the week. The goal is to find new investing and trading ideas for our readers. Some analyst reports cover stocks to buy, while other reports cover stocks to sell or avoid.
Most of the following featured analyst calls include some color, and Thomson Reuters was used for consensus analyst price target data. These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, February 8, 2017:
Broadcom Ltd. (NASDAQ: AVGO) was maintained as a Top Pick (official Outperform rating) and the price target was raised to $225 from $200 at RBC Capital Markets. Broadcom’s 52-week trading range is $114.25 to $207.40, and it has a consensus analyst target price of $216.23.
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Cheniere Energy Inc. (NYSEMKT: LNG) was started with an Outperform rating at Wells Fargo. Cheniere was down 1.4% at $47.81 on Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $23.74 to $50.53 and with a consensus price target of $51.30.
Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) was last indicated down 7% at $68.03 after earnings and guidance left a lot of room for disappointment to creep in despite a serious value here. Gilead was maintained as Buy at Jefferies, but the firm cut the price target to $83 from $93 (versus a $73.13 prior close). Citi downgraded Gilead to Neutral from Buy and cut the target price to $76 from $87. Gilead’s 52-week range is $69.78 to $103.10, so mark this up as a 52-week low.
Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) was raised to Strong Buy at Needham and the price target was raised to $100 from $75 (versus a $69.92 prior close). Microchip Tech was indicated up 8% at $75.35, as acquisitions are helping boost its earnings, in a prior 52-week range of $39.01 to $69.73. The consensus target price was $71.81.
Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) was up 1.8% at $18.26 on Tuesday and was indicated up 2.1% at $18.65 on Wednesday. Twitter was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $25 price target (versus an $18.26 close) at BTIG. Twitter has a 52-week range of $13.73 to $25.25, and it has a consensus price target of $16.32.
Follow @Jonogg on Twitter to get analyst calls and research summaries posted directly to your feed.
Other key analyst calls were seen in the following:
Bankrate Inc. (NYSE: RATE) was started with an Outperform rating and assigned a $14 price target (versus a $10.60 prior close) at Oppenheimer.
Cheniere Energy Partners L.P. (NYSEMKT: CQP) was started with an Outperform rating at Wells Fargo.
D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $38 price target at BTIG.
Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE: EMR) was raised to Neutral from Sell and the price target was raised to $64 from $51 at UBS.
KB Home (NYSE: KBH) was started with a Sell rating and assigned a $13 price target (versus a $16.32 close) at BTIG.
Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $56 price target at BTIG.
LendingTree Inc. (NASDAQ: TREE) was started with an Outperform rating and assigned a $129 price target (versus a $113.50 price target) at Oppenheimer.
Loxo Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ: LOXO) was started as Buy and assigned a $50 price target (versus a $39.68 close) at Jefferies. The analysts noted that larotrectinib is nearing the finish line and that there is still room for upside.
Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS) was downgraded to Outperform at CLSA.
NetGear Inc. (NASDAQ: NTGR) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Raymond James.
NGL Energy Partners L.P. (NYSE: NGL) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Stifel.
NVR Inc. (NYSE: NVR) was started at Neutral at BTIG.
Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (NYSE: RBS) was raised to Hold from Underperform at Credit Suisse.
Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL) was started at Neutral at BTIG.
Varian Medical Systems Inc. (NYSE: VAR) was maintained as Buy but the price target was cut to $88 from $102 (versus a $78.43 close) at Jefferies.
YY Inc. (NASDAQ: YY) was started with a Hold rating and assigned a $45 price target (versus a $41.11 close) at Jefferies.
Tuesday’s top analyst calls included Best Buy, Caterpillar, Nokia, UnitedHealth, Wal-Mart and over a dozen more.
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Argus noted about the metrics of the stock market as of February 7, 2017:
We have pointed out that February is not a terrific market month, particularly since the turn of the millennium. But for now, the chief fundamental market mover likely will remain the pace of policy pronouncements from Washington. The upwardmoving stock market seemingly has priced in stimulative action, such as tax cuts and infrastructure spending, that needs more than the president’s pen. The pace at which these items gradually wend their way to and through Congress should remind investors that major changes require time. In the interim, improving earnings and better GDP will be needed to buttress the stock market.
The post Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Broadcom, Cheniere, Gilead, Microchip Tech, Twitter, Lennar, Bankrate and Many More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>Stocks were indicated to open marginally higher despite lower oil and despite a big loss in China’s stock markets. There is still a fight over the stance of selling into rallies and buying the dips. 24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst reports each day to find new investing and trading ideas for its readers. Some analyst reports cover stocks to buy, and other calls cover stocks to sell or to avoid.
These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Thursday, February 25, 2016.
Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) was maintained as Outperform at Credit Suisse, but the price target was trimmed to $18 from $20 (versus a $12.13 prior close). The firm lowered 2016 and 2017 EPS estimates to $1.35 and $1.55, respectively. They introduced a 2018 estimate of $1.70 per share, based on lower Federal Reserve rate hikes and the cost of the weaker capital markets.
Encana Corp. (NYSE: ECA) was already rated as Buy at Jefferies, but now the firm has added it to its Franchise Picks list and it has an $8 price target. Encana closed at $3.68 and was called a well-funded outfit with high-quality assets trading at a sharp discount to its $8 value. RBC has a Sector Perform rating but raised its target to $8 from $7.
Energy Transfer Partners L.P. (NYSE: ETP) downgraded to Neutral from Buy and the price objective was cut to $28 from $30 (versus a $29.72 close) at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The firm is worried that Energy Transfer Equity may need to help on Energy Transfer Partners cash distribution sustainability after its EBITDA was almost 10% shy of the firm’s estimate, and they see a higher probability of a cash distribution cut at Energy Transfer Partners.
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Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. (NYSE: RH) was up 1.3% at $51.92 before earnings guidance, but shares were last seen down 23% at $40.00 or so versus a pre-news analyst target of $95.56. Restoration Hardware was downgraded to Sector Weight from Overweight at Keybanc Capital Markets. R.W. Baird downgraded it to Neutral from Outperform with a $52 target.
Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) closed down 0.6% at $62.52 before earnings but was up over 9% at $68.50 afterward. It was reiterated as Hold at Jefferies, but the firm raised its target to $60 from $54. FBR has an Outperform rating but lowered its price target to $82 from $88. Credit Suisse reiterated its Outperform rating and $100 price target.
Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) was maintained as Underperform at Credit Suisse, but the firm cut its price target to $5 from $10 (versus an $8.20 close). Their take is that things are not getting any easier. Transocean has a consensus analyst target of $9.28 and a 52-week trading range of $7.67 to $21.90.
You can follow @Jonogg if you would like the daily analyst calls and other market calls and research directly on your Twitter feed.
Other key analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Thursday included the following:
- Bankrate Inc. (NYSE: RATE) was downgraded to Hold from Buy with a $9 price target (versus a $12.68 close) at Topeka Capital Markets.
- Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE: CHK) was maintained as Sector Perform at RC Capital Markets, but the price target was cut to $4 from $5.
- Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE: CTB) was raised to Neutral from Sell at Goldman Sachs.
- DENTSPLY International Inc. (NASDAQ: XRAY) was raised to Neutral from Sell with a $60 price target at UBS.
- Exact Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ: EXAS) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Roth Capital.
- Kinross Gold Corp. (NYSE: KGC) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy with a $2.85 close (versus a $31.8 close) at UBS.
- La Quinta Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LQ) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Stifel.
- Mellanox Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: MLNX) was raised to Overweight from Neutral with a $67 price target (versus a $49.49 close) at JPMorgan.
- PowerSecure International Inc. (NYSE: POWR) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Canaccord Genuity.
- Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. (NYSE: BIN) was raised to Neutral from Underperform at Credit Suisse.
If you missed Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades, they included First Solar, Ford, Frontier Communications, JPMorgan, Macy’s, Yamana Gold and a dozen or so more.
The post Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: BofA, Encana, Energy Transfer, Restoration Hardware, Salesforce.com, Transocean and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>Stocks were lower on Monday to start off the week, mainly on overseas weakness. Investors have shown time and again for four years now that they are willing to buy any pullback, and they are looking for new opportunities and hidden value. 24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst reports each day of the week to find new ideas for its readers. Some analyst reports cover stocks to buy, while other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. These are this Monday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations.
