Gap (NYSE: GAP) and Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) stocks have both pulled back from recent highs, but only one deserves a retirement investor’s capital right now. Here is the direct comparison across three dimensions that matter most for income-seeking, lower-risk buyers.
Gap pays a dividend. Urban Outfitters does not. That alone ends the income debate. Gap’s annualized dividend of $0.70 per share offers a 2.8% yield at current prices. Management recently raised the quarterly payout by about 6%, and it authorized a new $1 billion share buyback in March 2026. Because Urban Outfitters carries no dividend and no dividend yield, Gap is the clear choice for a retirement portfolio built around income.
Both stocks trade at modest multiples, but the composition differs. Gap trades at a trailing P/E of 12x with a forward multiple of 11x, a price-to-sales ratio of 0.6, and an EV/EBITDA of 6.7x. Urban Outfitters trades at a trailing P/E of 13x and a forward P/E of 12x, but with a higher operating margin of 8.8% versus Gap’s 7.3%. It also posts a profit margin of 7.5% compared to Gap’s 5.3%, with diluted EPS of $5.15 versus Gap’s $2.13. Earning more per dollar of revenue makes Urban Outfitters the better-quality business at a comparable price.
Gap beat EPS estimates in all four quarters of fiscal year 2026, with Q4’s 18.42% positive surprise being the strongest. The company has delivered eight consecutive quarters of positive comparable sales, with Q4 comps up 3% and online sales rising 5% to represent 42% of total net sales. Urban Outfitters, by contrast, just posted a significant miss in its most recent quarter, reporting $1.05 against a $1.26 estimate, a 16.7% miss in Q1 FY2026. That reverses a four-quarter streak of beats, including a 39.8% positive surprise in Q2 FY2025. Momentum clearly favors Gap right now.
Gap carries a beta of 2.245, more than double the market’s volatility. Urban Outfitters runs a beta of 1.204, far more manageable for retirees who cannot afford large drawdowns. Gap’s five-year price return is −19.0%, while Urban Outfitters has returned 78.1% over the same period. The 10-year picture reinforces this: Urban Outfitters is up 124.1% over a decade versus Gap’s 6.6%. Urban Outfitters is the steadier compounder over time.
The answer depends entirely on what “retirement investor” means in practice. For an investor drawing income and needing yield, Gap is the only viable choice. Its dividend, buyback program, consistent earnings beats, and dirt-cheap valuation at 0.6x sales make it a defensible income holding, with analyst consensus pointing to a target of $30.65 against a current price of $25.43. The tariff headwind (200 basis points of gross margin pressure in Q1) is a real near-term risk, but the income case holds.
For a growth-oriented retirement account focused on total return, Urban Outfitters wins. Better margins, superior long-term price appreciation, lower beta, and a higher-quality earnings profile make it the stronger compounder. The recent earnings miss creates the dip. Analysts carry a target of $83.67 against a current price of $68.22. Analysts carry a target of $83.67, against a current price of $68.22, representing potential upside for investors who do not need the dividend check today.
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]]>Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) posted a strong finish to fiscal year 2026, with record fourth-quarter revenue and operating profits that exceeded analyst expectations, sending shares higher in after-hours trading.
Urban Outfitters reported Q4 revenue of $1.80 billion, narrowly topping the FactSet consensus of $1.79 billion and rising 10.1% year over year. Diluted EPS came in at $1.05, though that trailed the consensus estimate of $1.24. Adjusted net income grew 33% to $130.5 million. For the full fiscal year, revenue reached $6.17 billion, up 11.1% and a company record.
The standout story was the namesake Urban Outfitters brand, which delivered +9.6% comparable store sales after years of underperformance. The retail segment overall posted +5.5% comparable sales, a record, with all brands contributing positively. The Nuuly subscription business also outperformed, reaching 420,000 subscribers, up 40% year over year, generating $568 million in annual sales and $35 million in profit.
Shares rose roughly 3% in late trading after the report, though the stock remains down 13% year to date. The analyst consensus sits at “Hold” with an average price target of $84.00, compared to current levels near $65.46. Management flagged tariff exposure and SG&A trajectory as headwinds. The next earnings report is expected around March 3.
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]]>Editor’s Note: A prior version of this article incorrectly referenced the prior CEO of J.Jill, as well as a quote from them in a 2024 earnings call, without clarifying the year. We have updated the post to correct these issues. Please reach out to contact@flywheelpublishing.com with any additional concerns.
J.Jill (NYSE: JILL) and Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) reported third-quarter results revealing two apparel retailers moving in opposite directions. J.Jill’s revenue slipped 0.5% while earnings dropped 25%. Urban Outfitters posted 12.3% revenue growth and earnings jumped 16.4%. Same sector, similar operating margins around 9.6%, but fundamentally different stories.
J.Jill struggled with what prior CEO Claire Spofford, in a Q3 2024 earnings call called “consumer distraction due to world events” that pressured full-price selling. Since then, new CEO Mary Ellen Coyne has stepped in to right the ship and get J. Jill back on track.
Bottoms performed well, driven by a Ponte Pant campaign that provided new styling ideas. That strength offset ongoing softness in dresses. CFO Mark Webb acknowledged: “We have not yet seen the return of the strong full-price customer we saw earlier this year.”
Urban Outfitters delivered the opposite result. Co-President Frank Conforti reported gross profit rate surged over 500 basis points, driven by “significantly improved initial margins as well as lower markdown rates at all brands.” Operating income soared 90% to $109 million. The company hit a record $1.3 billion in quarterly revenue.
Urban’s multi-brand portfolio showed strength across segments. Rental service Nuuly added $30 million in revenue and grew 86% year over year. All three core brands (Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People) posted retail comps up 6% with improved product margins.
| Metric | JILL | URBN |
| Gross Margin | 70.9% (down 60 bps) | 37.0% (up 500+ bps) |
| Revenue Growth | -0.5% | +12.3% |
| Earnings Growth | -25% | +16.4% |
J.Jill operates a single brand targeting women over 40. That focus creates vulnerability when the core customer pulls back. The company’s best customer cohort grew, but the overall file contracted.
Urban Outfitters spreads risk across four distinct brands serving different demographics and price points. When one brand softens, others compensate. Nuuly generates recurring subscription revenue and introduces younger customers to the brand portfolio. This diversification delivered resilience during the same quarter that challenged J.Jill.
J.Jill announced a $25 million share repurchase program, its first since going public in 2017. Urban Outfitters maintains significant insider ownership at 33.4%.
J.Jill’s freight headwinds should moderate as Red Sea rerouting costs cycle through inventory. The real test is whether full-price customers return in spring 2025. August was soft, but Spofford noted “nice sequential improvement as we moved deeper into the quarter.”
Urban Outfitters needs to sustain margin gains while maintaining growth momentum. The 500-basis-point margin expansion creates tough comparisons ahead.
Urban Outfitters offers more compelling retail exposure today. The portfolio structure provides downside protection that J.Jill’s single-brand model cannot match. Margin expansion at scale is harder to achieve than at smaller operations, making Urban’s 500-basis-point improvement more impressive.
J.Jill trades at a P/E of 6.44 with a 2.2% dividend yield, creating value appeal. Analysts see 27% upside to their $18 target. But that upside depends on the full-price customer returning, and management cannot control that timing. If promotional pressure persists through 2025, the valuation discount may be justified rather than opportunistic.
Urban Outfitters trades near analyst targets with limited upside at current levels, but operational momentum and diversified revenue streams make it the safer bet until J.Jill demonstrates it can reverse the earnings decline.
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]]>The futures are trading modestly higher as Thanksgiving Eve has finally arrived. After a slow start on Tuesday, all the major indices began to rally by noon and finished well in the green by the close. The initial downturn was sparked by news that Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) was in talks with Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) to sell them its custom AI chips. Google’s own specialized chips, called Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), are optimized for AI and machine learning workloads and are typically used in its own data centers. NVIDIA Inc. (NASDAQ: NVDA) was down almost 3% by the close on the news, which started the early selling, and while the rest of the indices recovered, the chip giant finished the day in the red. By the close, the Dow Jones Industrials led the way, up 1.43% to finish the session at 47,012; the S&P 500 closed at 6,765, up 0.91%; and the NASDAQ was last seen at 23,025, up 0.67%.
For the second day in a row, yields were down across the Treasury curve, and the song remains the same. Hopes for a rate cut, which had fallen to as low as 20% a few weeks ago, have jumped back to 80%, and there is some talk on Wall Street that a January cut could also be in the cards. Benign wholesale inflation data and a weakening job market are all aiding the push for continued rate cuts. Plus, amid speculation that White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett may be the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve, many feel he would aggressively pursue lower interest rates to lower borrowing costs. The 30-year Treasury long bond closed the day at 4.66%, while the benchmark 10-year note closed at 4%.
After a stellar day to start the week, prices across the energy complex were lower across the board. Reports that Ukraine has tacitly accepted terms for an end to the almost four-year war with Russia sent the black gold tumbling. Add in concerns over a supply glut, and that was all it took to bring the big benchmarks and natural gas down. Brent Crude closed at $62.47, down 1.42%, while West Texas Intermediate was last seen at $57.93, down 1.55%. Natural gas was also hit hard, closing at $4.39, down 3.5%
Gold rose again on Tuesday as buyers and sellers remained evenly matched throughout the day. Analysts noted that if the U.S. dollar weakens and the Fed does cut rates next month, the year-long rally should continue into 2026. Again, the mild wholesale inflation numbers keep the rate cut scenario front and center. Gold closed the day at $4,130, up almost 1%.
On Tuesday, the crypto market had an early relief rally, with major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) rebounding from recent lows, only for the rally to fade by the afternoon. The upturn was initially driven by improving risk sentiment, an outstanding session in U.S. equities, and some easing of selling pressure, although the longer-term outlook remains cautious. At 4 PM EST, Bitcoin was trading at $87,260, while Ethereum was at $2,935.
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, Thanksgiving Eve, November 26, 2025.
The post Here Are Wednesday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: DHL Group, NetApp, Nutanix, Oracle, Snowflake, Urban Outfitters, Zscaler and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>The futures were trading lower on Tuesday after a rollercoaster start to the final trading week for September and the third quarter. The major indexes all finished higher on the day. halting a four-day losing streak for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. Despite Monday’s gains, the same elements that hit stocks last week are still in play, such as higher interest rates, soaring energy prices, systematic selling from funds, continued dollar strength and, as we have mentioned, stocks are in the worst time of the year from a seasonality standpoint.
Treasury yields were mixed across the curve, as buyers had interest in the shorter maturities and yields soared as sellers arrived for the longer-dated debt. The 10-year note closed the day at a 4.54% yield, the highest since June of 2007, while the 30-year long bond was last seen at 4.67%, the highest since December of 2009. Hedge funds have been reported to still be shorting the long end of the curve.
Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude were flat to modestly higher on Monday after a strong surge higher last week. End of the quarter profit taking will likely be in play this week as futures traders have wracked up some big gains during the past three months. Brent closed the day down 0.08% at $93.34, while WTI was last seen at $89.90, down 0.14%. Natural gas closed lower at $2.63.
After a solid close to the week, gold traded lower on Monday. The December contract finished the day at $1,934.90, down 0.55%. Again, end of the quarter positioning plus the continued dollar strength and higher interest rates have weighed on the precious metal. Bitcoin closed up 0.39% on the day at $26,351.80.
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24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each weekday 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.
These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.
AngioDynamics Inc. (NASDAQ: ANGO): H.C. Wainwright initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $19 target price. The consensus target is $16.50. The upgrade and positive commentary helped shares close almost 5% higher on Monday at $7.35.
AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ: AZN): Jefferies raised its Hold rating to Buy and its $66.50 target price to $80. The consensus target is $81.79. The stock was last seen on Monday trading at $68.81.
Ballard Power Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: BLDP): HSBC Securities initiated coverage with a Hold rating and a $4.50 target price. The consensus target is $6.23. The stock closed at $3.62 on Monday.
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BHP Group Ltd. (NYSE: BHP): When Bernstein downgraded the stock to Market Perform from Outperform, it also trimmed its target price to $58 from $60. The consensus target is $65.69, and Monday’s last trade was for $55.03 a share.
Bloom Energy Corp. (NYSE: BE): HSBC Securities started coverage with a Buy rating and a $22 target price. The consensus target is $25.90. The stock closed on Monday at $13.79.
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (NYSE: BIP): Raymond James upgraded the stock to Strong Buy from Outperform. Its $45 target price is higher than the consensus target of$42.33 and Monday’s close at $31.42.
CarMax Inc. (NYSE: KMX): Wedbush raised its Neutral rating to Outperform, and the $85 target price increased to $90. The consensus target is $81.15. The stock closed on Monday at $77.67.
