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Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Accenture, Barrick Gold, Beyond Meat, Capital One, Coca-Cola, Hershey, Mastercard, Wingstop and More

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The futures were decidedly mixed Wednesday morning, as investors were treated to a solid snap-back rally Tuesday. While many eyes are focused on the Senate race outcomes in Georgia, it is a good bet that for the markets 2021 could resemble last year, as many of the same tailwinds like stimulus and low interest rates remain on the table.

Investors should be reviewing portfolios very closely now and making adjustments in positioning for the first quarter and the balance of 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 Wednesday, January 6, 2021.

Accenture PLC (NYSE: ACN) was raised at BofA Securities from Underperform to Neutral with a $261 price target. That compares with the Wall Street consensus target of $279.56 and a Tuesday closing print of $257.92.

Alteryx Inc. (NYSE: AYX) was named as the Zacks Bear of the Day stock. The firm said that, with a volatile earnings record, investors might want to shy away from this stock until it proves itself more consistent. Shares last closed at $112.84 and have a consensus price target of $146.21.

Arista Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: ANET) was raised at Credit Suisse from Neutral to Outperform with a $351 price target. The consensus target is $275.64, and Tuesday’s close was $286.01 a share.

Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE: GOLD) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Baird, which also lifted the price target on the gold mining giant to $28. The consensus target is up at $35. The shares were last seen on Tuesday at $24.28.

Beyond Meat Inc. (NASDAQ: BYND) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at Piper Sandler, which dropped the price target to $125. That compares to a $115.58 consensus target and a Tuesday close of $126.07.

Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE: COF) was raised to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank. The 52-week trading range for the money center bank is $38.00 to $107.59. The posted consensus price target is $106.04, and the shares ended Tuesday trading at $100.14 apiece.

Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank, which dropped the price target on the beverage colossus to $55. The consensus target is $57.29. The last trade on Tuesday came in at $52.18.

Curiosity Stream Inc. (NASDAQ: CURI) was downgraded from Buy to Neutral with a $16 price target at B. Riley Securities. The consensus target is $14, and Tuesday’s closing price was $16.74 a share.

Edison International (NYSE: EIX) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Wells Fargo, which also lifted the price target on the utility to $71. The consensus target is $69.38. The stock closed on Tuesday at $60.81.

Freshpet Inc. (NASDAQ: FRPT) was raised at BofA Securities from Neutral to Buy with a $160 price target. The consensus target is $127.58, and the final Tuesday print was at $140.33.

Hershey Co. (NYSE: HSY) was raised at BofA Securities from Neutral to Buy with a $168 price objective. That compares to the consensus target of $157.94 and a Tuesday close at $150.73.

Kellogg Co. (NYSE: K) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at Piper Sandler, which lowered the price target on the food company to $66. The $69 consensus target also compares with a $61.80 closing price on Tuesday.

Kratos Defense and Security Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at B. Riley Securities. However, the firm raised the price target on the shares to $28 from $24. That compares a $25.40 consensus figure and a Tuesday close of $26.91.

Mastercard Inc. (NYSE: MA) was raised at BofA Securities from Neutral to Buy with a $400 price target. The consensus target for the credit card behemoth is $365.86. The shares closed most recently at $347.42, but the stock was up over 1% in premarket action.

MetLife Inc. (NYSE: MET) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at Piper Sandler, which lifted the price target on the insurance giant to $52. The consensus target is $51.42. Tuesday’s closing price was $46.65 a share.

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR) was started with a Hold rating with an $18 price target at Stifel. The consensus target is much higher at $30.23. The stock closed Tuesday at $17.98.

Shift4 Payments Inc. (NASDAQ: FOUR) was downgraded at BofA Securities from Neutral to Underperform with a $65 price target. The consensus target was last seen at $68.60. The final Tuesday trade was reported at $73.73.

STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE: STM) saw its price target raised to $46 from $41 at Craig Hallum, where the analysts believe it is benefiting from Apple/Samsung/auto strength, as well as a likely price hike. The consensus target is just $38.57. The shares were last seen on Tuesday at $39.70.

Teleflex Inc. (NYSE: TFX) saw its target price raised to $445 from $406 at Needham. The analyst cites the company’s acquisition of Z-Medica as a positive. Z-Medica is a market leader in hemostatic products sold to hospitals and the military. The posted consensus price target is $424.36. The last trade on Tuesday hit the tape at $400.43.

Ventas Inc. (NYSE: VTR) was started at Baird with a Neutral rating and a $49 price target. The $46.84 consensus target is less than Tuesday’s close at $47.44.

Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays, which also lifted the price target to $155. The consensus target is $147.60, and the stock closed at $136.06 on Tuesday.

Winnebago Industries Inc. (NYSE: WGO) was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks, which points out that vacationing overseas during the pandemic is not an option for many, so Americans are buying campers and exploring the USA. Shares most recently closed at $63.76 and have a consensus price target of $76.00.

Five top technology picks for 2021 at Baird look like outstanding ideas for growth stock investors, though none of them are high-profile social media stocks or other meg-cap giants.

Tuesday morning’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Airbnb, Conagra Brands, Cree, DocuSign, Fortinet, JD.com, McDonald’s, Micron Technology and Tesla. Analyst calls made later in the day included Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Roku and more.

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