Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the reliability of brokerage recommendations, particularly focusing on Cipher Mining Inc. (CIFR), and highlights the potential misalignment of interests between brokerage firms and retail investors [1][10]. Summary by Sections Brokerage Recommendations - Cipher Mining has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.62, indicating a consensus between Strong Buy and Buy, based on 13 brokerage firms' recommendations [2]. - Out of the 13 recommendations, 8 are Strong Buy and 2 are Buy, which represent 61.5% and 15.4% of the total recommendations, respectively [2]. Limitations of Brokerage Recommendations - The article suggests that relying solely on brokerage recommendations for investment decisions may not be wise, as studies indicate limited success in guiding investors towards stocks with the best price increase potential [5]. - Brokerage analysts often exhibit a strong positive bias due to their firms' vested interests, leading to a disproportionate number of favorable ratings compared to negative ones [6][10]. Zacks Rank as an Alternative - Zacks Rank is introduced as a proprietary stock rating tool that categorizes stocks from Strong Buy to Strong Sell and is based on earnings estimate revisions, which are more timely indicators of stock price performance [8][11]. - The Zacks Rank is distinct from ABR, as it is a quantitative model rather than being solely based on brokerage recommendations [9]. Current Earnings Estimates for Cipher Mining - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Cipher Mining has declined by 14.7% over the past month to -$0.36, indicating growing pessimism among analysts regarding the company's earnings prospects [13]. - This decline in earnings estimates has resulted in a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) for Cipher Mining, suggesting caution despite the Buy-equivalent ABR [14].

Group 1 - State Street Corporation is set to release its third-quarter earnings results on October 17, with expected earnings of $2.65 per share, an increase from $2.26 per share in the same period last year [1] - The consensus estimate for State Street's quarterly revenue is $3.47 billion, compared to $3.26 billion a year earlier [1] - Following the election of Brian Porter to its board of directors, State Street shares fell by 3.2% to close at $112.95 [2] Group 2 - Goldman Sachs analyst Alexander Blostein maintained a Buy rating and raised the price target from $109 to $130 [4] - BMO Capital analyst Brennan Hawken initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and a price target of $130 [4] - Truist Securities analyst David Smith maintained a Buy rating and increased the price target from $125 to $133 [4] - Evercore ISI Group analyst Glenn Schorr maintained an Outperform rating and raised the price target from $117 to $128 [4] - B of A Securities analyst Ebrahim Poonawala maintained an Underperform rating and raised the price target from $106 to $109 [4]

Core Viewpoint - The consumer discretionary sector has several oversold stocks, presenting potential buying opportunities for undervalued companies [1]. Group 1: Oversold Stocks - Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co (NASDAQ:GT) has an RSI of 20.4, with a stock price of $6.71, down 21% over the past month and a 52-week low of $6.51 [7]. - Ferrari NV (NYSE:RACE) has an RSI of 26.4, with a stock price of $382.19, gaining 0.9% recently, despite a 22% drop over the past five days [7]. - Carmax Inc (NYSE:KMX) has an RSI of 28.6, with a stock price of $44.00, down 27% over the past month and a 52-week low of $42.75 [7].

Core Insights - Synovus Financial Corp. is set to release its third-quarter earnings results on October 15, with analysts expecting earnings of $1.35 per share, an increase from $1.23 per share in the same period last year [1] - The company projects quarterly revenue of $603.18 million, up from $564.72 million a year earlier [1] - An $8.6 billion all-stock merger between Pinnacle and Synovus was announced on July 24 [1] Stock Performance - Shares of Synovus Financial increased by 3.6%, closing at $47.84 [2] Analyst Ratings - Truist Securities analyst David Smith maintained a Buy rating but reduced the price target from $58 to $56 [4] - Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst Brady Gailey downgraded the stock from Outperform to Market Perform, lowering the price target from $65 to $50 [4] - Stephens & Co. analyst Russell Gunther maintained an Equal-Weight rating and cut the price target from $60 to $54 [4] - Barclays analyst Jared Shaw kept an Overweight rating but decreased the price target from $70 to $65 [4] - DA Davidson analyst Gary Tenner maintained a Buy rating and raised the price target from $60 to $63 [4]

Group 1 - TeraWulf, a Bitcoin mining company, saw its shares rise over 10% due to financing news and an analyst's price-target increase [1] - The company announced plans to float $3.2 billion in senior secured notes, maturing in 2030, to institutional buyers [2] - The proceeds from the notes will be used to finance the expansion of its data center in New York [3] Group 2 - Analyst Michael Donovan raised TeraWulf's price target from $6.50 to $17 per share, maintaining a buy recommendation [3] - Lucid Capital Markets initiated coverage on TeraWulf with a buy recommendation and a price target of $25 per share [4]