Bankrate Inc. (NYSE: RATE) was raised to Buy from Underperform with a price target of $18.00 (versus a $14.47 prior close) at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Bankrate has a consensus analyst target price of $13.29 and a 52-week trading range of $8.87 to $15.80.
FireEye Inc. (NASDAQ: FEYE) was maintained as Outperform at Imperial Capital, but the firm slashed the target price to $32 from $55 after last week’s hugely disappointing guidance. FireEye is one of the top companies that burned their shareholders last week and it caught many key analyst downgrades and target cuts.
First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC) was started as Outperform and the price target was set at $21 at Cowen. Wells Fargo started First Data as Outperform, Evercore ISI started it as Buy and Barclays started coverage as Overweight. First Data closed at $17.08, within its post-IPO range of $14.99 to $17.30.
Pier 1 Imports Inc. (NYSE: PIR) was started with a Sell rating and was given a price target of $7.00 (versus an $8.19 close) at UBS. Pier 1 has a consensus price target of $10.41 and a 52-week range of $6.52 to $17.52.
Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE: RF) was downgraded to Hold from Buy with an $11 price target (versus a $10.13 close) at Deutsche Bank. It has a consensus price target of $10.85 and a 52-week range of $8.54 to $10.87.
Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS) was downgraded to Hold from Buy and the price target was slashed to $28 from $40 (versus a $27.59 close) at Deutsche Bank. Stratasys has a consensus price target of $28.94 and a 52-week range of $24.80 to $106.86.
ALSO READ: 10 Brands That Will Disappear in 2016
Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) was started as Buy with an $88 price target (versus a $77.22 close) at Citigroup. Target has a consensus analyst price target of $84.76 and a 52-week range of $64.14 to $85.81.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) started as Neutral with a $60 price target (versus a $58.78 close) at Citigroup. Wal-Mart has a consensus price target of $62.95 and a 52-week range of $56.77 to $90.97.
ZS Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: ZSPH) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight, but the price target was raised to $90 from $76 (versus an $89.04 close) at Morgan Stanley. JPMorgan downgraded the stock to Neutral from Overweight but raised its target to $90 from $75. This is after a 40% gain on Friday, and it was one of our top biopharma movers that now cannot be ignored.
Other key analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations on Monday were in the following:
Amplify Snack Brands Inc. (NYSE: BETR) was raised to Outperform from Neutral with a $16.00 price target (versus a prior $13.00 target and a $12.38 close) at Credit Suisse.
CPI Card Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PMTS) was started as Buy with a $16 price target (versus an $11.90 close) at Goldman Sachs.
Heritage Oaks Bancorp (NASDAQ: HEOP) was raised to Market Perform from Outperform at Raymond James.
Inphi Corp. (NASDAQ: IPHI) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform with a $31 price target (versus a $31.23 close) at Northland Securities.
KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) was downgraded to Hold from Buy and the price target was cut to $14 from $16 (versus a $13.39 close) at Deutsche Bank.
LendingTree Inc. (NASDAQ: TREE) was started as Buy with a $150 price target (versus a $124.97 close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.
ALSO READ: Why GE Is the Best Conglomerate Stock of 2015
News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWSA) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells Fargo.
Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. (NYSE: RH) was started as Buy at UBS.
RSP Permian Inc. (NYSE: RSPP) was started as Buy with a $33.00 price target (versus a $26.96 close) at Canaccord Genuity.
South Jersey Industries Inc. (NYSE: SJI) was reiterated as Buy with a $30 fair value estimate (versus a $24.44 close) at Janney Capital Markets.
TripAdvisor Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) was maintained as Neutral with a $68.00 fair value estimate (versus a $77.42 close) at Janney Capital Markets.
Vascular Biogenics Ltd. (NASDAQ: VBLT) was started as Overweight with a $14 price target (versus a $5.95 close) at Piper Jaffray.
24/7 Wall St. has also tracked down an analyst montage of recent IPOs that could still have big potential upside. Also, is the Hewlett-Packard breakup now a bargain?
ALSO READ: 5 Big Oil and Gas Stocks Analysts Want You to Buy Now
The post Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Bankrate, FireEye, First Data, Pier 1, Regions, Stratasys, Target, Wal-Mart, ZS Pharma and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>Americans are having their personal records stolen at retailers, banks and even game consoles to which they have given name, rank and serial numbers. They also have seen hackers from North Korea and China hack government data. Is it any wonder that 77% (in theory that is tens of millions of people) of Americans worry about identity theft? And why not?
According to a new study by Bankrate:
Nearly eight in 10 Americans (77%) are frightened of having their identity stolen, according to a new Bankrate.com (NYSE: RATE) report, including 23% who are very frightened. About half of Americans (46%) have either been a victim of identity theft or know someone who was, up 12 percentage points from 2008.
One in five Americans is not at all worried about having their identity stolen. 30-49 year-olds are the most nervous about identity theft, while millennials (18-29 year-olds) are the least concerned.
Many Americans aren’t taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves from identity theft. 42% don’t check their credit reports regularly and 41% conduct banking and other sensitive business on unsecured Wi-Fi networks that do not require a password.
Some of the worry is that none of the companies that are supposed to protect personal records or keep personal computers and other devices secure do a very good job.
ALSO READ: Data Breaches Top 600 to Date in 2015
The problem, at least as it is described in the press and by software executives, is that the Chinese military and teenage hackers can stay ahead of security efforts meant to thwart them.
According to the Belfast Telegraph, even the FBI has been hacked by a teenager:
An intelligent and fame-hungry teenage hacker who crashed FBI and Home Office websites has avoided jail Charlton Floate’s actions cost the Government £15,000 and temporarily halted the reporting of internet crime in the US during targeted attacks masterminded from his family home in Solihull, West Midlands.
A judge said Floate played the “central role” in planning, recruiting for and launching damaging cyber assaults and “craving recognition” then boasted online of his success.
The 19-year-old self-styled internet and online marketing guru had previously admitted three charges under the Computer Misuse Act and two of possessing prohibited images.
And Ireland is a U.S. ally.
ALSO READ: 4 Tech Stocks That Could Trade Much Higher on Solid IT Spending
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]]>Stocks were indicated higher on Monday morning on hopes that Greece may get a deal done. The one trend which has remained constant over the last three and a half years has been that investors want to buy every single pullback. 24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst and brokerage research reports each morning of the week to find value and upside or new trading and investing ideas for our readers. Some analyst calls cover stocks to buy, and other analyst calls are about stocks to sell or stocks to avoid.
These are this Monday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations.
Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy with a $12 price target (versus $11.93 close) at Sterne Agee. Alcoa’s consensus price target is $16.91 and its 52-week range is $11.85 to $17.75.
FireEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: FEYE) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at UBS. FireEye has a consensus price target of $50.33 and a 52-week range of $24.81 to $55.33.
MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) was raised to Outperform from Sector Perform with a price target of $68.00 (versus $56.23 close) at RBC Capital Markets. MetLife has a consensus target price of $58.67 and a 52-week range of $46.10 to $57.57.
Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) was started as Outperform with a price target of $34.00 at Cowen & Co. Micron was also downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Goldman Sachs, and the price target is now $19.00 from $27.00. Micron’s consensus price target was $36.42, and this followed one upgrade and one downgrade last week. Micron’s 52-week range is $23.70 to $36.59.
Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at UBS. This is ahead of Symantec’s split. Symantec has a consensus price target of $25.64 and a 52-week range of $21.66 to $27.32.
ALSO READ: 5 Analyst Stocks Called to Rise 50% to 100%
Other key analyst upgrades and downgrades seen this Monday were as follows:
AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO) was raised to Neutral from Underweight with a $55.00 price target (versus $52.68 close) at JPMorgan.
Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKBA) was started as Market Outperform with a price target of $24.00 (versus $7.99 close) at JMP Securities.
Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FOLD) was started as Buy with a $16.00 fair value estimate (raised from $15.00 and versus $13.49 close) at Janney Capital Markets. The firm says that Amicus is set to emerge in orphan diseases.
Bankrate, Inc. (NYSE: RATE) had a bad week after falling to $11.19 after being at almost $14.00. Now Needham & Co. is starting it as Buy with a $14.00 price target. The consensus price target is $12.90, and Bankrate’s 52-week range is $9.39 to $18.19.
Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) was raised to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
ALSO READ: 4 Cheap Tech Stocks With Huge Upside Calls
Eastman Chemical Co. (NYSE: EMN) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a price target of $98.00 (versus $80.48 close) at Nomura.
Ignyta, Inc. (NASDAQ: RXDX) was started as Overweight with a $34 price target (versus $16.73 close) at Piper Jaffray.
Marsh & McLennan (NYSE: MMC) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs.
Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. (NASDAQ: NVMI) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $17.00 price target (versus $12.89 close) at Canaccord Genuity.
OncoSec Medical Incorporated (NASDAQ: ONCS) was started as Buy with a price target of $25.00 (versus $6.96 close) at H.C. Wainwright & Co. OncoSec has a 52-week range of $4.00 to $13.20 and a tiny market cap of $103 million.
Polycom, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCM) was downgraded to Underperform from Market Perform at William Blair.
Progressive Corp. (NYSE: PGR) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform with a $31.00 price target (versus $28.08 close) at Raymond James.
Radius Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: RDUS) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Maxim Group.
TerraForm Power Inc. (NASDAQ: TERP) was started as Buy with a price target of $43.00 (versus $37.60 close) at Evercore ISI.
WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (NASDAQ: WETF) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform with a price target of $25.00 (versus $21.97 close) at Keefe Bruyette & Woods.
ALSO READ: 10 Stocks to Own for the Next Decade
In case you missed Friday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades, they were in shares of BioMarin, BP, Micron, Vonage, Finisar, ConEd, Red Hat and over a dozen more companies.
The post Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Alcoa, FireEye, MetLife, Micron, Symantec and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>Stocks were higher on Thursday morning as investors start to move past Greece and think about a Federal Reserve that still looks somewhat dovish. The one path that keeps emerging is that investors find different reasons to buy every single market pullback. 24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst and brokerage research reports each morning to find new trading and investing ideas for its readers. Some of these analyst calls cover stocks to buy, while others are about stocks to sell or avoid.
These are this Thursday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations.
Bankrate Inc. (NYSE: RATE) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy and the price target was cut to $12 from $18 (versus a $13.85 close) at SunTrust. Bank of America Merrill Lynch reinstated coverage as Underperform (previously Buy) with a $11 price objective.
Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY) was reiterated as Buy but the price target was raised to $92 from $80 at Argus. The firm talked up positive pipeline developments and noted that this new target generates a more appropriate dividend yield versus peers.
Embraer S.A. (NYSE: ERJ) was raised to Outperform from Neutral with a $42.00 price target (versus a $31.61 close) at Cowen. Embraer’s consensus price target is listed as $36.84, and its 52-week trading range is $29.55 to $40.52. The highest analyst price target is $43.00.
Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL) saw shares fall 7% or so after earnings. It was maintained as Outperform with a $50 target at Credit Suisse, with the firm noting that Oracle is booking its way to cloud growth while it is lowering estimates. Jefferies maintained its Hold rating and $41.00 price target. Merrill Lynch reiterated its Buy and $48.00 price objective, with the note that its drop is overdone.
Southwest Airlines Inc. (NYSE: LUV) was downgraded to Underweight from Overweight with a price target slashed to $39 from $50 (versus a $33.84 close) at Barclays.
ALSO READ: 10 Stocks to Own for the Next Decade
Additional top analyst upgrades and downgrades were in shares of the following companies this Thursday:
Advisory Board Co. (NASDAQ: ABCO) was started as Outperform and with a $65.00 price target (versus a $52.38 close) at Oppenheimer.
Alaska Air Group Inc. (NYSE: ALK) was raised to Outperform from Neutral and the price target was raised to $78.00 from $75.00 at Credit Suisse.
Allegiant Travel Co. (NASDAQ: ALGT) was raised to Equal Weight from Underweight at Barclays, and the price target was raised to $200 from $167 (versus a $168.06 close).
Arch Capital Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: ACGL) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform with a $67.00 price target (versus a $66.29 close) at BMO Capital Markets.
Cerner Corp. (NASDAQ: CERN) was started as Outperform with a price target of $89.00 (versus a $67.81 close) at Oppenheimer.
ALSO READ: 4 Merrill Lynch High Quality and Dividend Yield Stocks to Buy Now
CVS Health Corp. (NYSE: CVS) was started as Outperform with a price target of $119.00 (versus a $103.82 close) at Oppenheimer.
Digital Ally Inc. (NASDAQ: DGLY) was started as Buy with a price target of $24.00 (versus a $13.56 close) at H.C. Wainwright.
Energen Corp. (NYSE: EGN) was raised to Overweight from Sector Weight at KeyBanc Capital Markets.
Genuine Parts Co. (NYSE: GPC) was raised to Buy with target of $104 at Argus. The firm sees stronger earnings in all four business segments.
Hyatt Hotels (NYSE: H) was started as Buy with a price target of $68.00 (versus a $56.34 close) at Brean Capital.
Mylan Inc. (NASDAQ: MYL) was started as Buy with a price target of $85.00 (versus a $71.23 close) at B. Riley.
Nimble Storage Inc. (NYSE: NMBL) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Wunderlich.
Senior Housing Properties Trust (NYSE: SNH) was raised to Neutral from Sell but the price target was cut to $18 from $20 (versus a $18.45 close) at UBS.
Silver Spring Networks Inc. (NYSE: SSNI) was reiterated as Outperform and the price target was raised to $16.00 from $12.00 (versus a $13.45 close) at Northland Securities.
Spirit Airlines Inc. (NYSE: SAVE) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform with a price target cut to $69.00 from $75.00 (versus a $62.42 close) at Credit Suisse.
Webster Financial Corp. (NYSE: WBS) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight with a $36.00 price target (versus a $39.78 close) at Morgan Stanley.
ALSO READ: Merrill Lynch’s Top Cybersecurity Stocks to Buy
In case you missed out on Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades, they were in shares of Arista Networks, Baidu, Chevron, Lexmark International, Occidental Petroleum, Salesforce.com and over a dozen more companies.
The post Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Bankrate, Eli Lilly, Embraer, Oracle, Southwest Air and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>From a total of 10 million prepaid debit and payroll cards in use in 2010, an estimated total of 25.6 million such cards are expected to be in consumers’ hands in 2015. The amount of dollars loaded onto the cards is expected to rise from $56.6 billion in 2010 to an estimated $149.1 billion this year.
Prepaid debit cards are attractive to consumers who cannot get or do not want either a checking account or a credit/debit card. The cards also appeal to parents who want either to teach their kids financial responsibility or to limit how much their college student offspring spend.
Many employers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD), and Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD), either offer or require employees to receive their pay by prepaid card or direct deposit to a bank account instead of receiving a paper check. The companies are saved the cost of issuing paper checks, a significant expense for employers with hundreds of thousands of employees. Payroll cards are reloaded at each pay period.
A survey of 31 prepaid cards conducted by Bankrate.com Inc. (NYSE: RATE) revealed wide variation in both the types of fees charged on prepaid cards and the amount of those fees. For example, some 29% of prepaid card issuers do not belong to an ATM network, which means that card holders will pay a fee of $1 to $3 to the card issuer, as well as a separate fee to the bank that owns the automated teller machine, for every cash withdrawal. A single withdrawal from the prepaid card could end up costing $5 or more.
ALSO READ: America’s Highest Paying Companies
Checking the balance on the card is not free for 39% of the cards surveyed by Bankrate.com. Fees ranged from $0.50 to $1.50 for checking a balance at any ATM. If the card issuer does belong to an ATM network, 42% of those issuers will let customers check balances for free at an in-network machine, but charge the same fee for out-of-network balance checks. More than half — 55% — of card issuers make customers pay $1 to $5.95 for a paper statement.
Then there are activation fees that run from $1.88 to $9.95 on 48% of cards. Monthly maintenance fees apply on 75% of the prepaid cards unless customers arrange for a direct deposit to the card.
Then there’s the ever-popular “overdraft protection,” wherein the card issuer covers a purchase for which the card does not have sufficient cash then charges the customer a fat fee in addition to the amount lent the next time cash is loaded on the card. The good news is that only two of the 31 cards reviewed by Bankrate.com still offer this “service.”
