Financial Performance - Opera Limited is expected to report second-quarter earnings of 26 cents per share, a decrease from 44 cents per share in the same period last year [1] - The company projects quarterly revenue of $137.44 million, up from $109.73 million a year earlier [1][2] Analyst Ratings - Goldman Sachs analyst Eric Sheridan maintained a Buy rating but reduced the price target from $26 to $22.5 [8] - Piper Sandler analyst James Callahan initiated coverage with an Overweight rating and a price target of $25 [8] - TD Cowen analyst Lance Vitanza maintained a Buy rating and increased the price target from $25 to $28 [8] - B. Riley Securities analyst Lee Krowl reiterated a Buy rating and raised the price target from $24 to $25 [8] Stock Performance - Opera shares increased by 6% to close at $16.32 [3]

Group 1: Analyst Recommendations - Dutch Bros (BROS) has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.42, indicating a consensus between Strong Buy and Buy, with 72.2% of recommendations being Strong Buy and 11.1% being Buy [2][5] - The ABR is based on recommendations from 18 brokerage firms, with 13 Strong Buy and 2 Buy ratings [2] - Despite the positive ABR, relying solely on this information for investment decisions may not be advisable, as studies show brokerage recommendations often lack success in guiding investors towards stocks with high price appreciation potential [5][10] Group 2: Limitations of Brokerage Recommendations - Analysts from brokerage firms tend to exhibit a strong positive bias in their ratings due to vested interests, leading to a disproportionate number of Strong Buy recommendations compared to Strong Sell [6][10] - The ABR does not always reflect the actual price trajectory of a stock, suggesting that it may be more beneficial to use this information to validate independent research [7][10] Group 3: Zacks Rank vs. ABR - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock rating tool that classifies stocks into five groups based on earnings estimate revisions, providing a more reliable indicator of near-term price performance compared to ABR [8][11] - Unlike ABR, which is based solely on brokerage recommendations, the Zacks Rank is updated frequently to reflect changes in earnings estimates, making it a timely indicator for future price movements [9][12] - Dutch Bros currently holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), with a 13.6% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year, indicating strong analyst optimism regarding the company's earnings prospects [13][14]

When deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock, investors often rely on analyst recommendations. Media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts often influence a stock's price, but are they really important? Before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage, let's see what these Wall Street heavyweights think about Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc. (MARA) . Marathon Digital currently has an average brokerage r ...

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the reliability of Wall Street analysts' recommendations, particularly focusing on Itron (ITRI), and emphasizes the importance of using these recommendations in conjunction with other analytical tools like Zacks Rank for making informed investment decisions [1][5][10]. Group 1: Brokerage Recommendations - Itron has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.30, indicating a consensus between Strong Buy and Buy, with 80% of recommendations being Strong Buy and 10% being Buy [2][14]. - The article suggests that relying solely on brokerage recommendations may not be wise, as studies indicate they often fail to guide investors effectively towards stocks with high potential for price appreciation [5][10]. Group 2: Analyst Bias and Limitations - Analysts from brokerage firms tend to exhibit a strong positive bias in their ratings, with a ratio of five "Strong Buy" recommendations for every "Strong Sell" [6][10]. - The interests of brokerage firms may not align with those of retail investors, leading to a lack of insight into future stock price movements [7][10]. Group 3: Zacks Rank as a Tool - Zacks Rank categorizes stocks into five groups based on earnings estimate revisions, providing a more effective indicator of near-term stock price performance compared to ABR [8][11]. - The Zacks Rank is timely and reflects the latest earnings estimates, unlike the potentially outdated ABR [12]. Group 4: Itron's Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Itron has increased by 11.7% over the past month to $5.89, indicating growing optimism among analysts regarding the company's earnings prospects [13]. - This increase in consensus estimates has contributed to Itron receiving a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), suggesting a favorable outlook for the stock [14].

Investors often turn to recommendations made by Wall Street analysts before making a Buy, Sell, or Hold decision about a stock. While media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm employed (or sell- side) analysts often affect a stock's price, do they really matter? Before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage, let's see what these Wall Street heavyweights think about Kroger (KR) . Kroger currently has an average brokerage recommendation ( ...

