Monday's Biggest Analyst Calls: NVIDIA, Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Boeing, Netflix, Nucor, & More

Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Monday:

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Nvidia Retains Buy Rating at Melius

Melius reaffirmed its buy rating on Nvidia, describing it as a “defensive” stock. Despite some concerns within the AI semiconductor sector, the firm noted Nvidia continues to benefit from strong demand for inferencing and a solid pipeline of orders from hyperscalers through the year’s end.

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UBS Upgrades CryoPort to Buy

UBS raised its rating on CryoPort from neutral to buy, citing growth potential in the cell and gene therapy market. The firm believes that as the company scales its service offerings in this sector, it could see sustained annual sales growth of at least 10% in the mid to long term, along with positive free cash flow.

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Evercore ISI Downgrades Lennar to In Line

Evercore ISI downgraded homebuilder Lennar from outperform to in line. Analysts highlighted the company’s strategy of maintaining production pace while using profit margins as a buffer. While Lennar’s operational model could be a future differentiator, concerns persist regarding whether its volume-focused approach aligns with current market conditions.

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Wedbush Adds IBM to Best Ideas List

Wedbush placed IBM on its Best Ideas List, expressing increased confidence in the stock. The firm noted that while investors remain cautious about AI-related spending, it sees enterprises accelerating their strategic plans for 2025, which could bolster the software sector.

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UBS Upgrades Nucor and Steel Dynamics to Buy

UBS raised its ratings on steel producers Nucor and Steel Dynamics, upgrading both from neutral to buy. Analysts cited attractive valuations and strong earnings momentum for Nucor, while Steel Dynamics was noted for having a compelling entry point, setting a price target of $149 per share.

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Jefferies Maintains Microsoft as a Buy

Jefferies reiterated its buy rating on Microsoft, calling it one of its top large-cap stock picks. The firm sees the recent pullback in Microsoft shares as an opportunity, creating a favorable risk/reward balance.

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Morgan Stanley Initiates Coverage on Dutch Bros as Overweight

Morgan Stanley initiated coverage of coffee chain Dutch Bros with an overweight rating, citing its strong brand appeal and rapid expansion. After some volatility following its 2021 IPO, the company appears to be gaining momentum under new management, improving its development strategy and same-store sales performance.

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Raymond James Upgrades Lumentum and Coherent to Strong Buy

Raymond James upgraded both Lumentum and Coherent from outperform to strong buy, highlighting their strong positioning within Nvidia’s supply chain following insights from Nvidia’s GTC conference and Corning’s analyst day.

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Melius Upgrades Boeing to Buy

Melius upgraded Boeing from neutral to buy, citing a favorable shift in company news that could drive shares higher. The firm pointed to the appointment of an operations-focused CEO, a faster-than-expected recovery in 737 production following labor strikes, and Boeing’s recent win over Lockheed Martin in the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.

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Deutsche Bank Upgrades ViaSat to Buy

Deutsche Bank upgraded satellite communications company ViaSat from hold to buy, noting multiple opportunities for value creation. While the firm remains cautious about competition from Starlink, it believes ViaSat has options to enhance equity value by reducing debt through asset sales.

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Goldman Sachs Downgrades Super Micro to Sell

Goldman Sachs downgraded Super Micro from neutral to sell, citing valuation concerns. The firm noted that despite the stock’s 38% year-to-date gain—making it the top performer in its hardware coverage—risks related to valuation, competition, and profit margins make the risk/reward balance unfavorable.

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Barclays Reiterates Disney as Overweight

Barclays maintained its overweight rating on Disney, citing the cruise business as a major growth driver. The firm noted that Disney’s expansion in this area contributes significantly to its long-term growth projections for its Experiences division, suggesting that the company’s broader theme park outlook may be conservative.

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Morgan Stanley Initiates Mondelez and J.M. Smucker as Overweight

Morgan Stanley initiated coverage of Mondelez and J.M. Smucker with overweight ratings. Mondelez was highlighted for its strong growth potential due to exposure to high-growth regions and pricing power, while Smucker’s coffee portfolio was seen as resilient against cost pressures.

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Morgan Stanley Initiates BellRing Brands as Overweight

Morgan Stanley also initiated BellRing Brands with an overweight rating, calling it a top pick. The firm sees the recent stock pullback as an attractive buying opportunity for a company with strong category exposure and short-term momentum.

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Wells Fargo Reiterates JPMorgan as Overweight

Wells Fargo maintained its overweight rating on JPMorgan, citing its strong market position. The bank is expected to benefit from market volatility in the short term, deregulation in the medium term, and long-term investments in technology, which could lead to further market share gains.

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Morgan Stanley Reiterates Apple as Overweight

Morgan Stanley reaffirmed its overweight rating on Apple, noting that the company has ramped up iPhone production to mitigate potential tariff impacts. Analysts believe this increase in production aligns with earlier expectations and does not require adjustments to Apple’s first-quarter shipment forecasts.

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Morgan Stanley Reiterates Eli Lilly as Overweight

Morgan Stanley maintained its overweight rating on Eli Lilly, citing its strong positioning in the diabetes and obesity market. The firm believes the company’s oral GLP-1 drug, Orforglipron, could further expand the market beyond existing injectable treatments.

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JPMorgan Reiterates Netflix as Overweight

JPMorgan reiterated its overweight rating on Netflix, emphasizing its strong growth outlook. The firm highlighted expectations for double-digit revenue growth in 2025 and 2026, along with continued margin expansion, despite increasing investments in content, advertising, and gaming.

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Bank of America Initiates DT Midstream as Buy

Bank of America initiated coverage of DT Midstream with a buy rating, calling it an undervalued beneficiary of data center expansion. The firm set a price target of $110 per share.

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Bank of America Reinstates Generac as Buy

Bank of America reinstated its buy rating on Generac, citing its dominant position in the backup power market. With 75% market share and growing demand due to worsening grid reliability and extreme weather events, the firm sees significant upside potential, setting a price target of $182 per share.

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Jefferies Upgrades FedEx to Buy

Jefferies upgraded FedEx from hold to buy, advising investors to take advantage of the stock’s recent dip. The firm believes the market is too focused on macroeconomic concerns and overlooking FedEx’s cost-cutting initiatives, which could drive earnings growth in fiscal 2026 and 2027.

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Bank of America Downgrades Lockheed Martin to Neutral

Bank of America downgraded Lockheed Martin from buy to neutral, citing concerns about its earnings quality. Despite expectations for increased defense spending, analysts highlighted issues such as the loss of key aircraft programs and a lack of near-term company-specific catalysts.

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Guggenheim Upgrades Pinterest to Buy

Guggenheim upgraded Pinterest from neutral to buy, citing strong fundamentals. The firm believes the recent dip in share price presents an opportunity for investors, given Pinterest’s long-term potential for user growth, monetization, and profitability.

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