Stocks Today: Wall Street’s Upgrades and Downgrades

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By Joel South Published

Key Points

  • Markets slide (S&P 500 -2.64%, Nasdaq -3.72%) as China’s 84% tariffs hit back at Trump’s 125%, overshadowing 15-country deal talks.
  • Analysts adjust: Amazon, Meta, Tesla targets cut; Western Digital, AppLovin see mixed upgrades amid tariff chaos
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Stocks Today: Wall Street’s Upgrades and Downgrades

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Markets are reeling as trade tensions escalate, with China’s retaliatory 84% tariffs on U.S. goods—up from 34%—countering Trump’s 125% levy on Chinese imports, hammering sentiment.
As of 11:15 a.m. 
  • Nasdaq: Down 2.29%
  • S&P: Down 2.80%
  • Dow: Down 2.27%

Economic Policy Advisor Kevin Hassett offered a glimmer of hope, noting deal offers from 15 countries that could ease uncertainty, but investors remain skeptical, fixated on the U.S.-China standoff. Amid the volatility, Wall Street analysts are recalibrating, issuing a flurry of upgrades and downgrades on major stocks

Upgrades and Downgrades

Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN | AMZN Price Prediction): Piper Sandler trimmed its price target on Amazon to $215 from $265 while holding an Overweight rating. The adjustment reflects a cautious outlook as Chinese sellers, who make up about half of Amazon’s vendor base, face Trump’s 125% tariffs on Chinese imports. Analysts expect these sellers to hike prices by up to 30% or shift focus to markets like Canada and Europe, potentially denting Amazon’s ad revenue and sales momentum.

Meta (Nasdaq: META): Piper Sandler slashed its price target on Meta Platforms to $610 from $775, maintaining an Overweight rating. The cut comes despite strong ad buyer feedback, as Meta’s exposure to e-commerce and China—hit by escalating U.S.-China trade tensions—prompted a 2% reduction in 2025 revenue estimates.

Analysts anticipate Q2 revenue guidance of $42.5 billion to $45.5 billion, but tariff pressures and a broader market sell-off (S&P 500 down 2.64%) overshadow optimism around AI initiatives like Llama 4. Investors remain focused on Meta’s ability to navigate regulatory and trade risks.

Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA): Tesla faced a mixed bag from analysts. Goldman Sachs lowered its price target to $260 from $275, keeping a Neutral rating, citing tariff pressures on the auto sector—excluded from Trump’s 90-day pause—and softening demand, though pricing power might offset some costs. Mizuho also cut its target to $375 from $430 but held an Outperform rating, acknowledging supply chain risks from the U.S.-China tariff war (China’s 84% levy vs. Trump’s 125%). Despite today’s Dow drop of 2.11%, Mizuho sees Tesla’s innovation edge as a long-term buffer, even as execution risks loom

Alphabet (Nasdaq: GOOGL): Citi reduced its price target on Alphabet to $195 from $229, retaining a Buy rating. The firm remains upbeat after Google Cloud Next showcased AI and infrastructure gains, but tariff-driven uncertainty in the online ad space—exacerbated by today’s market dip (Nasdaq down 3.72%)—led to the cut. Analysts still expect steady search revenue growth from AI-enhanced features, though visibility remains cloudy as trade tensions escalate, with China’s retaliatory tariffs adding pressure on global tech sentiment.

General Motors (NYSE: GM): General Motors saw downgrades from two firms. Goldman Sachs dropped its price target to $63 from $73, maintaining a Buy rating, noting auto tariffs (outside the 90-day pause) and rising Chinese competition as headwinds, though pricing could mitigate some damage. Mizuho cut its target to $55 from $63, keeping an Outperform rating, but highlighted persistent uncertainty impacting volumes amid today’s 2.11% Dow decline. Both see GM’s resilience tested by the U.S.-China trade spat, with China’s 84% tariff hike adding fuel to the fire.

Western Digital (Nasdaq: WDC): Western Digital received contrasting calls. Benchmark upgraded it to Buy from Hold with a $55 target, pointing to attractive valuations after a tariff-induced sell-off and double-digit data center growth tied to AI demand. Conversely, Mizuho lowered its target to $68 from $82, keeping an Outperform rating, citing supply chain disruptions from tariffs hitting hard-disk-drive markets. With the S&P 500 off 2.64% today, Benchmark’s optimism clashes with Mizuho’s caution, reflecting the sector’s tariff-driven volatility.

AppLovin (Nasdaq: APP): AppLovin got a split verdict. Morgan Stanley upgraded it to Overweight from Equal Weight, trimming its target to $350 from $470, seeing a buying opportunity after a 46% drop since Q4 earnings, driven by ad share gains in gaming and beyond. Piper Sandler cut its target to $425 from $575, holding an Overweight rating, citing supply-side strength but aligning its multiple with lower peers amid today’s 3.72% Nasdaq fall. Both highlight AppLovin’s resilience in a tariff-rattled market, though near-term uncertainty tempers enthusiasm.

Photo of Joel South
About the Author Joel South →

Joel South covers large-cap stocks, dividend investing, and major market trends, with a focus on earnings analysis, valuation, and turning complex data into actionable insights for investors.

He brings more than 15 years of experience as an investor and financial journalist, including 12 years at The Motley Fool, where he served as an investment analyst, Bureau Chief, and later led the Fool.com investing news desk. He has also co-hosted an investing podcast and appeared across TV and radio discussing market trends.

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