Wall Street’s top analyst calls


Chipotle, McDonald’s initiated: Wall Street’s top analyst calls

The most talked about and market moving research calls around Wall Street are now in one place. Here are today’s research calls that investors need to know, as compiled by The Fly.

Top 5 Upgrades:

  • Wolfe Research upgraded 3M (MMM) to Outperform from Peer Perform with a $125 price target. The company’s new CEO Bill Brown “brings The Right Stuff to 3M,” providing more confidence in the medium-term earnings outlook, the firm tells investors in a research note.

  • Stephens upgraded Par Technology (PAR) to Overweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $60, up from $46. As a category leader in restaurant technology, Par is well positioned to capitalize on demand for loyalty, cloud-native POS and data-analytics solutions, the firm says, adding that it believes the sale of government subsidiaries simplifies the story and adds valuable capital flexibility.

  • BofA double upgraded Kimberly-Clark (KMB) to Buy from Underperform with a price target of $160, up from $115. After Kimberly-Clark’s volume inflection in Q1 following two years of volume declines, the firm sees the start of a longer-term improvement taking hold.

  • Janney Montgomery Scott upgraded MAA (MAA) to Buy from Neutral with a $150 fair value estimate. After meeting with management, the firm is more confident in apartment real estate investment trust’s near-term operating trends, and less concerned about the new supply still pervasive in MAA’s core markets.

  • Bradesco BBI upgraded PagBank (PAGS) to Outperform from Neutral with a $16 price target. The firm cites the company’s higher profitability and “attractive” valuation for the upgrade.

Top 5 Downgrades:

  • Wolfe Research downgraded Roper Technologies (ROP) to Peer Perform from Outperform without a price target. The firm finds the stock’s valuation more balanced, and sees a less clear path for future estimate revisions.

  • Canaccord downgraded Cara Therapeutics (CARA) to Hold from Buy with a price target of $1, down from $10. The company announced that oral difelikefalin did not demonstrate meaningful clinical benefit versus placebo at any dose as part of the dose-finding Part A of its KOURAGE Phase 3 study in notalgia paresthetica. H.C. Wainwright and Needham also downgraded Cara Therapeutics to Neutral-equivalent ratings.

  • Barclays downgraded NextEra Energy Partners (NEP) to Underweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $25, down from $32. With limited debt capacity should the company want to stay within its credit ratings, and an “extremely high” payout ratio of 95%, NextEra has limited potential options outside a distribution cut, with a reduction of at least 45% necessary, to pay off its remaining convertible equity portfolio financings, the firm tells investors in a research note.

  • Janney Montgomery Scott downgraded Generac (GNRC) to Neutral from Buy with a fair value estimate of $154, up from $126, after having recently hosted a Fireside Chat with CFO York Ragen and Director of IR Kris Roseman. Following the management talks and a review of the firm’s model, the firm thinks additional multiple expansion is unlikely and would like to receive additional clarity regarding the 2025-plus rollout of updated energy technology products before ratcheting up estimates.

  • Goldman Sachs downgraded W. R. Berkley (WRB) to Neutral from Buy with a price target of $83, down from $88. The firm says recent litigation trends, inclusive of multi-year highs in U.S. district court cases pending, bring an “element of uncertainty” with regard to claim cost trends, especially given increasing levels of large verdicts.

Top 5 Initiations:

  • Goldman Sachs initiated coverage of Chipotle (CMG) with a Buy rating and $3,730 price target. The firm initiated coverage of the restaurant sector with a “selectively constructive” view. Goldman’s top idea is Chipotle Mexican Grill. The firm also started coverage of Restaurant Brands (QSR), Sweetgreen (SG), Domino’s Pizza (DPZ), and Starbucks (SBUX) with Buy ratings.

  • Goldman Sachs initiated coverage of McDonald’s (MCD) with a Neutral rating and $288 price target. The firm sees a balanced risk/reward for McDonald’s given near-term risks from its national $5 value menu launch. Goldman also started coverage of Yum! Brands (YUM) and Wingstop (WING) with Neutral ratings.

  • Goldman Sachs initiated coverage of Wendy’s (WEN) with a Sell rating and $16 price target. The firm believes scale increasingly matters in a tougher competitive environment and sees multiple challenges in view of lower income consumer uncertainties and intensifying value competition. Goldman Sachs initiated coverage of Jack in the Box (JACK) with a Sell rating and $55 price target.

  • Argus initiated coverage of GE Vernova (GEV) with a Buy rating and $190 price target. GE Vernova is a well-run, financially strong company that looks to be “well poised” to take advantage of megatrends such as energy transition, global electrification and global decarbonization, the firm tells investors in a research note.

  • Barclays initiated coverage of NetEase (NTES) with an Equal Weight rating and $104 price target. The firm says China’s online gaming market is maturing, while NetEase has high-market share and potentially peak margins.

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