UnitedHealth (UNH) shares are inching higher on Wednesday after senior Wells Fargo analyst Stephen Baxter issued a positive note in favor of the world’s largest health insurance company. Baxter maintained his “Overweight” rating on UNH this morning and raised his price target to $400, indicating potential upside of another 8% from current levels. More News from Barchart His bullish call is particularly significant given UnitedHealth stock has already soared more than 50% since early August. www.barchar ...

Analysts are continuing to raise their stock price targets for Microsoft Corp (MSFT) ahead of its earnings results. As a result, MSFT stock is moving up. Shorting out-of-the-money puts and buying in-the-money calls look attractive. MSFT is at $519.50 in midday trading on Friday, Oct. 3. The stock is up from a recent low of $495.00 on Sept. 5, but it's off from a peak of $535.64 on Aug. 4. More News from Barchart It could be worth substantially more. For example, in my Sept. 9 Barchart article, I showed ...

Core Insights - Apple shares increased by 4.3% following reports of strong demand for the iPhone 17 and a positive note from Wedbush [1] iPhone 17 Demand - Apple has instructed suppliers to boost production of the $799 iPhone 17 by 30%, indicating higher demand for the less expensive model compared to the $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro [3] - Shipping lead times for iPhone 17 orders have extended to 18 days, nearly double the 10-day lead times for the iPhone 16 last year, suggesting robust demand for the iPhone 17 [4] - Demand for the iPhone 17 may be up 20% to 30% compared to the iPhone 16, with consumers showing a preference for cheaper models [7] Investment Outlook - Wedbush raised its price target for Apple stock to $310, indicating over 21% upside potential, and noted that iPhone 17 demand is tracking 10% to 15% ahead of the iPhone 16 [5] - Despite potential lower margins on cheaper iPhones, a 20% to 30% demand growth could lead to earnings growth surpassing the 12% long-term forecast by analysts [5]

Group 1 - Foghorn Therapeutics Inc. (FHTX) closed at $5.06, with a 1.4% gain over the past four weeks, and a mean price target of $11.67 suggests a 130.6% upside potential [1] - The average of six short-term price targets ranges from $9.00 to $14.00, indicating a potential increase of 77.9% to 176.7%, with a standard deviation of $2.25 reflecting the variability of estimates [2] - Analysts show strong agreement in revising earnings estimates higher, which correlates with potential stock price movements, as the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has increased by 8% [4][12] Group 2 - FHTX holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimates, indicating a strong potential upside [13] - While price targets may not be reliable indicators of actual stock price movements, the direction implied by these targets can serve as a useful guide for further research [14]

Core Viewpoint - EverQuote (EVER) shares have shown a modest increase of 0.5% over the past four weeks, closing at $25.02, with analysts suggesting a potential upside of 36.6% based on a mean price target of $34.17 [1] Price Targets and Analyst Estimates - The mean estimate consists of six short-term price targets with a standard deviation of $2.79, indicating variability among analysts; the lowest estimate suggests a 19.9% increase to $30.00, while the highest predicts a 51.9% surge to $38.00 [2] - Analysts' consensus on price targets can be misleading, as their ability to set unbiased targets has been questioned; empirical research shows that price targets often do not accurately predict stock price movements [3][7] Earnings Estimates and Analyst Agreement - Strong agreement among analysts regarding EverQuote's earnings prospects, reflected in positive revisions of EPS estimates, supports the expectation of an upside in the stock; historical data shows a correlation between earnings estimate trends and stock price movements [4][11] - Over the past 30 days, three earnings estimates for EverQuote have been revised upward, resulting in an 8.8% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate [12] Zacks Rank and Investment Potential - EverQuote holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), placing it in the top 5% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimate factors, indicating strong potential for near-term upside [13] - While the consensus price target may not be a reliable measure of potential gains, the implied direction of price movement appears to be a useful guide for investors [14]

