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Friday's Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: FedEx, Fiserv, Gilead Sciences, Nvidia, Pfizer, Target, TJX, Victoria's Secret and More
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The futures were mixed on Friday, after a brutal risk-off start to Thursday that turned around in the afternoon. Buying in the Treasury bond market was brisk, as yields once again were lower across the curve. Among the cited many reasons for the big volatility on Thursday was the ongoing debt ceiling issues, skyrocketing energy prices, record insider stock sales and a host of additional issues. On the positive side, however, multiple companies posted some very good retail earnings reports and guidance, and there was just a modest increase in new claims for unemployment.
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 and the ongoing China worries, and there is still plenty of potential for volatility.
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, November 19, 2021.
Arista Networks Inc. (NYSE: ANET): Though Morgan Stanley downgraded the shares to Equal Weight from Overweight, the firm also raised the price target from $115 to $138. The consensus target is $126.29. The last trade for Thursday came in at $132.55 a share.
DataDog Inc. (NASDAQ: DDOG): RBC Capital Markets upgraded the stock to Outperform from Sector Perform and boosted the $191 price target to $235. The consensus price target is $205.22, and Thursday’s closing share price was $190.60.
DCP Midstream L.P. (NYSE: DCP): Stifel upgraded the shares to Buy from Hold and raised the target price to $35 from $29. The consensus target is $36.15. The final trade for Thursday was reported at $29.55.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX): Zacks has selected this package delivery giant as its Bull of the Day. The analyst makes a case that the stock has become a victim of its own success and faces substantial near-term headwinds in the form of rising labor costs and supply chain bottlenecks. Shares last closed at $244.72, and the consensus price target is $302.97.
Fiserv Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV): UBS started coverage with a Neutral rating and a $108 target price. The consensus target is up at $135.70. The stock ended Thursday’s trading session at $101.25.
Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD): BMO Capital Markets raised the biotech leader to Outperform from Market Perform and boosted the price target to $85 from $72. The consensus target is $76.45. The stock was last seen on Thursday at $67.79.
Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN): UBS started coverage with a Buy rating and a $161 price objective. The much higher $203.14 consensus target compares with Thursday’s closing print of $126.85.
Hain Celestial Group Inc. (NASDAQ: HAIN): Evercore ISI raised its In Line rating to Outperform and nudged the $46 price target to $48. The consensus target is $50.40. The stock closed at $41.98 on Thursday.
Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (NYSE: HGV): The Jefferies upgrade to Buy from Hold included a target price hike to $62 from $46. The consensus target is $54.25. The shares were last seen on Thursday at $55, which was up almost 6% for the day as the company is seeing very strong leisure demand.
Ingersoll-Rand Inc. (NYSE: IR): Wells Fargo raised the industrial giant to Overweight from Equal Weight and lifted the price target to $68 from $58. The consensus target is set at $64.07. The shares closed Thursday at $60.90 up almost 3%
Jack Henry & Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: JKHY): UBS started coverage with a Neutral rating and a $162 price target. The consensus target is higher at $178.71. The last trade on Thursday came in at $151.80.
Nvidia Inc. (NASDAQ: NVDA): Along with 10 other Wall Street firms, Jefferies reiterated its Buy rating, and it raised the target price to $370 from $260. Truist Securities maintained a Buy rating and boosted the $360 price objective to $389, while Needham kept a Buy rating, and its target price exploded from $245 to $400. The consensus target for now is $272.31, but that will be much higher soon. The stock closed Thursday at $316.75, almost 9% higher after posting blowout earnings and huge metaverse advances.
Oatly Group AB (NASDAQ: OTLY): Morgan Stanley raised the stock to Overweight from Neutral but slashed the price target to $14 from $20. The consensus target is $18. The stock closed on Thursday at $9.87.
PetMed Express Inc. (NASDAQ: PETS): Morgan Stanley started coverage with an Underweight rating a $25 price target. The consensus target is up at $32. Thursday’s closing share price was $29.49.
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE): BMO Capital Markets started coverage on the pharmaceutical giant with an Outperform rating and a $60 price objective. The stock closed Thursday at $51.41, but in Friday’s premarket it seemed poised to set a new 52-week high above $52.
Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. (NYSE: SMG): Barclays started coverage with an Overweight rating and a $205 price target. The consensus target is $202.86. The stock closed at $165.76 on Thursday.
Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT): BofA Securities maintained its Buy rating on the retail giant and raised the target price on the shares to $329 from $317. The consensus target is just $283.45. The final trade for Thursday was reported at $252.05.
TJX Companies Inc. (NYSE: TJX) Credit Suisse reiterated an Outperform rating, and the target price ticked up from $84 to $86. BofA Securities kept a Buy rating and lifted its $90 price objective on the popular discount retailer to $95. The consensus target is $84.23. The stock closed on Thursday at $73.10.
Victoria’s Secret & Co. (NYSE: VSCO): Wells Fargo reiterated an Overweight rating and trimmed the price target to $85 from $90. The posted consensus target is $88.64. The final trade for Thursday was at $57.91 a share, which was up almost 15% for the day after the company posted stellar earnings.
Vivid Seats Inc. (NASDAQ: SEAT): Raymond James started coverage with an Outperform rating and a $17 price target. The consensus target is $18. The stock closed on Thursday at $12.67.
Zoetis Inc. (NYSE: ZTS): Morgan Stanley started coverage with an Overweight rating and a $264 price target. The consensus target is $236.55. The shares were last seen on Thursday at $225.54.
With the prospect of continued low interest rates for the foreseeable future, and the stock market extremely risky and overbought, it makes sense for investors to have solid assets like real estate. Six top real estate investment trusts pay dependable distributions near or above the 5% level.
Have lithium stocks lost their juice? How much more Tesla stock has Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest dumped?
Thursday’s early top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Alcoa, CrowdStrike, Doximity, Freeport-McMoRan, Home Depot, JetBlue Airways, NetEase, PayPal, Royal Dutch Shell, Square and Welltower. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Activision Blizzard, Boeing, PayPal, Visa and more.
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