Among what the survey noted as “weird” fees at the margin are these:
- Almost a quarter of cards charge some kind of fee for making a purchase at a point of sale, ranging from $0.50 up to $2.00.
- Inactivity fees, charged to cards that are not used for a certain period, still appear on 16% of cards.
- The number of prepaid cards charging for a call to customer service is falling, but 16% of cards still charge a fee of $0.50 to $4.95.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is currently preparing a rule that would give the agency the power to regulate prepaid cards.
ALSO READ: Is Legalized Marijuana Coming to 3 More States?
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]]>Stocks were soft on Tuesday after mixed fanfare on Monday. Investors are still looking for opportunities now that some stocks have pulled back. 24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each morning to find new investment and trading ideas for its readers. Some research reports feature stocks to buy, but others cover stocks to sell or to avoid.
These are this Tuesday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations covered by 24/7 Wall St.
Arch Coal Inc. (NYSE: ACI) was downgraded to Reduce from Neutral and the price target was cut to $3 from $4 at Nomura.
Bankrate Inc. (NYSE: RATE) was downgraded to Sell from Hold at Topeka Capital Markets.
BE Aerospace Inc. (NASDAQ: BEAV) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at J.P. Morgan.
Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) was started as Market Perform with a $43 price target at Cowen.
DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ: DRYS) was started as Buy with a $5 price target (versus a $2.87 close) at Deutsche Bank in a late-Monday call.
Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK) upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo.
Heartland Payment Systems Inc. (NYSE: HPY) was started as Buy with a $58 price target at Sterne Agee.
READ ALSO: 6 Stocks Being Sold to Pay for Alibaba Stakes
Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU) was started as Outperform at RBC Capital Markets.
Laredo Petroleum Inc. (NYSE: LPI) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA) was started as Buy and an $85 price target at Sterne Agee, and it was started as Overweight and $91 target at Piper Jaffray.
Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) was started as Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital Markets. Argus maintained its Hold rating.
Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: OXY) downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Barclays.
Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL) was started with a Sector Perform rating at RBC Capital Markets. Here is the 24/7 Wall St. earnings preview and review ahead of Thursday’s earnings report.
Peabody Energy Corp. (NYSE: BTU) was downgraded to Reduce from Neutral and the price target was cut to $11 from $13 at Nomura.
PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP) was started as Outperform with a $106 price target at Cowen.
Scorpio Bulkers Inc. (NYSE: SALT) was started with a Buy rating at Deutsche Bank.
Tableau Software Inc. (NYSE: DATA) was raised to Outperform from Neutral by Credit Suisse.
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) was started as Buy with a $265 price target at Sterne Agee. It was also started as Overweight with a $265 price target at Piper Jaffray.
READ ALSO: Evaluating SodaStream as Value Versus Growth
If you missed Monday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades, they were in shares of AMC, ADP, Barrick Gold, Cree, Rackspace, Costco, Walmart and more.
The post Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Arch Coal, Coca-Cola, Duke Energy, Microsoft, Oracle, Visa and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>September 15, 2014: The following stocks are among the 133 equities making new 52-week lows today:
Cree Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE) dropped about 4.7% on Monday to post a new 52-week low of $40.66. Share volume is about 40% above the daily average of around 1.7 million. The stock’s 52-week high is $75.98. The company downgraded to Neutral from Buy and the price target was cut to $48 from $60 at Goldman Sachs.
Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) sank to a new 52-week low on Monday of $45.12. Based on Friday night’s closing price of $46.03 that’s a drop of about 2%. The stock’s 52-week high is $83.51.The company had no news today but nemesis Bill Ackman announced this morning that Pershing Square will raise $2 billion for a new fund that will trade publicly in Amsterdam and will have a market cap of at least $5 billion after an IPO now scheduled for next month. Trading volume for Herbalife was about 50% below the daily average of around 2.5 million shares.
Bankrate Inc. (NYSE: RATE) dropped nearly 23% today to post a new 52-week low of $10.66. Share volume was more than 4-times higher than the average daily volume of around 700,000 shares. The stock’s 52-week high is $23.14. The financial website appointed an interim CFO this morning to replace the current CFO who will remain with the company as a senior vice-president. The company also said that the SEC is investigating its financial reporting for 2012.
Terex Corp. (NYSE: TEX) dropped about 7.8% today to post a new 52-week low of $32.00. Volume is roughly 3.5-times higher than the daily average of around 1.9 million shares. The construction and heavy equipment maker lowered profit guidance Monday morning. The stock’s 52-week high is $45.46.
ALSO READ: The 10 Most Affordable Housing Markets in America
The post The 52-Week Low Club for Monday appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>When most investors think of Internet stocks, the first ones that usually come to mind are the industry giants like Google, Yahoo and Facebook. The reality is there is a world of top Internet stocks that, while they lack mega-cap status, are extremely successful at making money and could always end up as a target for the big boys.
A new research report from the Internet team at RBC indicates that current expectations for the smaller Internet stocks in their coverage universe are biased toward the positive side going into the earnings for the quarter. The group has outperformed the S&P 500, rising anywhere from 8% to 10% versus the index gain of 4%.
We screened the RBC report for the three top picks, and for additional Internet stocks with the least amount of risk from second quarter earnings expectations.
Zulily Inc. (NASDAQ: ZU) is one of the top three picks from the RBC team. They believe that the recent stock underperformance creates a very attractive entry point for investors and continued expansion beyond core children’s apparel segment implies proven value to vendor partners. Their survey results highlight the company’s leadership position as a flash-sales website with high customer satisfaction with price, customer selection and discovery viewed as company’s best features.
The RBC price target for Zulily stock, which is rated Outperform, is $50. The Thomson/First Call consensus price target is at $48.86. The stock closed Tuesday at $37.42 a share.
SEE ALSO: Credit Suisse’s Top Mid-Cap Stocks to Buy for Rest of 2014
Shutterstock Inc. (NYSE: SSTK) is one of the stocks RBC believes holds less risk in front of earnings and is a top pick. The company is the undisputed leader for online commercial digital imagery. It is the “you name it, we have it” one-stop shop for any commercial or personal image or video need. The company offers its products for users to enhance their visual communications, such as websites, digital and print marketing materials, corporate communications, books, publications and video content.
The RBC team is impressed with the company’s ability to take advantage of what they see is a secular movement of imagery and photography online. With the additions of added salesforce, new products, expansion and acquisitions all designed to help growth, and partnerships with Facebook and Salesforce.com, the stock could be poised for big growth. The stock is rated Outperform, and the RBC price objective is a big $90. The consensus target is $89.20. Shares closed Tuesday at $76.11.
Bankrate Inc. (NYSE: RATE) has underperformed despite fundamentals the RBC analysts see as coming around. One overhang has been the departure of the company’s CEO, which should fade with time. The new products and offering from the company, which include Mobile, MyBankRate, Data analytics and Car
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Pre-Market Stock Futures:
Futures are trading mixed on Wednesday, after a rough day for technology stocks and the Nasdaq. The combination of the prospect of a longer struggle with Iran, and higher inflation, which soared to 3.8% annually, the highest since May 2023, while the core number, which is less food and energy, rose to 2.8%, all but assuring that the Federal Reserve will be forced to hold rates higher for longer. Despite outstanding first-quarter earnings results, which are all but over, the market is heavily overbought and likely could use a breather. The Russell 2000 was the big loser on Tuesday, closing down 0.93% at 2,844, while the aforementioned Nasdaq closed down 0.71% at 26,011. The S&P 500 finished at 7,400, down 0.16%, while the only index to finish higher was the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which finished the session at 49,760, up 0.11%.
Treasury Bonds:
The minute the bond market got a whiff of the inflation numbers, the selling came in fast and furious. Savvy traders knew right away that the potential for rate cuts had likely been pushed out to the end of the year, if at all. When the dust settled on Tuesday, the yield on the 30-year-long Treasury bond had jumped to 5.03% while the benchmark 10-year note ended trading at 4.46%.
Oil and Gas:
The energy complex saw prices shoot higher once again, as growing concerns over supply, the collapse of the peace negotiations, and an Iranian proposal that the President deemed as “stupid” all contributed to the ongoing melt-up. When trading closed, Brent Crude ended the session at $107.80, up 3.48%, while West Texas Intermediate was last seen up 4.37% at $102.40. Natural gas actually finished down 2.51% at $2.84.
