Wall Street's opinion-makers are changing their tune on a handful of stocks, and some of these moves are worth paying attention to. Here's the rundown of Friday's most notable analyst upgrades.
The Bullish Calls
Starting with the energy sector, Argus Research analyst John Eade upgraded AES Corp (AES) from Hold to Buy and set a price target of $18. That's a meaningful jump from Thursday's closing price of $13.94, suggesting Eade sees considerable upside ahead for the utility company.
In the rare earth materials space, Morgan Stanley analyst Carlos De Alba moved MP Materials Corp (MP) from Equal-Weight to Overweight, pushing his price target higher from $68.50 to $71. MP Materials closed Thursday at $62.78, giving the stock some room to run toward Alba's target.
Healthcare giant Humana Inc (HUM) caught the attention of Jefferies analyst David Windley, who upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy while simultaneously raising his price target from $253 to $313. With Humana shares closing at $260.36 on Thursday, Windley is essentially calling for a roughly 20% move higher.
The headline upgrade belongs to Albemarle Corp (ALB), where UBS analyst Joshua Spector flipped from Neutral to Buy and made an aggressive move on his price target—jumping from $107 to $185. That's a substantial increase, especially considering Albemarle closed Thursday at $126. Spector clearly sees something compelling in the lithium producer's future.
Rounding out the list, JP Morgan analyst Bill Peterson upgraded Commercial Metals Co (CMC) from Neutral to Overweight, lifting his price target from $64 to $78. Commercial Metals shares finished Thursday at $66.15, positioning the stock below Peterson's new target.
What It Means
These upgrades span multiple sectors—from utilities and materials to healthcare and metals—suggesting analysts are finding value in different corners of the market. The Albemarle upgrade stands out for its magnitude, with UBS's price target implying nearly 50% upside from recent levels. Whether these calls prove prescient or premature, they represent a meaningful shift in how some of Wall Street's prominent voices view these companies.