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Here Are Thursday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: AngloGold Ashanti, Bank of America, Cirrus Logic, Crocs, Diamondback Energy, Devon Energy, Netflix, PayPal, Spotify Technolgy , and More

Hotter-than-expected inflation sent stocks and crypto tumbling Wednesday, and Wall Street analysts wasted no time reshuffling their targets on Thursday, with major calls hitting Bank of America, Netflix, PayPal, and several energy giants all at once.

By Lee Jackson
Published October 15, 2026, 8:10am ET · 4 min read

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Pre-Market Stock Futures:

Futures are trading mixed, but the Nasdaq is down sharply Thursday morning as worries about AI overspending continue to emerge. Wall Street’s worst fears materialized yesterday,  as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report came in above expectations, with energy prices as a major factor. This will, of course, change the narrative on when the next interest rate move higher could come, which may be at the Fed meeting later this month, but many think it could wait until November.

When the closing bell rang Wednesday, all major indices finished the day lower, with the small-cap Russell 2000 taking the biggest hit, closing at 2,729, down 1.93%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq also took a beating, closing at 26,692, down 1.88%. The S&P 500 ended the session at 7,718, down 1.11%, and the legacy Dow Jones Industrials almost broke the trend, closing down just 0.09% at  51,621. With third-quarter earnings poised to flood investors over the next few weeks, we could be in for some rough sledding.

Treasury Bonds:

Yields are plunging this morning as investors flee to safety. Needless to say, the higher CPI report was all it took for sellers to return to the Treasury market, and they did, on some maturities. But in an almost expected anamoly, sellers targeted 2-year and shorter maturities, while buyers, sensing much of the hotter-than-expected inflation data was already priced in, bought all maturities from the 3-year note and longer. The 30-year bond closed the midweek session at 5.52%, while the benchmark 10-year note was last seen at 5.19%. 

Oil and Gas:

Once again, prices were higher across the energy complex after the Houthis attacked Saudi Aramco’s headquarters and vowed more attacks were coming. By the end of the Wednesday session, Brent Crude closed at $106, up 0.28%, while West Texas Intermediate was last seen at $95.11, up 1.03%. Natural gas closed the day essentially flat, down 0.21% at $3.28.

Gold:

The higher-than-expected CPI print was all it took for bullion sellers to step in, as expectations for interest rate increases jumped, with some on Wall Street saying a raise at the October 28 meeting is a distinct possibility. While typically considered an inflation hedge, higher rates could outweigh that benefit. Gold closed the session at $4,104, down 1.33%, while Silver was last seen at $55.51, down a massive 5.99%.

Crypto:

Cryptocurrency markets plunged  Wednesday as hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data shook investor confidence across all asset classes. Bitcoin fell below the $82,000 threshold, hitting intraday lows between $81,300 and $81,700 after failing to clear earlier resistance. This steep decline triggered massive forced liquidations of long positions across major crypto exchanges. At 8 AM EDT, Bitcoin traded at $80,987, while Ethereum was quoted at $ 2,364.


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 Thursday, October 15, 2026.

 

Upgrades:

  • Bank of America (NYSE: BAC | BAC Price Prediction) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Baird, with a $62 target price.
  • Casey’s General Stores (NASDAQ: CASY) was upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital, which lowered the target price for the shares to $825 from $910.
  • Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX) was raised to Outperform from Sector Perform at Barclays, which moved the target price up to $139 from $118.
  • Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: REGN) was assumed with a Neutral rating at UBS, which raised the target price for the shares to $978 from $660.
  • Walmart (NYSE: WMT) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank, with a $136 target price for the retail behemoth.

Downgrades:

  • Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs, with a $13 target price.
  • Align Technology (NASDAQ: ALGN) was cut to Neutral from Outperform, which slashed the target price to $162 from $218.  at Baird
  • Cirrus Logic (NASDAQ: CRUS) was downgraded to Sector Weight from Overweight at KeyBanc, without a target price.
  • PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Bank of America, with a $53 target price.
  • Spotify Technology (NYSE: SPOT) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at StoneX without a target price.

Initiations:

  • AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE: AU) was started with a Buy rating at Goldman Sachs, with a $104 target price.
  • Black Hills Corporation (NYSE: BKH) was initiated with a Buy rating at Jefferies, with an $87 target price for the utility.
  • Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ: FANG) was initiated with an Outperform rating at Scotiabank, which has a $250 target price for the shares.
  • Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN) was initiated with an Outperform rating at Scotiabank, which has a $61 target price.
  • Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) was assumed with a Buy rating at Jefferies, with an $85 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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