Gold:
Gold also had a rough day after starting the week strong, but finished way off the lows of the day at $4,713, down 0.45%. ING’s energy strategist predicted that turbulence in precious metals will likely continue in the near term, but they expect gold to reach $5,000 by the end of the year. Silver, which has been on fire, took a breather but closed higher, up 0.66% at $86.64.
Crypto:
On Tuesday, the crypto markets pulled back broadly, with Bitcoin trading in the $80,000–$81,000 range and running into resistance at its 200-day exponential moving average. Ethereum, XRP, Cardano, and other altcoins were similarly under pressure as investors digested the unsettling inflation numbers. At 8 AM EDT, Bitcoin was trading at $80,640, while Ethereum was quoted at $2,305.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports daily to identify new investment ideas for both investors and traders. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock.
Here are some of the top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
Upgrades:
- Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: AKAM) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Bank of America, which boosted the target price for the shares to $175 from $130.
- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Leerink, which has a $265 target price for the legacy healthcare giant.
- MasTec (NYSE: MTZ) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Guggenheim, with a $480 target price.
- Venture Global (NYSE: VG) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Citigroup, which lifted the target price for the LNG giant to $17 from $12.
- Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ: ZBRA) was upgraded to Overweight from Sector Weight at KeyBanc, with a $305 target price.
Downgrades:
- Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) was downgraded to Outperform from Buy at Daiwa, which lifted the target price for the chip leader to $500 from $250, citing valuation.
- MercadoLibre (NASDAQ: MELI) was cut to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup, which slashed the price target for the stock to $1,950from $2,200.
- Select Medical Holdings (NYSE: SEM) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Miauho, which trimmed the target price for the stock to $16.50 from $17.
- Snap (NYSE: SNAP) was cut to Hold from Buy at Freedom Capital, without a target price.
- Under Armour (NYSE: UAA) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Stifel, which cut the target price for the fallen sports apparel shares to $6 from $9.
Initiations:
- Amentum Holdings (NYSE: AMTM) was assumed with an Equal Weight rating at Morgan Stanley, with a $30 target price.
- BIOAGE Labs (NASDAQ: BIOA) was initiated with a Buy rating at BTIG, which has set a $40 target price for the shares.
- HEICO (NYSE: HEI) was initiated with a Buy rating at Rothschild & Co Redburn, which has a $360 target price for the company.
- NRX Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: NRXP) was started with a Buy rating at Lucid Capital Markets, with a massive $49 target price.
- Sandisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) was started with a Buy rating at Singular Research, with a massive $2,590 target price objective.
The post Here Are Wednesday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: Advanced Micro Devices, Akamai Technologies, HEICO, Johnson & Johnson, MasTec, MercadoLibre, Sandisk, Snap, and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
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With oil prices surging past $117 a barrel and the Strait of Hormuz in the crosshairs, President Trump issued a stark warning yesterday, vowing that without a deal by his Tuesday deadline, Iran would lose its power plants and bridges in a four-hour operation that sends the country back “to the Stone Ages.”
That’s a not-so-fancy way of saying there is significant potential chaos for 20% of global oil supply. Markets priced in the risk overnight — crude jumped while broader indexes wobbled. Yet two sectors decoupled upward: aerospace and defense contractors that supply the hardware, and U.S. LNG exporters that fill the gap when Middle East energy routes falter. Two stocks look to be the clearest plays in what could be a tumultuous time: Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) and Venture Global (NYSE:VG).
Lockheed Martin (LMT)
Lockheed Martin builds the tools of modern conflict — F-35 jets, missiles, and radar systems that see heavy use in sustained airstrikes. A multi-week campaign against Iranian infrastructure would accelerate orders for precision munitions and aircraft replenishment, directly feeding the company’s record backlog.
According to Lockheed Martin’s full-year 2025 financial results released in late January, the company ended the year with a $194 billion backlog, up 6% year-over-year. Total sales reached $75.05 billion for the trailing 12 months, a 6% increase from 2024, while free cash flow hit $6.9 billion — up 30.7% from the prior year.
That cash machine funded $1.5 billion in shareholder returns in the first quarter of 2025 alone. The trailing P/E ratio sits at 29, higher than the five-year average of 25.7 but in line with defense peers facing similar demand. The forward annual dividend yield stands at 2.17%, with $13.50 per share expected, providing income while you wait for any escalation premium to materialize.
No matter how you slice it, LMT’s numbers show resilience. Quarterly revenue grew 9% year-over-year in the most recent period, outpacing the space division’s dip and underscoring aerospace strength. Compared to broader industrials, and Lockheed’s defense focus delivers steadier cash conversion — $2.8 billion in free cash flow for Q4 versus more cyclical sectors. Smart investors note the pattern: similar threats earlier this year lifted shares 3% to 4% on announcement days, backed by the earnings data rather than hype.
Venture Global (VG)
Venture Global operates U.S. Gulf Coast LNG facilities that export American natural gas to Europe and Asia. Any prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz forces buyers to pivot hard to U.S. supplies, lifting both volumes and pricing.
Venture Global’s full-year 2025 results show revenue of $13.8 billion — an eye-opening 177% jump from 2024. Net income reached $2.3 billion, up 53%, while consolidated adjusted EBITDA climbed 198% to $6.3 billion. The company exported a record 1,409 TBtu of LNG in 2025, up 181% year-over-year. Trailing P/E stands at 18.01 with EPS of $0.92 — cheaper than many growth peers in energy infrastructure. The stock trades around a $40.7 billion market cap, with a modest forward dividend of $0.07 per share yielding 0.47%.
That shows VG’s ability to turn geopolitical friction into cash flow. Q4 alone delivered $4.4 billion in revenue, up 193% year-over-year, with 478 TBtu sold. Guidance for full-year 2026 adjusted EBITDA holds at $5.2 billion to $5.8 billion, unchanged despite market swings. Compared to integrated oil majors, VG’s pure-play LNG model delivers higher revenue growth — 177% versus the mid-single digits typical for upstream peers — while its low payout ratio leaves room for expansion.
Risks to Watch Before You Buy
Granted, escalation carries unknowns. A quick ceasefire could reverse oil gains and trim defense orders, as seen in past de-escalations. Prolonged conflict might spike inflation and fuel costs, pressuring the broader economy. Venture Global’s debt load — its enterprise value sits around $78.7 billion — bears monitoring if rates stay elevated. Lockheed’s P/E premium reflects expectations, not guarantees.
Key Takeaway
In short, if Trump’s deadline leads to sustained action, Lockheed Martin and Venture Global offer direct, data-backed exposure: Lockheed via its $194 billion backlog and 30.7% free-cash-flow growth, Venture Global via 177% revenue expansion and record LNG shipments.
Consider buying them on any post-rhetoric dip. These aren’t lottery tickets — they’re companies with verifiable earnings engines that historically reward patience when geopolitics heats up. There will be extreme volatility, but the figures line up for savvy retail investors seeking opportunity amid the noise.
The post Trump Just Promised to Bomb Iran Back to the ‘Stone Age.’ These Are 2 Stocks to Buy Now appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>The most widely used retirement benchmarks say you need to save 1x your salary by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, 8x by 60, and 10x by 67. Those figures come from Fidelity’s retirement guidelines, and they are useful shorthand built on assumptions that may not match your life. The target you are supposed to hit might be too high or too low, depending on your actual spending needs in retirement.
What the Benchmarks Actually Assume
The guidelines assume you will need to replace 70% to 80% of your pre-retirement income and that Social Security will cover a meaningful portion of that gap. For a median earner, Social Security replaces roughly 40% of pre-retirement income, according to Social Security Administration research. The 401(k) benchmark is designed to cover the rest. That math works if your spending in retirement tracks your pre-retirement income. For many people, it does not.
Someone with a paid-off home, no dependents, and modest travel habits may need to replace only 55% to 60% of their income. At that level, the 6x benchmark at age 50 is more than sufficient. Someone supporting adult children, carrying a mortgage into retirement, or planning extensive travel could need 12x or more. The benchmark has no way of knowing which profile fits you.
Fidelity’s intermediate milestone of 8x by age 60 is often overlooked, but it matters. A worker who hits 6x at 50 and then coasts through their 50s will likely arrive at 60 well short of the 8x target, leaving only seven years to close a gap that compounds with every passing quarter.