Choice Hotels Inc. (NYSE: CHH): Argus initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $145 target pierce. The consensus target is $129. The stock closed on Monday at $121.35.
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (NYSE: CLF): Citigroup’s upgrade was from Neutral to Buy with a $22 target price. That compares with an $18.77 consensus target and Monday’s closing print of $14.87, which was almost 3% higher on the day, after the upgrade.
CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWD): Goldman Sachs reiterated a Buy rating and raised its target price to $195 from $175. The consensus target is $194.73. Monday’s close was at $159.05.
Dow Inc. (NYSE: DOW): J.P. Morgan upgraded the stock to Overweight from Neutral, but its $55 target price is shy of the consensus target of $55.58. Monday’s closing share price was $50.97.
FMC Corp. (NYSE: FMC): Redburn Atlantic downgraded the stock to Neutral from Overweight and has a $71 target price. The consensus target is $111.31. The last trade on Monday was for $67.49 a share.
Golar LNG Ltd. (NASDAQ: GLNG): Citigroup resumed coverage with a Neutral rating, and the analyst set a $27 target price. The consensus target is $32.50, and the final trade on Monday was reported at $23.42.
Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE): The Buy rating at Jefferies has dropped to Hold, and the firm slashed the target price from $140 to $100. The consensus target is $115.45. Monday’s close was at $90.59.
Pioneer Natural Resources Co. (NYSE: PXD): Its Bull of the Day stock has seen earnings estimates on the rise again, says Zacks. Shares of the oil and gas exploration and production company last closed at $225.54, and the consensus price target is $261.54.
Plains All-American Pipeline L.P. (NYSE: PAA): Barclays downgraded the shares from Equal Weight to Underweight with a $15 target price. The consensus target is $16.94. On Monday, shares closed at $15.59.
Quanterix Inc. (NASDAQ: QTRX): Canaccord Genuity upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold and lifted the target price to $32 from $25. The consensus target is $28.25. The stock closed 4% higher on Monday at $25.87 after the upgrade.
Sealed Air Corp. (NYSE: SEE): Citigroup upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral, but its $41 target price is less than the consensus target of $45.55. The stock ended Monday trading at $32.87, almost a 4% gain for the day, after the upgrade.
Steel Dynamics Inc. (NASDAQ: STLD): Citigroup’s upgrade was from Neutral to Buy with a $130 target. That compares with the lower $108.13 consensus and Monday’s closing trade of $105.01, which was higher by almost 4% on the upgrade.
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Tech Target Inc. (NASDAQ: TTGT): UBS started coverage with a Neutral rating and a $31 target price. The consensus target is set at $33.75. The shares closed on Monday at $26.67.
Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): As Jefferies downgraded it to Hold from Buy, the $40 target price dropped to $31. The consensus target is $38.82, while Monday’s close was at $31.39.
Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE: WRBY): UBS started coverage with a Neutral rating and has a $13 target. The consensus target is $16. The shares were last seen on Monday trading at $12.22.
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With the possibility for more downside now very strong, investors looking for safety may want to consider seven stocks from the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio with among the largest dividends.
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Monday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Aramark, Arm, Costco Wholesale, Deere, GoDaddy, Home Depot, Intercontinental Exchange, Payoneer Global, Walmart, Wayfair and Yum China.
The post Tuesday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: AstraZeneca, Bloom Energy, Cleveland-Cliffs, CrowdStrike, Dow, Nike, Urban Outfitters and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>The futures mostly traded higher Thursday, after a solid bounce-back day for the stock market, as all the major indexes finished the day higher. The catalyst for Wednesday’s rally and Thursday’s potential strong risk-on day was solid earnings from Nvidia and very solid forward guidance from the company. While the boost from the AI chip giant was very welcome, the market strength may run into a brick wall when Federal Reserve Chair Powell gives his annual speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium, where he is expected to remain vigilant on containing and lowering inflation.
Treasury yields plummeted by double digits in some cases Wednesday, as some of the highest yields in years had buyers clamoring to own the safe-haven government debt. The 10-year note yields dropped 14 basis points to close at 4.19%, with the shorter two-year paper last seen yielding 4.97%. The ongoing inversion still suggests recession at some point.
Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude both finished the day lower, at $82.99 and $78.61, respectively. That was well off the lows of the day after the Energy Information Administration reported a 6.1 million barrel inventory draw for the week to August 18. In addition, reports indicated that the Saudis will extend their production cut through October. Natural gas closed lower at $2.48, down 3% on the day.
Gold was a big winner on the day/ The December futures contract for the precious metal closed up 1.05% at $1,946.20. Traders and analysts cited the big jump in new home sales as a positive. Sales rose 4.4% last month against estimates for a 1.6% drop, coming in at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 714,000 homes, their highest level since February 2022. Bitcoin also rallied to close a stunning 2.05% higher at $26,577.20. The cryptocurrency giant had closed lower in 10 of the past 11 trading sessions before Wednesday’s rally.
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24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each weekday 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.
These are the top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Thursday, August 24, 2023.
Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN): Loop Capital reiterated a Buy rating on the shares and lifted its $180 target price to $200. The consensus target is just $169.29, and the shares closed trading on Wednesday at $135.18 apiece.
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American Electric Power Co. Inc. (NASDAQ: AEP): Barclays started coverage with an Overweight rating, though its $88 price target is less than the consensus target of $96.83. Wednesday’s final trade was for $79.36 a share.
Amgen Inc (NASDAQ: AMGN): Oppenheimer reiterated an Outperform rating with a $280 target price. The consensus target is lower at $255.15 and below Wednesday’s $257.52 closing share price.
Andersons Inc. (NASDAQ: ANDE): Zacks says that agribusiness is picking up again and it selected this stock as its Bull of the Day. The shares last closed at $51.40, and the $61.67 consensus price target would be a multiyear high.
Avery Dennison Corp. (NYSE: AVY): BofA Securities raised its Neutral rating to Buy and its $184 price target to $220. The consensus target is $199.91. Wednesday’s close was at $181.29.
Beazer Homes USA Inc. (NYSE: BZH): Sidoti upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral. Its $36 target price compares with a $35.33 consensus target. Wednesday’s closing print of $29.48 was up almost 5% after the upgrade.
BHP Group Ltd. (NYSE: BHP): Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating with a $68 target price. The consensus target is $64.13, and Wednesday’s last trade was for $57.03 a share.
Brown-Forman Corp. (NYSE: BF-B): Morgan Stanley’s upgrade to Overweight from Underweight included a price target hike to $75 from $66. The consensus target is $69.06. The stock closed almost 4% higher on Wednesday at $69.20 after the upgrade.
Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS): Wedbush downgraded the stock to Neutral from Outperform. The analyst also slashed the $155 target price to $115, well below the consensus target of $149.65. On Wednesday, the shares closed at $110.36.
Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK): Barclays started coverage with an Overweight rating and a $96 target price. The consensus target is up at $102.13. Wednesday’s close was at $90.23.
General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS): BofA Securities reiterated a Neutral rating but cut its target price to $72 from $82. The consensus target is $80.29. Wednesday’s closing share price was $67.99.
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KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY): Zacks named this as its Bear of the Day stock as analysts are cutting earnings estimates on the banks again. The shares have traded as high as $20.30 in the past year but closed most recently at $10.75. That is down almost 42% in the past six months.
Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW): Telsey Advisory reiterated a Market Perform rating and nudged its $225 target price to $230. The consensus target is $241.28. The stock closed on Wednesday at $226.25.
Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M): When Telsey Advisory reiterated a Market Perform rating, it trimmed its target price to $14 from $16. The consensus target is $16.33, and shares closed at $12.49 on Wednesday.
Marvell Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MRVL): Susquehanna reiterated a Positive rating and lifted its $60 target price to $70. The consensus target is $70.28. The stock closed almost 3% higher on Wednesday at $61.28.
Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX): Oppenheimer reiterated its Outperform rating. The firm’s $515 target price is well above the consensus target of $457.56 and Wednesday’s close at $429.34.
Premier Inc. (NASDAQ: PINC): As Piper Sandler downgraded the stock to Neutral from Overweight, its $44 target price dropped to $25. The consensus target is $35.80, and Wednesday’s close was at $27.16.
Safehold Inc. (NYSE: SAFE): Goldman Sachs initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $25 target price. The consensus target is $35.34. The shares ended Wednesday trading at $20.67.
Southern Co. (NYSE: SO): Barclays started coverage with an Equal Weight rating and a $68 price target. The consensus target is $33.61. Wednesday’s close was at $14.01.
SunRun Inc. (NASDAQ: RUN): Oppenheimer reiterated an Outperform rating with a $46 target price. The consensus target is $33.61, and Wednesday’s close was at $14.00.
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Super Micro Computer Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI): Wedbush upgraded the shares from Underperform to Neutral with a $250 target price. The consensus target is up at $349.86. Wednesday’s $279.98 close was up almost 9% on the day.
Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Telsey Advisory reiterated an Outperform Perform rating and bumped its $40 target price to $41. The consensus target is $36.31. The stock closed at $34.74 on Wednesday.
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT): Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating with a $190 target price. That compares with a lower $177.64 consensus target and Wednesday’s closing print of $157.96.
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Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Alibaba, Alphabet, Amazon.com, AppLovin, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Emerson Electric, Meta Platforms, Pinterest, Sea, Shopify, Target and Trip Advisor.
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]]>After U.S. markets closed on Friday, Palo Alto Networks reported better-than-expected earnings per share (EPS) and revenue that was just barely short of the consensus estimate. Analysts and investors breathed a big sigh of relief and sent shares up by around 16% in early trading on Monday.
There were no earnings reports due out before markets opened Monday morning.
After markets close on Monday and before they open on Tuesday, Baidu, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lowe’s, Macy’s and Zoom Video are set to report results.
Later on Tuesday, there are two notable earnings reports due.
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Shares of homebuilder Toll Brothers Inc. (NYSE: TOL) have soared by nearly 56% over the past 12 months, with nearly all of the gain coming in 2023. Since posting an all-time high a month ago, the stock price has fallen by about 8.4%.
Toll Brothers has beaten earnings estimates in every one of the past 12 quarters, and a subdued estimate for the July quarter has set the bar comfortably for still another beat. What the company has to say about its view of the second half of the year will be the most closely watched part of the earnings release.
Of 20 brokerages covering Toll Brothers, 11 have a Buy or Strong Buy rating and six have rated it at Hold. At a recent share price of around $76.40, the upside potential based on a median price target of $83.50 is 9.3%. At the high price target of $100.00, the upside potential is 30.1%.
When the company reports third-quarter 2023 results, analysts expect to see revenue of $2.4 billion, which would be down 4.4% sequentially and by 3.6% year over year. Adjusted EPS are forecast at $2.87, down 1.9% sequentially but up 22.5% year over year. For the full 2023 fiscal year ending in October, analysts expect EPS of $10.72, down 1.6%, on sales of $9.22 billion, down 10.3%.
Toll Brothers stock trades at 7.1 times expected 2023 EPS, 4.6 times estimated 2024 earnings of $10.07 and 7.9 times estimated 2025 earnings of $9.66 per share. Its 52-week trading range is $39.53 to $83.72. The company pays an annual dividend of $0.84 (yield of 1.1%). Total shareholder return for the past year was 58.16%.
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Specialty retailer Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) has seen its share price surge by more than 55% over the past 12 months. The stock rose to a new 52-week high last week but has pulled back by about 5.7% since then on weak expectations for most retail stocks in the months ahead. Citigroup cut its rating on the stock from Buy to Neutral last week but raised its price target from $36 to $40, a signal that investor enthusiasm for the stock may have peaked.
Analysts are cautious on the stock, with 8 of 14 having Hold ratings and another five rating it at Buy or Strong Buy. At a share price of around $35.70, the implied upside based on a median price target of $39.00 is 9.2%. At the high target of $45.00, the implied gain is 26.1%.
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Second-quarter fiscal 2024 revenue is forecast to come in at $1.25 billion, up 12.1% sequentially and 5.9% higher year over year. Analysts are forecasting EPS of $0.88, up 57.0% sequentially and by 40.1% year over year. For the full fiscal year ending in January, analysts expect EPS of $2.83, up 66.2%, on sales of $5.05 billion, up 5.4%.
Urban Outfitters stock trades at 12.7 times expected 2024 EPS, 11.9 times estimated 2025 earnings of $3.00 and 11.4 times estimated 2026 earnings of $3.13 per share. The 52-week trading range is $18.75 to $37.81. The company does not pay a dividend, and the total shareholder return for the past year was 55.12%.
The post Earnings Preview: Toll Brothers, Urban Outfitters appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>The futures were trading lower Tuesday on disappointing China economic data, after a solid start to the trading week that saw all the major indexes finish the day higher. With the inflation index readings out of the way until September, and the final second-quarter earnings on tap for this week with results from big retailers like Walmart and Target and tech giant Cisco, the stock market is likely poised to grind through the final two weeks of the summer with low volumes. One item that could stir the pot this week is the Friday options expiration, which some strategists view as having the potential to ignite selling if we trade through certain levels before Friday.
