Does Altimmune (ALT) Have the Potential to Rally 229.28% as Wall Street Analysts Expect?

Core Viewpoint - Altimmune, Inc. (ALT) has shown a significant price increase of 28.4% over the past four weeks, with a mean price target of $17.88 indicating a potential upside of 229.3% from the current price of $5.43 [1] Price Targets and Analyst Consensus - The average price target for ALT includes eight short-term estimates ranging from a low of $1.00 to a high of $28.00, with a standard deviation of $8.81, indicating variability in analyst predictions [2] - The lowest estimate suggests a decline of 81.6%, while the highest points to an upside of 415.7% [2] - A low standard deviation among price targets suggests a strong agreement among analysts regarding the stock's price direction, which can be a useful starting point for further research [9] Earnings Estimates and Analyst Optimism - Analysts have shown increasing optimism about ALT's earnings prospects, as indicated by a strong consensus in revising EPS estimates higher, which correlates with potential stock price increases [11] - Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has increased by 1.8%, with one estimate moving higher and no negative revisions [12] - ALT holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimate factors, indicating strong potential for upside [13] Caution on Price Targets - While the consensus price target is a commonly referenced metric, relying solely on it for investment decisions may not be prudent due to historical inaccuracies in predicting actual stock price movements [3][7] - Analysts often set optimistic price targets influenced by business relationships, which can lead to inflated estimates [8] - Investors should approach price targets with skepticism and consider them as one of many factors in their decision-making process [10]