The Gap Between the Benchmark and Reality
Vanguard’s “How America Saves 2026” preview, which covers nearly 5 million 401(k) participants, reveals a wide gap between the average and what most people actually hold. Driven by strong market performance, the average account balance rose 13% from year-end 2024 to hit a record $167,970 by year-end 2025. The median balance climbed to $44,115, a 16% gain over the same period. That gap persists because a small number of high-balance accounts pull the average well above what a typical saver holds.
Fidelity’s own data, drawn from more than 30 million retirement plan participants, shows similar stratification by generation. Baby Boomers averaged $269,100, Gen X $215,600, Millennials $82,600, and Gen Z $18,000. Those averages look more encouraging than they are: the median in each cohort is materially lower, meaning the majority of savers in every generation are behind the pace Fidelity’s own benchmarks prescribe.
That context sharpens the savings shortfall. While 88% of plans now feature an employer match, an estimated 30% of eligible workers still fail to contribute enough to capture the full matching funds. A 60-year-old earning $80,000 who follows Fidelity’s benchmark should have roughly $640,000 saved. The typical person in that age group holds far less, and the gap cannot be closed with minor adjustments.
A separate stress indicator surfaces in the Vanguard data: hardship withdrawals reached a record 6% of participants in 2026, triple the pre-pandemic average. For a growing share of the workforce, the 401(k) is functioning as a high-stakes emergency fund, a pattern that further widens the savings gap for the workers who can least afford it.
Why Averages Lie and Medians Tell the Truth
The average is skewed by high earners who max out contributions every year, receive generous employer matches, and have been investing since their 20s. The median reflects the person in the middle of the distribution, a far more honest picture of where most savers stand. When you read that Americans hold “record high” 401(k) balances, the headline reflects the average. Most savers are nowhere near that top tier.
Benchmarks are calibrated against averages, not medians. Measuring yourself against the wrong number can make you feel ahead of schedule when you are not, or hopelessly behind when your actual spending needs put you in a perfectly manageable position. The only number that matters is the one you will actually need to fund your own retirement.
The Contribution Window Most People Miss
If you are behind on the benchmarks and still working, the contribution rules start working in your favor as you get older. For 2026, the standard 401(k) contribution limit is $24,500. Workers aged 50 and older can add a catch-up contribution of $8,000, bringing the total to $32,500 per year.
SECURE 2.0 added a provision that most people have not heard of. Workers who turn 60, 61, 62, or 63 in 2026 qualify for a “super catch-up” contribution of $11,250 instead of the regular $8,000, raising the total annual limit to $35,750 for those four years. For someone who is behind on savings but still earning well, this window creates a real opportunity to compress years of lost accumulation into a focused four-year sprint.
The 2026 High-Earner Roth Requirement
A major regulatory shift under SECURE 2.0 changes how high earners must handle these extra savings. Any worker whose prior-year FICA wages exceeded $150,000 is now required to direct all catch-up contributions into a Roth (after-tax) account. This eliminates the traditional pre-tax shelter on those dollars for upper-income savers and requires them to verify that their employer’s plan actually supports a Roth option. Plans without one cannot legally accept catch-up contributions from affected workers under this mandate.
The Tax Cost That Arrives With Every Withdrawal
Hitting your savings benchmark is only half the battle. How you withdraw money in retirement often determines how much you actually keep. Traditional 401(k) withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income, and once you cross certain thresholds, they trigger unexpected costs that many retirees never see coming until the bill arrives.
Medicare’s Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) adds a surcharge to Part B premiums when income is too high. In 2026, the standard Part B premium is $202.90 per month. For single filers, the first IRMAA tier kicks in at $109,000 of modified adjusted gross income and adds $81.20 per month to the premium (or $95.70 when the $14.50 Part D surcharge is included). Because of the two-year lookback, a large 401(k) withdrawal made today will raise your Medicare premiums in 2028. A married couple can easily pay hundreds of extra dollars per year in premiums because of one withdrawal decision made two years earlier.
Above roughly $34,000 in combined income for a single filer, up to 85% of Social Security benefits become taxable. A retiree drawing from a traditional 401(k) in the 22% bracket who also triggers Social Security taxation and IRMAA can face an effective rate on those dollars well above their stated bracket. Most tax software does not flag this interaction clearly in advance, which is why the planning needs to happen before retirement rather than after.
The Blind Spot: Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Costs
Conventional retirement targets typically ignore the steep price of medical care, treating standard cost-of-living adjustments as a sufficient buffer for health expenses. According to Fidelity’s 2025 Retiree Health Care Cost Estimate, a 65-year-old individual retiring today can expect to spend approximately $172,500 in after-tax dollars on healthcare throughout retirement. That figure is more than 4% above the prior year’s estimate of $165,000, reflecting a trajectory that has more than doubled since Fidelity first began tracking it at $80,000 in 2002. For a couple, the estimate rises to approximately $345,000, and neither figure includes long-term nursing care.
A Health Savings Account (HSA) offers a triple-tax advantage: contributions reduce current taxable income, growth is tax-deferred, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses come out tax-free. For 2026, the IRS allows individuals to contribute up to $4,400 per year, with the family limit set at $8,750. Using an HSA alongside a workplace retirement account is one of the most effective ways to insulate a retirement portfolio from healthcare costs without drawing down the 401(k) balance directly.
Four Actions Worth Taking Now
- Recalculate your personal benchmark using your actual expected spending in retirement, not a percentage of current income. If your mortgage will be paid off and your children are financially independent, your target may be 20% to 30% lower than the standard guideline. If you have significant ongoing obligations, it may be higher.
- If you are between 60 and 63, confirm with your plan administrator that you are capturing the full super catch-up contribution of $11,250 this year. Many participants are unaware that this provision exists, and the window is only four years wide.
- If your salary crossed the $150,000 threshold last year and you are age 50 or older, verify with your retirement platform that your payroll system is correctly configured to route catch-up deductions into a Roth option to maintain compliance with current federal requirements.
- If your combined retirement income, including Social Security and 401(k) withdrawals, will exceed $109,000 as a single filer or $218,000 as a married couple, consult a fee-only advisor about a Roth conversion strategy before you retire. The two-year IRMAA lookback means the planning window closes earlier than most people expect.
Editor’s note: This version adds the Fidelity 8x-by-60 savings milestone that was missing from the original, incorporates Fidelity’s 2026 generation-specific average balance data (Baby Boomers at $269,100, Gen X at $215,600, Millennials at $82,600, Gen Z at $18,000), updates the healthcare cost context to note that Fidelity’s 2025 estimate of $172,500 per individual represents a 4.5% increase over the prior year’s $165,000 figure, and adds the 2026 HSA contribution limits of $4,400 for individuals and $8,750 for families.
The post How Much Should You Have in Your 401(k) at Every Age? appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>Pre-Market Stock Futures:
Futures are trading higher after President Trump signalled that talks with Iran are progressing positively, as we get ready to start another trading week, with the same issues that have dragged the stock market down for four consecutive weeks still in place. While we have had a virtual March Madness in stocks, there are at least some positive developments that could slow the massive rise in energy prices, not the least of which is getting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. All of the major indices closed lower again on Friday, with the Russell 2000 leading the way, finishing the session down 2.61% at 2,429, and is now officially in correction territory, while the Nasdaq closed down 2.01% at 21,647. The S&P 500 was last seen at 6,506, down 1.51%, which could be a bad break for the legacy index, as most technicians have warned that breaking the 6,600 support level could lead to more selling. The Dow Jones Industrial Average held up best, ending the day at 45,577, down 0.96%.
Treasury Bonds:
The song remains the same, as yields across the Treasury curve rose again on Friday. The recent rise in inflation and the growing belief across Wall Street that interest rate cuts may be off the table until the summer, with some firms indicating there will be no rate cut this year, have contributed to the selling. The 30-year long bond finished Friday at 4.96%, while the benchmark ten-year note was last seen at 4.38%. One thing is for sure: if you see the 10-year note hit 4.75%, it would make sense to buy that level.
Oil and Gas:
Despite the United States trying in numerous ways to increase supply and distribution, oil traded higher on Friday but backed off from levels reached earlier in the day. Despite the efforts, Brent crude still finished the day up 3.62% at $112.60, while West Texas Intermediate continues closing in on the $100 level, and was last seen at $98.29, up 2.87%. Natural gas was a surprise, closing down 2.24% at $3.10.
