Wall Street's research desks were busy Tuesday morning, delivering a mixed bag of rating changes that ranged from dramatic upgrades in biotech to a reality check on student loan financing. Here's what the analysts are thinking about ten stocks across multiple sectors.
Broadcom Gets a Boost
Rosenblatt analyst Kevin Cassidy raised his price target on Broadcom Inc (AVGO) from $400 to $440 while maintaining a Buy rating. With shares closing Monday at $401.10, that new target implies approximately 10% upside for the semiconductor and infrastructure software giant. The timing is notable as Broadcom continues to position itself as a key player in the AI infrastructure boom.
Biotech Takes Center Stage
The most dramatic moves came in the biotechnology sector, where Wave Life Sciences Ltd (WVE) received not one but two significant upgrades. RBC Capital analyst Luca Issi tripled the firm's price target from $9 to $27 and upgraded the stock from Sector Perform to Outperform. Separately, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Steve Seedhouse raised his target from $12 to $34 while maintaining an Overweight rating. Wave Life Sciences shares closed at $18.52 on Monday.
Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (TERN) also caught analysts' attention. HC Wainwright & Co. analyst Andres Y. Maldonado increased the price target from $20 to $60 while maintaining a Buy rating. The stock closed Monday at $40.23, suggesting the analyst sees significant additional upside ahead.
Kymera Therapeutics, Inc (KYMR) saw BTIG analyst Jeet Mukherjee raise the price target from $75 to $138 while keeping a Buy rating intact. With shares at $94.30 on Monday's close, that target represents substantial optimism about the company's degrader platform technology.
Industrial and Tech Giants Get Updates
RPM International Inc. (RPM) received an upgrade from RBC Capital analyst Arun Viswanathan, who moved the rating from Sector Perform to Outperform and increased the price target from $121 to $132. The specialty chemicals and coatings company closed at $102.63 on Monday.
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) continues to impress analysts as it pivots toward hybrid cloud and AI. Stifel analyst David Grossman raised the price target from $295 to $325 while maintaining a Buy rating. IBM shares closed at $309.18 on Monday, already trading above the previous target.
The Bearish Calls
Not everyone received good news. SLM Corporation (SLM), the student loan company, took a significant hit from Compass Point analyst Giuliano Bologna, who downgraded the stock from Buy to Sell and slashed the price target from $35 to $23. With shares settling at $30.85 on Monday, the analyst clearly sees downside risk ahead in the student lending environment.
T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS) received a price target cut from Argus Research analyst Marie Ferguson, who reduced the target from $275 to $245 but maintained a Buy rating. T-Mobile shares closed at $204.44 on Monday, well below even the reduced target, suggesting the analyst still sees the wireless carrier as undervalued despite lowering expectations.
A Tech Downgrade That's Actually Bullish
In an interesting twist, Synopsys Inc (SNPS) saw Rosenblatt analyst Blair Abernethy cut the price target from $605 to $560 but simultaneously upgrade the stock from Neutral to Buy. Synopsys shares closed at $465.75 on Friday. The combination of a lower target with a rating upgrade suggests the analyst believes the recent pullback has created a buying opportunity, even if the long-term target is somewhat reduced.
What It All Means
Tuesday's analyst calls reflect the current market's complexity. Biotechnology continues to attract aggressive bullish targets as investors bet on clinical progress and innovation. Established tech giants like IBM and Broadcom are getting incrementally higher targets as their AI and infrastructure stories play out. Meanwhile, companies in more challenged sectors like student lending are facing harder questions about their prospects.
The breadth of these calls across sectors suggests analysts are actively reassessing positions rather than simply making minor tweaks. Whether these targets prove prescient will depend on execution, market conditions, and the broader economic environment as we head deeper into 2025.