Pre-Market Stock Futures:
Futures are trading mixed as we head into the new trading week, after a rollercoaster last week that gave investors and traders a bit of everything, from surprising economic data to new all-time highs on two of the four major indices. When the final bell rang on Friday, three of the four indices finished modestly lower, with only the small-cap Russell 2000 closing higher, up 0.51% at 3,068. The Nasdaq closed down 0.28% at 26,729, while the S&P 500, which printed a new all-time high last week, closed the session at 7,785, down 0.17% but up for the third straight week. The Dow Jones Industrials closed Friday at 53,732, down 0.20%. With Q2 earnings nearly done and inflation data trending in a positive direction, one thing is certain: the Fed-funds rate hike that looked like a done deal a week ago if the inflation data came in hot could be put on hold when Federal Reserve governors meet in September.
Treasury Bonds:
After a week that saw yields fall on positive inflation news, buyers took Friday off for a 3-day weekend, so sellers stepped in and yields soared across the Treasury curve. When the dust settled, yields rose across all maturities as traders cited strong economic data, the massive and rising national debt, and higher energy prices as reasons to sell. The 30-year bond closed at 5.26%, while the 10-year note last traded at 4.69%.
Oil and Gas:
The supply and delivery of crude oil was front and center on Friday, as the United States threatened to keep an indefinite naval blockade of Iranian ports and implement unprecedented economic isolation measures on Iran, heightening tensions in the Middle East and threatening global energy shipments. While the International Energy Agency said demand will fall over the next year, the current situation could likely keep the median price in the $75 to $80 range over the next year. Brent Crude closed the Friday session at $88.55, up 1.70%, while West Texas Intermediate closed at $82.40, up 1.42%. Natural gas finished Friday at $2.72, down 0.44%.
Gold:
The precious metals complex enjoyed a solid close on Friday to cap off a good week for the sector. The unexpected drop in retail sales, along with soft July inflation data, helped bullion glide to a winning day by Friday’s close. Gold closed at $4,375, up 0.58%, while Silver ended the day at $64.58, up 0.36%.
Crypto:
Crypto markets mostly drifted lower or held flat Friday as a broader pullback took hold after the SEC unexpectedly scrapped a closely watched meeting on new digital asset regulations. Bitcoin hovered near $63,000, spot ETFs kept bleeding outflows, and stocks tied to tokenization trends lost ground. At 8 AM EDT, Bitcoin is trading at $63,618, while Ethereum is trading at $1,906.
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. Important reminder: 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 from Monday, August 17, 2026.
Upgrades:
- Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL | AAPL Price Prediction) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Rothschild & Co Redburn, which raised the target price to $400 from $260
- Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Northland, with a $350 target price objective.
- Mobileye Global (NASDAQ: MBLY) was raised to Buy from Hold at Berenberg, which nudged the target price to $11 from $10.80.
- Okta (NASDAQ: OKTA) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Wells Fargo, and the target price was raised to $180 from $150.
- Penny Mac Mortgage Investment Trust (NYSE: PMT) was raised to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank, with a $12 target price.
Downgrades:
- Amcor (NYSE: AMCR) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan, which bumped the target price to $47 from $45.
- Netskope (NASDAQ: NTSK) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank, without a target price.
- Shopify (NASDAQ: SHOP) was downgraded to Accumulate from Buy at Phillip Securities, which raised the target price to $170 from $160.
- Workday (NASDAQ: WDAY) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank, with a $220 target price.
- York Space Systems (NYSE: YSS) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan, which slashed the target price in half to $17 from $38.
Initiations:
- Dave (NASDAQ: DAVE) was started with an overweight rating at Piper Sandler, and has a $390 target price for the stock.
- Etsy (NYSE: ETSY) was reinstated with a Neutral rating at Goldman Sachs, with an $89 target.
- Federal Signal (NYSE: FSS) was started with a Buy rating at Citigroup, which has a $150 target price for the shares.
- Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ: HBAN) was initiated with an Overweight rating at Wells Fargo, with a $23 target price.
- Sofi Technologies (NASDAQ: SOFI) was initiated with an Overweight rating at Piper Sandler, with a $22 target price.
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