Investing
Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Apple, Chesapeake Energy, DowDuPont, Equifax, Gap, Nike, Tesla, Under Armour and More
September 19, 2017 9:05 am
Last Updated: March 20, 2020 11:17 am
Stocks were indicated to open marginally higher on Tuesday, but investors need to keep in mind that the major equity indexes are at or just under all-time highs. Investors keep finding new reasons to buy stocks after every sell-off, and many of those same investors are looking for new investing and trading ideas to generate gains and income.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week to find new investing and trading ideas for our readers. Some of the top analyst reports cover stocks to buy. Other analyst calls cover stocks to sell or to avoid.
Additional color and commentary has been added on some of these daily analyst calls. The consensus analyst price target data are from the Thomson Reuters sell-side research service.
These were the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and other research calls from Tuesday, September 19, 2017.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has seen several analysts opine about the iPhone 8 launch and the implications, but Morgan Stanley reiterated its Overweight rating and raised its target price to $194 from $182 (versus a $158.67 prior close). The firm feels the weaker dollar will allow it to raise prices overseas without any penalty or impact, and that will drive up earnings. Apple has a 52-week trading range of $104.08 to $164.94, and it had a consensus analyst target price of $172.35.
Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE: CHK) was started with an In-Line rating and assigned a $5 price target at Imperial Capital. The shares closed at $4.05 on Monday, so this “in-line” call with an implied upside of more than 20% is actually above the current average analyst Buy/Outperform rating. That being said, Chesapeake shares have a consensus target price of $4.81 and a 52-week range of $3.55 to $8.20.
DowDuPont Inc. (NYSE: DWDP) was started with a Buy rating and assigned an $81 price target at Argus. This is after the Dow and DuPont merger. Its shares closed at $69.77 on Monday, and the consensus target price for the newly combined company is listed as $77.89.
Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) has already seen its share of analyst downgrades and price targets being slashed in the aftermath of how it handled its massive data breach. RBC Capital Markets is maintaining an Outperform rating, but the firm lowered its target price to $113 from $154. Equifax closed up 1.5% at $94.38 on Monday and was indicated down 1.8% at $92.56 on Tuesday. The 52-week range is $89.59 to $147.02, and the consensus target price is $128.00.
Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) was raised to Neutral from Underperform with a $30 price target (versus a $27.90 close) at Credit Suisse. The firm’s proprietary analysis highlights attractive real estate positioning. Back on September 12, Gap shares were reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $39 from $35 (versus a $25.94 close ahead of that call) at Jefferies.
Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) was maintained as Hold at Jefferies, but the price target was cut to $49 from $60. The firm noted that sales data indicates Nike is losing to Adidas at in North America and in Europe and in online sales. Its cautious stance came with expectations of downward consensus revisions and the dreaded “multiple compression.” Nike was also downgraded to Neutral from Positive with a $54 price target at Susquehanna.
Sponsored: Tips for Investing
A financial advisor can help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of investment properties. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. If you’re an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. They often offer low investment fees, helping you maximize your profit.