Today's Analyst Stock Ratings | Upgrades, Downgrades

SPY778.57+0.60%QQQ751.38+0.51%BTC/USD83,901.53+0.27%DIA516.21+0.89%GLD384.50+1.55%TLT77.97+0.12%

							Get Alert
Oct 9, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	12.53%	Michael CyprysMorgan Stanley 66%	123 125	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Oct 7, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	4.43%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	113 116	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Oct 2, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	6.23%	Daniel WeldenWells Fargo 43%	118	Previous Initiates Current Overweight	Get Alert
Sep 9, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	30.54%	Alex KrammUBS 69%	145 150	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Aug 3, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	5.33%	Kenneth WorthingtonJP Morgan 54%	117 125	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Jul 31, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-11.78%	Bill KatzTD Cowen 62%	98 105	Previous Hold Current Hold	Get Alert
Jul 31, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-8.17%	Patrick MoleyPiper Sandler 78%	102 112	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Jul 31, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	1.73%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	113 114	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Jul 16, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	12.53%	Kenneth WorthingtonJP Morgan 54%	125 143	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Jul 10, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	9.83%	Michael CyprysMorgan Stanley 66%	122 138	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Jul 9, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	2.63%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	114 118	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Jul 7, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	35.94%	Patrick O'ShaughnessyRaymond James 73%	151 156	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Jun 30, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	31.44%	Alexander BlosteinGoldman Sachs 71%	128 146	Previous Neutral Current Buy	Get Alert
Jun 22, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-1.87%	Bill KatzTD Cowen 62%	109 130	Previous Hold Current Hold	Get Alert
May 11, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	35.04%	Alex KrammUBS 69%	145 150	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Apr 30, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	28.74%	Kenneth WorthingtonJP Morgan 54%	142 143	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Apr 30, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	17.03%	Bill KatzTD Cowen 62%	129 130	Previous Hold Current Hold	Get Alert
Apr 30, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	6.23%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	118 121	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Apr 10, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	24.23%	Michael CyprysMorgan Stanley 66%	123 138	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Apr 9, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	16.13%	Bill KatzTD Cowen 62%	129 130	Previous Buy Current Hold	Get Alert
Apr 8, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	8.93%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	121 122	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Apr 8, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	30.54%	Chris AllenKeefe, Bruyette & Woods 69%	145	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Feb 10, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	10.73%	Michael CyprysMorgan Stanley 66%	119 123	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Feb 6, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	26.04%	Kenneth WorthingtonJP Morgan 54%	135 140	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Feb 6, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	0.83%	Patrick MoleyPiper Sandler 78%	110 112	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Jan 14, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	17.93%	Bill KatzTD Cowen 62%	131 140	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Jan 9, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	30.54%	Alex KrammUBS 69%	135 145	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Jan 8, 2026	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	11.63%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	121 124	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Dec 12, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	8.93%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	121 132	Previous Overweight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Oct 31, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	18.83%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	132 144	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Oct 31, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	21.53%	Kenneth WorthingtonJP Morgan 54%	134 135	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Oct 31, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	26.04%	Bill KatzTD Cowen 62%	140 144	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Oct 21, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	11.63%	Michael CyprysMorgan Stanley 66%	124 125	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Oct 14, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	20.63%	Patrick O'ShaughnessyRaymond James 73%	134 156	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Oct 7, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	21.53%	Alex KrammUBS 69%	135 155	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Oct 6, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	7.13%	Alexander BlosteinGoldman Sachs 71%	119 136	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Oct 1, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	12.53%	Michael CyprysMorgan Stanley 66%	125 149	Previous Equal-Weight Current Equal-Weight	Get Alert
Sep 18, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	16.13%	Simon ClinchRothschild & Co 58%	129 157	Previous Buy Current Neutral	Get Alert
Sep 8, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	35.04%	Christopher AllenCitigroup 67%	150 170	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Jul 31, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	44.94%	Kyle VoigtKeefe, Bruyette & Woods 59%	153 161	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Jul 15, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	17.03%	Patrick MoleyPiper Sandler 78%	127 130	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Jul 10, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	36.84%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	152 159	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
May 1, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	31.44%	Kenneth WorthingtonJP Morgan 54%	137 146	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