Group 1 - Omnicom's shares have increased by 3.7% over the past four weeks, closing at $74.63, with a mean price target of $93.56 indicating a potential upside of 25.4% [1] - The mean estimate consists of nine short-term price targets with a standard deviation of $13.43, where the lowest estimate is $78.00 (4.5% increase) and the highest is $116.00 (55.4% increase) [2] - Analysts show strong agreement in revising earnings estimates higher, which correlates with potential stock price movements [11][12] Group 2 - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has increased by 1.7%, with four estimates moving higher and no negative revisions in the last 30 days [12] - Omnicom holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimates [13] - While the consensus price target may not be a reliable indicator of the extent of gains, it suggests a positive direction for price movement [14]

Core Viewpoint - Astrana Health, Inc. (ASTH) shows significant upside potential with a mean price target of $49.56, indicating a 97.3% increase from the current price of $25.12 [1] Price Targets and Analyst Consensus - The average price target consists of nine estimates ranging from a low of $36.00 to a high of $70.00, with a standard deviation of $12.39, suggesting variability in analyst opinions [2] - The lowest estimate indicates a potential increase of 43.3%, while the highest suggests a 178.7% upside [2] - A low standard deviation indicates a high degree of agreement among analysts regarding the stock's price movement direction [9] Earnings Estimates and Analyst Optimism - Analysts have shown increasing optimism about ASTH's earnings prospects, with a strong consensus on higher EPS estimates, which correlates with potential stock price increases [11] - Over the last 30 days, two estimates have been revised upward, leading to a 46.4% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year [12] Zacks Rank and Investment Potential - ASTH holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), placing it in the top 5% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimate factors, indicating strong potential for upside [13] - While consensus price targets may not be entirely reliable, the implied direction of price movement appears to be a useful guide for investors [14]

Group 1: Stock Performance and Price Targets - Natural Gas Services (NGS) closed at $24.51, with a 27.3% gain over the past four weeks, and a mean price target of $36.25 suggests a 47.9% upside potential [1] - The mean estimate includes four short-term price targets with a standard deviation of $5.97, indicating variability; the lowest estimate of $32 suggests a 30.6% increase, while the highest target of $45 indicates an 83.6% surge [2] - A tight clustering of price targets, represented by a low standard deviation, indicates a high degree of agreement among analysts regarding the stock's price movement [9] Group 2: Analyst Sentiment and Earnings Estimates - Analysts show strong agreement in revising earnings estimates higher for NGS, which correlates with potential stock price upside [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has increased by 18.6% over the past month, with no negative revisions [12] - NGS holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), placing it in the top 5% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimates, indicating strong potential for near-term upside [13]

Core Viewpoint - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX) has shown a significant price increase of 48.9% over the past four weeks, with a mean price target of $16.25 indicating a potential upside of 61.2% from the current price of $10.08 [1] Price Targets and Analyst Estimates - The mean estimate consists of 12 short-term price targets with a standard deviation of $5.66, indicating variability among analysts; the lowest estimate is $8 (20.6% decline), while the highest is $30 (197.6% increase) [2] - Analysts' price targets can often mislead investors, as empirical research shows that they rarely indicate the actual price direction of a stock [7] - A low standard deviation in price targets suggests a high degree of agreement among analysts regarding the stock's price movement, which can serve as a starting point for further research [9] Earnings Estimates and Analyst Consensus - There is growing optimism among analysts regarding BCRX's earnings prospects, as indicated by a strong consensus in revising EPS estimates higher, which correlates with potential stock price increases [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has increased by 341.6% over the past month, with five estimates rising and no negative revisions [12] - BCRX holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimates, suggesting a strong potential upside [13]

Group 1: Stock Performance and Price Targets - Atlassian (TEAM) closed at $207.89, with a 13.1% gain over the past four weeks, and a mean price target of $272.71 indicating a 31.2% upside potential [1] - The mean estimate consists of 24 short-term price targets with a standard deviation of $37.10, ranging from a low of $215 (3.4% increase) to a high of $370 (78% increase) [2] - A tight clustering of price targets, indicated by a low standard deviation, suggests a high degree of agreement among analysts regarding the stock's price movement [9] Group 2: Analyst Insights and Earnings Estimates - Analysts have shown increasing optimism about TEAM's earnings prospects, as evidenced by strong agreement in revising EPS estimates higher, which correlates with potential stock upside [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has risen by 14.7% over the past month, with nine estimates increasing and no negative revisions [12] - TEAM holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimates, indicating a strong potential upside [13]