Pre-Market Stock Futures:
Futures are trading higher this morning, but what a difference a day makes after a “Meltdown Monday.” Stocks rallied on Tuesday, and all major indices closed higher. While not recouping all of the losses from Monday, a strong bounce-back was a welcome sight for investors. A combination of a rebound in technology and software shares, easing fears of AI-related industry disruption, and positive consumer sentiment, along with stronger-than-expected hiring data and consumer confidence figures, boosted investor confidence. The winner on Tuesday was the index that has led all year: the small-cap heavy Russell 2000 closed the day up 1.20% at 2,652. The Nasdaq won the Silver medal, finishing the session up 1.05% at 22,863. The Dow Jones Industrials and the S&P 500 came in neck and neck for the Bronze, closing at 49,174, up 0.76%, and 6,890, up 0.77%, respectively.
Treasury Bonds:
After a big Monday rally, there was little surprise when yields rose across the Treasury curve, as many of the current problems took a backseat and some sellers stepped in on Tuesday. With bond traders awaiting a slew of important economic data, volatility could rise later this week. The 30-year-long bond closed trading on Tuesday at 4.70%, while the benchmark 10-year note was last seen at 4.04%.
Oil and Gas:
Prices across the energy complex were mixed Tuesday, as investors remain focused on the massive military build-up in the Middle East, which has grown to the largest since the Gulf War years ago. Brent Crude closed down 1.01% at $70.77, while West Texas Intermediate closed modestly higher at $66.11, up 0.73%. Natural gas closed the day flat at $2.92.
Gold:
After a big Monday rally, gold also took a breather, albeit a small one, on Tuesday. Some on Wall Street reminded investors that if hostilities with Iran escalated, gold could spike quickly to $5,800 and perhaps higher. That is likely one of the biggest understatements ever, but regardless, gold finished Tuesday at $5,130, down 0.24%, while silver was last seen at $86,52, down 0.57%.
Crypto:
The Cryptocurrency markets experienced a big downturn on Tuesday, with Bitcoin falling below $63,000 at one point and extending a four-session losing streak. The market was pressured by “extreme fear” among investors, with the total market capitalization dropping by over $120 billion, and Bitcoin is on track for its worst month since June 2022. selling yesterday was driven by “tactical de-risking” due to escalating tariff tensions and broader geopolitical risks. At 8 AM EST, Bitcoin traded at $66,050, while Ethereum traded at $1,947.
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 Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
Upgrades:
- Enphase Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH) was raised to Buy from Hold at Jefferies, which raised the target price for the stock to $57 from $42.
- Principal Financial Group Inc. (NYSE: PFG) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Wells Fargo, which has set a $91 target price.
- International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at UBS, which has a $236 target price for Big Blue.
- Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL) was raised to Outperform from Perform at Oppenheimer, which has a $185 target price for the legacy tech giant.
- Trex Company Inc. (NYSE: TREX) was raised to Buy from Hold at Loop Capital, which bumped the target price for the shares to $53 from $45.
Downgrades:
- First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Baird, which cut the price target to $205 from $264.
- Kinsales Capital Group Inc. (NYSE: KNSL) was cut to Underperform from Market Perform at BMO Capital, which slashed the target price to $349 from $418.
- Kroger Company (NYSE: KR) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Wells Fargo, which has a $68 target price for the grocery giant.
- Molson Coors Beverage Co. (NYSE: TAP) was cut to Underperform from Neutral at Bank of America, which trimmed the target price for the brewer to $42 from $50.
- Workday Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY) was downgraded to In Line from Outperform at Evercore ISI, which dropped the target price for the shares to $160 from $200.
Initiations:
- AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) was initiated with an Outperform rating at RBC Capital, with a $250 price target.
- Angel Studios Inc. (NYSE: ANGX) was initiated with a Buy rating at Texas Capital, with a $6.50 target price.
- Eli Lilly & Company (NYSE: LLY) was initiated with an Outperform rating at RBC Capital, which has set a $1,250 target price for the legacy healthcare giant.
- Live Nation Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: LYV) was initiated with an Overweight rating at Wells Fargo, with a $204 price target objective.
- Ovintiv Inc. (NYSE: OVV) was resumed with an Overweight rating to JPMorgan, with a $58 target price.
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