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Here Are Monday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: Align Technology, AutoNation, Estee Lauder, Harley-Davidson, HubSpot, Microsoft, Mosaic, Ryder System, Wells Fargo & Company, and More

Wall Street kicked off the first full week of Q4 2026 with a flurry of bold analyst moves, including a sweeping Microsoft upgrade and a brutal Align Technology target slash. Find out which names got upgraded, downgraded, or freshly initiated…

By Lee Jackson
Published October 5, 2026, 8:03am ET · 4 min read

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Pre-Market Stock Futures:

Futures are trading lower as we get ready for the first full week of trading for the fourth quarter of 2026 after an outstanding Friday, which saw all of the major indices finish the day higher, after the non-farm payroll numbers for September came in well below estimates before the open and caused a large Treasury sell-off that countered Thursday’s buying spree.

On Friday,  the Nasdaq stormed to an intraday all-time high before closing at 27,190, up 1.19%, while the small-cap Russell 2000 also finished strong, up 0.94% at 2,932. The S&P 500 closed the session at 7,7722 up 0.73%, while the Dow Jones Industrials closed the week at 51,176, up 0.49%. Wall Street strategists will watch the ISM Services results early in the week, a major gauge of economic strength, plus the FOMC notes on Wednesday, which will give investors color on why the Fed raised rates in September and what it may do at its late-month October meeting.

Treasury Bonds:

After a huge selling spree following the non-farm payroll results early Friday, some buyers stepped in, but by the close yields were higher across the Treasury curve except for the shortest T-bill maturities as the sellers returned in force by the afternoon. The very weak non-farm payrolls report signaled to many that a rate hike at the October meeting may be totally off the board. The 30-year bond closed Friday at 5.62%, while the 10-year note was last seen at 5.27%. 

Oil and Gas:

The energy complex had a fairly mild end to the week as the G7 announced it would release 100 million barrels from reserves to counter the diesel fuel crisis in Europe and worldwide. Meanwhile, oil from Iran started flowing to Tajikistan despite U.S. sanctions, which could prove interesting. When the markets closed, Brent Crude finished the session at $102.80, up 0.47%, while West Texas Intermediate closed the day at $91.26, down 1.72%. Natural gas finished the week strong, closing at $3.05, up 2.73%.

Gold:

After a solid week for the bullion, the sellers showed up on Friday. A stronger dollar and initially weak jobs data drew buyers early in the session, but that reversed; by the close, gold was last seen at $4,139, down 0.88%, while Silver closed at $60.27, down 1%. 

Crypto:

Cryptocurrency markets were highly volatile on Friday, surging early in the morning before erasing most gains after the U.S. jobs report. Bitcoin spiked above $87,200 early Friday, propelled by short covering, a brand-new $113,000 Citigroup price target, and a bullish “golden cross” chart pattern. However, as gold and equities pulled back, broader crypto markets faced strong selling pressure later in the day, dragging Bitcoin back to around $84,490 by the market close. At 8 AM EDT, Bitcoin was trading at $86,120, while Ethereum was quoted at $2,718.

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, October 5, 2026. 

 

Upgrades:

  • Estee Lauder (NYSE: EL | EL Price Prediction) was upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at Barclays, which raised the price target for the stock to $108 from $97.
  • Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Citigroup, which bumped the target price to $33 from $31.
  • Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Melius Research, which has a $665 target price for the technology giant.
  • Ryder System (NYSE: R) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan, which nudged the target price to $298 from $296.
  • Wells Fargo & Company  (NYSE: WFC) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley, with an unchanged $102 target price.

Downgrades:

  • Align Technology (NASDAQ: ALGN) was downgraded to In Line from Outperform at Evercore ISI, which slashed the target price for the shares to $155 from $220.
  • AutoNation (NYSE: AN) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight with a $175 target price.
  • Group 1 Automotive (NYSE: GPI) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley, with a $232 target price.
  • HubSpot (NASDAQ: HUBS) was cut to Market Perform from Outperform at Raymond James, without a target price.
  • Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform at RBC Capital, which trimmed the target price to $25 from $27.

Initiations:

  • nVent Electric (NYSE: NVT) was initiated with an Outperform rating at BMO Capital, which has a $212 target price for the shares.
  • Revolution Medicines (NASDAQ: RVMD) was resumed with an Outperform rating at Leerink, which has a $288 target price.
  • Samsara (NYSE: IOT) was initiated with a Buy rating at Jefferies, with a $50 target price.
  • Vertiv Holdings(NYSE: VRT) was initiated with an Outperform rating at BMO Capital, with a $329 target price. 
  • Vylor (NASDAQ: VYLR) was initiated with a Buy rating at Vertical Research with a $74 target price.

 

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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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