Top Analyst Calls: Nvidia, Apple, Tesla, Microsoft & More
â–Ľ Summary
– Morgan Stanley upgraded Datadog to overweight, citing robust growth from digital transformation and the monitoring of agentic applications.
– Wells Fargo upgraded ConocoPhillips to overweight, citing a compelling valuation and raising its price target to $132.
– Bernstein reiterated Nvidia and Broadcom as top picks, citing strong AI spending and attractive valuations with upward bias.
– Barclays downgraded Snowflake to equal weight from overweight, citing valuation concerns and increased competition.
– Multiple firms issued positive ratings on various stocks, including upgrades for Zoom, Palantir, and Applied Materials, based on growth catalysts and tailwinds.
A fresh wave of analyst calls swept across Wall Street, highlighting shifting valuations and strategic outlooks for major technology, energy, and consumer companies. The focus remains sharply on artificial intelligence spending, cloud infrastructure, and the evolving landscape of digital transformation. Several prominent firms adjusted their ratings, offering a snapshot of where institutional investors see opportunity and risk heading deeper into the year.
Morgan Stanley raised its rating for Datadog to overweight, citing robust growth trends fueled by the return of cloud migration projects and new opportunities in monitoring advanced applications. In the energy sector, Wells Fargo upgraded ConocoPhillips to overweight, pointing to a compelling valuation and increased dividend growth assumptions. For entertainment, Bernstein tactically upgraded Liberty Formula One to outperform, suggesting the recent stock dip presents a buying opportunity ahead of potential favorable deal-making.
The fervor around artificial intelligence continues to drive bullish sentiment. Bernstein reiterated Nvidia and Broadcom as top picks, stating AI spending shows no signs of slowing and valuations remain attractive with estimates biased upward. Connectivity plays are also in focus, with Barclays upgrading Amphenol to overweight due to strong tailwinds from its role in data center AI architectures and successful acquisitions.
Bank of America reiterated Apple as a buy ahead of its upcoming earnings, anticipating upside from continued strong iPhone sales and double-digit services revenue growth. HSBC initiated coverage on Netflix with a buy rating, viewing a recent share price pullback as an opportunity for investors. In healthcare distribution, Morgan Stanley initiated Medline as overweight, seeing it as a continued market share gainer.
Several other notable calls shaped the day. Citi reiterated General Motors as a buy and raised its price target, while also upgrading both Zoom and Palantir to buy ratings. For Palantir, analysts pointed to an anticipated “supercycle” in 2026 driven by growth acceleration and margin expansion. Susquehanna turned positive on Applied Materials, expecting benefits from higher wafer fab equipment spending.
UBS upgraded Vista Energy to buy, calling the Mexico-based company an appealing growth story with strong production expectations. Following a change in analyst coverage, Goldman Sachs assumed coverage of Microsoft with a buy rating, calling it one of the best secular growth stories in technology. B. Riley upgraded Airbnb to buy, citing an attractive valuation and prospects for sustained growth in travel.
Morgan Stanley also upgraded Akamai to overweight, believing the company’s evolution from content delivery to a cloud security platform is nearing an inflection point. Bank of America upgraded Comcast to buy, suggesting strategic action for its NBCUniversal unit is a necessity and highlighting the critical value of its sports rights.
Not all calls were positive. Wells Fargo reiterated Tesla as underweight, raising its price target but expressing skepticism that the company’s vision-only approach for autonomous driving will be safe enough for a successful robotaxi business. Barclays downgraded Snowflake to equal weight after a strong year, citing a higher valuation, increased expectations, and heightened competition.
Elsewhere, Bank of America reiterated Roku as a buy, commending its revenue diversification. Wells Fargo reiterated overweight ratings on both Amazon and Meta, with expectations for positive revisions in Amazon’s cloud business and solid earnings from Meta. However, the firm maintained an equal weight rating on Alphabet, expressing uncertainty around the disruptive transition to conversation-based search.
Additional moves included Baird upgrading Pool Corp to outperform on an attractive valuation, Morgan Stanley upgrading Appian to overweight seeing a favorable risk-reward, and UBS initiating Andersen Group as a buy on international growth potential. Finally, Citi added a positive catalyst watch on ServiceNow, anticipating a strong quarter driven by a robust sales pipeline.
(Source: CNBC)