May 1, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	43.14%	Bill KatzTD Securities 62%	153 159	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Apr 9, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	37.74%	Bill KatzTD Cowen 62%	142 153	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Apr 7, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	59.34%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	149 177	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Apr 2, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	90.85%	Michael CarrierB of A Securities 83%	197 212	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Feb 7, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	34.14%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	149 154	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Feb 7, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	30.54%	Kyle VoigtKeefe, Bruyette & Woods 59%	145 150	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Feb 7, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	39.54%	Alex KrammUBS 69%	155 165	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Jan 13, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	38.64%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	153 154	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Jan 8, 2025	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	48.54%	Alex KrammUBS 69%	155 165	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Dec 20, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	35.04%	Kyle VoigtKeefe, Bruyette & Woods 59%	143 150	Previous Market Perform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Dec 9, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	37.74%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	149 153	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Nov 11, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	17.93%	Brian BedellDeutsche Bank 73%	129 131	Previous Hold Current Hold	Get Alert
Oct 31, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	34.14%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	147 149	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Oct 31, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	35.94%	Bill KatzTD Cowen 62%	151 153	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Oct 23, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	31.44%	Kenneth WorthingtonJP Morgan 54%	119 146	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Oct 8, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	14.33%	Patrick MoleyPiper Sandler 78%	112 127	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Oct 7, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	39.54%	Alex KrammUBS 69%	130 155	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Oct 7, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	32.34%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	125 147	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Oct 7, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	19.73%	Patrick O'ShaughnessyRaymond James 73%	122 133	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Oct 3, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	25.14%	Michael CarrierB of A Securities 83%	134 139	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Oct 3, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	22.43%	Alexander BlosteinGoldman Sachs 71%	128 136	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Sep 26, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	25.14%	Bill KatzTD Cowen 62%	139	Previous Initiates Current Buy	Get Alert
Sep 9, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	5.33%	Kyle VoigtKeefe, Bruyette & Woods 59%	117 117	Previous Market Perform Current Market Perform	Get Alert
Aug 15, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	1.73%	Brian BedellDeutsche Bank 73%	110 113	Previous Hold Current Hold	Get Alert
Jul 26, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	12.53%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	124 125	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Jul 26, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	5.33%	Kyle VoigtKeefe, Bruyette & Woods 59%	113 117	Previous Market Perform Current Market Perform	Get Alert
Jul 11, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	7.13%	Kenneth WorthingtonJP Morgan 54%	118 119	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Jul 10, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	11.63%	Benjamin BudishBarclays 70%	122 124	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Jul 9, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	12.53%	Christopher AllenCitigroup 67%	120 125	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Jul 9, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-2.77%	Patrick MoleyPiper Sandler 78%	105 108	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
May 15, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	17.03%	Alex KrammUBS 69%	120 130	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Apr 26, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	9.83%	Jeremy CampbellBarclays 81%	118 122	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Apr 26, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-0.07%	Kyle VoigtKeefe, Bruyette & Woods 59%	110 111	Previous Market Perform Current Market Perform	Get Alert
Apr 12, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-5.47%	Patrick MoleyPiper Sandler 78%	100 105	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Apr 9, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	12.53%	Michael CyprysMorgan Stanley 66%	122 125	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Apr 9, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	—	Jeff SchmittWilliam Blair 64%	—	Previous Initiates Current Outperform	Get Alert
Apr 9, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	4.43%	Kenneth WorthingtonJP Morgan 54%	113 116	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Apr 5, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	8.03%	Christopher AllenCitigroup 67%	115 120	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Feb 7, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	9.83%	Michael CyprysMorgan Stanley 66%	112 122	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Feb 7, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	0.83%	Andrew BondRosenblatt 70%	103 112	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Jan 12, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	3.53%	Christopher AllenCitigroup 67%	105 115	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Jan 5, 2024	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-8.17%	Patrick O'ShaughnessyRaymond James 73%	94 102	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Nov 14, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-3.67%	Alex KrammUBS 69%	100 107	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Oct 27, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-1.87%	Michael CyprysMorgan Stanley 66%	101 109	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Oct 27, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-15.38%	Patrick O'ShaughnessyRaymond James 73%	87 94	Previous Outperform Current Outperform	Get Alert
Oct 27, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-10.88%	Andrew BondRosenblatt 70%	92 99	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Oct 12, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-18.08%	Kenneth WorthingtonJP Morgan 54%	88 91	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Oct 11, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-9.07%	Michael CyprysMorgan Stanley 66%	94 101	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Oct 11, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-27.08%	Brian BedellDeutsche Bank 73%	77 81	Previous Hold Current Hold	Get Alert
Oct 10, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-10.88%	Jeremy CampbellBarclays 81%	95 99	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Oct 9, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-26.18%	Patrick MoleyPiper Sandler 78%	73 82	Previous Neutral Current Neutral	Get Alert
Sep 7, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-9.97%	Christopher AllenCitigroup 67%	92 100	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Aug 7, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-9.97%	Alex KrammUBS 69%	85 100	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Jul 28, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-15.38%	Michael CyprysMorgan Stanley 66%	87 94	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert
Jul 28, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-17.18%	Andrew BondRosenblatt 70%	90 92	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Jul 28, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-17.18%	Christopher AllenCitigroup 67%	82 92	Previous Buy Current Buy	Get Alert
Jul 28, 2023	TWTradeweb Markets	$111.08	-14.48%	Jeremy CampbellBarclays 81%	86 95	Previous Overweight Current Overweight	Get Alert

