Wall Street's top analysts reshuffled their outlooks on several high-profile stocks on Wednesday, delivering a mixed bag of upgrades, downgrades, and price target adjustments across multiple sectors. Here's what the smart money is thinking.
Tech Sector Gets Mixed Signals
Morgan Stanley analyst Meta Marshall trimmed Arista Networks Inc. (ANET) price target from $171 to $159, though she maintained an Overweight rating on the networking equipment maker. Arista shares closed at $126.13 on Tuesday, suggesting the stock still has room to run in Marshall's view despite the reduced target.
Things looked less rosy for Fortinet Inc. (FTNT), where JPMorgan analyst Brian Essex delivered a double blow. Essex not only slashed the cybersecurity company's price target from $85 to $75, but also downgraded the stock from Neutral to Underweight. That's analyst-speak for "we think this one's headed lower." Fortinet closed at $82.47 on Tuesday, already trading above JPMorgan's new target.
On the brighter side, Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh increased Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) price target from $205 to $245 while maintaining a Neutral rating. Applied Materials shares settled at $258.84 on Tuesday, already trading well above the new target.
Apple Gets a Boost
The headline grabber was Morgan Stanley's move on Apple Inc. (AAPL), where analyst Erik Woodring raised the tech giant's price target from $305 to $315 while maintaining an Overweight rating. With Apple shares closing at $274.61 on Tuesday, that new target implies roughly 15% upside potential. Not bad for a company already sporting a trillion-dollar-plus valuation.
Consumer Names See Action
Jefferies analyst Kaumil Gajrawala got bullish on Procter & Gamble Co. (PG), upgrading the consumer goods giant from Hold to Buy and boosting the price target from $156 to $179. P&G shares closed at $145.21 on Tuesday, giving Gajrawala's new target some serious upside implications.
Gap Inc. (GAP) also caught an upgrade, with Telsey Advisory Group analyst Dana Telsey moving the retailer from Market Perform to Outperform and raising the price target from $26 to $32. Gap shares settled at $27.06 on Tuesday, already pushing past the old target.
Travel and Services Get Attention
RBC Capital analyst Brad Erickson upgraded Airbnb Inc. (ABNB) from Sector Perform to Outperform, simultaneously raising the price target from $145 to $170. With Airbnb closing at $132.01 on Tuesday, that represents potential upside of nearly 29%. Erickson's clearly betting on a rebound in the travel platform's fortunes.
Rollins Inc. (ROL), the pest control company, got a vote of confidence from Morgan Stanley analyst Toni Kaplan, who upgraded the stock from Equal-Weight to Overweight and boosted the price target from $58 to $72. Rollins shares closed at $59.46 on Tuesday.
Financial Services See Trims
Not everything was sunshine and upgrades. Argus Research analyst Kevin Heal slashed the price target for Marketaxess Holdings Inc. (MKTX) from $212 to $205, though he maintained a Buy rating on the electronic bond trading platform. Marketaxess shares closed at $179.47 on Tuesday.
Paychex Inc. (PAYX) also saw its target reduced, with Stifel analyst David Grossman cutting it from $137 to $126 while maintaining a Hold rating. Paychex shares closed at $115.22 on Tuesday, trading below both the old and new targets.
The variety of moves across sectors shows analysts are picking their spots carefully, with no clear consensus on market direction. Some are betting on continued strength in consumer staples and tech giants, while others are getting cautious on cybersecurity and financial services names.