Pre-Market Stock Futures:
Futures are trading higher as we head into the busiest week of the second quarter earnings season. More than 30% (over 150 companies) of the S&P 500 are scheduled to report earnings this week. Key highlights include reports from four of the Magnificent 7 companies. The major indices closed split on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrials posting a solid 0.46% gain to finish the week at 51,974, while the S&P 500 eked out a small gain of 0.05% to finish the session at 7,411. The Nasdaq once again took a hit from chip stock selling, closing at 24,978, down 0.64%. The small-cap Russell 2000, which remains the leading index this year, up 17.6%, was last seen at 2,930, down 0.34% on the day. With oil plunging after the U.S. and Iran agreed to halt attacks, we are poised for a strong start to this busy earnings week.
Treasury Bonds:
After a week of selling, the higher yields across the Treasury curve finally enticed some buyers to come in. When the final bell rang, yields were lower across all maturities, except very short-dated T-bills. The 30-year long bond finished the session at 5.16%, while the benchmark 10-year note closed at 4.68%. The Federal Reserve Governors will meet this week, and while it would be stunning if they raised rates, many will be listening closely to Chairman Warsh for clues about the path forward for interest rates.
Oil and Gas:
After a week that saw oil prices rise dramatically, sellers finally took advantage of those big moves higher, and both major benchmarks saw heavy selling on Friday. Reuters reported on Friday that Pakistan and Iran, supported by China, are seeking to restart stalled peace negotiations with the United States. The initiative follows the collapse of a June memorandum of understanding and recent military escalations in the region. That caught the sellers’ attention, and by the close, Brent Crude ended the day at $98.03, down 2.64%, while West Texas Intermediate was last seen at $90.31, down 2.04%. Natural gas closed at $2.88, down 1.17%.
Gold:
The precious metals saw some buyers emerge to end the week, as the safe-haven allure and the recent backup in spot pricing were just what the doctor ordered. Gold closed Friday at $4,051, up just 0.08%, while Silver ended the session at $58.09, up 0.98%. JPMorgan reiterated its $4,500 year-end target, which would be a strong move from current trading levels.
Crypto:
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports every day to identify fresh investment ideas for investors and traders alike. These daily analyst notes include recommendations on stocks to buy, sell, or avoid, as well as new coverage initiations. Remember that no single analyst report should ever be the sole basis for buying or selling a stock.
Here are some of the top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen on Monday, July 27, 2026.
Upgrades:
- Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL | GOOGL Price Prediction) was upgraded to Buy from Accumulate at Phillip Securities, which trimmed the target price for the tech behemoth to $425 from $450.
- Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies, which raised the price target for the legacy motor vehicle giant to $17.50 from $14.50.
- Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ: RIVN) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at Piper Sandler, which bumped the target price for the shares to $20 from $18.
- Rocket Lab USA (NASDAQ: RKLB) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at KGI Securities, with a $107 target price.
- Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ: SIRI) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Wells Fargo, which raised the target price for the shares to $30 from $18.
Downgrades:
- Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup, with an $11 target price.
- Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ: HBAN) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Bank of America, which sliced the target price to $18.50 from $20.
- Stellantis NV (NYSE: STLA) caught a double downgrade at Piper Sandler from Overweight to Underweight, which cut the price target for the Jeep and Dodge automaker to $4 from $14
- Warner Bros. Discovery (NYSE: WBD) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Seaport Research, without a price target.
- Vale SA (NYSE: VALE) was cut to Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs, which trimmed the target price for the stock to $16 from $18.
Initiations:
- Cadre Holdings (NYSE: CDRE) was initiated with an Overweight rating at JPMorgan with a $40 target price.
- Clean Harbors (NYSE: CLH) was started with a Buy rating at Bank of America, which has a $360 target price.
- Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: RYTM) was initiated with an Overweight rating at JPMorgan, which has set a $145 target price for the shares.
- Terawulf (NASDAQ: WULF) was started with a Buy rating at Chardon, with a $32 target price.
- Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM) was initiated with an Overweight at Piper Sandler, with a $253 target price.
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