Group 1 - Goldman Sachs has assigned a "Buy" rating to Sea (SE.US) with a target price of $193 [1] - For the three months ending in June, Sea's revenue increased by 38% year-over-year to a record $5.26 billion, surpassing analysts' average estimate of $5 billion [1] - Net profit surged from $79.9 million in the same period last year to $414.2 million [1]

Company Performance - Aris Water Solutions reported quarterly earnings of $0.19 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.24 per share, representing an earnings surprise of -20.83% [1] - The company posted revenues of $124.09 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.61%, compared to year-ago revenues of $101.12 million [2] - Over the last four quarters, Aris Water Solutions has surpassed consensus revenue estimates four times, but has only exceeded EPS estimates once [2] Stock Performance - Aris Water Solutions shares have lost about 1.4% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has gained 8.6% [3] - The current Zacks Rank for Aris Water Solutions is 5 (Strong Sell), indicating expected underperformance in the near future [6] Future Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the coming quarter is $0.28 on revenues of $122.99 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $1.04 on revenues of $485.6 million [7] - The outlook for the Waste Removal Services industry, where Aris Water Solutions operates, is currently in the bottom 28% of Zacks industries, which may impact stock performance [8]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the reliability of brokerage recommendations, particularly focusing on SkyWater Technology, Inc. (SKYT), and emphasizes the importance of validating these recommendations with other indicators like the Zacks Rank [1][5]. Group 1: Brokerage Recommendations - SkyWater Technology has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.60, indicating a position between Strong Buy and Buy, with 60% of recommendations being Strong Buy and 20% being Buy [2]. - The article suggests that while the ABR indicates a buying opportunity, investors should not rely solely on this information due to the limited success of brokerage recommendations in predicting stock price increases [5][10]. Group 2: Zacks Rank vs. ABR - The Zacks Rank is presented as a more reliable indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, driven by earnings estimate revisions, and is classified into five groups from Strong Buy to Strong Sell [8][11]. - The Zacks Rank is updated more frequently than the ABR, making it a timely tool for predicting future stock prices, as it reflects changes in earnings estimates quickly [13]. Group 3: SkyWater Technology's Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SkyWater Technology has remained unchanged at -$0.01 over the past month, suggesting steady analyst views on the company's earnings prospects [14]. - Due to the unchanged consensus estimate and other factors, SkyWater Technology holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), indicating a cautious approach despite the Buy-equivalent ABR [15].

Core Viewpoint - The average brokerage recommendation (ABR) for Sea Limited is 1.52, indicating a consensus leaning towards a "Buy" rating, but caution is advised as brokerage recommendations may not reliably predict stock performance [2][5][10]. Brokerage Recommendations - Sea Limited has an ABR of 1.52, which is between "Strong Buy" and "Buy," based on recommendations from 22 brokerage firms [2]. - Out of the 22 recommendations, 15 are classified as "Strong Buy" (68.2%) and 2 as "Buy" (9.1%) [2]. Limitations of Brokerage Recommendations - Brokerage recommendations often exhibit a positive bias due to the vested interests of the firms, leading to a higher number of "Strong Buy" ratings compared to "Strong Sell" [6][10]. - The ABR may not be up-to-date, and brokerage analysts tend to be overly optimistic, which can mislead investors [10][12]. Zacks Rank Comparison - Zacks Rank is a proprietary tool that categorizes stocks based on earnings estimate revisions, showing a strong correlation with near-term stock price movements [8][11]. - The Zacks Rank for Sea Limited is currently 4 (Sell), indicating a negative outlook based on recent earnings estimate revisions, which have declined by 3.8% to $4.07 [13][14]. Investment Implications - Given the declining earnings estimates and the Zacks Rank of 4, it is advisable to approach the "Buy" recommendation from the ABR with caution [14].

Group 1 - Super Group (SGHC) Limited has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.14, indicating a consensus between Strong Buy and Buy, with 85.7% of recommendations being Strong Buy and 14.3% being Buy [2][5] - The reliability of brokerage recommendations is questioned, as studies show limited success in guiding investors towards stocks with the best price increase potential [5][10] - Analysts from brokerage firms tend to exhibit a positive bias in their ratings due to vested interests, leading to a higher number of favorable ratings compared to negative ones [6][10] Group 2 - Zacks Rank is highlighted as a more effective tool for predicting stock price movements, categorizing stocks from Strong Buy to Strong Sell based on earnings estimate revisions [8][11] - The Zacks Rank is updated more frequently than the ABR, reflecting timely changes in analysts' earnings estimates, which correlates strongly with near-term stock price movements [12] - For Super Group (SGHC), the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year remains unchanged at $0.47, resulting in a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), suggesting caution despite the favorable ABR [13][14]