Ahead of October Nonfarm Payrolls, Analysts Upgrade or Downgrade Altice USA, Fisker and More

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By Lee Jackson Published
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Ahead of October Nonfarm Payrolls, Analysts Upgrade or Downgrade Altice USA, Fisker and More

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Just when many investors thought the possibility of a Federal Reserve pivot was on the table, Federal Reserve Chair Powell blew that up, after lifting the federal funds rate by 75 basis points to a range of 3.75% to 4.00% and sprinkling in some very unambiguous hawkish commentary at his press conference. The bottom line: rates will be held higher for longer until inflation slows.

All the major indexes traded lower approaching midday, after Wednesday’s roller-coaster ride that saw a massive intraday move that buried stocks by the close. With earnings for the third quarter starting to wind down, Friday’s nonfarm payrolls will not be the crucial data point it was prior to the no-pivot-for-you stance. That noted, it still will be in the mix for December.

Here, 24/7 Wall St. is reviewing additional analyst calls seen on Wednesday. We have included the latest call on each stock, as well as a recent trading history and the consensus targets among analysts. Upgrades and downgrades seen earlier in the day were on Canopy Growth, Cleveland-Cliffs, Datadog, Electronic Arts, Palo Alto Networks, Peloton, Snowflake, SoFi and more.

Alkermes PLC (NASDAQ: ALKS | ALKS Price Prediction): Piper Sandler upgraded the stock to Overweight from Neutral and raised its $26 price target to $30. The consensus target is $31.89. The stock has traded in a 52-week range of $21.24 to $32.79, and shares were trading near $24.90 Thursday, up well over 3% for the day.

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Altice USA Inc. (NYSE: ATUS): Pivotal Research’s downgrade to Hold from Buy included a target price cut to $5 from $15. The consensus target is $12.70 for now. The stock has traded in a 52-week range of $4.99 to $18.59. The shares were trading near $4.73 Thursday, down almost 25% from the prior close after profits plunged and the firm missed estimates.

Fisker Inc. (NYSE: FSR): When RBC Capital Markets downgraded the stock to Sector Perform from Outperform, it also lowered its $13 target price to $8. The consensus target is $14.11. The 52-week trading range is $6.41 to $23.75. The stock was trading near $8.10 on Thursday.

Freshpet Inc. (NASDAQ: FRPT): Citigroup raised its Sell rating to Neutral, and its prior $32 target price is now $66. The consensus target is $66.65. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded between $36.02 and $156.67. The shares were near $64.53 Thursday, up over 2% on the day. The company posted solid results earlier this week.

Keysight Technologies Inc. (NYSE: KEYS): Wells Fargo started coverage with an Overweight rating and a $200 target price. The consensus target is $195.77. The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $127.93 to $209.08. The stock was trading near $166.25 on Thursday.

Lincoln National Corp. (NYSE: LNC): Morgan Stanley downgraded the insurance giant from Overweight to Equal Weight with a $54 target price. The consensus target is $57. The 52-week trading range is $43.01 to $76.40. The stock was trading near $35.35, down a stunning 32% after posting a third-quarter loss.

Maravai LifeSciences Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: MRVI): BofA Securities downgraded the company to Neutral from Buy. It also cut its $32 price target almost in half to $17. The consensus target is $34.33 for now. The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $15.20 to $46.29 and were trading near $14.60 on Thursday, which was down over 5% on the day.

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Power Integrations Inc. (NASDAQ: POWI): Cowen cut its Outperform rating to Market Perform and slashed the $90 target price objective to $65. The consensus target is $82.33. The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $60.01 to $110.43. Despite posting solid results, the stock was trading near $64.15 Thursday, down over 3%.

Radware Ltd. (NASDAQ: RDWR): The downgrade at Jefferies was to Hold from Buy, and it has a $22 target price. The 52-week trading range is $19.34 to $42.19. The shares were trading near $18.30 on Thursday, down close to 8% after posting earnings and revenues that lagged estimates.

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: RARE): Baird upgraded the stock to Outperform from Neutral and has a $50 price objective. The consensus target is up at $107. The 52-week trading range is $36.67 to $88.22. The stock traded near $39.50 on Thursday.
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Six top financial institutions in the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio likely are applauding the Federal Reserve’s latest increase in the federal funds rate as it means more earnings for them. These Warren Buffet stocks also come with solid dividends and are rated Buy across Wall Street.

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About the Author Lee Jackson →

Lee Jackson has covered Wall Street analysts' equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad and diverse career, which included a stint as the creative services director at the NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry and world.

Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans over 30 years, with nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career was marked by his presence on the sell side during pivotal Wall Street events, from the dot.com rise and bubble to the Long Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This is a testament to his resilience and adaptability in the face of market volatility.

Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, acquired from a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing on various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies and workings of Wall Street in a way that only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.

Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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