Treasury yields were modestly higher on Monday as some light selling came into the complex. Some analysts feel that the 30-year long bond could be headed back to highs hit last November. The last trade on Tuesday saw the yield at 4.30%. The 10-year note closed on Monday at 4.20%, while the two-year paper finished the day at 4.97%. While the inversion has narrowed some, many across Wall Street now feel a mild recession is on tap for 2024.
Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude finished Monday modestly higher, as more attention continued to focus on the energy rally, which has pushed the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund close to a 52-week high. Brent closed at $86.36, while WTI finished Monday’s session at $82.60. Natural gas was last seen at $2.84.
Gold had a lackluster day Monday, and many feel that the precious metal will stay stuck in neutral for the balance of the summer. While many view the $1,950 level of the December contract as support, the environment for the safe-haven bullion is being challenged by short T-bill rates well above the 5% level. Gold closed Monday at $1,937.90. Bitcoin, which has had a so-so summer as well, closed flat Monday at $29,392.
[nativounit]
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each weekday 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.
These are the top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.
Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN): Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating on the stock and has a $310 target price. The consensus target is just $252.55, while shares closed on Monday at $260.97.
Berry Petroleum Inc. (NYSE: BRY): Piper Sandler’s downgraded was from Overweight to Neutral with a $9 target price. The consensus target is $9.40. Monday’s closing share price was $8.07.
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BWX Technologies Inc. (NYSE: BWXT): Truist Financial raised its $77 target price on the Buy-rated shares to $83. The consensus target is $78.71. Monday’s close was at $74.
CF Industries Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CF): Even though Barclays downgraded the stock to Equal Weight from Overweight, the analyst raised the $80 target price to $85. The consensus target is $86.30, and shares closed on Monday at $78.06.
Cogent Communications Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CCOI): Oppenheimer reiterated an Outperform rating with a $76 target price. The consensus target is $70.20. Monday’s final trade was for $70.71 a share.
Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: CWCO): When Janney upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral, its $24 target price rose to $28. The consensus target is $24.00. The shares closed 13% higher on Monday at $25.59.
Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE: CTRA): Piper Sandler’s upgrade was to Overweight from Neutral. The firm also raised its $30 target price to $35, above the $30.26 consensus target. Monday’s close was at $27.97.
CymaBay Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAY): UBS initiated coverage with a Buy rating and an $18 target price. The consensus target is $16.00. Monday’s $12.07 close was down over 10% for the day.
Eaton Corp. PLC (NYSE: ETN): Citing its investment in research and development initiatives, Zacks named this as its Bull of the Day stock. Its shares last closed at $219.04, and the $228.19 consensus price target would be an all-time high.
EnerSys (NYSE: ENS): Oppenheimer trimmed its $119 target price to $117 while maintaining an Outperform rating. The consensus target is $116.80. The closing share price on Monday was $96.18.
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EPR Properties (NYSE: EPR): As BofA Securities downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy, its $50 target price slipped to $45. The consensus is $49.28, and shares closed on Monday at $42.79.
Keysight Technologies Inc. (NYSE: KEYS): BofA Securities lowered its Neutral rating Underperform and its $163 target price to $148. The consensus target is up at $189.21. The shares closed on Monday at $157.04.
Marriott International Inc. (NYSE: MAR): Bernstein’s downgrade to Market Perform from Outperform included a price target hike to $218 from $204. The $200.33 consensus target is less than Monday’s closing share price of $206.84.
Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ: MNST): HSBC Securities started coverage with a Buy rating and a $72 target price. That compares with a lower $62 consensus target and Monday’s closing print of $59.01.
Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS): Barclays downgraded the stock to Underweight from Equal Weight and has a $40 target price. The consensus is $43.22. The shares closed on Monday at $40.61.
Northern Oil & Gas Inc. (NYSE: NOG): Piper Sandler downgraded the shares from Overweight to Neutral with a $46 target price. The $47.67 consensus target is also higher than Monday’s closing print of $40.96.
Nutrien Ltd. (NYSE: NTR): The Barclays downgrade to Underweight from Overweight came with a target price trim to $68 from $70. The consensus target is $75.16. Monday’s $63.83 close was down 4% on the day.
Parsons Corp. (NYSE: PSN): The prior Underperform rating at BofA Securities is now at Buy, and the analyst lifted the $46 target price all the way to $65. The consensus target is just $58.44, and shares closed on Monday at $55.31.
Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (NYSE: PEG): The UBS downgrade to Neutral from Buy included a target price cut to $66 from $70. The consensus target is $66.63. On Monday, the stock closed at $60.04.
Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Though Citigroup downgraded the shares to Neutral from Buy, its $36 target price increased to $40. The consensus target is $34.67, less than Monday’s close at $36.39.
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Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: W): Truist Financial reiterated a Buy rating. Its $96 price target is well above the $90.11 consensus target Monday’s close at $78.36.
W.P. Carey Inc. (NYSE: WPC): BofA Securities cut its Neutral rating to Underperform and its $78 price target to $67. The consensus target is $77.33, and the stock ended Monday trading at $65.46.
W.W. Grainger Inc. (NYSE: GWW): Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating with a $825 target price. The consensus target is just $773.18, but Monday’s closing share price was $715.68.
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As dark clouds gather on the economic horizon, these seven high-yielding Warren Buffett stocks look poised not only to survive in the current rising interest rate environment but possibly to thrive.
See how the gap in pay between film business CEOs and the industry average stacks up against those in other industries.
Monday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Alibaba, Amazon.com, AppLovin, Corteva, Hershey, Lucid, Medical Properties Trust, Palo Alto Networks, Rivian Automotive, Twilio, Ventas, Walmart and Wayfair.
The post Tuesday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Amgen, Coterra Energy, Eaton, Marriott, Monster Beverage, Mosaic, Urban Outfitters, Wayfair and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>The futures were mixed after a solid Tuesday that once again saw all the major indexes finish the day higher. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 posted 2023 highs. The tailwind for stocks was the reasonably benign consumer price index (CPI) report for May, which came in at 4.0%, just below expectations for a 4.1% year-over-year increase. The core CPI number, which backs out the volatile food and energy results, came in at 5.3%, in line with 5.3% expectations. CPI inflation has now declined for 12 consecutive months, following the most aggressive Federal Reserve rate hike cycle in decades. Most across Wall Street now expect Fed Chair Powell to announce a June pause.
Treasury yields were higher for the second day running, as sellers came in big after the noon hour as the bond market also spent Tuesday deciphering the inflation data. With the odds very solid that there will not be a rate increase Wednesday, buyers could be ready to step into what will be a huge onslaught of government debt being brought to market to refill the Treasury coffers as the quarter draws to a close. The 10-year note finished the day at 3.84%, while the two-year paper closed at 4.68%, widening the inversion between the two securities.
Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude were big winners Tuesday, both closing up over 3% after a dreadful Monday that saw the major benchmarks get clobbered to the tune of 4.5%. With the CPI data coming in as good or better than expected, worries over a June rate increase have been dramatically lowered, and oil traders took advantage of the lowest price levels since mid-March to add or initiate positions. Natural gas closed almost 3% higher at $2.33.
Gold prices dropped, after initially moving higher on the CPI data, and finished the day down 0.70% at $1955.60 for the August contract. Bitcoin rallied off the lows of the day to close modestly higher at $25,930. Ongoing worries of government regulation have weighed on the cryptocurrency giant since March.
[nativounit]
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.
These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, June 14, 2023.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL): Though UBS downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy, it bumped its $180 price target up to $190. The consensus target is $186.14, and shares closed on Tuesday at $183.31.
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Assurant Inc. (NYSE: AIZ): Piper Sandler upgraded the stock to Overweight from Neutral, but its $144 target price is less than the $159.20 consensus target. The shares closed up over 4% on Tuesday at $130.32 after the upgrade.
BRP Inc. (NASDAQ: DOOO): D.A. Davidson lifted its Neutral rating to Buy and its target price to $126 from $111. The consensus target is $105.18. Tuesday’s $79.26 close was a one-day gain of over 5% after the upgrade.
Core & Main Inc. (NYSE: CNM): Northcoast initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $40 price target. The consensus target is $33.83. Tuesday’s final trade was for $28.89 a share.
Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN): Goldman Sachs upgraded the shares to Buy from Neutral. The analyst also trimmed its $63 target price to $58, below the $62.96 consensus target. Tuesday’s close at $50.39 was a 3% gain for the day on the upgrade and stronger oil pricing.
EOG Resources Inc. (NYSE: EOG): When Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy, it also reduced its $137 target price to $130. The consensus target is $143.74. The shares closed on Tuesday at $112.72.
First Horizon Corp. (NYSE: FHN): J.P. Morgan’s downgrade to Neutral from Overweight included a target price cut to $13 from $20. The consensus target is $13.32, and shares closed on Tuesday at $12.15.
Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN): The Jefferies downgrade to Hold from Buy included a target price cut to $105 from $140. The consensus target is $136.84. The stock closed on Tuesday at $100.61.
Mobileye Global Inc. (NASDAQ: MBLY): Citigroup resumed coverage with a Buy rating and a $71 target price. The consensus target is just $45.35, and Tuesday’s close was at $40.31.
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Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX): BofA Securities reiterated a Buy rating and boosted its $410 target price to $490. Guggenheim also reiterated a Buy rating, and its $375 target price soared to $500. The consensus target is $373.74. The stock closed on Tuesday at $435.33.
NVR Inc. (NYSE: NVR): Zacks has picked this homebuilder stock as its Bull of the Day, citing superior business economics and housing supply tailwinds. Shares most recently closed at $5,929.63, which is more than 28% higher than at the beginning of the year.
Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL): As Goldman Sachs boosted its Sell rating to Neutral, the target price increased to $120 from $75. The consensus target is $105.15. The stock closed on Tuesday at $116.68.
PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (NYSE: PAGS): HSBC Securities upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold. Its $10 target price rose to $13, above the consensus target of $12.83. Tuesday’s $10.39 close up almost 3% for the day on the upgrade.
PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL): Atlantic Equities downgraded the stock to Neutral from Overweight and has a $72 target price. The consensus target is $92.94. Tuesday’s close at $63.56.
Radian Group Inc. (NYSE: RDN): Keefe Bruyette downgraded the stock from Outperform to Market Perform with a $27.50 target. The consensus target is $26.58. The shares ended trading on Tuesday at $25.46.
Rexford Industrial Realty Inc. (NYSE: REXR): Citigroup’s downgrade to Neutral from Buy included a target price cut to $53 from $66. The consensus target is up at $69.88. The shares finished Tuesday’s session at $52.79.
StoneCo Ltd. (NASDAQ: STNE): HSBC Securities upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold, and it raised its $11 target price to $15. The consensus target is $13.74, and the stock closed on Tuesday at $13.49.
Surmodics Inc. (NASDAQ: SRDX): The Hold rating at Needham is now at Buy. Its $36 target price is much less than the $56.33 consensus target. The upgrade helped shares close 16% higher on Tuesday at $26.31.
Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA): Loop Capital upgraded the shares to Buy from Hold and hiked its target price to $520 from $490. The consensus target is $532.86. The last trade on Tuesday was reported at $443.76, which was up almost 4% for the day after the upgrade.
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Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): As Morgan Stanley raised its Equal Weight rating to Overweight, its $27 price target jumped to $41. The consensus target is $32.63. The closing share price for Tuesday was $33.54, up over 4% for the day on the upgrade and positive commentary.
U.S. Cellular Corp. (NYSE: USM): Its Bear of the Day is being edged out by its larger rivals that can outcompete with aggressive pricing for their service plans, says Zacks. Shares have traded as high as $32.41 in the past year but closed most recently at $16.58.
Weibo Corp. (NYSE: WB): The downgrade to Neutral from Buy at UBS came with a target price slashed from $33 to $15.50. The consensus price target is $22.28, and the shares closed on Tuesday at $14.88.
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Five outstanding companies should do very well in a falling inflation environment, and their stocks make sense for long-term investors looking to stay long the market but wanting to avoid chasing technology, which has led the market rally this year.
Tuesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Bill, Carnival, CenterPoint Energy, Editas Medicine, International Paper, Oracle, Palantir Technologies, Petrobras, SentinelOne, Trade Desk, Valvoline and Walmart.
