Tuesday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Airbnb, Krispy Kreme, Planet Fitness, Square, Workday, XPO Logistics and More

Photo of Lee Jackson
By Lee Jackson Published
Tuesday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Airbnb, Krispy Kreme, Planet Fitness, Square, Workday, XPO Logistics and More

© MicroStockHub / Getty Images

The futures all traded higher on Tuesday after a wild Monday that saw the market open solidly higher before giving back much of the early gains, with the Dow Jones industrials printing yet another all-time intraday high before closing negative. The combination of more mask mandates and the potential for lockdowns has kept investors nervous, but over the weekend Dr. Fauci stated he thought there was no need for additional lockdowns. Earnings are still coming in strong, but the key data point this week will be the July jobs report, which some think could be the blockbuster report Wall Street has been looking for, with over a million new jobs being added.

While the Federal Reserve did not raise rates last week, many across Wall Street remain leery of the beginning of the tapering of the quantitative easing program after the clear buildup of inflationary pressures, despite the fact the Federal Reserve is vowing to keep interest rates contained. That could be one reason for the continued moves higher in the equity markets even after sell-offs. Also note that money markets continue to see massive inflows, which is another big plus.

With major Wall Street firms still warning of the potential for impending 5% to 10% correction across the board, it makes sense for investors to continue building some cash reserves into the market strength while repositioning portfolios for the rest 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.
[nativounit]
These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Tuesday, August 3, 2021.

Airbnb Inc. (NASDAQ: ABNB | ABNB Price Prediction): KeyBanc Capital Markets upgraded the shares to Overweight from Sector Weight and have a $180 price target. The posted consensus target is $172.50. Monday’s closing trade came in at $145.49.

Anaplan Inc. (NASDAQ: PLAN): Barclays upgraded the stock to Overweight from Equal Weight and raised the price target to $70. The consensus target is just higher at $71.90. Tuesday’s final trade was reported at $56.75.
[recirclink id=926748]
Bloomin’ Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: BLMN): Credit Suisse raised its Neutral rating to Outperform from and lifted the price target to $33. The consensus target is $34.77. The shares were last seen on Monday at $25.46.

Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE: BHR): Zacks named this as its Bull of the Day stock. The analyst says that this stock has a great valuation and luxury names like this need not worry about the impact of inflation. The shares closed most recently at $5.20 and have a consensus price target all the way up at $10.50.

Cable One Inc. (NASDAQ: CABO): JPMorgan’s upgrade to Neutral from Underperform included a target price hike to $2,100. The consensus target is $2,090.17. The final trade for Monday hit the tape at $1,900 per share.

DXC Technology Co. (NYSE: DXC): When BMO Capital Markets upgraded it to Outperform from Market Perform, and the analyst also raised the price target to $50. The consensus target is just $42.08. The stock ended Monday’s trading session at $42.61, after popping almost 7% for the day.

EPAM Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: EPAM): Jefferies not only raised its Hold rating to Buy but also boosted the target price to $670. The consensus target is just $505. The last trade on Monday was posted at $558.40.

FREYR Battery Inc. (NASDAQ: FREY): BTIG Research started coverage with a Buy rating and a $20 price target. No consensus target was available. Monday’s closing share price was $8.75. The stock was up almost 6% in premarket action.
[recirclink id=926467]
Globant S.A. (NYSE: GLOB): The Jefferies upgrade to Buy from Hold included a price target hike to $290. The consensus target is $237.11, and the stock closed at $235.40 on Monday.

Green Plains Partners L.P. (NASDAQ: GPP): Stifel upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold and boosted its target price to $16. The $13 consensus target is the same as Monday’s closing print.

Krispy Kreme Inc. (NASDAQ: DNUT): HSBC Securities started coverage on the beloved donut maker with a Buy rating and a $25 price target. No consensus price objective was available as the company had a recent initial public offering. The shares have traded between $15.50 and $21.69 apiece since the deal was priced. Monday’s last trade came in at $15.74.

MarketWise Inc. (NASDAQ: MKTW): Oppenheimer started coverage with a Buy rating and a $19 price target. No consensus price objective was available. The shares rose over 7% on Monday to close at $15.06.
Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. (NYSE: ODFL): Goldman Sachs downgraded the shipping and transport giant from Buy to Neutral with a $281 price target. The $265.75 consensus target is less than Monday’s closing price of $266.79.

Payoneer Global Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYO): This one was started with an Outperform rating at William Blair. The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $9.02 to $14.50 and have a $14 consensus price target. The stock closed Monday at $9.77. The company was one of last weekend’s top stocks to buy under $10.

Planet Fitness Inc. (NASDAQ: PLNT): Stifel raised its Hold rating to Buy and boosted the price target to $85. The consensus target is $84.50. The shares ended trading Monday at $74.37.

Skillsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: SKIL): Barclays stated coverage with an Overweight rating and a $12 price target. The consensus target is $14.20, and the shares closed on Monday at $8.81

Square Inc. (NYSE: SQ): Cowen raised the stock to Outperform from Market Perform and lifted the target price to $343. The consensus target is set considerably lower at $276.70. The shares closed Monday at $272.38, which was up over 10% as investors cheered the firm’s acquisition of Afterpay for $29 billion in an all-stock deal.

Workday Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY): Barclays upgraded the stock to Overweight from Equal Weight and also raised its target price to $282. That compares with a $282.29 consensus and Monday’s closing trade at $233.65.

XPO Logistics Inc. (NYSE: XPO): Goldman Sachs raised the stock to Buy from Neutral and has a $103 price target. The consensus price objective is $163.70. The last trade Monday hit the tape at $83.95.
[recirclink id=926378]
Five top Jefferies bank stock picks really are value plays when compared to the very overbought and pricey stock market as a whole. With earnings out of the way, investors can feel good about adding positions in these dividend payers.

In addition, five top stocks come with dividends set to be raised this week. And check out the meme stocks that were on the move Monday.

Monday’s early top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Baker Hughes, Bloomin’ Brands, DoorDash, Estee Lauder, First Solar, Levi Strauss, Lyft, Mondelez and Yeti. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Newell Brands, Teladoc Health, Uber and more.
[wallst_email_signup]

Photo of Lee Jackson
About the Author Lee Jackson →

Lee Jackson has covered Wall Street analysts' equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad and diverse career, which included a stint as the creative services director at the NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry and world.

Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans over 30 years, with nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career was marked by his presence on the sell side during pivotal Wall Street events, from the dot.com rise and bubble to the Long Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This is a testament to his resilience and adaptability in the face of market volatility.

Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, acquired from a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing on various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies and workings of Wall Street in a way that only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.

Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

Featured Reads

Our top personal finance-related articles today. Your wallet will thank you later.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

KMX Vol: 7,330,419
GLW Vol: 22,800,969
INTC Vol: 233,719,006
SMCI Vol: 68,465,534
ENPH Vol: 13,978,376

Top Losing Stocks

ACN Vol: 41,744,333
EPAM Vol: 5,636,587
CTSH Vol: 61,311,400
CTRA Vol: 73,319,495
KR Vol: 26,704,230