Today's Analyst Stock Ratings | Upgrades, Downgrades

							Get Alert
Aug 3, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	12.03%	Peter GromUBS 61%	104 107	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Aug 3, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	9.94%	Filippo FalorniCitigroup 56%	100 105	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Aug 3, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	1.56%	Robert MoskowTD Cowen 64%	95 97	Previous Hold Current Hold	Get Alert
Aug 3, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	20.41%	Nik ModiRBC Capital 50%	114 115	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Jul 21, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-9.96%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	79 86	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Jul 16, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	9.94%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	99 105	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Jul 16, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	8.89%	Peter GromUBS 61%	100 104	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Jul 8, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	15.17%	Chris CareyWells Fargo 62%	105 110	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Jun 1, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	19.36%	Nik ModiRBC Capital 50%	114 114	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
May 4, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	3.65%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	98 99	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
May 4, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	4.7%	Peter GromUBS 61%	98 100	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
May 4, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	19.36%	Nik ModiRBC Capital 50%	112 114	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
May 4, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	9.94%	Javier EscalanteEvercore ISI Group 53%	103 105	Previous In-Line Current In-Line	Get Alert
Apr 17, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	2.61%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	98 100	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Apr 14, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-16.24%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	80 85	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Apr 8, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	9.94%	Chris CareyWells Fargo 62%	105 110	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Apr 7, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	2.61%	Peter GromUBS 61%	98 102	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Feb 20, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	17.27%	Robert MoskowTD Cowen 64%	99 112	Previous Hold Current Hold	Get Alert
Feb 13, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-4.72%	Edward LewisRothschild & Co 55%	81 91	Previous Sell Current Neutral	Get Alert
Feb 2, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	4.7%	Filippo FalorniCitigroup 56%	87 100	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Feb 2, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	9.94%	Dara MohsenianMorgan Stanley 72%	100 105	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Feb 2, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	9.94%	Chris CareyWells Fargo 62%	92 105	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Feb 2, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	4.7%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	92 100	Previous Underweight Current Neutral	Get Alert
Feb 2, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	19.36%	Kaumil GajrawalaJefferies 51%	106 114	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Feb 2, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	7.84%	Javier EscalanteEvercore ISI Group 53%	101 103	Previous In-Line Current In-Line	Get Alert
Jan 28, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	10.98%	Kaumil GajrawalaJefferies 51%	102 106	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Jan 14, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-3.68%	Peter GromUBS 61%	92 98	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Jan 8, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	1.56%	Robert MoskowTD Cowen 64%	97 100	Previous Hold Current Hold	Get Alert
Jan 5, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-3.68%	Chris CareyWells Fargo 62%	92 100	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Jan 5, 2026	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	4.7%	Olivia TongRaymond James 66%	100	Previous Market Perform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Dec 17, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-8.91%	Filippo FalorniCitigroup 56%	85 87	Previous Sell Current Neutral	Get Alert
Dec 17, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	6.8%	Kaumil GajrawalaJefferies 51%	97 102	Previous Hold Current Buy	Get Alert
Dec 10, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	4.7%	Steve PowersDeutsche Bank 66%	100 102	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Dec 4, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	6.8%	Taylor ConradArgus Research 49%	102 110	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Nov 4, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-14.15%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	82 84	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Oct 21, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	4.7%	Rupesh ParikhOppenheimer 71%	100 115	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Oct 9, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-11%	Filippo FalorniCitigroup 56%	85 88	Previous Sell Current Sell	Get Alert
Oct 8, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	9.94%	Anna LizzulB of A Securities 59%	105 120	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Oct 8, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	2.61%	Peter GromUBS 61%	98 103	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Sep 25, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	4.7%	Chris CareyWells Fargo 62%	100 108	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Aug 4, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-3.68%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	92 97	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Aug 4, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	5.75%	Javier EscalanteEvercore ISI Group 53%	101 102	Previous In-Line Current In-Line	Get Alert
Aug 4, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-13.1%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	83 84	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Jul 25, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	1.56%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	92 97	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Jul 17, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	7.84%	Peter GromUBS 61%	102 103	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Jul 9, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	13.08%	Chris CareyWells Fargo 62%	105 108	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Jun 6, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	15.17%	Bill ChappellTruist Securities 40%	100 110	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Jun 2, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	19.36%	Nik ModiRBC Capital 50%	100 114	Previous Sector Perform Current Outperform	Get Alert
May 5, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	4.7%	Dara MohsenianMorgan Stanley 72%	100 110	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
May 2, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	9.94%	Chris CareyWells Fargo 62%	105 120	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
May 2, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	6.8%	Peter GromUBS 61%	102 110	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
