Investing

Morning Analyst Calls Briefing for Friday, October 21, 2022

Here is a first look at analyst research calls made early Friday morning.

By Paul Ausick
Published October 21, 2022, 7:48am ET · 1 min read

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This abstract digital representation of market data reflects the complex and often mixed signals observed in the cloud-native software sector, influenced by ongoing AI disruption. © monsitj / Getty Images

This report was sent to Briefing.com subscribers earlier today. 

Upgrades:

  • Farmers and Merchants (FMAO) upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at Piper Sandler; tgt $27
  • HealthEquity (HQY) upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Goldman; tgt raised to $77
  • Qualys (QLYS) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Berenberg; tgt $168
  • Qualys (QLYS) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Needham; tgt $185

Downgrades:

  • Cognizant Tech (CTSH) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at BofA Securities; tgt lowered to $68
  • Hain Celestial (HAIN) downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at Piper Sandler; tgt lowered to $17
  • Rapid7 (RPD) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Berenberg; tgt $44
  • Rapid7 (RPD) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Needham

Others:

  • Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) initiated with a Hold at Truist; tgt $26
  • Amphastar Pharmaceuticals (AMPH) assumed with a Buy at Jefferies; tgt $36
  • Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) initiated with an Underperform at Credit Suisse; tgt $20
  • Axonics Modulation (AXNX) initiated with an Outperform at RBC Capital Mkts; tgt $85
  • BlackLine (BL) initiated with a Sell at Goldman; tgt $57
  • E2open (ETWO) initiated with a Neutral at Goldman; tgt $5.50
  • NextGen Healthcare (NXGN) assumed with a Neutral at Piper Sandler; tgt $20
  • OptiNose (OPTN) assumed with a Buy at Jefferies; tgt $5
  • Vertex (VERX) initiated with a Buy at Goldman; tgt $20
  • Workiva (WK) initiated with a Buy at Goldman; tgt $101
  • Zuora (ZUO) initiated with a Neutral at Goldman; tgt $9

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Disclaimer: Investing in securities involves a risk of loss. Past performance is never a guarantee of future returns. Investing in foreign stock markets involves additional risks, such as the risk of currency fluctuations. Guides are provided by Fisher Investments. The publisher may be compensated when readers request a guide.
Paul Ausick

Paul Ausick has been writing for 247Wallst.com for more than a decade. He has written extensively on investing in the energy, defense, and technology sectors. In a previous life, he wrote technical documentation and managed a marketing communications group in Silicon Valley.

He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and now lives in Montana, where he fishes for trout in the summer and stays inside during the winter.

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