Pre-Market Stock Futures:
Futures are trading mixed after a wacky Monday that saw stocks soar on the open after the U.S. halted strikes on Iran following President Trump’s decision to give the peace negotiations some room; however, the strength waned by noon. The major indices ended mixed after that strong start to the day. Once again, chip and technology stocks took the brunt of the selling on Monday, while some software and cyclicals added some strength. The Dow Jones Industrial Average benefited from that strength, closing up 0.51% at 52,210, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq was the only loser of the day, closing down 0.18% at 27,905. The S&P 500 closed the session at 7,413, up a tiny 0.02%, while the small-cap Russell 2000 had a solid start to the week, closing up 0.69% at 2,950. All eyes are on the Fed meeting this week, where it is expected that Chairman Kevin Warsh will announce that rates will remain the same.
Treasury Bonds:
Yields were mostly lower across the Treasury curve, as falling oil prices once again pushed back on the inflation/rate-hike narrative. Plus, the pause in the hostilities between the U.S. and Iran also helped to quell some of the intense selling we saw over the last 10 days. When it was all said and done, the yield on the 30-year-long bond closed the day at 5.13%, while the benchmark 10-year note was last seen at 4.65%.
Oil and Gas:
Needless to say, the pause in fighting immediately brought the sellers to the energy complex, as prices for both major benchmarks tumbled on Monday. In addition, it was reported that Kazakhstan restarted the CPC oil exports after a week-long Black Sea shutdown. At the close, Brent Crude was down 9.30% at $87.78, while West Texas Intermediate finished the day at 81.94, down 8.25%. Natural gas closed down 4.35% at $2.75.
Gold:
Gold had a positive start to the week, with the fall in oil prices providing a tailwind for precious metals amid easing inflation worries. By the close, Gold was last seen at $4,081, up 0.73%, while Silver ended the session at $58.42, up 0.67%.
Crypto:
Cryptocurrencies traded steady to higher on Monday, buoyed by a relief rally that kept Bitcoin near $65,000 while altcoins such as Ethereum and Hyperliquid outperformed. The positive momentum was largely driven by a U.S.-Iran pause in military strikes, easing macroeconomic tensions ahead of the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting. At 8 AM EDT, Bitcoin traded at $63,401, while Ethereum traded at $1,874.
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. 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 Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
Upgrades:
- Honeywell International (NYSE: HON | HON Price Prediction) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Bank of America, which raised the target price for the shares to $265 from $205.
- International Paper Company (NYSE: IP) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan with a $51 target price.
- Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS, which lifted the target price to $550 from $500.
- Magnolia Oil & Gas (NYSE: MGY) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Truist Financial, which nudged the target price for the stock to $33 from $32.
- Zimmer Biomet Holdings (NYSE: ZBH) was double upgraded to Buy from Sell at UBS, which raised the target price for the shares to $115 from $89.
Downgrades:
- Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at UBS, which cut the target price for the grocery chain to $12 from $20.
- Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies, which cut the target price for the stock to $98 from $125.
- Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Bank of America, which bumped the target price for the integrated oil giant to $158 from $154.
- Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at TD Cowen, which slashed the target price for the shares to $304 from $504.
- Levi Strauss & Co (NYSE: LEVI) was cut to Equal Weight from Overweight at Wells Fargo, with an unchanged $25 price target.
Initiations:
- Anterix (NASDAQ: ATEX) was initiated with a Buy rating at Clear Street, with a $161 target price objective.
- Becton Dickinson & Company (NYSE: BDX) was initiated with a Buy rating at UBS, with a $190 target price.
- Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) was assumed with a Buy rating at UBS, which cut the target price for the stock to $74 from $95.
- CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ: CRWD) was initiated with a Buy rating at Loop Capital, with a $230 target price.
- H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) was initiated with an Equal Weight rating at Stephens, which has a $47 target price for the stock.
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