Pre-Market Stock Futures:
Futures are trading higher this morning after a messy Wednesday trading session that saw all major indices except the Nasdaq end lower, with the Nasdaq closing virtually unchanged at 24,603, up 0.04%. The combination of soaring oil prices, the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates unchanged for the third straight meeting, and bogged-down negotiations with Iran, which are keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed, all added to the selling pressure. The President said flat out that he will block Iran until it accepts the nuclear agreements they have presented. The S&P 500 finished the day almost unchanged as well, down just 0.04% at 7,135, while the Dow Jones Industrials closed the session at 48,861, down 0.57%. The biggest loser on Wednesday was the small-cap Russell 2000, which is still the leading index in 2026, finishing down 0.60% at 2,739.
Treasury Bonds:
Yields were up again across the Treasury curve on Wednesday, and Wall Street immediately pointed to the Federal Reserve’s stance of holding rates steady despite the highest number of dissents among the voting Governors since 1992, which marked the highest level of policy opposition in almost 35 years. The 30-year long bond closed Wednesday at 4.99%, while the benchmark 10-year note was last seen at 4.42%.
Oil and Gas:
The story of the day, of course, was oil leaping once again over the $100 mark in a big way, and moving back to the highest levels we have seen since earlier this month, but before that, the highest since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022. President Trump’s line in the sand with Iran over the nuclear issue sparked buying, and when it was all said and done, Brent Crude finished Wednesday at $120, up 7.81%, while West Texas Intermediate was last seen at $108.20, up 8.27%. Natural gas closed the day at $2.65, down 1.64%.
Gold:
Gold continued its losing streak, posting a sharp decline for a third straight session. This extends a broader period of weakness, with gold dropping 8 out of the past 12 sessions. The current downward trend is still being driven by a stronger U.S. dollar, rising Treasury yields, and profit-taking after the metal hit record highs in early 2026. Gold closed the session down 1.11% at $4,543.90, while Silver ended trading at $71.27, down 2.37% on the day. Investors itching to initiate gold positions or add to current holdings need to be patient, as the sought-after hedge continues to consolidate after a staggering five-year run that saw the spot price soar.
Crypto:
Crypto markets experienced a mixed, very cautious trading day on Wednesday, marked by falling trading volumes, a slump in crypto-related stocks, and pressure from multiple macroeconomic factors. While Bitcoin held onto key support levels, the broader market showed signs of slowing demand, with investors acting cautiously ahead of Federal Reserve updates. While there was no surprise that the Fed held rates steady, the commentary from Chairman Powell, likely in his last address as Chairman, did not paint a glowing picture for the economy, at least in the short term. At 8 AM EDT, Bitcoin was trading at $75,940, while Ethereum was last spotted at $2,259.
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 Thursday, April 30, 2026.
Upgrades:
- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV | ABBV Price Prediction) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Bank of America, which bumped the target price for the stock to $234 from $226.
- Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX) was upgraded to Strong Buy from Market Perform at Raymond James, which has a $1,2590 target for the data center behemoth.
- Lennox International (NYSE: LII) was raised to Buy from Hold at Vertical Research, which has set a $600 target price.
- Site One Landscape Supply (NYSE: SITE) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank, with a $160 target price.
- Teradyne (NYSE: TER) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan, with a $400 target price objective.
Downgrades:
- GE Healthcare Technologies (NASDAQ: GEHC) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs, which cut the target price for the stock to $65 from $781.
- Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) was cut to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan, which lowered the target price for the tech giant to $725 from $826.
- Oneok (NYSE: OKE) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Underperform at Scotiabank, with an $89 price target.
- Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD) was cut to Neutral from Buy at Bank of America, with a $250 target price.
- Wingstop (NASDAQ: WING) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs, which slashed the target price for the shares to $190 from $290.
Initiations:
- AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) was initiated with a Buy rating at Clear Street, with a $293 price target.
- Kratos Defense and Security Solutions (NASDAQ: KTOS) was initiated with a Buy rating at Clear Street with an $82 target price.
- Mistras Group (NYSE: MG) was initiated with a Buy rating at Roth Capital, with a $22 target.
- Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) was initiated with an Outperform rating at Oppenheimer, which has set a $200 target price for the stock.
- Sutro Biopharma (NASDAQ: STRO) was started with an Outperform rating at Mizuho, which has a $50 target for the shares.
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