The post Wednesday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Apple, Devon Energy, Global Payments, Mobileye, Netflix, Oracle, PayPal, Ulta Beauty, Urban Outfitters and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>The futures were trading mixed, with the Nasdaq futures up huge after massive numbers from Nvidia, after a dreadful Wednesday that saw all the major indexes close in the red. Once again, the leading cause for the selling was the ongoing debt ceiling issue, which is quickly running out of time for a solution. The Republicans continue to stand their ground on budget cuts and spending, and some noted there remains a “significant gap” in negotiations with the president and his team. Strategists also cited the slower reopening in China as a headwind for the markets Wednesday.
Treasury yields were modestly higher on Wednesday as bond traders continue to eye the debt ceiling talks closely. Yields on the one-month T-bill have skyrocketed over the potential for a debt-ceiling-triggered default. The one-month bill closed at a stunning 5.83%, which compares with the two-year yield of 4.328% and the benchmark 10-year note at 3.75%.
Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude both surged higher Wednesday, closing up 1.47% and 1.29% respectively, after the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a massive draw in crude oil of 6.7 million barrels. With the unofficial start to the summer driving season starting this Memorial Day weekend, demand could increase in a big way. Natural gas also finished higher, up 3.6%, at $2.41.
Gold finished lower on the day at $1961.90, despite the debt ceiling turmoil, as the sellers returned to take profits on the bullion. Bitcoin was the big loser on the day, as the cryptocurrency giant was pounded lower to the tune of 2.93% to close at $26,413. Just over a month ago, it traded over the $30,000 level.
[nativounit]
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.
These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Thursday, May 25, 2023.
Allison Transmission Holdings Inc. (NYSE: ALSN): Citing strategic buyouts and new product launches, Zacks selected this stock as its Bull of the Day. Shares last closed at $47.57, which is up more than 14% year to date.
Antero Resources Corp. (NYSE: AR): Goldman Sachs lowered its $34 price target on the Buy-rated shares to $29. The consensus target is $31.08. The stock closed at $23.34 on Wednesday.
Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage with a Neutral rating and a $224 price target. The consensus target is higher at $231.83. Wednesday’s last trade was at $196.75 a share.
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AutoZone Inc. (NYSE: AZO): Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating with a $2,850 target price. The consensus is $2,772.10, and shares closed on Wednesday at $2,423.62 apiece.
Berry Global Group Inc. (NYSE: BERY): Truist Financial’s upgrade was to Buy from Hold. It also raised its $69 price target to $73, above the $71.07 consensus target. Wednesday’s final print was $60.03 a share.
Camping World Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CWH): The Market Perform rating was raised to Outperform at BMO Capital Markets, which also boosted its $26 price target to $35. The consensus target is $41.50. The stock closed over 4% higher on Wednesday at $27.45 after the upgrade.
Coterra Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: CTRA): Goldman Sachs initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $29 target price. The consensus target is $30.58. Wednesday’s close at $25.51.
Dollar General Corp. (NYSE: DG): Jefferies reiterated a Buy and has a $285 target price. The consensus target is $241.38. The stock closed at $208.83 on Wednesday.
Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE: LLY): UBS reiterated a Buy rating and lifted its price target to $498 from $477. The $424.22 consensus target is less than the most recent close at $425.93.
First Horizon Corp. (NYSE: FHN): Although Jefferies upgraded the bank to Buy from Neutral, it also cut its target price to $13 from $18. The consensus target is $16.75. The shares closed on Wednesday at $11.08.
Infosys Ltd. (NASDAQ: INFY): J.P. Morgan started coverage with a Neutral rating and a target price of $14 The consensus target is $18.34, and the stock closed on Wednesday at $15.57.
Integra Lifesciences Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: IART): J.P. Morgan cut its Neutral rating to Underweight and its $56 target price to $43. The consensus target is $39.28 for now. Wednesday’s $39.15 close was down almost 3% on the day. The stock was hammered this week after a product recall.
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Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU): Oppenheimer reiterated an Outperform rating. Its $476 target price compares with a consensus target of $451.00 and Wednesday’s close at $415.92.
New Relic Inc. (NYSE: NEWR): D.A. Davidson reiterated a Buy rating but trimmed its target price to $95 from $100. The consensus target is $82. The shares ended Wednesday trading at $79.73 apiece.
Owens Corning (NYSE: OC): The Barclays upgrade to Overweight from Equal Weight included a target price hike to $135 from $113. The consensus target is $117.36. The shares closed on Wednesday at $108.24.
Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: PANW): UBS reiterated a Neutral rating but lifted its $200 target price to $220. Stifel maintained its Buy rating, and its price objective rose to $240 from $225. Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating and boosted the $235 target price to $245. The consensus target is $203.32. Wednesday’s $204.31 close was up over 7% for the day in the wake of stellar quarterly results.
Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC): Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock from Sell to Neutral. Though it nudged its $30 target price to $31, that is still below the $32.29 consensus figure. Wednesday’s final trade was for $29.80 per share.
Sherwin-Williams Co. (NYSE: SHW): When Jefferies upgraded the shares to Buy from Hold, the analyst raised the price target to $275 from $240. The consensus target is $253.26. The stock closed on Wednesday at $228.82.
Southwestern Energy Inc. (NYSE: SWN): The Goldman Sachs downgrade to Sell from Neutral included a target price cut to $5 from $5.75. The consensus target is $7.54. Wednesday’s close was at $5.21.
Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT): Vertical Research downgraded the shares from Buy to Hold with a $70 target price. The consensus target is $81.48. Wednesday’s closing share price was $62.28.
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Toast Inc. (NYSE: TOST): D.A. Davidson resumed coverage with a Buy rating and a $25 target price. The consensus target is $23.38, and Wednesday’s close was at $21.37.
Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Barclays raised its Equal Weight rating to Overweight and its $27 price target to $38. The consensus target is $28.63. The stock closed at $31.35 on Wednesday.
Workday Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY): As Exane BNP Paribas upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold, its $240 target price increased to $275. The $211.99 consensus target is closer to Wednesday’s $181.92 closing price.
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With money market and certificate of deposit rates well over 4% and interest rate hikes winding down, it makes sense now for growth and income investors to look at blue chip stocks with big and dependable dividends.
See what has analysts and investors excited about the outlook for Nvidia.
These CEOs of major U.S. companies make 1,000 times more than their employees.
Some feel the stock market could be headed for a 20% or greater drop, with or without a debt ceiling default. Here is how investors should prepare now for a market crash.
Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Chevron, Cleveland-Cliffs, Infosys, Knight-Swift Transportation, Microsoft, Nucor, Salesforce, Steel Dynamics, Wheaton Precious Metals and Zoom Video Communications.
The post Thursday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Coterra Energy, Eli Lilly, First Horizon, Palo Alto Networks, Southwestern Energy, Toast and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>The three major U.S. equity indexes closed lower Thursday. The Dow Jones industrials ended the day down 0.02%, the S&P 500 closed 0.31% lower and the Nasdaq retreated 0.35%. Eight of 11 sectors closed lower, with utilities (−1.79%) and consumer cyclicals (−1.27%) leading the slide. Technology (0.21%) and energy (0.12%) posted the largest gains.
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The only notable data point due out Friday is the National Association of Realtors report on existing home sales for October. Economists expect the number to decline from 4.71 million in September to 4.38 million. Thursday’s reports on housing starts and new building permits were slightly higher than expectations, and the report on new claims for jobless benefits slipped slightly week over week. Combined with comments from Federal Reserve officials that continued tightening was required in order to avoid a recession, markets opened lower and were unable to climb out of that early hole.
The three major indexes traded higher in Friday’s premarket session.
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After U.S. markets closed Thursday, Applied Materials beat analysts’ estimates for earnings per share (EPS) and revenue. The semiconductor equipment maker also issued in-line guidance for the first quarter of fiscal 2023. Shares traded up more than 4% in Friday’s premarket.
Gap posted EPS of $0.71, compared to a consensus break-even estimate, and also surpassed revenue expectations. Earnings included a tax benefit of $0.33 per share and excluded a $53 million impairment charge related to the company’s Yeezy partnership. The stock traded up about 9% Friday morning.
Palo Alto Networks also beat estimates on the top and bottom lines. The cybersecurity specialist raised fiscal 2023 guidance. It expects fiscal year billings of $9.95 to $9.1 billion and adjusted free cash flow of 34.5% to 35.5%. Shares traded up more than 9% early Friday.
Ross Stores posted better-than-expected revenue and EPS and also issued upside guidance for fiscal 2023. The company noted, however, that it expects a “very promotional holiday selling season and ongoing inflationary headwinds.” Shares jumped about 16%.
Before markets opened on Friday, Foot Locker beat estimates on the top and bottom lines and raised guidance for a smaller loss than previously expected and better-than-expected EPS. Shares traded up about 14%.
JD.com reported better-than-expected EPS but missed the revenue estimate. The stock traded up by about 2.6%.
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No notable earnings reports are due out after markets close Friday or before they open on Monday. Next week, U.S. markets are closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Here is a look at three companies on deck to report results before Monday’s opening bell.
Over the past 12 months, shares of Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE: DELL) have shed more than 25% of their price. The stock hit a new 52-week low in mid-October, and shares have bounced by about 23% since then.
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Global personal computer sales fell by 15% year over year in the third quarter. Dell’s sales fell by 20%. Analysts are expecting sharp dips in earnings and revenue. Earlier this week, Dell agreed to a $1 billion settlement related to claims by shareholders that the company’s $67 billion purchase of EMC shortchanged them by billions. The settlement still needs to be approved by the court.
Sentiment among analysts remains tilted toward bullish, with 12 of 19 brokerages having a Buy or Strong Buy rating and the rest rating the stock at Hold. At a recent share price of around $42.00, the upside potential based on a median price target of $51.00 is 21.4%. At the high price target of $72.00, the upside potential is about 71.4%.
The consensus revenue estimate for Dell’s third quarter of fiscal 2023 is $24.62 billion, which would be down 6.8% sequentially and 13.3% lower year over year. Adjusted EPS are forecast at $1.61, down 4.1% sequentially and by 32.0% year over year. For the full fiscal year ending in January, analysts currently expect EPS of $6.75, up 8.4%, on sales of $102.17 billion, up 0.9%.
Dell stock trades at 6.2 times expected 2023 EPS, 6.0 times estimated 2024 earnings of $6.90 and 5.6 times estimated 2025 earnings of $7.46 per share. The stock’s 52-week trading range is $32.90 to $61.54. Dell pays an annual dividend of $1.32 (yield of 3.21%), and the total shareholder return for the past year was negative 23.5%.
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Specialty retailer Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) has seen its share price tumble by about 32% over the past 12 months. Since reaching a peak almost exactly one year ago, the stock has fallen by more than 33%. Inventory issues that have plagued most retailers for the past year were also an issue for Urban Outfitters, and clearing that inventory at reduced prices has weighed on gross margins. Investors will want to hear that the situation is improving, not getting worse.
Analysts are cautious on the stock, with eight of 13 having a Hold rating and the other five rating the shares at Buy or Strong Buy. At a price of around $25.40 a share, the stock has outrun its median price target of $24.00. At the high target of $35.50, the implied gain is nearly 40%.
Third-quarter fiscal 2023 revenue is forecast to come in at $1.16 billion, down 2.2% sequentially but up 2.7% year over year. Analysts are forecasting EPS of $0.42, down 34.6% sequentially and by 52.8% year over year. For the full fiscal year ending in January, analysts expect EPS of $1.76, down 43.7%, on sales of $4.75 billion, up 4.5%.
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Urban Outfitters stock trades at 14.4 times expected 2023 EPS, 11.5 times estimated 2024 earnings of $2.21 and 9.7 times estimated 2025 earnings of $2.61 per share. The stock’s 52-week range is $17.81 to $38.17. The company does not pay a dividend, and the total shareholder return for the past year was negative 32.1%.
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Over the past 12 months, shares of Zoom Video Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) have dropped by about 67.7%. The stock reached its 52-week high almost exactly one year ago and its 52-week low last month. The company is seeking new venues for its video conferencing program and recently partnered with AMC to launch simultaneous meetings in several Zoom Rooms at selected AMC theaters and with Tesla to deliver in-car video conferencing. While these developments are interesting, neither seems like a game changer for the company.
Analysts remain unconvinced, too. Of 32 brokerages covering the stock, 21 have a Hold rating and 10 have Buy or Strong Buy ratings. At a share price of around $82.60, the upside potential based on a median price target of $95.00 is 15%. At the high price target of $130.00, the upside potential is 57.4%.
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Fiscal third-quarter revenue is forecast at $1.1 billion, up 0.3% sequentially and 4.8% higher year over year. Adjusted EPS are pegged at $0.84, down 19.9% sequentially and 24.3% lower year over year. For the full 2023 fiscal year ending in January, current estimates call for EPS of $3.73, down 26.5%, on sales of $4.4 billion, up 7.3%.
The stock trades at 22.2 times expected 2023 EPS, 22.5 times estimated 2024 earnings of $3.67 and 21.6 times estimated 2025 earnings of $3.83 per share. The stock’s 52-week range is $70.44 to $265.23. Zoom does not pay a dividend, and total shareholder return for the past year is negative 67.7%.