May 2, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-12.05%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	84 94	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
May 2, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	4.7%	Nik ModiRBC Capital 50%	100 105	Previous Sector Perform Current Sector Perform	Get Alert
May 2, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	6.8%	Javier EscalanteEvercore ISI Group 53%	102 106	Previous In-Line Current In-Line	Get Alert
Apr 28, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	20.41%	Rupesh ParikhOppenheimer 71%	115 120	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Apr 17, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	15.17%	Peter GromUBS 61%	109 110	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Apr 15, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	30.88%	Anna LizzulB of A Securities 59%	112 125	Previous Neutral Current Buy	Get Alert
Apr 11, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-1.58%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	94 97	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Apr 11, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	2.61%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	98 106	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Apr 2, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	25.64%	Chris CareyWells Fargo 62%	115 120	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Mar 27, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	1.56%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	93 97	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Feb 21, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	10.98%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	106 107	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Feb 4, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-2.63%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	90 93	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Feb 3, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	20.41%	Bill ChappellTruist Securities 40%	110 115	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Feb 3, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	9.94%	Mark AstrachanStifel 74%	103 105	Previous Hold Current Hold	Get Alert
Feb 3, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	9.94%	Nik ModiRBC Capital 50%	105 105	Previous Sector Perform Current Sector Perform	Get Alert
Feb 3, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	31.92%	Korinne WolfmeyerPiper Sandler 49%	126 128	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Jan 17, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	7.84%	Mark AstrachanStifel 74%	103 105	Previous Hold Current Hold	Get Alert
Jan 17, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-5.77%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	85 90	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Jan 16, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	12.03%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	99 107	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Jan 6, 2025	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	34.02%	Korinne WolfmeyerPiper Sandler 49%	124 128	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Nov 5, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-11%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	85 86	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Nov 4, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	20.41%	Steve PowersDeutsche Bank 66%	114 115	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Nov 4, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	22.5%	Robert MoskowTD Cowen 65%	114 117	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Nov 4, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	3.65%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	98 99	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Nov 4, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	20.41%	Chris CareyWells Fargo 62%	113 115	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Oct 11, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-9.96%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	82 86	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Oct 11, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	2.61%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	97 98	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Sep 24, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	25.64%	Korinne WolfmeyerPiper Sandler 49%	120	Previous Initiates Current Overweight	Get Alert
Sep 9, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	15.17%	Dara MohsenianMorgan Stanley 72%	110 110	Previous Overweight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Aug 6, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-14.15%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	80 82	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Aug 5, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	15.17%	Dara MohsenianMorgan Stanley 72%	110 114	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Aug 5, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	5.75%	Javier EscalanteEvercore ISI Group 53%	101 110	Previous In-Line Current In-Line	Get Alert
Aug 5, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	1.56%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	97 101	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Aug 5, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	15.17%	Bill ChappellTruist Securities 40%	110 115	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Aug 5, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	9.94%	Mark AstrachanStifel 74%	105 107	Previous Hold Current Hold	Get Alert
Aug 5, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	13.08%	Chris CareyWells Fargo 62%	108 116	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Jul 23, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	21.45%	Robert MoskowTD Cowen 65%	116	Previous Initiates Current Buy	Get Alert
Jul 22, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	5.75%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	97 101	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Jul 19, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-16.24%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	80 82	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
Jun 24, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	19.36%	Kevin GrundyExane BNP Paribas 53%	114	Previous Initiates Current Neutral	Get Alert
Jun 11, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	30.88%	Taylor ConradArgus Research 49%	115 125	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
May 6, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	-14.15%	Lauren LiebermanBarclays 64%	82 83	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
May 3, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	1.56%	Andrea TeixeiraJP Morgan 62%	97 98	Previous Underweight Current Underweight	Get Alert
May 3, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	19.36%	Alejandro ZamaconaHSBC 47%	110 114	Previous Hold Current Hold	Get Alert
May 3, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	15.17%	Javier EscalanteEvercore ISI Group 53%	107 110	Previous In-Line Current In-Line	Get Alert
May 3, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	20.41%	Bill ChappellTruist Securities 40%	110 115	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Apr 23, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	25.64%	Rupesh ParikhOppenheimer 71%	110 120	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Apr 22, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	17.27%	Steve PowersDeutsche Bank 66%	109 112	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Apr 15, 2024	CHDChurch & Dwight Co	$95.51	8.89%	Anna LizzulB of A Securities 59%	100 104	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert

Recent Analyst Stock Rating News

PRO

RBC Capital Maintains Outperform on OceanaGold, Lowers Price Target to C$66

RBC Capital analyst Harrison Reynolds maintains OceanaGold (TSX:OGC) with a Outperform and lowers the price target from C$70 to C$66.

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RBC Capital Maintains Outperform on K92 Mining, Raises Price Target to C$45

RBC Capital analyst Harrison Reynolds maintains K92 Mining (TSX:KNT) with a Outperform and raises the price target from C$44 to C$45.

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RBC Capital Maintains Outperform on DPM Metals, Raises Price Target to C$65

RBC Capital analyst Harrison Reynolds maintains DPM Metals (TSX:DPM) with a Outperform and raises the price target from C$60 to C$65.

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RBC Capital Maintains Sector Perform on Centerra Gold, Lowers Price Target to C$28

RBC Capital analyst Harrison Reynolds maintains Centerra Gold (TSX:CG) with a Sector Perform and lowers the price target from C$30 to C$28.

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Oppenheimer Reiterates Outperform on James Hardie Industries, Maintains $36 Price Target

Oppenheimer analyst Tyler Batory reiterates James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) with a Outperform and maintains $36 price target.

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RBC Capital Maintains Sector Perform on Ivanhoe Mines, Raises Price Target to C$16

RBC Capital analyst Sam Crittenden maintains Ivanhoe Mines (TSX:IVN) with a Sector Perform and raises the price target from C$15 to C$16.

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Oppenheimer Reiterates Outperform on Forgent Power Solutions, Maintains $60 Price Target

Oppenheimer analyst Noah Kaye reiterates Forgent Power Solutions (NYSE:FPS) with a Outperform and maintains $60 price target.

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RBC Capital Maintains Outperform on Hudbay Minerals, Raises Price Target to C$48

RBC Capital analyst Sam Crittenden maintains Hudbay Minerals (TSX:HBM) with a Outperform and raises the price target from C$40 to C$48.

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RBC Capital Maintains Sector Perform on Freeport-McMoRan, Raises Price Target to C$85

RBC Capital analyst Sam Crittenden maintains Freeport-McMoRan (TSX:FCXS) with a Sector Perform and raises the price target from C$73 to C$85.

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RBC Capital Maintains Outperform on First Quantum Minerals, Raises Price Target to C$52

RBC Capital analyst Sam Crittenden maintains First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FM) with a Outperform and raises the price target from C$45 to C$52.

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What Are Analyst Stock Ratings?

Analyst ratings measure the expected performance of a stock during a given time period. Analysts and brokerage firms often use ratings when they issue stock recommendations to stock traders.

Analysts arrive at stock ratings after they research companies’ public financial statements, communicate with executives and customers and interact with companies in other ways.

Most analysts issue ratings 4 times a year, usually at 3-month intervals.

How to Use Analyst Ratings

As an investor or trader, you want to be able to use analyst ratings effectively. Here are steps you can take to understand how to synthesize all the information analysts report about a particular company and how to apply it to your own trades.

Step 1: Check Ratings History

In the short term, look to see whether analysts suggest an initiation, upgrade or downgrade for a particular stock. Understand how the rating changed compared to the previous rating and whether a price target gets announced or changed.

Sometimes the rating stays the same and only the price target changes, which could cause the stock to move in either direction, depending on the significance of the change between the 2 price targets.

Step 2: Check for Other News

In the short term, check to see how the stock reacts to positive or negative news. This will be an indication of the company’s outlook because analyst ratings usually come out after the company announces news (it’ll typically be earnings news).

Step 3: Look at the Sector for News

Check to see if other stocks in the sector also received similar ratings. This could indicate micro news, which refers to when the whole sector or specific company trades in a specific way due to news outside of one company.

Step 4: Look at the Note

If available, look over the analyst note itself. The beginning of the note has the main information of the rating and price target. Investors should also take a look at the summary of the note, which you can find in the first couple pages and give you a concrete overview of the company. This can help you get an understanding of how analysts arrived at their thesis on the stock.

An example of an analyst note. Source: Needham

Step 5: Make a Decision

After reviewing the analyst ratings (and whether the analyst proposes a change or initiation) and find the reason for that note. Make a decision based on the analyst thesis on the company. This should give you guidance on how to make your thesis. Analyst ratings are a good indication of what professionals believe the company or sector will do, helping you get a better understanding of the companies you’re interested in.

Analyst Rating Accuracy

Analyst ratings are not set in stone and nobody knows indefinitely what a stock will do. Therefore, analyst ratings should be taken as an educated guess made by professionals who carefully study the specific company and sector in question. It's not a surprise that the accuracy of each rating can vary by each individual analyst and specific ratings on companies.

In other words, there’s no hard number or percentage on how accurate analyst ratings are because they are like educated guesses on what they think the stock will do based on their research, within that particular sector. In addition, each firm has so many analysts and so many different companies to review that you can compare ratings to glean what you believe is the truth.

