Thursday Afternoon Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Apple, AutoDesk and More

24/7 Wall St. looks at some big analyst upgrades and downgrades that we have seen so far on Thursday, including Apple, AutoDesk, Beazer Homes and New Fortress Energy.

Published August 19, 2021, 1:02pm ET · 2 min read

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With the trading day more than halfway over, the broad markets made another comeback from the open, similar to Wednesday, but can they hold it today? After the FOMC minutes were released Wednesday afternoon, markets plunged, but for the most part on Thursday, investors seem to have come to grips with this and the broad markets are positive.

24/7 Wall St. is reviewing some big analyst calls seen on Thursday. We have included the latest analyst call on each stock, as well as a recent trading history and the consensus targets among analysts.

For those that might have missed it, 24/7 Wall St. had an earlier round of analyst calls on Thursday that included Applied Materials, Brinker, Nvidia, SeaWorld, Target and more.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL | AAPL Price Prediction): JPMorgan reiterated an Overweight rating and raised the price target to $180 from $175. Shares traded near $148 on Thursday, in a 52-week range of $103.10 to $151.68.

Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK): Morgan Stanley resumed coverage with an Equal Weight rating and a $334 price target. The stock traded near $332 on Thursday, in a 52-week range of $215.83 to $335.67.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQL APLS): Wedbush upgraded it to Outperform from Neutral, and Jefferies initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $74 price target. The stock was changing hands near $60 a share on Thursday, in a 52-week range of $26.38 to $73.00.

Beazer Homes USA Inc. (NYSE: BZH): Janney started coverage with a Buy rating and a $23 price target. The stock traded near $18 on Thursday, in a 52-week range of $10.96 to $26.12.

New Fortress Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NFE): Credit Suisse upgraded it to Outperform from Neutral and cut the price target to $34 from $50. The stock was changing hands near $28 a share on Thursday, in a 52-week range of $25.60 to $65.90.

Xperi Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: XPER): Maxim Group started coverage with a Buy rating and a $31 price target. The shares were trading near $21 on Thursday, and the consensus price target is $26.33.


These five stocks are not overextended or overbought and are solid ideas in a very pricey stock market. While none of them soon will be making any massive parabolic moves higher, they look like very good ideas for growth investors seeking to reset portfolios to safer sectors.

See how much Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest ETFs are being shorted now, and whether expectations are too high for lithium products makers.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Chris Lange

Chris Lange is a financial and geopolitical writer with more than a decade of experience covering a myriad of topics. He has published thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St., with past coverage focused heavily on stocks, IPOs, healthcare, defense, global affairs, and technology.

His work has been quoted, or referenced by a number of outlets including Business Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, The Motley Fool, and many other publications. A graduate of Southwestern University, he studied business with a focus on investments and has previous experience in banking and startups.

When not reading or writing the news, he is following his passion for Lacrosse, playing chess, or building solar projects with his dad.

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