Investing

Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Activision, Alphabet, Conoco, Dick's, Northern Oil, Shopify, Tesla, Weibo and More

Lee Jackson

Published: December 31, 2020 9:02 am

Last Updated: January 4, 2021 8:04 am

The futures were slightly lower on Thursday morning, as we have finally reached the last trading day. It is New Year’s Eve and we welcome 2021 tomorrow. With all three major indexes still right at all-time highs, many across Wall Street are becoming concerned that a January sell-off could be in the offing. With one final day for portfolio window dressing, we could see a touch more volume, as the market will be open regular hours. Investors should be reviewing portfolios very closely now and adjusting positioning for 2021.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Thursday, December 31, 2020.

Acadia Healthcare Co. Inc. (NASDAQ: ACHC) was reiterated with a Neutral rating at Baird. The shares have traded between $11.08 and $50.99 over the past 52 weeks. The Wall Street consensus price target is $49.15, and the stock was last seen Wednesday at $50.30, after rising almost 4% on the day.

Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) was reiterated at Truist Securities with a Buy rating and a $90 price target. That compares to a higher consensus target of $97.28 and a closing price on Wednesday of $91.58 per share.

Alaska Air Group Inc. (NYSE: ALK) was named as the Zacks Bear of the Day stock. The firm questions whether a recovery is on the horizon for this airline stock. Shares last closed at $52.90 and have a consensus price target of $55.53.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) saw its price target increased at Baird to $2,000. The posted consensus target for the technology behemoth is $1911.79, and Wednesday’s final trade came in at $1,736.25.

Apartment Income REIT Corp. (NYSE: AIRC) was started at JPMorgan with a Neutral rating and a $43 price objective. The consensus target is $40, and Wednesday’s closing trade was at $38.39 a share.

Avid Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) saw its target price raised to $18 from $13.50 at B. Riley Securities, where the analysts reiterated the Buy rating on the shares. The consensus target was last seen at $14.50. The stock closed Wednesday at $14.11 a share, and it was up in Thursday’s premarket.

Brixmor Property Group Inc. (NYSE: BRX) saw its price target raised to $17 from $13 at Truist Securities, which also reiterated the firm’s Neutral rating. That compares with a $16.78 consensus target and Wednesday’s $16.40 per share closing price.

ConocoPhillips Inc. (NYSE: COP) was reiterated with a Buy rating at Truist Securities, which also boosted the price target on the energy giant to $48 from $40. That is nearer the $48.52 consensus target, and the shares were last seen trading at $40.01 on Wednesday.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS) was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks, which said that this lifestyle and outdoor recreation retailer continues to generate record growth amid the pandemic. Shares most recently closed at $56.36, and they have a consensus price target of $66.90.

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5 BofA Securities Top Stock Picks for 2021 Also Pay Solid Dividends

DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. (NASDAQ: DRTT) was downgraded to Sell from Hold at Industrial Alliance. The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $0.71 to $3.48. The last trade on Wednesday was posted at $2.39.

Northern Oil and Gas Inc. (NYSE: NOG) was reiterated with a Buy rating at Truist Securities, but the firm raised its price target to $11 from $7. The consensus target is higher at $13.25. The analyst feels the company will continue generating solid free cash flow with which it likely will continue to pay down leverage notably. The stock closed Wednesday at $8.90 per share.

Regency Centers Corp. (NASDAQ: REG) was reiterated with a Buy rating at Truist Securities, which also raised the price target to $50 from $45. The consensus target price is $50.40, and the final print on Wednesday came in at $45.59 a share.

Shopify Inc. (NYSE: SHOP) was started with a Buy rating at Masterlink Securities. The stock has traded in a wide range, between $305.30 and $1,285.19, over the past 52 weeks. The consensus price target is $1,127.91, while the shares closed most recently at $1,163.

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) was started with a Buy rating at Masterlink Securities. The electric vehicle giant has traded in a stunning 52-week range of $70.10 to $696.50. The consensus price target of $421.03 is far below Wednesday’s $694.78 per share close.

Weibo Corp. (NYSE: WB) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at First Shanghai Bank. The shares have traded between $28.93 and $52.33 in the past year. The consensus price target is $43.17, and the shares were last seen Wednesday changing hands at $41.02.

WPX Energy Inc. (NYSE: WPX) was dropped in coverage at Truist Securities following shareholder approval of the company’s merger with Devon Energy. The shares were Buy rated and have traded between $1.94 and $14.33 apiece over the past year. The stock closed Wednesday at $8.35, up over 6% on the day.

With the market way overbought, what many feel makes sense for 2021 are dividend-paying stocks with solid growth potential that can deliver solid total return. Five top stocks on the BofA Securities conviction list fit the bill.

Furthermore, the question for many investors is which major semiconductor stocks have the potential to keep running in 2021 and keep the markets hitting all-time highs.

Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Applied Materials, Caterpillar, Costco Wholesale, JPMorgan, Spotify, Vertex Pharmaceutical, Vornado Realty Trust and Whiting Petroleum.