The post Earnings Previews: Dell Technologies, Urban Outfitters, Zoom Video appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>The three major U.S. equity indexes closed lower Friday. The Dow Jones industrials dropped 0.86%, the S&P 500 lost 1.29% and the Nasdaq tumbled by 2.01%. Ten of 11 sectors ended the day with losses, led by consumer cyclicals and financials (down 2.1% and 2.0%, respectively). For the week, the Nasdaq was down 2.6%, the S&P 500 down 1.2% and the Dow slipped by just 0.2%.
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Looking ahead, on Thursday we shall get the second reading on second-quarter gross domestic product, while Friday brings the personal income and spending report. Thursday also marks the beginning of the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole retreat, the highlight of which is Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference Friday morning. In the meantime, we can do little but wonder if equities’ gains of the past few weeks will evaporate. All three major indexes were down by about 1% or more in premarket trading Monday.
There were no notable earnings releases after markets closed Friday or before they opened on Monday. Two companies are set to report quarterly results after markets close on Monday: Palo Alto Networks and Zoom Video. First thing Tuesday morning, JD.com, KE Holdings, Macy’s and Medtronic are expected to release quarterly results.
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The following four companies will post quarterly results late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Shares of department store operator Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) have lost about 29% of their value over the past 12 months. Year to date, however, the shares have added about 6.9%, and over the past six months, shares have gained almost 12%. The stock’s 52-week high rolls off later this week, with shares trading nearly 30% above the 52-week low. In late May, the company announced a $500 million share buyback program and a relatively easy comparison with prior year results is also working in the company’s favor. Nordstrom reports after markets close Tuesday.
Analysts are not convinced, however, that Nordstrom is a solid play. Of 22 brokerages covering the stock, 14 have Hold ratings while only three rate the shares at Buy or Strong Buy. At a recent price of around $24.20 a share, the stock trades slightly above its median price target of $24.00. At the high price target of $43.50, the upside potential is nearly 80%.
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For the second quarter of fiscal 2023 that ended in July, revenue is forecast at $3.97 billion, which would be up 11.3% sequentially and by 8.5% year over year. Analysts have forecast earnings per share (EPS) of $0.80 for the quarter, compared to a loss of $0.06 per share in the prior quarter and EPS of $0.49 in the year-ago quarter. For the full 2023 fiscal year ending in January, current estimates call for EPS of $3.12, up 107.7%, on sales of $15.82 billion, up almost 7%.
Nordstrom stock trades at 7.8 times expected 2023 EPS, 7.5 times estimated 2024 earnings of $3.21 and 7.6 times estimated 2025 earnings of $3.18 per share. The stock’s 52-week trading range is $18.65 to $38.14. The company pays an annual dividend of $0.76 (yield of 3.1%). Total shareholder return for the past year was negative 27.7%.
Pet food and supply retailer Petco Health and Wellness Co. Inc. (NASDAQ: WOOF) has dropped nearly 25% of its stock price over the past 12 months. Since reaching a 52-week peak in early November, the stock is down more than 49%. Free cash flow was negative $8.4 million in the prior quarter, the second straight quarter of cash burn after five consecutive periods of positive free cash flow.
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Earlier this month, the company reshuffled its executive deck and named a new chief operating officer to sort out logistics issues. And two weeks ago, a store in Washington became the first to seek union representation. Petco reports results before markets open Wednesday.
Analysts are bullish on the stock. Of 13 brokerages covering it, eight have a Buy or Strong Buy and four have a Hold rating. At a share price of around $15.90, the upside potential based on a median price target of $19.00 is about 19.5%. At the high price target of $30.00, the upside potential is nearly 95%.
For the company’s second quarter of fiscal 2023, analysts are expecting revenue of $1.49 billion, up 1.2% sequentially and 4.2% higher year over year. Adjusted EPS are forecast at $0.22, up 31.7% sequentially but down 12.0% year over year. For the full fiscal year ending in January, EPS are forecast to come in at $0.90, down 0.7%, on sales of $6.12 billion, up 5.4%.
Petco stock trades at 17.6 times expected 2023 EPS, 15.9 times estimated 2024 earnings of $1.00 and 15.0 times estimated 2025 earnings of $1.06 per share. The stock’s 52-week range is $12.88 to $26.21. Petco does not pay a dividend. Total shareholder return for the past year was negative 20.6%.
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Shares of homebuilder Toll Brothers Inc. (NYSE: TOL) have dropped by 18.4% over the past 12 months. Since posting an all-time high in mid-December, the stock price has fallen by more than 33%. The company caters to affluent buyers who are not sensitive to interest rates, and its performance over the past two quarters has been impressive. Toll Brothers has beaten earnings estimates in 11 or the past 12 quarters, and sales are on track to post a solid gain for the full fiscal year. The report is expected after markets close on Tuesday.
Sentiment on the stock is better than lukewarm, but not exactly bullish. Of 19 brokerages covering the company, nine have a Buy or Strong Buy rating and seven rate the shares at Hold. At a share price of around $47.30, the upside potential based on a median price target of $53.50 is 13.1%. At the high price target of $80.00, the upside potential is more than 69%.
When the company reports third-quarter 2022 results, analysts expect to see revenue of $2.52 billion, up 10.5% sequentially and by 11.5% year over year. Adjusted EPS are forecast at $2.29, up 24% sequentially and 22.5% higher year over year. For the full 2022 fiscal year ending in October, analysts expect EPS of $10.17, up 53.4%, on sales of $10.32 billion, up 17.4%.
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Toll Brothers stock trades at 4.6 times expected 2022 EPS, 4.4 times estimated 2023 earnings of $10.62 and 4.7 times estimated 2024 earnings of $10.16 per share. The stock’s 52-week range is $40.20 to $75.61. The company pays an annual dividend of $0.74 (yield of 1.57%). Total shareholder return for the past year was negative 17.2%.
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Specialty retailer Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) has seen its share price tumble by about 39% over the past 12 months. Since reaching a peak almost exactly one year ago, the stock has fallen by more than 45%. Prior-quarter sales rose sharply year over year, but margins and profits were hurt by higher costs for shipping and labor. Margins could get hit again due to inventory clearing. How all this will shape the second half of the year is what investors will want to hear about. The company reports results late on Tuesday.
Analysts are cautious on the stock, with nine of 14 having a Hold rating and the other five rating the stock at Buy. At a share price of around $22.30, the implied upside based on a median price target of $23.50 is 5.4%. At the high target of $36.50, the implied gain is 63.7%.
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Second-quarter fiscal 2023 revenue is forecast to come in at $1.18 billion, up 12.5% sequentially and 1.7% year over year. Analysts are forecasting EPS of $0.70, up almost 112% sequentially but down 45.3% year over year. For the full 2023 fiscal year ending in January, analysts currently expect EPS of $2.28, down 27.2%, on sales of $4.8 billion, up 5.6%.
Urban Outfitters stock trades at 9.8 times expected 2023 EPS, 8.6 times estimated 2024 earnings of $2.58 and 7.8 times estimated 2025 earnings of $2.94 per share. The stock’s 52-week range is $17.81 to $41.03. The company does not pay a dividend, and the total shareholder return for the past year was negative 38.9%.
The post Earnings Previews: Nordstrom, Petco, Toll Brothers, Urban Outfitters appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>Markets were somewhat mixed as the week came to a close. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones industrials each saw a slight loss on the day, while the Nasdaq had a handy gain, up over 0.5%. Despite this small bounce, each of the major averages is on track for posting a fairly sizable loss for the week.
On this day last week, the consumer price index saw its highest print in over four decades. This historic reading necessitated action by the Federal Reserve, which we saw Wednesday when the central bank hiked interest rates by 75 basis points, its first hike of this size since 1994.
As interest rates increase, investors can expect to see an inverse reaction from equities. Currently it does not appear that the Fed is done hiking rates this summer, so there may be more pain for investors down the road. Also, the question remains: how much of these moves by the Fed has been priced into markets already?
24/7 Wall St. is reviewing additional analyst calls seen on Friday. We have included the latest call on each stock, as well as a recent trading history and the consensus targets among analysts. Note that analyst calls seen earlier in the day were on Amgen, AutoZone, Boeing, Dollar General, Etsy, FedEx and more.
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American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO): B. Riley Securities downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy and cut the $22 price target to $13. The 52-week trading range is $11.43 to $38.99, and shares traded above $11 apiece on Friday.
American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP): Robert Baird upgraded the shares from Neutral to Outperform with a $175 price target. The 52-week trading range is $136.49 to $199.55, and shares were trading near $139 on Friday.
Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE: COF): Robert Baird also upgraded this one to Outperform from Neutral, and it has a $145 price target. The 52-week range is $98.54 to $177.95. Shares traded near $104 apiece on Friday.
CF Industries Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CF): Citigroup’s downgrade to Neutral from Buy included a price target cut to $99 from $123. The stock traded near $89 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $43.19 to $113.49.
Dow Inc. (NYSE: DOW): Citigroup lowered its Buy rating to Neutral rating and cut the $82 price target to $60. The shares traded near $55 on Friday. The 52-week trading range is $52.07 to $71.86.
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NextEra Energy Partners L.P. (NYSE: NEP): RBC Capital Markets upgraded it to Outperform from Sector Perform, and the firm raised the $86 price target to $89. The stock traded near $69 on Friday. The 52-week trading range is $61.31 to $88.80.
Roblox Corp. (NYSE: RBLX): Truist downgraded the stock to Hold from Buy and cut the price target to $29 from $36. The 52-week trading range is $21.65 to $141.60, and shares were changing hands at around $25 on Friday.
Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): The B. Riley Securities downgrade was to Neutral from Buy, and the price target was cut to $23 from $35. Shares were trading near $20, in a 52-week range is $17.81 to $42.10.
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Proper asset allocation should always include some holdings of precious metals. Seven top BofA Securities gold stock picks pay quite respectable dividends and look like great ideas now for worried investors.
See which key analyst expects big things from American Express and three other top financial stocks.
The post How Much Pain Is Already Priced In? Analysts Upgrade or Downgrade American Express, Dow, Roblox and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>The futures traded higher Thursday, after a promising start to Wednesday, credited in some part to comments from the Atlanta Fed President that there could be a pause in the interest rate hikes in September, turned into selling across the board by the close. All the major indexes, including the transports and utilities, closed lower. Some solid earnings from Salesforce got the party rolling but the enthusiasm quickly waned, as it appears that big rally from last week is pulling the risk-off crowd back to the table.
Yields were higher across the Treasury curve, as the Federal Reserve began its balance sheet runoff. Maturing bonds will not be replaced during this program, while the quantitative easing program of buying treasury and mortgage-backed debt ended back in March.
Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude were mixed on Wednesday, and both are closing in on $120 a barrel. Natural gas closed modestly higher, while gold closed flat and Bitcoin was down close to 6% on the day, back below the $30,000 level.
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 Thursday, June 2, 2022.
Analog Devices Inc. (NASDAQ: ADI): Zacks has named this stock as its Bull of the Day. The analyst cites strong earnings and upbeat guidance in the face of ongoing supply chain bottlenecks and a slowing economy. Shares last closed at $164.77, and the consensus price target of $202.04 would be an all-time high.
Aptiv PLC (NYSE: APTV): Goldman Sachs lowered its $150 price target on the Buy-rated company to $135. The consensus target is $145.83. The stock closed on Wednesday at $107.52.
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN): Baird maintained an Outperform rating and a $112 target price. The consensus target is $116.72. The final trade Wednesday came in at $74.37.
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CF Industries Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CF): Barclays initiated coverage with an Equal Weight rating and a $103 target price. The consensus target is $112.88. The stock closed over 3% lower on Wednesday at $95.51.
Finvolutions Group (NYSE: FINV): Citigroup upgraded the shares to Buy from Neutral and raised the $3.27 price target to $5.33. The consensus target is $6.21. The stock closed over 7% higher on Wednesday at $4.52.
Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F): Goldman Sachs lowered its $18 price target on the Neutral-rated shares to $14. The consensus target is $17.66. The stock closed at $13.55 on Wednesday.
Jabil Inc. (NYSE: JBL): Goldman Sachs maintained a Buy rating but cut the $78 target price to $69. The consensus target is $80.67. The stock closed on Wednesday at $60.63.
Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS): Barclays initiated coverage with an Underweight rating and a $59 price objective. The consensus target is $76.05. The shares ended Wednesday over 6% lower to $58.69.
O-I Glass Inc. (NYSE: OI): Baird reiterated an Outperform rating with a $24 target. The consensus target is $15.92. The final trade Wednesday was for $16.90 a share.
Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE: PK): Truist Financial lifted its Hold rating to Buy, and its $19 price target went to $22. The consensus target is $22.50. The stock closed 3% higher on Wednesday at $18.60.
Magna International Inc. (NYSE: MGA): Goldman Sachs maintained a Buy rating but lowered the $85 target price to $72. The consensus target is up at $107.20. The shares closed on Wednesday at $64.35.
Noble Corp. (NYSE: NE): BTIG Research upgraded the shares from Neutral to Buy with a $60 target. The consensus target is lower at $43.25. Wednesday’s $37.27 close was up almost 3% on the day.
Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: PTEN): Piper Sandler’s downgrade to Neutral from Overweight included a price target boost to $22.75 from $21. The consensus target is $20.25. The shares ended Wednesday trading at $18.89.
Pinterest Inc. (NYSE: PINS): Piper Sandler downgraded the stock to Neutral from Overweight, and its $35 target price dropped to $23. The consensus target is $30.07. The stock closed almost 4% lower on Wednesday at $18.93.
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Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG): KeyBanc Capital Markets resumed coverage with an Overweight rating and a $40 target. The consensus target is $36.64. The stock closed Wednesday at $17.92, down over 3% for the day.
Salesforce Inc. (NYSE: CRM): Baird reiterated a Buy rating after the company reported outstanding results, but the firm lowered the $300 target price to $260. The consensus target is $264.99. The stock closed Wednesday at $176.07, which was up almost 10% on the back of the strong earnings print.
Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP): Piper Sandler’s downgrade to Neutral from Overweight came with a price target cut to $18 from $30. The consensus target is $34.30 for now. The shares closed at $13.93 on Wednesday.
Temper Sealy International Inc. (NYSE: TPX): Piper Sandler downgraded the popular mattress company to Neutral from Overweight and reduced the $36 price objective to $28. The consensus target is $37.56. The $24.64 close on Wednesday was down almost 5% on the day.
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA): Goldman Sachs lowered the $1,200 price target on the electric vehicle heavyweight to $1,000, while maintaining a Buy rating. The consensus target is $928.40. The stock closed almost 7% lower on Wednesday at $24.64.
Twilio Inc. (NYSE: TWLO): Barclays downgraded the shares to Equal Weight from Overweight and slashed the $175 price target to $110. The consensus target is $211.62. The shares closed on Wednesday at $104.27.
Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Zacks selected this retailer as its Bear of the Day stock, calling it one of the many victims of soaring prices and supply chain setbacks. The stock has traded as high as $42.10 a share in the past year but closed most recently at $21.96, which is down more than 25% year to date.
Veeva Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: VEEV): Baird maintained an Outperform rating with a $228 target price after the company’s positive earnings report. The consensus target is $241.78. The shares closed Wednesday at $167.84 and were up over 5% in Thursday’s premarket.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTX): Maxim upgraded the shares from Hold to Buy with a $335 target. The consensus target is $291.93. The stock closed on Wednesday at $269.41.
Visteon Corp. (NASDAQ: VC): Morgan Stanley upgraded the shares to Equal Weight from Underweight and boosted the $72 price target to $93. The consensus target is $126. The shares closed at $113.00 on Wednesday.
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With interest rates and inflation rising, what are balanced growth and income investors to do? Jefferies favors on six top BDC stocks that offer outsized dividends and growth potential.
Also, see why one key analyst turned cautious on four REIT stocks.
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Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Allbirds, Amazon.com, American Eagle Outfitters, Canopy Growth, Citizens Financial, Cleveland-Cliffs, Etsy, Deere, LyondellBasell Industries, Medtronic, PayPal, Steel Dynamics and Truist Financial. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Danaher, eBay, GoodRx, Infosys, Valero Energy, Xylem and more.
The post Thursday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Analog Devices, Ford, Mosaic, Pinterest, Plug Power, Salesforce, Snap, Tesla, Urban Outfitters and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>The futures were lower on Tuesday, as traders and investors returned from the holiday weekend. Friday finished off the best week in over two months, as all the major indexes, including the Russell 2000, closed up big. The Dow Jones industrials snapped an eight-week losing streak, the longest since 1932, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq ended skids that had lasted seven weeks.
The big question on many minds across Wall Street is where we go from here, after such a strong week. Last week’s rally was ignited in part when one of the Federal Reserve’s favorite inflation indicators, the core personal consumption expenditures price index, rose only 4.9%. That was in line with estimates and was a drop from the March print. The sense that inflation could be slowing could help keep the wind behind the market’s back, but the risk-off crowd looks to be back.
Surprisingly on such a risk-off day and week, yields across the Treasury curve were either flat or modestly lower on Friday. Unfortunately for consumers and motorists getting ready for summer vacation driving trips, both Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude closed higher Friday. Gold was slightly higher, while Bitcoin closed down almost 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 Tuesday, May 31, 2022.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF): Zacks selected this apparel retailer as its Bear of the Day, citing the price downtrend ever since the climax top in June of last year. The stock has traded as high as $48.97 a share in the past year but closed most recently at $22.55, which is down more than 35% year to date.
American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO): J.P. Morgan downgraded the shares to Neutral from Overweight and lowered the $20 price target to $15. The consensus target is $24.91 for now. The stock closed down over 6% on Friday at $13.10.
Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK): Goldman Sachs reiterated a Sell rating and lowered the $210 target price to $185 after earnings and better than expected guidance. The consensus target is up at $264.78. The stock closed over 10% higher on Friday at $210.38.
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Bausch + Lomb Corp. (NYSE: BLCO): Wells Fargo started coverage with an Overweight rating and a $23 target price, while Guggenheim initiated coverage at Buy with a $24 price objective. The consensus target is $35.00. The stock had a recent initial public offering and closed Friday at $17.69 a share.
Boot Barn Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BOOT): Baird raised its Neutral rating to Outperform and has a $115 target price. The consensus target is $132.67. Friday’s closing share price of $81.80 was up almost 5% on the day.
Boston Scientific Inc. (NYSE: BSX): Needham raised shares of the medical devices leader from Hold to Buy with a $48 price target. The consensus target is $50.38. The last trade on Friday hit the tape at $41.23.
Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST): Goldman Sachs maintained a Buy rating and has a $526 target price. The consensus target is $578.13. The last trade Friday was filled at $470.76.
CVS Health Corp. (NYSE: CVS): Bernstein downgraded the pharmacy giant to Market Perform from Outperform and dropped the $122 target price to $112. The consensus target is $117.63. Friday’s close was at $98.07.
Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE: DELL): Goldman Sachs lowered its $61 price target on the Neutral-rated legacy tech giant to $53. The consensus target is $60.78. The stock closed on Friday at $49.62, up almost 13% after the company posted a record quarter.
Dish Network Corp. (NASDAQ: DISH): Truist Financial raised its Hold rating to Buy from and lifted the $25 target price to $60. The consensus target is $39.60. The stock closed on Friday at $22.30. The shares were trading almost 5% higher in Tuesday’s premarket.
Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS): J.P. Morgan downgraded the stock to Underweight from Neutral and sliced the $11 target price to $9. The consensus target is $15.09 for now. The final trade on Friday came in at $11.60, up over 4% for the day.
Graphic Packaging Holding Co. (NYSE: GPK): BMO Capital Markets upgraded the stock to Outperform from Market Perform and hiked the $20 price target to $25. The consensus target is $24.52. The $22.46 close on Friday was up almost 5% for the day.
HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE: HCA): Bernstein’s upgrade to Outperform from Market Perform came with a target price trim to $271 from $273. The $257.21 consensus also compares with Friday’s closing print of $215.53.
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iQIYI Inc. (NASDAQ: IQ): Citigroup upgraded the shares from Neutral to Buy and lifted the $4.50 price target to $6.50. The consensus target is up at $7.13. The stock closed at $3.98 on Friday.
Live Nation Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: LYV): Goldman Sachs reiterated a Buy rating with a $130 target after a positive investor meeting with the company. The consensus target is $127.62. Friday’s final trade was reported at $95.46.
Lufax Ltd. (NYSE: LU): CLSA downgraded the shares to Outperform from Buy and dropped the $8 target price to $6.80. The consensus target is $8.68. The last trade on Friday was reported at $6.26.
Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M): Morgan Stanley raised shares of the venerable retail company to Equal Weight from Underweight and bumped the price target to $22 from $20. The consensus target is $28.00. The shares closed at $23.40 on Friday.
Medtronic PLC (NYSE: MDT): Needham’s downgrade was to Hold from Buy. Over the past 52 weeks, the shares have traded between $96.86 and $135.89, and they have a $121.05 consensus target. The close on Friday was at $99.23.
Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: OXY): The Zacks Bull of the Day stock has been a substantial beneficiary from the energy surge over the past year, says the analyst. Shares last closed at $70.86, and the consensus target price of $73.04 would be a multiyear high.
O-I Glass Inc. (NYSE: OI): BofA Securities upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral and raised the $15 price objective to $19. The consensus target is $15.58. The stock closed almost 9% higher on Friday at $16.98.
PubMatic Inc. (NASDAQ: PUBM): Jefferies downgraded the shares to Hold from Buy and lowered the $28 price target to $23. The consensus target is $29.94. The stock ended Friday trading at $20.88, up almost 4% for the day. The shares were lower in Tuesday’s premarket.
UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH): Bernstein downgraded the health care giant to Market Perform from Outperform and has a $561 target. The consensus target is $566.95. The shares ended Friday at $507.02 apiece.
Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Morgan Stanley downgraded the popular retailer to Equal Weight from Overweight and lowered the $34 target price to $25. The consensus target is $27.69. The shares closed 4% higher on Friday at $21.68.
Workday Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY): Goldman Sachs cut the price target on the Buy-rated company to $260 from $300. The $285.25 consensus target also compares with Friday’s close of $158.79, which was down almost 6% on the day.
Zscaler Inc. (NASDAQ: ZS): Goldman Sachs maintained a Neutral rating but slashed the $281 target price to $170. The consensus target is $290.08 The last trade for Friday came in at $160.00, up over 12% after posting earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street expectations.
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Seven Goldman Sachs Conviction List dividend stock picks make sense now for worried investors because they provide solid total return and should be able to hold their own in a recession.
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Friday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Citigroup, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dow, Huntington Bancshares, Kraft Heinz, Nutanix, Nvidia, Patterson-UTI Energy, Roku, Snowflake, Splunk, Sysco, Union Pacific and Zscaler.
The post Tuesday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Boston Scientific, Costco, CVS, Dell, Dish Network, Macy’s, Medtronic, Occidental Petroleum, UnitedHealth and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
]]>The futures rebounded and traded higher on Wednesday, as we began the final trading month of 2021 following another risk-off day that was dominated once again by concerns about the new Omicron variant. In large part, that was down to the comments from the Moderna CEO that he expects current vaccines to be materially less effective against this variant. This comes despite the fact that the mutation is said to be far less transmissible than the Delta variant and the symptoms appear to be milder. All the major indexes and the transports closed lower, while the Treasury market was bought across the curve by worried investors looking for safety.
Top strategists across Wall Street remain focused on the potential for rising interest rates, quantitative easing tapering, big increases in energy costs and other inflation issues, and the ongoing supply chain issues and stagflation worries. Toss in the very pressing debt ceiling issue and the ongoing China concerns, and there is still plenty of potential for volatility into the end of the year.
24/7 St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new 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.
These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, December 1, 2021.
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Alkermes PLC (NASDAQ: ALKS): Citigroup started coverage on the stock with a Neutral rating and a $22 price target. The consensus target is $28.50, and shares were closed on Tuesday at $21.92.
Ayala Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: AYLA): Jefferies raised its Hold rating to Buy and changed the $12 target price to $17. The consensus target is $22.33. Shares closed almost 5% on Tuesday and were up an additional 5% in Wednesday’s premarket.
Beyond Meat Inc. (NASDAQ: BYND): HSBC started coverage with a Reduce rating and a $62 price target. The consensus target for the plant-based food company is $74.71. The shares were last seen on Tuesday trading at $70.26, which was down close to 6% for the day.
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Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE: COF): Baird upgraded it from Underperform to Neutral with a $145 price target. The consensus target is up at $188. The stock closed on Tuesday at $140.53, down almost 5% on the day.
Decker’s Outdoors Corp. (NYSE: DECK): Jefferies resumed coverage on the very popular retailer with a Buy rating, and it raised its $475 target price to $525. The consensus price objective is $476.33, and Tuesday’s closing share price was $405.40.
Diageo PLC (NYSE: DEO): Societe Generale upgraded shares of the spirits giant to Buy from Hold. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded between $153.67 and $210.15, and it has a consensus target price of $225.34. The last trade on Tuesday was reported at $203.17 a share.
