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Here Are Friday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: Best Buy, Cogent Communications, Dell Technologies, EPAM Systems, Federal Realty, Gap, Snowflake, Viper Energy, and More

Pre-Market Stock Futures: Futures are trading higher after yet another winning day for Wall Street, as all major indices finished the day higher after starting the session lower. Once again, all four indices we track for readers posted all-time highs…

By Lee Jackson
Published May 29, 2026, 8:03am ET · 4 min read

A black street sign for 'WALL ST' with address numbers '11-21' and an arrow pointing right, is mounted on a weathered grey pole. Below it, another black sign for 'BROAD ST' with numbers '1-267' is visible. In the blurred background, an American flag with white stars on a blue field and red and white stripes is visible, along with tall, light-colored buildings.
The iconic intersection of Wall Street and Broad Street in New York City, a global center for finance, reflects the ongoing market's assessment of major institutions like Wells Fargo. © robertcicchetti / Getty Images

Pre-Market Stock Futures:

Futures are trading higher after yet another winning day for Wall Street, as all major indices finished the day higher after starting the session lower. Once again, all four indices we track for readers posted all-time highs as the AI/Data Center, Memory Chip rally continues to roll on. Healthcare and consumer stocks in the Dow Jones Industrials helped the venerable index close at 50,668, up 0.05%, while the S&P 500 ended the session at 7,563, up 0.58%, and is headed for its ninth straight week of gains. The tech-heavy Nasdaq closed at 26,917, up 0.91% on the strength of enterprise software and AI stocks, and the small-cap Russell 2000 finished the day at 2,936, up 0.57%. The song remains the same as stocks surged to record highs, driven by a massive rally in technology and software shares, solid corporate earnings, and easing oil prices.

Treasury Bonds:

Buyers returned to the Treasury market as yields fell again across the entire curve, except for the short-term T-bill maturities. Investors and traders continue to seek safe-haven assets amid rising geopolitical caution. At the same time, oil prices eased after reports that U.S. and Iranian negotiators had agreed to extend the ceasefire, easing fears of a prolonged supply disruption in the Middle East. The 30-year long bond finished the day at 4.98%, while the benchmark 10-year note was last seen at 4.45%.  

Oil and Gas:

Oil prices closed flat on Thursday after an up-and-down day, as Bernstein predicted that long-term oil prices will remain in the $75 range. This comes as no surprise, as we have written that while the war premium will go away when the fighting stops, the reality is that the upheaval in the energy complex caused by the war has reshaped pricing and will likely do so for some time. Brent Crude finished the day at $93.79, down 0.53%, while West Texas Intermediate was last seen at $88.81, up 0.15%. Strong natural gas closed up 6.72% at $3.30. 

Gold:

Gold continued its move higher, as the precious metal remained in lockstep with the equity markets. The final print for Gold was recorded at $4,495, up 0.89%, while Silver finished the session at $75.78, up 1.35%. 

Crypto:

Crypto markets tumbled sharply on Thursday, losing nearly $80 billion in total value as Bitcoin plunged to a six-week low below $73,000.Rising geopolitical tensions with Iran and heavy institutional outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs fueled the sell-off. Bitcoin slid roughly 4% over the past 24 hours, trading around $72,300 and erasing all gains made since mid-April. At 8 AM EDT, Bitcoin traded at $73,370, while Ethereum traded at $2,004. 

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, May 29, 2026.  

Upgrades:

  • American Water Works (NYSE: AWK | AWK Price Prediction) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS, which bumped the price target for the shares to $140 from $137.
  • Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE: CRL) was upgraded to Outperform from Hold at CLSA, which lifted the price target for the stock to $219 from $167.
  • Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) was upgraded to Positive from Neutral at Susquehanna, with a massive $700 target price.
  • Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT) was raised to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank, with a $135 price target.
  • Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at HSBC, with a $289 target price.

Downgrades:

  • Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at UBS, which nudged the target price for the shares up to $86 from $85.
  • Cogent Communications Holdings (NASDAQ: CCOI) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan, with a $22 target price.
  • EPAM Systems (NYSE: EPAM) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies, which lowered the target price for the stock to $110 from $130.
  • Gap (NYSE: GAP) was cut to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan, which lowered the target price for the legacy retailer to $27 from $35.
  • Regency Centers (NASDAQ: REG) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank, with an $85 target price.

Initiations:

  • Clean Harbors (NYSE: CLH) was initiated with a Buy rating at Stifel, with a $337 target price.
  • Kimbell Royalty Partners (NYSE: KRP) was initiated with an Outperform rating at RBC Capital, with a $20 target price.
  • Ouster (NASDAQ: OUST) was initiated with a Buy rating at Roth Capital, with a $75 target price.
  • Par Technology (NYSE: PAR) was started with an Underweight rating at JPMorgan, with a $12 target price.
  • Viper Energy (NASDAQ: VNOM) was started with an Outperform rating at RBC Capital, with a $58 target price objective.



 

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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, diverse career, including a stint as creative services director at an NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry.

Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans more than 30 years, including nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career spanned pivotal sell-side 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 reflects his resilience and adaptability amid market volatility.

Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, gained through a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing across various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies of Wall Street in a way 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.

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