Core Viewpoint - The average brokerage recommendation (ABR) for Datadog (DDOG) is 1.46, indicating a consensus between Strong Buy and Buy, based on 41 brokerage firms' recommendations [2][5] Group 1: Brokerage Recommendations - Datadog's ABR consists of 31 Strong Buy and 3 Buy recommendations, accounting for 75.6% and 7.3% of total recommendations respectively [2] - Despite the positive ABR, reliance solely on brokerage recommendations for investment decisions may not be wise, as studies show limited success in guiding investors [5][10] - Brokerage analysts often exhibit a strong positive bias due to their firms' vested interests, leading to a higher number of favorable ratings than warranted [6][10] Group 2: Zacks Rank Comparison - Zacks Rank categorizes stocks into five groups based on earnings estimate revisions, with a strong correlation to near-term stock price movements [8][11] - The Zacks Rank for Datadog is 3 (Hold), indicating a cautious outlook despite the favorable ABR [14] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Datadog's current year earnings remains unchanged at $1.84, suggesting steady analyst views on the company's earnings prospects [13][14] Group 3: Timeliness and Freshness - The ABR may not be up-to-date, while Zacks Rank reflects timely revisions of earnings estimates, making it a more effective tool for predicting future stock prices [12]

Core Insights - PNC Financial Services Group is set to release its third-quarter earnings on October 15, with expected earnings of $4.04 per share, an increase from $3.49 per share in the same period last year [1] - The company projects quarterly revenue of $5.81 billion, up from $5.43 billion a year earlier [1] Dividend Information - On October 2, PNC declared a quarterly dividend of $1.70 per share on common stock [2] - PNC shares increased by 1.6%, closing at $186.92 on the preceding Monday [2] Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - Piper Sandler upgraded PNC from Neutral to Overweight, raising the price target from $211 to $220 [4] - UBS maintained a Buy rating and increased the price target from $224 to $229 [4] - Wells Fargo maintained an Overweight rating, raising the price target from $230 to $240 [4] - Evercore ISI Group maintained an Outperform rating, increasing the price target from $220 to $230 [4] - Oppenheimer maintained an Outperform rating but reduced the price target from $238 to $235 [4]

Core Insights - Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is set to release its third-quarter earnings results on October 15, with analysts expecting earnings of $1.03 per share, an increase from $0.79 per share in the same period last year [1] - The company projects quarterly revenue of $2.1 billion, up from $1.9 billion a year earlier [1] Recent Performance - On July 17, Citizens Financial reported better-than-expected second-quarter results, leading to a 2% increase in share price, closing at $50.25 [2] Analyst Ratings - B of A Securities upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy, raising the price target from $52 to $65 [4] - UBS maintained a Buy rating and increased the price target from $57 to $62 [4] - Evercore ISI Group maintained an Outperform rating, raising the price target from $57 to $61 [4] - Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock from Equal-Weight to Overweight, increasing the price target from $53 to $71 [4] - Citigroup maintained a Buy rating and raised the price target from $60 to $65 [4]

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Core Insights - Zacks Premium offers tools for investors to enhance their stock market strategies, including daily updates on Zacks Rank and Industry Rank, research reports, and stock screens [1] Zacks Style Scores - Zacks Style Scores are indicators that help investors select stocks likely to outperform the market in the next 30 days, rated from A to F based on value, growth, and momentum characteristics [2] - The Style Scores consist of four categories: Value Score, Growth Score, Momentum Score, and VGM Score, each focusing on different investment strategies [3][4][5][6] Value Score - The Value Score identifies attractive and discounted stocks using ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, and Price/Cash Flow, appealing to value investors [3] Growth Score - The Growth Score assesses a company's future prospects and financial health by analyzing projected and historical earnings, sales, and cash flow [4] Momentum Score - The Momentum Score helps investors capitalize on price trends, utilizing factors like one-week price changes and monthly earnings estimate changes [5] VGM Score - The VGM Score combines the three Style Scores to identify stocks with the best value, growth forecasts, and momentum, serving as a strong indicator alongside the Zacks Rank [6] Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that uses earnings estimate revisions to guide investors in building successful portfolios, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks historically achieving an average annual return of +23.81% since 1988 [7][8] Stock Selection Strategy - To maximize returns, investors should focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B, while also considering the direction of earnings estimate revisions [9][10] Company Spotlight: TripAdvisor - TripAdvisor, Inc. is a leading online travel research company, rated 2 (Buy) on the Zacks Rank with a VGM Score of A, indicating strong investment potential [11] - The company has a Value Style Score of A, supported by a forward P/E ratio of 10.71, and has seen a positive earnings estimate revision for fiscal 2025, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate increasing to $1.44 per share [12]