Recent Analyst Stock Rating News

PRO

William Blair Downgrades Alignment Healthcare to Market Perform

William Blair analyst Ryan Daniels downgrades Alignment Healthcare (NASDAQ:ALHC) from Outperform to Market Perform.

PRO

UBS Upgrades ArcelorMittal to Buy

UBS analyst Andrew Jones upgrades ArcelorMittal (NYSE:MT) from Neutral to Buy.

PRO

Citigroup Maintains Buy on Sunrun, Lowers Price Target to $14

Citigroup analyst Vikram Bagri maintains Sunrun (NASDAQ:RUN) with a Buy and lowers the price target from $16 to $14.

PRO

Citigroup Maintains Buy on Viper Energy, Lowers Price Target to $52

Citigroup analyst Paul Diamond maintains Viper Energy (NASDAQ:VNOM) with a Buy and lowers the price target from $57 to $52.

PRO

Citigroup Maintains Neutral on PepsiCo, Lowers Price Target to $135

Citigroup analyst Filippo Falorni maintains PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) with a Neutral and lowers the price target from $142 to $135.

PRO

Citigroup Maintains Buy on Kodiak Gas Services, Lowers Price Target to $82

Citigroup analyst Douglas Irwin maintains Kodiak Gas Services (NYSE:KGS) with a Buy and lowers the price target from $86 to $82.

PRO

Citigroup Downgrades Pershing Square to Sell, Maintains Price Target to $45

Citigroup analyst Matthew Heimermann downgrades Pershing Square (NYSE:PS) from Neutral to Sell and maintains the price target from $45 to $45.

PRO

Citigroup Initiates Coverage On Fortune Brands with Buy Rating, Announces Price Target of $48

Citigroup analyst Anthony Pettinari initiates coverage on Fortune Brands (NYSE:FBIN) with a Buy rating and announces Price Target of $48.

PRO

Maxim Group Initiates Coverage On The RMR Group with Buy Rating, Announces Price Target of $26

Maxim Group analyst Michael Diana initiates coverage on The RMR Group (NASDAQ:RMR) with a Buy rating and announces Price Target of $26.

PRO

JP Morgan Maintains Neutral on Steel Dynamics, Lowers Price Target to $260

JP Morgan analyst Bill Peterson maintains Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ:STLD) with a Neutral and lowers the price target from $272 to $260.

The Best Trading Research Platform

For Retail Investors and Professional Trades Alike.

Get Started for Free

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.

Compare Online Stock Brokers

Claim Exclusive Offers

Interactive Brokers Review
Good Fit For:
Active and Global Traders
VIEW PROS & CONS:
Securely through Interactive Brokers’ website
Plus500 Review
Good Fit For:
Leveraged Trading
VIEW PROS & CONS:
securely through Plus500 Yield's website
public.com Review
Good Fit For:
Trading Ideas
VIEW PROS & CONS:
securely through public.com's website
Robinhood Review
Good Fit For:
Commission-Free Mobile Trading
VIEW PROS & CONS:
securely through Robinhood's website
TradeZero Review
Good Fit For:
Active Short Sellers
VIEW PROS & CONS:
securely through TradeZero [SPONSORED]'s website