Gold:
Gold and Silver both continued the epic slide that started in earnest about a month ago, on Friday, and this could very well carry through this week. The combination of a stronger US dollar, rising Treasury yields, and reduced expectations of immediate interest rate cuts was cited as a reason for the weakness. The surge in oil prices has intensified inflation concerns, prompting investors to liquidate gold positions to cover margin calls and making it a source of cash in volatile markets, despite its usual role as a safe haven. Gold finished Friday at $4,487, down 3.4%, while Silver closed the session at $67.97, down 6.45%.
Crypto:
After a week of heavy swings, the cryptocurrency market attempted to stabilize on Friday, with Bitcoin hovering between $70,000 and $71,000. Despite recovering from recent lows, the crypto market continues to face headwinds from Middle Eastern geopolitical instability and a dip in institutional momentum. At 7 AM EDT, Bitcoin traded at $68,549, while Ethereum traded at $2,048.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports daily to identify new investment ideas for both investors and traders. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock.
Here are some of the top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen on Monday, March 23, 2026.
Upgrades:
- APA Corporation (NYSE: APA) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Barclays, which has a $35 target price for the oil giant.
- Cheniere Energy Inc. (NYSE: LNG) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley, which raised the target price for the LNG leader to $313 from $236.
- MongoDB Inc. (NASDAQ: MDB) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Mizuho, which boosted the target price for the stock to $325 from $290.
- Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) was raised to Buy from Hold at Stifel, which nudged their target price for the shares to $42 from $40.
- Venture Global Inc. (NYSE: VG) was raised to Overweight from Underweight at Morgan Stanley, which lifted the target price for the stock to $22 from $8.
Downgrades:
- Brookfield Renewable Corp. (NYSE: BEPC) was downgraded to Underweight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley, which lowered the target price for the shares to $95 from $120.
- Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE: CCI) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Wells Fargo, which has an $85 target price for the stock.
- PG&E Corp. (NYSE: PCG) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies, which trimmed the target price for the utility to $19 from $20.
- Super Micro Computer Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Northland, with a $22 target price.
- Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. (NYSE: ZBH) was cut to Neutral from Buy at BTIG, without a target price for the company.
Initiations:
- Terawulf Inc. (NASDAQ: WULF) was initiated with a Buy rating at Arete, which has a huge $30 prce target for the company.
- Hut 8 Corp. (NASDAQ: HUT) was started with a Buy rating at Arete, which has a $136 target price for the shares.
- Jasper Therapeutics (NASDAQ: JSPR) was assumed with a Neutral rating at UBS, with a $1.50 target price.
- Red Rock Resorts Inc. (NYSE: RRR) was started with a Buy rating at Benchmark, which has a $67 target price for the iconic Colorado music venue.
- Odysight.AI Inc. (NASDAQ: ODYS) was initiated with a Buy rating at Benchmark, with a $10 target price objective.
The post Here Are Monday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: APA Corporation, Cheniere Energy, Crown Castle, Hut 8, MongoDB, Red Rock Resorts, Super Micro Computer, Terawulf, and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
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WTI crude surged from roughly $65/barrel in February 2026 to a peak of $98.48 on March 13, and Brent crossed $100/barrel for the first time in years as Iran conflict fears escalated. A Polymarket contract tracking whether Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz resolved “Yes” for the March 31, 2026 deadline, a stark contrast to the January 31 outcome that resolved “No.” For energy investors, the question is which companies are most exposed to the supply disruption narrative.
1. Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG)
No US company has more direct exposure to a Middle East LNG supply shock. As America’s largest LNG exporter, Cheniere benefits immediately when European and Asian buyers seek alternatives to Persian Gulf supply. The stock has surged approximately 28% over the past month and is up over 45% year-to-date, trading at $282.50 on March 20.
Cheniere posted FY2025 revenue of $19.98B (+26.62% YoY) and net income of $5.33B (+63.9% YoY), with 670 cargoes exported in 2025, a record. CCL Stage 3 Trains 5-7 are completing in 2026, with management guiding for approximately 51 to 53 million tons of LNG production in 2026. CEO Jack Fusco noted that “Europe set a new annual record for LNG imports in 2025, reaching about 125 million tons.” With over 95% of capacity contracted for the next ten years, Cheniere offers both conflict-driven upside and long-term revenue visibility. Analyst consensus sits at 20 buy ratings and 3 holds, with targets raised significantly (BofA to $322), well above current levels.
2. Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR)
Norway’s state-controlled energy company is the biggest beneficiary of European buyers pivoting away from Middle East and Russian supply. Shares are up approximately 48% over the past month and 70%+ year-to-date. CFO Torgrim Reitan stated that Equinor is “the lowest cost supplier of pipe gas to Europe with all-in costs of less than $2 per MBtu.”
The company produced a record 2,137,000 barrels per day in 2025 and expects approximately 3% production growth in 2026. Every $10 move in oil translates to a $1.2 billion cash flow impact. With Brent at $101+ versus a company planning assumption of $65, the earnings tailwind is substantial. The stock has moved well past older consensus targets around $27-28, as the market prices in a structural shift (UBS upgraded today).
3. SM Energy (NYSE:SM)
A pure-play US oil producer with a 54% oil mix, SM Energy has direct revenue exposure to WTI prices. The stock is up approximately 29% over the past month and 50% year-to-date. SM’s 2026 guidance assumes $60/bbl WTI — every dollar above that flows directly to cash flow given the company’s record FY2025 operating cash flow of $2.01B.
The January 2026 merger with Civitas Resources (NYSE:CIVI) added scale, with $200-300M in expected synergies and approximately $185M already actioned. At a trailing P/E of just 5x and a price-to-book of 1.4x, the stock trades at a discount relative to the current commodity environment. Consensus analyst target is now around $30, with recent upgrades (JPM to $40) suggesting further upside if oil stays elevated.
4. ONEOK (NYSE:OKE)
Midstream infrastructure doesn’t move like E&P names in an oil spike, but ONEOK benefits from sustained volume growth as US natural gas and NGL exports accelerate to fill the void left by Middle East supply uncertainty. The stock is up approximately 22% year-to-date with more measured gains over the past month, reflecting its lower-beta, fee-based model.
With approximately 90% fee-based earnings, ONEOK’s FY2025 adjusted EBITDA of $8.02B (+18% YoY) is largely insulated from commodity price swings. The Texas City export terminal JV and the fully subscribed Eiger Express Pipeline position it directly in the export growth corridor. The ~4.9% dividend yield adds income while investors wait for the thesis to play out (Jefferies upgraded today to $98).
5. Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD)
Air Products is the most complex and highest-risk name on this list. Its NEOM Green Hydrogen Project in Saudi Arabia creates direct regional exposure, and broader Middle East instability could disrupt both project execution and hydrogen/ammonia supply chains. The stock has gained only modestly over the past month and recently underperformed peers.
Analysts rate it with a consensus target around $307 (JPM raised to $310 today), implying upside but with execution risk attached. FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $12.85-$13.15 reflects a recovery from prior-year project exit charges, and Q1 FY2026 operating income grew 14.12% YoY. The conflict cuts both ways: energy cost pass-through benefits the industrial gases business, but regional instability is a headwind for its most ambitious capital project.
What to Watch Next
Analysts are watching whether oil holds above $90 as a key variable for earnings estimates across all five names. Polymarket traders currently assign only a 16.5% probability to a formal US military escort of commercial ships through Hormuz by March 31, but the April 30 market sits at approximately 49%, suggesting escalation risk remains elevated over the next six weeks. Cheniere and Equinor are being watched for sustained European demand and below-average storage levels as potential support even if the geopolitical premium fades. SM Energy and ONEOK are being monitored for US production and export ramp trends regardless of how the conflict evolves.