Dillards Inc. (NYSE: DDS): UBS started coverage of the popular retailer with a Sell rating and a $190 price target. The consensus target is $221.67. The last trade for Tuesday hit the tape at $273.90, after tumbling almost 20% on the day. With no news to speak of, the very negative initiation by UBS looks like the culprit.
DMC Global Inc. (NASDAQ: BOOM): Sidoti upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold and has a $52 price target. The consensus target is $53.67. The last trade on Tuesday was reported at $36.50.
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DoorDash Inc. (NYSE: DASH): Gordon Haskett upgraded the shares of the popular food delivery company from Hold to Buy with a $217 price target. The consensus target is $232.95. The stock closed trading on Monday at $178.77, which was down almost 5% for the day.
Engage Smart LLC (NYSE: ESMT): The Raymond James upgrade was to Strong Buy from Outperform. The firm’s $40 price objective is higher than the $39.06 consensus target. The stock closed Tuesday at $21.87, which was up almost 7% for the day on no reported news.
Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL): Jefferies resumed coverage with a Buy rating and an $80 price objective. The much lower $67 consensus target is still well above Tuesday’s closing print of $45.64, after pulling back almost 5% for the day.
Goodrich Petroleum Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN: GDP): Roth Capital’s downgrade to Neutral from Buy included a target price cut to $23 from $28. The consensus target is $24.00, and shares were last seen on Tuesday trading at $23.00 apiece.
Krispy Kreme Inc. (NASDAQ: DNUT): Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to Sell from Neutral and trimmed the target price to $14 from $15. The consensus target is $18.11. The last trade on Wednesday came in at $14.55 a share, after a retreat of almost 5% for the day.
MP Materials Corp. (NYSE: MP): BofA Securities resumed coverage with a Buy rating and a $52 price target. The consensus target is just $43.98. The stock closed on Tuesday at $43.94.
Redbox Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: RDBX): Wedbush started coverage with an Outperform rating and a $15 price target. The consensus price objective for the popular DVD movie vendor is much higher at $24. The shares closed on Tuesday at $11.88, after a pop of close to 6%.
Shift4 Payments Inc. (NYSE: FOUR): Loop Capital began coverage with a Buy rating and a $69 price target. The consensus target is a much higher $109.10. The last Tuesday trade was reported at $52.02.
Sun Communities Inc. (NYSE: SUI): Citigroup resumed coverage with a Buy rating and has a $225 price target. The consensus target is $225.13. The final trade for Tuesday was reported at $188.85, which was over 4% lower on the day.
Tronox Holdings PLC (NYSE: TROX): UBS’s double upgrade to Buy from Sell included a target price boost to $32 from $22. The consensus target is $27.56. The last trade on Tuesday came in at $21.99.
Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Jefferies resumed coverage with a Buy rating and a $46 price target. The consensus target is $42.87. The stock closed at $31.67 on Tuesday.
Ziff Davis Inc. (NYSE: ZD): Wedbush began coverage with an Outperform rating and a $150 target price. The consensus target is up at $166.88. The stock rose almost 3% on Tuesday to close at $113.87.
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Now is the time to reduce risk and more to safer ideas. Top-quality health care stocks may be the way to go for the rest of 2021 and in 2022, and these five Dividend Aristocrats make good sense now for worried investors.
Tuesday’s early top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Dollar Tree, Plains All American Pipeline, Simon Property, SoFi Technologies, Square, Synchrony Financial, Tyson Foods, U.S. Bancorp and Zoom Video Communications. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Chevron, Toyota, Victoria’s Secret and more.
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]]>The futures were mixed Wednesday, after a solid bounce-back rally that saw all four of the major indexes close higher. The ongoing debate across Wall Street is about the increasing inflation pressures and whether they are indeed transitory or will remain a persistent and growing problem. The strong October retail sales numbers were the impetus behind the move higher Tuesday, as some of the big-box retailers came in with outstanding results. The only investments seeing sellers Tuesday were U.S. Treasury debt, as yields went higher across the curve.
Top strategists across Wall Street remain focused on the potential for rising interest rates, the quantitative easing tapering, big increases in energy costs and the ongoing supply chain issues and stagflation worries. Toss in the debt ceiling issue that returns soon and the ongoing China worries, and the cauldron continues to simmer.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new 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.
These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday November 17, 2021.
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Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE): Credit Suisse started coverage on the venerable technology giant with a Neutral rating and a $700 price target. The posted consensus target is $706.37. The shares were last seen on Tuesday at $671.03.
Advance Auto Parts Inc. (NYSE: AAP): BofA Securities reiterated a Buy rating and lifted the target price to $282 from $256. Citigroup also reiterated a Buy rating, and it boosted its $282 price target to $290. The consensus target is $240.65. The stock closed trading on Tuesday at $235.69.
Alcoa Corp. (NYSE: AA): Wolfe Research started coverage on the aluminum giant with an Outperform rating and a $63 price target. The consensus target is just $59.19. The shares were last seen at $48.20, after they retreated almost 5% on Tuesday.
Anika Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: ANIK): Stephens began coverage with an Overweight rating and a $55 price target. The consensus target is $52. The final trade on Tuesday was reported at $39.95.
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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL): Goldman Sachs updated its stance on the technology giant but kept a Neutral rating and a $142 price target. The higher $168.45 consensus target is above Tuesday’s closing price of $151.00 a share.
Aramark Holdings Inc. (NYSE: ARMK): Goldman Sachs reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares and kept a $42 price target. The consensus target is $40.42. The stock closed on Tuesday at $38.24.
Avis Budget Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CAR): While Barclays cut its Equal Weight rating on the rental car giant to Underweight, it also raised the $125 target price to $217. The consensus target is $163.57. However, the shares closed trading on Tuesday at $281.50.
Ballard Power Inc. (NASDAQ: BLDP): Citigroup downgraded the shares to Neutral from Buy and has a $19 price target. The consensus target is $22.71. The closing share price on Tuesday was $17.84.
Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA): Wells Fargo raised shares of the aerospace and defense giant to Overweight from Equal Weight, and it lifted the $224 price target to $272. The consensus target is around $260, but the stock closed on Tuesday at $225.80, after pulling back almost 4% for the day.
Checkpoint Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP): Credit Suisse started coverage of the legacy cybersecurity company’s stock with an Underperform rating and a $100 target price. The consensus target is up at $134.03. Tuesday’s final trade was reported at $116.84 a share.
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Dillard’s Inc. (NYSE: DDS): Zacks named this retailer its Bull of the Day. The analyst pointed out that strong earnings have taken this stock to all-time highs. The stock most recently closed at $360.35, having overrun its consensus price target of $221.67.
Hyatt Hotels Corp. (NYSE: H): Wells Fargo’s upgrade to Overweight from Equal Weight included a target price hike to $96 from $82. The consensus target is $83.66, in line with Tuesday’s final share price of $83.67.
Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. (NASDAQ: ODFL): UBS downgraded shares of the trucking giant to Neutral from Buy but raised the target price to $365 from $288. The consensus target is lower at $319.23. The final trade for Tuesday came in at $361.35.
Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PLTR): Credit Suisse started coverage with a Neutral rating and a $25 price target. The consensus target is $23.66. The stock closed at $23.13 on Tuesday.
Poshmark Inc. (NASDAQ: POSH): Cowen downgraded the shares to Market Perform from Outperform and slashed the $42 target price to $22. The consensus target is $28.70. The stock was last seen on Tuesday at $20.81.
Skechers USA Inc. (NYSE: SKX): Zacks selected this as its Bear of the Day stock, suggesting that supply-chain challenges have stopped this stock from running. The shares last closed at $48.01, and the consensus price target is $61.42.
Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLK): Credit Suisse initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and a $225 price target. The consensus target is just $179.29. Tuesday’s last trade was recorded at $141.39.
Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN): BofA Securities kept a Neutral rating on the shares but lifted the target price to $90 from $85. Stephens reiterated its Overweight rating and boosted the $95 target price on the stock to $100. The consensus target is $88.17. The stock was last seen Tuesday at $83.58.
Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): B. Riley Securities raised its Neutral rating on the popular clothing retailer to Buy, and the $36 price target increased to $45. The consensus target is $42.80. The final trade for Tuesday was filled at $37.65.
Warner Music Group Corp. (NASDAQ: WMG): BofA Securities downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy and cut the target price to $42 from $53. The consensus target is $46.38, and the stock pulled back almost 4% on Tuesday to close at $43.64.
Wendy’s Co. (NYSE: WEN): Argus downgraded the popular fast-food stock to Hold from Buy. Over the past 52 weeks, shares have traded between $18.86 and $29.46, and they have a consensus price objective of $26.29. The final trade for Tuesday was at $21.76 a share.
Workday Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY): The UBS upgrade to Buy from Neutral included a target price boost to $370 from $255. The consensus target is $315.23. Tuesday’s closing price was $299.84 per share.
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24/7 Wall St. screened the BofA Securities research universe database looking for the mega-retailers that look poised to cash in this year. Five stocks are all rated Buy and look like excellent choices for investors looking to add retail exposure in front of the holiday season.
Tuesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Cisco Systems, FuboTV, PayPal, Petco Health and Wellness, Robinhood Markets, ServiceNow, Snowflake, Southwest Airlines, TotalEnergies and Wayfair.
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]]>The futures were mixed on Friday, as we get set to wrap up another wild week where very positive earnings drove some big gains, and both the Dow Jones industrials and the S&P 500 printed intraday all-time highs. New claims for unemployment dropped again to a pandemic low, as many companies are avoiding layoffs amid the biggest labor shortage in decades. The sellers were out in the Treasury markets, as yields rose across the curve, with the 10-year bond blowing through some recent highs.
Top strategists across Wall Street remain focused on continued rising interest rates, the quantitative easing tapering due to begin soon, big increases in energy costs, ongoing supply chain issues and stagflation worries. Toss in the debt ceiling issue, which has not gone away, and the ongoing China worries keep the cauldron continuing to simmer.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new 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.
These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Friday, October 22, 2021.
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Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY): Piper Sandler downgraded the bank’s stock to Neutral from Overweight and cut the price target to $59 from $68. The posted consensus target is $67.42. The final trade on Thursday was reported at $52.97, which was down over 5% despite earnings beating analysts’ estimates.
BankUnited Inc. (NYSE: BKU): Piper Sandler lowered its Overweight rating to Neutral with a $45 price target. The consensus target is $47.36. The shares closed on Thursday at $42.40, after retreating close to 3% on the day.
Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA): RBC Capital Markets started coverage on the aerospace and defense leader with an Outperform rating and a $275 price target. Shares have traded in a 52-week range of $141.58 to $278.57, and the closing price on Thursday was $214.34 per share.
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Cinemark Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CNK): Wells Fargo started coverage on the movie theatre giant’s shares with an Equal Weight rating and a $22 price target. The consensus target is $23.46. The stock ended Thursday’s trading at $19.79.
Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE: CTRA): The Goldman Sachs upgrade was from Hold to Buy with a $25 price target. The consensus target is just higher at $25.90. The stock pulled back almost 3% on Thursday to close at $20.78 a share.
Fastly Inc. (NYSE: FSLY): This cloud company was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks. The analyst says that all eyes will be on the November 3 report as the growth hiccup appears over and big customers have stayed on board. Shares most recently closed at $49.58, though the consensus price target was last seen down at $37.43.
Fluor Corp. (NYSE: FLR): BofA Securities resumed coverage with an Underperform rating and a $17 price target. The consensus target is up at $20.57. The stock closed at $18.37 per share on Thursday.
Freeport McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX): Deutsche Bank’s downgrade of the mining giant to Hold from Buy included a target price trim to $43 from $46. The consensus target is $42.52. The stock was last seen on Thursday trading at $38.42 a share.
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GasLog Partners L.P. (NASDAQ: GLOP): Jefferies upgraded the shares to Buy from Hold and lifted the $5 target price to $6.50. The consensus target is $4.50, and shares closed on Thursday at $4.54.
Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC): UBS downgraded the legacy chip giant to Neutral from Buy and cut the price target to $58 from $73. Morgan Stanley also lowered its Overweight rating to Neutral and slashed the price objective from $67 to $55. The consensus target is $61.87. The stock closed on Thursday at $56, but the shares were rocked in the premarket, down over 10%, after posting very disappointing third-quarter results.
Invesco Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ): Evercore ISI upgraded the shares of the money management giant to In Line from Underperform, and the firm has a $28 price target. The consensus target is $30. The stock closed at $25.00 on Thursday.
Marsh & McLennon Companies Inc. (NYSE: MMC): Raymond James upgraded it to Outperform from Underperform and has a $185 price target. The consensus target is $167.75, which is below Thursday’s close at $168.43.
Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA): Deutsche Bank started coverage on the COVID-19 vaccine maker with a Sell rating and a $250 price target. The much higher consensus is $340.17, and Thursday’s final trade was reported at $339.57 per share.
Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA): Summit Insight’s upgrade was to Buy from Sell. The stock has traded in a 52-week range of $115.67 to $230.43, and it has a consensus price target of $230.45.
PagerDuty Inc. (NYSE: PD): Zacks selected this as its Bull of the Day stock. The analyst says that profits may have to wait while this first-responder for enterprise DevOps still grows sales. Shares last closed at $42.65 and have a consensus price target of $57.33.
Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV): Evercore ISI downgraded the popular low-cost carrier to In Line from Outperform, and it dropped the $55 price target to $48. The much higher consensus target is $64.87. The last trade for Thursday was reported at $48.66 a share.
Southwestern Energy Co. (NYSE: SWN): Goldman Sachs resumed coverage with a Neutral rating and a $5.25 price target. The consensus target is $7.13. The stock was closed on Thursday at $4.94.
Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Though Citigroup upgraded the popular clothing chain to Buy from Neutral, it also trimmed the target price to $40 from $44. The $43.07 consensus target is well above Thursday’s closing print of $30.38.
Valens Semiconductor Ltd. (NYSE: VLN): Citigroup started coverage with a Buy rating and a $13 price target. The consensus target is up at $16.50. The stock closed on Thursday at $7.67.
Zoom Video Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM): JPMorgan raised the shares to Overweight from Neutral and have a $385 price target. The consensus target is $369.43. The stock closed trading at $274.78 on Thursday.
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While five analyst favorite stock picks may not be making any parabolic moves higher soon, they are safer ideas for nervous growth and income investors looking to reset portfolios for the rest of the year.
Thursday’s early top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Activision Blizzard, Biogen, Carnival, Krispy Kreme, Lam Research, Las Vegas Sands, Tesla and Zoom Video. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Krispy Kreme, Live Nation, Twilio and more.
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]]>The futures were mixed after a sparkling risk-off rally Tuesday, in which all the major indexes traded higher on the strength of continued solid third-quarter earnings reports and some brighter economic news. The standoff over the massive social infrastructure plan continues in Washington. In the cryptocurrency world, the first Bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund began trading on Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange.
Top strategists across Wall Street remain focused on rising interest rates, quantitative easing tapering due to begin soon, big increases in energy costs, ongoing supply chain issues and stagflation worries. Toss in the debt ceiling and China worries, and the cauldron continues to simmer.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new 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.
These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, October 20, 2021.
[nativounit]
Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A./N.V. (NYSE: BUD): Citing lingering COVID-19 challenges, Zacks has named this global beverage giant as the Bear of the Day. Shares closed most recently at $55.92 apiece, and the consensus price target is $74.13.
Array Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ARRY): Guggenheim lowered its Buy rating on shares of the solar parts giant to Neutral. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded between $12.72 and $54.78. The consensus price target is $24.42. The last trade on Tuesday was reported at $20.41 a share, after more than a 5% gain for the day. The shares gave it back in the premarket, down right at 5%.
Atea Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AVIR): JPMorgan slashed the $61 price target on the stock to $16 and downgraded it to Neutral from Overweight. The consensus target, which is sure to be lowered, is $43.67. The stock collapsed Tuesday, tumbling 66% to close at $13.82, after the company posted disappointing clinical results on a potential antiviral COVID-19 pill.
Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE: BK): Goldman Sachs raised the $56 price target on the Buy-rated shares to $62. The consensus target is $60.28. The stock closed on Tuesday at $57.65.
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Cadence Design Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CDNS): Needham started coverage with a Buy rating and a $183 price target. The consensus target is just $161.75. Tuesdays’ final trade hit the tape at $158.83.
Cyclerion Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CYCN): Truist Securities started coverage of the micro-cap biotech with a Buy rating and a huge $14 price target, double the $7 consensus target. The last trade on Tuesday came in at $2.66.
DD3 Acquisition Corp. II (NASDAQ: DDMX): Benchmark started coverage with a Buy rating and a $15 price target. The last trade on Tuesday was posted at $9.92 per share.
Dover Corp. (NYSE: DOV): Baird reiterated an Outperform rating on the stock and lifted the target price to $193 from $176. The consensus target is $182.92. The final trade for Tuesday was reported at $167.91.
Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD): Cowen resumed coverage of the biotech leader with an Outperform rating. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded between $56.56 and $73.34, and it has a $76.23 consensus price objective. The final trade for Tuesday was recorded at $66.90.
Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (NYSE: HGV): Goldman Sachs resumed coverage with a Buy rating and a $63 price objective. The consensus target is lower at $54.33. The stock closed on Tuesday at $46.50.
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Intuitive Surgical Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG): Baird reiterated its Outperform rating on the robotic surgery leader and lifted the $350 price target to $370. The consensus target is $344.12, and Tuesday’s closing print was $336.30.
Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU): Mizuho’s downgrade of the chip giant to Neutral from Buy included a target price cut to $75 from $90. The consensus target is $100.74. The shares were last seen on Tuesday at $67.57.
Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS): Goldman Sachs raised the price target on the Neutral; rated shares to $44 from $39. That is versus the $42.28 consensus target and Tuesday’s closing print of $41.82.
Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX): Goldman Sachs reiterated a Neutral rating on the streaming entertainment giant but nudged the price target to $595 from $590. The posted consensus target is much higher at $634.43. The stock closed at $639 on Tuesday.
Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM): Goldman Sachs reiterated its Buy rating on the tobacco leader and has set a $110 price target, which, like the $110.27 consensus target, would be a 52-week high. The stock closed trading on Tuesday at $95.79.
Qorvo Inc. (NASDAQ: QRVO): Mizuho downgraded the shares to Neutral from Buy and slashed the target price to $175 from $220. The consensus target is up at $218.68. The last trade on Tuesday was reported at $168.76.
Quipt Home Medical Corp. (NASDAQ: QIPT): Benchmark started coverage with a Buy rating and a $7.50 price target. The consensus target is up at $10.50. The stock closed on Tuesday at $5.72.
Synchrony Financial Inc. (NYSE: SYF): JPMorgan’s downgrade from Overweight to Neutral included a target price trim to $55 from $57. The consensus target is $58.58. The final trade on Tuesday came in at $52.36
Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Zacks named this as its Bull of the Day. The analyst said that growing demand and two new, successful brands are pushing this retailer higher. The stock last closed at $30.56 and has a consensus price target of $43.33, which would be a 52-week high.
Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC): Mizuho lowered its Buy rating on the hard disk drive leader to Neutral and dropped the $92 price target to $62. The shares closed on Tuesday at $55.65, in a 52-week trading range of $36.59 to $78.19.
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Five top technology companies pay solid and dependable dividends and have solid growth prospects for the rest of the fourth quarter and beyond. They look like outstanding ideas now for investors looking for growth and income.
Tuesday’s meme stock movers include Coinbase and Tesla, and Wednesday’s early meme stock movers included BlackBerry and Tilray.
Tuesday’s early top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Adobe, Enterprise Products Partners, FuboTV, Nvidia, SunPower, Target, Verizon Communications and Walmart. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Albertsons, CRISPR, Marriott, Teladoc and more.
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]]>The futures were mixed on Wednesday as more and more we are starting to see the volume slow down across Wall Street, a sure sign that summer is almost here. The major indexes closed mostly higher Tuesday, with only the Dow Jones industrials showing no gains. The Nasdaq and Russell 2000 were the biggest winners on the day. All eyes on Wall Street are focused on Thursday’s release of the May Consumer Price Index reading. A big number could certainly spook investors and continue the inflation narrative.
Despite the resurfacing concerns across Wall Street for tapering of the quantitative easing program and a clear building of inflationary pressures, the Federal Reserve is vowing to keep interest rates contained. That could be one reason for the continued moves higher in the equity markets, even after sell-offs. Also note that money markets continue to see massive inflows, which is another big plus.
With major Wall Street firms still warning of the potential for impending 5% to 10% correction across the board, it makes sense for investors to continue building some cash reserves into the market strength while repositioning portfolios for the coming quarter and the rest of 2021.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new 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.
[nativounit]
These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.
Abercrombie & Fitch Inc. (NYSE: ANF): Jefferies raised shares of the popular clothing retailer to Buy from Hold and hiked the price target to $57. The Wall Street consensus target is $50.11. The stock closed Tuesday at $41.15 per share.
Camtek Ltd. (NASDAQ: CAMT): Barclays started coverage of the stock with an Overweight rating and a $43 price target. The consensus price objective is $41.25. The stock closed Tuesday at $38.93, which was up over 5% on the day.
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Carriage Services Inc. (NYSE: CSV): B. Riley Securities initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $50 price target. The consensus price objective is slightly lower at $49.33, and the final print for Tuesday came in at $38.72.
Celanese Corp. (NYSE: CE): Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy and has a $184 price target. The consensus price objective is $173.76. Tuesday’s last trade hit the tape at $164.99.
Chemours Co. (NYSE: CC): Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral and also raised the price target to $47. That compares with a $35.90 consensus and Tuesday’s closing print of $36.82.
Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ: COIN): Raymond James started coverage of the cryptocurrency trading platform with an Underperform rating. The shares have traded in a wide range of $208 to $429.54 since going public earlier this year in a direct listing offering. The consensus price target is $395.64, and the stock pulled back almost 5% on Tuesday to close at $220.66.
Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE: CL): Credit Suisse upgraded the consumer staples giant to Outperform from Neutral and raised the price target to $95. The consensus target is just $85.49. The stock closed on Tuesday at $82.93.
Credicorp Ltd. (NYSE: BAP): Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock from Overweight to Equal Weight with a $125 price target. The consensus target is $161.49, and the shares ended Tuesday at $134.04.
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Dada Nexus Ltd. (NASDAQ: DADA): JPMorgan started coverage with an Overweight rating and a $40 price target. The consensus target is up at $42.82, and the stock closed on Tuesday at $29.33 a share.
Dish Network Corp. (NASDAQ: DISH): JPMorgan downgraded the stock to Underweight from Neutral and has a $45 price target. The consensus target for shares of the satellite programming company is $49.29. The stock closed at $43.58 on Tuesday.
Fisker Inc. (NYSE: FSR): RBC Capital Markets started coverage of the electric vehicle company with an Outperform rating and a $27 price target. The consensus target is $23.22, and the last trade Tuesday came in at $18.07 per share.
Fox Corp. (NASDAQ: FOXA): Wells Fargo raised the broadcasting giant’s stock to Overweight from Equal Weight, and it lifted the price target to $47. The consensus price objective is $41.18. Tuesday’s closing trade was at $36.59 a share.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS): Jefferies started the venerable Wall Street firm with a Buy rating and a $450 price target. The consensus price objective is just $394.06, and Tuesday’s last trade was seen at $384.70.
KLA Corp. (NASDAQ: KLAC): Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of the semiconductor capital equipment giant to Buy from Hold and has a $375 price target. The consensus target is $367.31, and the shares closed on Tuesday at $313.80 apiece.
Nexa Resources S.A. (NYSE: NEXA): Morgan Stanley downgraded the shares to Equal Weight from Overweight and has a $10.20 price target. The consensus price target is higher at $11.76, and the stock ended Tuesday trading at $11.32.
Regional Management Corp. (NYSE: RM): BMO Capital Markets downgraded it to Market Perform from Outperform. The firm’s $43 price target compares with the $43.83 consensus target. The final trade for Tuesday was recorded at $51.44. As it is trading just below a 52-week high after a solid run this year, this looks like a valuation call.
TotalEnergies S.E. (NYSE: TOT): MKM Partners started the French integrated energy giant with a Buy rating and a $70 price target. The lower $56.25 consensus is still above Tuesday’s close at $48.37 a share.
Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO): Zacks selected this as its Bear of the Day stock, saying that the outlook for this online travel website is still dampened by the pandemic. Shares last closed at $15.65, and the consensus price target is $21.00.
Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Zacks named this as its Bull of the Day. The analyst said that renewed consumer demand is lifting this retailer, and shareholders could reap the rewards. The stock most recently closed at $38.80 and has a consensus price target of $41.60.
Wendy’s Co. (NASDAQ: WEN): Stifel downgraded one of the newest meme stocks from Buy to Hold with a $25 price target. The consensus target is $26.07, but the stock closed Tuesday at $28.87, after exploding by 26% on Tuesday. The shares were up an additional 3% in premarket action.
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The good news for aggressive growth investors eyeing the semiconductor industry is the sideways trading since February could be ready to break out to the upside. Buying four solid Jefferies stock picks could very well be a great short-term and long-term strategy for those investors.
Check out Warren Buffett’s favorite stocks.
Tuesday’s early top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Autodesk, Biogen, Delta Air Lines, Facebook, Johnson Controls and Marvell Technology. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Cabot Oil, Rocket Companies, Target and more.
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The post Wednesday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Abercrombie, Coinbase, Colgate, Fisker, Goldman Sachs, Urban Outfitters, Wendy’s and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..
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