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?Let's take a look at what these Wall Street heavyweights have to say about Badger Meter (BMI) before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage.Badger Meter currently has an average b ...

Core Viewpoint - Amazon (AMZN) shares have increased by 3% over the past four weeks, closing at $227.35, with a mean price target of $295.8 indicating a potential upside of 30.1% according to Wall Street analysts [1]. Price Targets - The average of 54 short-term price targets ranges from a low of $230.00 to a high of $360.00, with a standard deviation of $24.81, suggesting variability in analyst estimates [2]. - The lowest estimate indicates a 1.2% increase from the current price, while the highest estimate suggests a 58.4% upside [2]. Analyst Consensus and Earnings Estimates - Analysts show strong agreement in revising earnings estimates higher, which is a positive indicator for potential stock upside [4][11]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has remained stable, with no negative revisions and one estimate moving higher [12]. - AMZN holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimates [13]. Caution on Price Targets - Solely relying on consensus price targets for investment decisions may not be wise, as analysts' ability to set unbiased targets has been questioned [3][10]. - Price targets can often be inflated due to business incentives of firms associated with the stocks [8]. - A low standard deviation in price targets indicates a high degree of agreement among analysts, which can be a starting point for further research [9].

Shares of SailPoint, Inc. (SAIL) have gained 12.9% over the past four weeks to close the last trading session at $21.02, but there could still be a solid upside left in the stock if short-term price targets of Wall Street analysts are any indication. Going by the price targets, the mean estimate of $26.39 indicates a potential upside of 25.6%.The average comprises 21 short-term price targets ranging from a low of $16.00 to a high of $31.70, with a standard deviation of $3.45. While the lowest estimate indi ...

Shares of Mama's Creations, Inc. (MAMA) have gained 35.2% over the past four weeks to close the last trading session at $14.06, but there could still be a solid upside left in the stock if short-term price targets of Wall Street analysts are any indication. Going by the price targets, the mean estimate of $17.6 indicates a potential upside of 25.2%.The average comprises five short-term price targets ranging from a low of $15.00 to a high of $20.00, with a standard deviation of $2.07. While the lowest estima ...

Shares of Theravance Biopharma (TBPH) have gained 1.7% over the past four weeks to close the last trading session at $18.79, but there could still be a solid upside left in the stock if short-term price targets of Wall Street analysts are any indication. Going by the price targets, the mean estimate of $26.71 indicates a potential upside of 42.2%.The average comprises seven short-term price targets ranging from a low of $13.00 to a high of $42.00, with a standard deviation of $11.1. While the lowest estimat ...

Biohaven Ltd. (BHVN) could be a solid addition to your portfolio given its recent upgrade to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). This upgrade is essentially a reflection of an upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.The sole determinant of the Zacks rating is a company's changing earnings picture. The Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years is tracked by the system ...

Core Viewpoint - Cummins (CMI) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook on its earnings estimates, which is a significant factor influencing stock prices [1][3]. Earnings Estimates and Stock Price Movement - The Zacks rating system reflects changes in earnings estimates, which are strongly correlated with near-term stock price movements [4][6]. - Institutional investors utilize earnings estimates to determine the fair value of stocks, leading to price movements based on their buying or selling activities [4]. Cummins' Earnings Outlook - The upgrade for Cummins signifies an improvement in the company's underlying business, which is expected to drive the stock price higher as investors recognize this trend [5]. - For the fiscal year ending December 2025, Cummins is projected to earn $23.12 per share, with a 6.9% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate over the past three months [8]. Zacks Rank System - The Zacks Rank system categorizes stocks into five groups based on earnings estimates, with a strong historical performance, particularly for Zacks Rank 1 stocks, which have averaged a +25% annual return since 1988 [7]. - Cummins' upgrade to Zacks Rank 2 places it in the top 20% of Zacks-covered stocks, indicating a strong potential for market-beating returns in the near term [10].

Shares of Oddity Tech (ODD) have gained 7.2% over the past four weeks to close the last trading session at $42.4, but there could still be a solid upside left in the stock if short-term price targets of Wall Street analysts are any indication. Going by the price targets, the mean estimate of $66.82 indicates a potential upside of 57.6%.The mean estimate comprises 11 short-term price targets with a standard deviation of $12.63. While the lowest estimate of $46.00 indicates an 8.5% increase from the current p ...

Nuvation Bio Inc. (NUVB) closed the last trading session at $8.99, gaining 28.3% over the past four weeks, but there could be plenty of upside left in the stock if short-term price targets set by Wall Street analysts are any guide. The mean price target of $11.25 indicates a 25.1% upside potential.The average comprises eight short-term price targets ranging from a low of $8.00 to a high of $18.00, with a standard deviation of $2.96. While the lowest estimate indicates a decline of 11% from the current price ...

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the reliability of brokerage recommendations, particularly focusing on FedEx (FDX), and highlights the importance of using these recommendations in conjunction with other analytical tools like the Zacks Rank. Brokerage Recommendations for FedEx - FedEx has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.96, indicating a position between Strong Buy and Buy, based on recommendations from 30 brokerage firms [2] - Out of the 30 recommendations, 16 are Strong Buy and 2 are Buy, which account for 53.3% and 6.7% of all recommendations respectively [2] Limitations of Brokerage Recommendations - Solely relying on brokerage recommendations for investment decisions may not be wise, as studies show limited success in guiding investors towards stocks with the best price increase potential [5] - Brokerage firms often 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][11] Zacks Rank as an Alternative - The Zacks Rank categorizes stocks into five groups based on earnings estimate revisions, providing a more effective indicator of a stock's price performance in the near future [8][12] - The Zacks Rank is timely and reflects changes in earnings estimates quickly, unlike the ABR which may not be up-to-date [13] Current Earnings Estimates for FedEx - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FedEx's current year earnings has increased by 0.4% over the past month to $18, indicating growing optimism among analysts [14] - This increase in consensus estimates, along with other factors, has resulted in a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) for FedEx, suggesting a positive outlook for the stock [15]