Where Analyst Ratings Come From

Analyst ratings come from stock analysts. Analysts “go deep” on companies within a particular industry or sector. Some analysts employ a top-down approach (they start with an industry or sector and look for excellent companies within that industry or sector) and other stock analysts choose a bottom-up approach, which means they start with the company first and connect the dots within that company’s sector or industry. Analysts evaluate:

Financial statements
Economic fundamentals
Suppliers, customers and competitors
Management quality
Business model
Revenue
Expenses
Assets
Liabilities

While these evaluations are done using facts and figures that any investor can access, they come down to a conclusion the analyst must draw. While this isn’t an unqualified opinion, analysts will disagree because their interpretations of the data could vary.

Types of Stock Ratings

Stock ratings can range from simple “buy” and “sell” ratings to “equal weight” and “outperform” ratings. Here’s a quick overview of how analysts rate stocks.

Buy Rating

A “buy” rating indicates that an analyst is optimistic about a stock’s short-term or mid-term growth and recommends that traders purchase the stock. An analyst may even go so far as to indicate that a stock is a “strong buy.” At the same time, you may choose to swing trade the asset for a profit and come back later to start the process all over again.

Sell Rating

A “sell” rating means that an analyst believes the stock will trend downward in a particular time frame. Analysts might even refer to a security as a “strong sell.” Remember, though, you may want to swing trade and come back to this asset in the future even though you just chose to sell, just as you would under a “buy” rating.

Hold

A “hold” rating suggests that investors should not buy more of or sell the specified stock because they believe the stock should perform in a way that’s consistent with the market or will perform similarly to comparable companies within that particular sector. This is akin to the value investing approach that Warren Buffett uses, looking to gain long-term value from a single stock rather than flipping it because of a bad week. As many have said, it’s not a loss until you sell.

Underperform

An “underperform” rating means an analyst indicates that a stock is expected to perform below the market or sector average. And yes, while the underperform rating may not bode well for an asset in the next few weeks, it may not stay that way. Continue to carefully monitor your portfolio to ensure that an underperforming asset hasn’t turned itself around. As companies are faced with the Herculean task of pleasing shareholders, they will push to fix their underperforming stocks, meaning that a stock you wrote off could rise again.

Outperform

An “outperform” rating means that an analyst expects a stock to outperform the market or sector average. While the stock may look to outperform the market or a sector’s average, that doesn’t mean it will continue to soar forever. You must look at an outperform rating as what that asset will do in recent times, but it may not maintain that trajectory.

Equal-Weight

An equal weight rating means that an analyst believes that an individual stock's performance will tie to the average of all the stocks that an analyst covers in that particular sector. This type of rating helps investors get a true comparison of stocks to each other within a particular sector or industry. At the same time, equal-weight ratings could change at any time.

Price Target

A price target is an analyst’s projection of a stock’s future price. A price target is generally set up in a general trade or area where the asset might land. This means that the analyst could get close without hitting the figure on the head. Even so, the analyst wants to get close and better predict the movement of the marketplace and the asset.

Understanding Stock Ratings

Stock ratings are assessments of the investment potential of a particular stock. They are typically created by financial analysts who evaluate a company's financial performance, competitive positioning, and market outlook to provide guidance on the stock's expected future performance.

Ratings typically range from "buy" to "sell," with variations in between, such as "hold," "accumulate," or "neutral." A "buy" rating suggests that the stock is likely to perform well in the future, and investors should consider purchasing it. Conversely, a "sell" rating indicates that the stock is expected to underperform, and investors should consider selling it.

It's important to note that ratings are not guarantees of performance and should not be relied upon solely when making investment decisions. Ratings are just one factor to consider when evaluating a stock's potential, and investors should also conduct their own research and analysis to make informed decisions.

Another thing to keep in mind is that different analysts may have different opinions on a stock, so it's a good idea to consider multiple ratings before making an investment decision.

In addition to analyst ratings, investors can also consider other factors when evaluating a stock, such as its financial statements, management team, industry trends, and overall market conditions. By combining all of these factors, investors can make informed decisions about which stocks to buy or sell.

In summary, stock ratings are an important tool for investors to consider when evaluating a stock's potential, but they should not be the only factor used in investment decision-making. It's important to conduct your own research, consider multiple ratings, and take into account other factors before making an investment decision.

Should You Use Analyst Ratings to Inform Your Own Trades?

You can definitely use analyst ratings to inform your own trades and inform your own thesis but it’s a good idea to do your own research. However, analyst ratings are just one step in what should be a much larger investment strategy. Don’t fall in love with just one analyst. Compare notes. Look into how these ratings match with activity on the market and current events. Plus, remember that an analyst rating could easily be incorrect. No one is perfect, but these ratings are a good place to start.

Visit Benzinga News for more guidance on how to research companies and make decisions about research, trading and investing.

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