Investing

Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Akamai, JetBlue, Nordstrom, Nvidia, On Semiconductor, Southwest Airlines, Ventas and More

Lee Jackson

Published: October 30, 2018 9:15 am

Last Updated: January 11, 2020 3:39 pm

The markets tried once again to trade higher Tuesday morning after investors watched a solid Monday rally at the open turn into another landslide of selling on the close. The S&P 500 closed in correction status, down just over 10.2% from the highs posted on September 21. One thing is for sure, the potential for more volatility exists, with the midterm elections now just one week away.

The trend of buying the dips has not worked as well in 2018 as it has in prior years, and many investors have been considering how they want their investments positioned for the longer term. 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 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 on Tuesday, October 30, 2018.

Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) was raised to Buy from Hold at SunTrust. The 52-week trading range for the shares is $51.79 to $83.08. The Wall Street consensus price target is $83.56, and shares closed Monday at $62.05.

Carters Inc. (NYSE: CRI) was added to the B. Riley FBR Alpha Generator List. The 52-week trading range is $88.98 to $129, and the consensus price target is $104.89. The stock ended Monday’s trading at $96.49.

Elastic N.V. (NYSE: ESTC) was started with a Neutral rating and a $74 price target at Citigroup. RBC Capital Market started it with an Outperform rating and a $71 target, while Merrill Lynch has a Buy rating and an $81 target. The company had a recent red-hot initial public offering and a consensus price target has not been established. The stock closed Monday at $62.44.

JetBlue Airways Corp. (NASDAQ: JBLU) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Morgan Stanley. The airline’s 52-week trading range is $15.76 to $23.08, and the consensus price target is $20.25. The stock closed Monday at $16.16.

Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) was added to the Best Ideas list at Wedbush. The 52-week trading range for the high-end retailer is $37.70 to $66.33, and the consensus price target $59.41. The stock ended trading on Monday at $62.59.

Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at Morgan Stanley. The chip giant has traded in a 52-week range of $176.01 to $292.76. The consensus price target is $292.55, which is a long way from Monday’s $185.62 close.

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On Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: ON) saw its target price lowered to $25 from $30 at Craig Hallum. The firm noted that content expansion in key end-markets is helping it outperform other semiconductor suppliers. No supplier is safe from some China softness, primarily in industrial. The firm keeps the Buy rating intact. The consensus price target is $23.92, and the shares closed Monday at $15.91, up almost 9% on the day.

Southwest Airlines Inc. (NYSE: LUV) was downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at JPMorgan. The low-cost airline leader has traded between $47.10 and $66.99 over the past year. The consensus price target is $64.29. Shares closed way below that level on Monday at $47.91.

Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup. The 52-week range is $9.53 to $16.13, and the consensus price target is $16.83. The shares ended trading on Monday at $14.27, down over 5%.

Ventas Inc. (NYSE: VTR) was started with a Neutral rating and a $60 price target at JPMorgan. The consensus target is $55.91. The stock closed Monday at $57.26.

Other key analysts upgrades and downgrades were seen in the following:

Amedisys Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) is raised to Buy from Neutral with a $125 price target at Benchmark. The consensus target is $123.11. The shares closed Monday at $100.89.

Celyad S.A. (NASDAQ: CYAD) was started with an Outperform rating at William Blair. The stock has traded between $22.17 and $59.05 over the past year, and the consensus price target is $54.60. The stock closed Monday at $24.45.

Flex Ltd. (NASDAQ: FLEX) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Argus. The 52-week trading range is $6.74 to $19.71. The consensus price target is $13.20. The stock closed on Monday at $6.94.

Potlatch Deltic Corp. (NASDAQ: PCH) is raised to Buy from Neutral at D.A. Davidson. The stock has traded in a 52-week range of $33.09 to $55.75, and the consensus price objective is $49.71. The stock ended trading on Monday at $36.74, up over 7%.

Senior Housing Property Trust (NYSE: SNH) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley. The 52-week trading range is $14.86 to $19.98, and the consensus price objective is $18.06. The shares ended Monday at $16.59.

Weatherford International PLC (NYSE: WFT) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Citigroup. The 52-week range is $1.49 to $4.41, and the consensus price target is a stunning $4.06. The stock closed Monday at $1.54.

In case you missed it, Mondays top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Amazon, Anheuser-Busch, Caterpillar, HUYA, Ligand Pharmaceutical, Verizon, Weyerhaeuser and more.