The post Wall Street Is Buying These 3 LNG Stocks After Iran Missiles Hit Qatar’s Gas Facilities appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>Pre-Market Stock Futures:
Futures are trading lower after a big-time risk-off Friday, in which all major indices declined, as Thursday’s selling carried through. The combination of end-of-month profit-taking, the announcement of President Trump’s pick, Kevin Warsh, to be the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve, concerns about the direction of monetary policy with his appointment, and a massacre of precious metals all helped to drive share prices lower on Friday, with the weakness in the metals carrying through to today. In addition, the Producer Price Index for final demand jumped 0.5%, the largest increase in months, with a 3.0% annual increase, indicating inflation remains sticky. The Nasdaq was the biggest loser on Friday despite some strong tech stock earnings, closing down 0.94% at 23,461. The Dow Jones Industrials finished the session at 48,892, down 0.36%, and the S&P 500, which ended the month positive, closed Friday at 6,939, down 0.43%. The small-cap Russell 2000 closed at 2,617, down 1.40%, but still ended the month as the leading index for January.
Treasury Bonds:
Yields were mixed across the Treasury curve as the market digested the news that Kevin Warsh was being tapped as the next Federal Reserve Chairman. Wall Street reportedly prefers the pick because they believe Mr. Warsh, a former Federal Reserve governor, will preserve the Federal Reserve’s independence and integrity while maintaining a strong stance on inflation. The 30-year bond closed at 4.88% on Friday, while the 10-year note was last at 4.25%.
Oil and Gas:
The energy complex took a slight breather, though it still rose on Friday after a solid week in which both benchmarks soared. Concerns over a potential armed conflict with Iran kept a strong bid under the sector. Brent crude finished Friday up 0.46% at $69.91, while West Texas Intermediate climbed 0.54% to end the week at $65.77. Natural gas, which has been literally and figuratively on fire, closed Thursday up 11.38% at $4.36. The continued frigid weather across much of the United States, along with the threat of a bomb cyclone this weekend that will hit the East Coast, helped prop up prices on Friday.
Gold:
In a massive reversal of what we have seen over the last couple of years, the precious metals were hammered on Friday and are continuing lower to start the week. The main culprit, of course, was plain old profit-taking after an incredible run over the last year. The massive decline in Silver likely prompted margin calls, as day traders had been piling into the ETFs and individual stock shares for months. For the record, over the past year, gold and silver have soared 80% and 209%, respectively, so while the selling was dramatic, it should come as no surprise given those substantial and remarkable gains. Gold closed Friday at $4,872, down 9.41%, while Silver finished Friday’s session at $84.50, down a stunning 27%, the worst day since 1980.
Crypto:
The cryptocurrency market experienced a significant downturn on Friday, with Bitcoin sliding to a two-month low as investors reacted to potential tightening by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The sell-off was also fueled by concerns over a possible “risk-off” environment, a stronger U.S. dollar, and cryptocurrencies like precious metals have seen a massive rally over the last few years, and many are starting to feel that it is not the hedge that many feel it is not the store of value that Gold is. At 8 AM EST, Bitcoin was trading at $77,944, while Ethereum was trading at $2,304.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports daily to identify new investment ideas for both investors and traders. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock.
Here are some of the top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen on Monday, February 2, 2026.
Upgrades:
- Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) was upgraded to Buy from Accumulate at Phillip Securities, which boosted the target price on the stock to $260 from $230.
- Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan, which has set a $319 target price objective.
- McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BTIG with a $360 price target.
- Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) was upgraded to Buy from Accumulate at Phillip Securities with a $540 target price.
- Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ: SHOP) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Arete, which lifted the target price for the music streaming giant to $175 from $166.
Downgrades:
- Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight, and the target price for the legacy retailer was cut to $76 from $99.
- Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at HSBC, which actually lifted their target price on the integrated giant to $180 from $169.
- Cirrus Logic Inc. (NASDAQ: CRUS) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Loop Capital, which lowered the target price for the shares to $130 from $140.
- Fortinet Inc. (NASDAQ: FTNT) was cut to Sector Perform from Outperform at ScotiaBank, with an $85 price target.
- Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) was cut to Underweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley, which slashed the target price for the shares to $174 from $262.
Initiations:
- Circle Internet Group Inc. (NYSE: CRCL) was initiated with an Equal Weight rating at Morgan Stanley with a $66 target price.
- Hut8 Corp. (NYSE: HUT) was assumed with a Buy rating at H.C. Wainwright with a Buy rating and an $80 target price objective.
- Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) was started with a Buy rating at Phillip Securities with a $500 target price.
- Venture Global Inc. (NYSE: VG) was initiated with an Outperform rating at Raymond James, which has an $11 target price for the company.
- WEX Inc. (NYSE: WEX) Morgan Stanley assumed coverage with an Equal Weight rating and lowered the target price to $144 form $168.
The post Here Are Monday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: Apple, Autodesk, Chevron, Circle Internet, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Micron Technology, Spotify, and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>The futures were hammered Monday, as investors return from an epic market meltdown last week and look to be in store for more. The May consumer price index number came in red hot at 8.6%. Core inflation, which excludes the very volatile food and energy components, rose 6.0%. Both were higher than expected. Fuel prices are up a stunning 106% over the past year, and shelter costs, which make up about a third of the consumer price index figure, rose at the fastest pace in 31 years.
All the major indexes were crushed on Friday, following a similar day last Thursday. The venerable Dow Jones industrial average was down almost 1,600 points over the two-day stretch, while the S&P 500 fell back to the 3,900 level. Sellers also hit the Treasury market as well, with yields jumping higher across the curve, as both the five-year and 10-year notes yields closed at 52-week highs. The five-year note actually closed at a stunning 3.27% handle, which totally inverted the 30-year bond at 3.20%, a clear sign that Treasury bond traders think recession is closer than anticipated.
The only positive on Friday was that after a huge run, Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude closed lower on the day, but both were hovering right near the $120 level. Natural gas also was lower, closing under $9. Gold caught a safe-haven bid, closing up close to 2%, while Bitcoin was taken to the woodshed with the rest, closing down over 3%.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding fresh ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.
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These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Monday, June 13, 2022.
Appian Corp. (NASDAQ: APPN): Berenberg resumed coverage with a Buy rating and a $63 price objective. That compares with the $57.73 consensus target and Friday’s closing print of $46.52, which was down almost 5% for the day.
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Blueprint Medicines Corp. (NASDAQ: BPMC): Citigroup downgraded the shares to Sell from Neutral and cut the $68 target price to $41. The consensus price objective is $99.07 for now. The last trade Friday was $48.07 down over 18% on the day after some changes from the FDA on the company’s leading drug.
CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CME): Atlantic Equities upgraded the shares from Neutral to Overweight with a $235 target. The consensus target is $250.31. The stock closed on Friday at $195.43.
Design Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: DSGN): Wedbush started coverage with an Outperform rating and a $21 target price. The consensus target is $25.80. The stock closed almost 5% lower on Friday at $13.35.
Docusign Inc. (NASDAQ: DOCU): BofA Securities lowered its Buy rating to Neutral and slashed the $120 target price to $72. The consensus target is $116.39 for the time being. The last trade on Friday came in at $65.93, down a stunning 25% after the company missed earnings estimates and lowered forward guidance.
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA): MoffettNathanson downgraded the video game giant to Neutral from Buy while raising its $141 price objective to $147. The consensus target is $151.74. The final trade on Friday hit the tape at $133.34.
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE: EPD): The dividend yield here should help investors to keep pace with 40-year high inflation, says Zacks, which named this stock as its Bull of the Day. The shares closed most recently at $27.62, and the consensus target price of $30.81 would be a 52-week high.
Flywire Corp. (NASDAQ: FLYW): Stephens started coverage with an Overweight rating and a $24 target price. The consensus target is higher at $30.80. The stock closed almost 6% lower on Friday at $16.87.
GoodRx Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: GDRX): Goldman Sachs downgraded the shares to Neutral from Buy and lowered its $12 target price to $9. The consensus target is $12.06 for now. The shares closed over 5% lower on Friday at $6.34.
iHeartMedia Inc. (NASDAQ: IHRT): Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock to Underweight from Equal Weight and slashed the $25 target price to $11. The consensus target is $27.71 for now. The stock closed down almost 11% on Friday at $9.78 on no news we
Staples, similar to Office Depot, does not have a native cryptocurrency payment integration. However, Bitrefill provides a workaround with their Staples gift cards. Essentially, Bitrefill is an exchange platform that allows users to purchase various gift cards with cryptocurrency. They sell redeemable gift cards for leading merchants, including Staples and Office Depot. Thankfully, it’s a much simpler process than the Flexa payment method.
