Here Are Friday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: Birkenstock, Coreweave, Lockheed Martin, Lyft, Paccar, Stryker, Synaptics, and More

Pre-Market Stock Futures:

Futures are trading higher on Friday as we prepare for the holiday-shortened week leading up to Christmas, following a solid risk-on Thursday. The Consumer Price Index print for November lit a fire under stocks as it came in much lower than expected at 2.7%. However, many on Wall Street were quick to throw cold water on the party, saying the data was incomplete due to the government shutdown and that we need to see complete December statistics in January to make sure a lower inflation trend is indeed in place. Micron Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: MU | MU Price Prediction) helped light the fire on Thursday, as the DRAM chipmaker posted results that blew past expectations. That, along with the positive inflation data, kept stocks bid higher until the close, though off the day’s highs. The Nasdaq was the big winner, closing the session at 23,006, up 1.38%. The S&P 500 closed at 6,774, up 0.79%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was last seen at 47,951, up 0.14%.

Treasury Bonds:

As expected, after the positive CPI data, yields across the Treasury curve were lower across the board, as lower inflation, if indeed in place, may allow the Federal Reserve to continue lowering rates in 2026. The 30-year-long bond finished the day at 4.80% while the benchmark 10-year note closed at 4.12%. 

Oil and Gas:

Prices across the energy complex were mixed after a big day on Wednesday, which saw gains for oil and natural gas. The blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers continued to lend support, and the oversold sector has brought out some bargain hunters. Add in the fact that, despite declining commodity prices, the energy sector is attracting interest as value portfolio managers are beginning to add to or initiate positions. Brent Crude closed the day at $59.71, while West Texas Intermediate finished the session at $55.90. Surprisingly, natural gas closed lower, down 2.83% to $3.91, despite near-record flows to LNG export plants.

Gold:

Gold, after a solid week, was basically flat on Thursday. While the CPI numbers were a huge positive, the huge run higher for both Gold and Silver is starting to attract some end-of-year profit-taking. Gold closed the day at $4,332, while Silver, which has been on fire, ended at $66.21. Investors may see more profit-taking after a stellar year for both.

Crypto:

The crypto market experienced sharp volatility on Thursday after initially rallying following the softer-than-expected US inflation report. Still, most major cryptocurrencies ultimately pared those gains and traded flat or slightly lower. The general market sentiment remained bearish amid a broader flight from risk assets. At 8 AM EST, Bitcoin was quoted at $88,840, while Ethereum was seen at $2,961. 

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports daily to identify new investment ideas for both investors and traders. 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. 

Here are some of the top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen on Friday, December 19, 2025. 

 Upgrades:

• Generac Holdings Inc. (NYSE: GNRC) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Wells Fargo with a $195 target price.
• Paccar Inc. (NASDAQ: PCAR) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan, which lifted the target price to $133 from $108.
• ServisFirst BancsharesInc. (NYSE: SFBS) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform with an $80 target price.
• Stryker Corp. (NYSE: SYK) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Citizens, which has set a $440 target price for the shares.

Downgrades:

• Birkenstock Holding plc (NYSE: BIRK) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Williams Trading with a $51 target price.
• Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan, which raised the target price for the defense giant to $515 from $465.
• Lyft Inc. (NASDAQ: LYFT) was cut to Underperform from Neutral at Wedbush, which cut the price target for the stock to $16 from $20.
• Lyondell Bassell Industries NV (NYSE: LYB) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Wells Fargo, which dropped the price target to $45 from $55.

Initiations:

• AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) was initiated with an Overweight rating at KeyBanc with a $285 target price.
• Coreweave Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWV) was resumed in coverage at Citigroup, which dropped the target price on the shares to $135 from $192.
• Rocket Companies Inc. (NYSE: RKT) was started with a Buy rating at Jefferies, which has set a $25 price target.
• Synaptics Inc. (NASDAQ: SYNA) was initiated with an Overweight rating at Wells Fargo with a $95 target price objective.