Wednesday's Biggest Analyst Calls: Nvidia, Apple, Tesla, Walmart, Netflix, Shopify, Super Micro & More

Wall Street’s Biggest Analyst Calls on Wednesday

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DA Davidson Starts Coverage on Blaize with a Buy Rating
DA Davidson initiated coverage on Blaize, a tech company specializing in AI-enabled edge computing, with a Buy rating and a price target of $10. The firm believes Blaize is in an excellent position to emerge as a key player in the rapidly growing edge computing space, driven by AI advancements.

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UBS Reiterates Buy Rating on Walmart Ahead of Earnings
UBS maintained its Buy rating on Walmart as the company prepares to report earnings next week. UBS remains optimistic, stating that Walmart’s performance is expected to meet or even exceed high expectations, reflecting strong fundamentals and consistent growth.

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Needham Upgrades GlobalFoundries to Buy from Hold
Needham upgraded GlobalFoundries from Hold to Buy, citing the semiconductor company’s strong positioning as it recovers from the industry’s cyclical downturn. The firm believes that the outlook for GlobalFoundries is improving, supported by favorable trends in the semiconductor sector as demand stabilizes.

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Goldman Sachs Downgrades On Holding to Neutral from Buy
Goldman Sachs downgraded On Holding, a footwear company, from Buy to Neutral due to concerns about slowing growth. The firm pointed to recent U.S. credit card data suggesting that the company’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) growth in the fourth quarter of 2024 might fall below consensus expectations. Although this trend is U.S.-specific, Goldman noted that other sportswear companies like Nike, Puma, and Deckers have experienced significant stock declines after missing expectations.

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Bernstein Reiterates Outperform Rating on Netflix
Bernstein reaffirmed its Outperform rating on Netflix, citing optimism about the company’s exploration into video podcasting. While this isn’t Netflix’s first consideration of podcasting, Bernstein believes adding this content category aligns with the company’s broader content strategy, potentially opening new growth opportunities.

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Morgan Stanley Reiterates Overweight Rating on Apple
Morgan Stanley maintained its Overweight rating on Apple following reports of a potential partnership with Alibaba. The firm views this development as a potential game-changer for Apple’s competitive position in China. If confirmed, the collaboration could help Apple address challenges in the Chinese smartphone market, especially through AI-related innovations.

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JPMorgan Upgrades Upstart to Neutral from Underweight
JPMorgan upgraded Upstart, an AI-driven lending platform, from Underweight to Neutral after its earnings report. The firm highlighted improvements in Upstart’s business model, which are expected to enhance transaction volumes and boost operational efficiency, positioning the company for more sustainable growth.

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Morgan Stanley Initiates Coverage on AstraZeneca with an Overweight Rating
Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on AstraZeneca with an Overweight rating, noting that the pharmaceutical giant’s stock offers an attractive entry point. The firm highlighted the company’s strong drug pipeline and reasonable valuation ahead of key clinical trial results, making it a compelling investment opportunity.

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‍Benchmark Reiterates Buy Rating on Nvidia
Benchmark reiterated its Buy rating on Nvidia, pointing to new growth prospects in the automotive sector. Despite Nvidia’s significant success in AI and data centers, the company is expanding its reach into automotive technologies, which Benchmark sees as a promising opportunity to drive future growth.

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Morgan Stanley Reiterates Overweight Rating on Tesla
Morgan Stanley maintained its Overweight rating on Tesla, encouraging investors to buy the dip. The firm believes Tesla is well-positioned to capitalize on the transformation of U.S. manufacturing in the AI era, with data playing an increasingly critical role in the company’s software and manufacturing strategies.

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JPMorgan Upgrades Compass Minerals to Overweight from Neutral
JPMorgan upgraded Compass Minerals from Neutral to Overweight, citing its strong position in the salt industry. The company’s core business, which focuses on providing salt for road maintenance in the U.S. and Canada, is expected to benefit from seasonal demand, especially after two unusually warm winters.

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Wells Fargo Reiterates Buy Rating on Coca-Cola
Wells Fargo reaffirmed its Buy rating on Coca-Cola, stating that the stock still has “plenty of room to run.” The firm believes Coca-Cola’s business model continues to differentiate itself from other mega-cap companies, and despite recent outperformance, the stock remains attractive for further gains.

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Seaport Initiates Coverage on Instacart with a Buy Rating
Seaport initiated coverage on Instacart (Maplebear Inc.) with a Buy rating and a price target of $62. The firm views Instacart as a strong market share gainer in the online grocery delivery space, supported by its expanding partnerships and growing customer base.

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JPMorgan Reiterates Underweight Rating on Super Micro
JPMorgan maintained its Underweight rating on Super Micro following its fiscal second-quarter earnings report. The firm described the results as mixed, with revenue, margins, and earnings falling short of expectations, particularly in the AI server segment.

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Needham Initiates Coverage on Ralph Lauren with a Buy Rating
Needham initiated coverage on Ralph Lauren with a Buy rating and a price target of $310. The firm sees Ralph Lauren as a “compelling momentum play,” driven by strong brand recognition and growth potential in both domestic and international markets.

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Morgan Stanley Upgrades NXP Semiconductors to Overweight from Equal Weight
Morgan Stanley upgraded NXP Semiconductors from Equal Weight to Overweight, highlighting favorable cyclical trends and improvements in gross margins. The firm noted that NXP underperformed between 2022 and 2024 due to supply chain constraints but is now well-positioned to outpace growth in the automotive semiconductor sector by 2025.

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Benchmark Initiates Coverage on Tesla with a Buy Rating
Benchmark also initiated coverage on Tesla with a Buy rating, emphasizing the company’s multiple growth opportunities. These include advancements in autonomous vehicles, robotics, energy storage, and the continued expansion of the electric vehicle market.

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JPMorgan Reiterates Overweight Rating on Shopify
JPMorgan maintained its Overweight rating on Shopify following a strong earnings report. The company delivered better-than-expected results, with accelerating revenue growth and improved free cash flow margins, reinforcing its leadership in the e-commerce space.

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