Investing.com — Here’s your Pro Recap of the top picks from Wall Street analysts last week.
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Tesla
What happened? On Monday, New Road upgraded Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: ) to Buy with a price target of $460
*TLDR: Tesla’s growth to accelerate again with new models. Analysts see a long-term rise.
What is the whole story? New Street analysts predict that growth in the auto sector will pick up again with Tesla’s launch of lower-cost models and cost reductions offsetting price cuts. Analysts emphasize that the development of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology is gaining momentum, with the potential launch of partially unsupervised FSD and robotaxi test fleets expected this year. While the road to large-scale deployment remains challenging, they expect Tesla’s stock price to reflect these growing opportunities.
Significant long-term growth has been identified, envisioning a potential market cap of up to $4.7 trillion by 2030 if Tesla transfers the FSD opportunity to a dominant robotaxis crowd. Despite recognizing uncertainties such as weak demand and timing of new models, which can pressure the stock in the short term, analysts justify further increases in Tesla’s stock price. They see the risk-reward of owning Tesla stock as positive.
Apple
What happened? On Tuesday, MoffettNathanson downgraded Apple (NASDAQ: ) to Sell with a 188 price target.
*TLDR: Apple shares rose despite the negative news. Analysts downgrade to Sell.
What is the whole story? Analysts at MoffettNathanson noted that despite the rise in Apple shares over the past few months, the underlying news has been largely negative. Analysts initially positioned Apple as a potential leader in AI but noted that this success has already been priced into its expected valuation. They highlighted key risks, including an antitrust case against Alphabet (NASDAQ: ) and weakening prospects in China, that the market had overlooked.
Additionally, analysts point to disappointing consumer responses to Apple’s AI features and the challenging outlook for fully agent AI. Given these factors, they expressed concern over Apple’s high multiple and low growth rate compared to its peers. As a result, MoffettNathanson downgraded Apple to a Sell rating with a $188 price target, citing an unattractive outlook for its shares.
Twilio Inc.
What happened? On Wednesday, Mizuho upgraded Twilio Inc (NYSE: ) to Outperform with a $140 price target.
*TLDR: Twilio upgraded before Investor Day. Analysts see a significant increase.
What is the whole story? Mizuho analysts upgraded Twilio ahead of the January 23rd Investor Day. They cited three reasons: meaningful top-line stabilization and better revenue visibility, significant operating margin improvement, and the potential for a new share buy-back announcement. Analysts believe that greater clarity on these drivers will support share outperformance.
Analysts foresee significant upside potential in Twilio’s non-GAAP operational income estimates for 2025 and beyond. They project 10% and 15% upside in 2025 and 2026, respectively, due to the Segment reaching breakeven, operational leverage in core communications, and the end of a cash bonus program. In addition, they emphasized that management compensation tied to operating profit targets and better tracking of free cash flow will contribute to raising the long-term operating margin target to 22% in the coming Investment Day. .
McDonald’s
What happened? On Friday, Citi upgraded McDonald’s (NYSE: ) to Buy with a price target of $334.
*TLDR: McDonald’s to use the scale in 2025. Analysts predict growth.
What is the whole story? Citi analysts estimate that McDonald’s will use its scale advantages by 2025 to drive share gains in key markets and recover margins and EBIT growth. They believe that MCD has responded to the challenge of national value by allowing franchisees to use base item prices to manage profits, and they expect national advertising in 2025 to win back lost opportunities, which fueled 3%+ growth in the US comp and substantial expansion.
Analysts see growth in US sales and share profits driven by a renewed value platform, national messaging, new products, and effective app usage. They highlight greater real estate control, better franchisee demand, and Chinese influence as factors contributing to higher visibility of top-line growth. Despite the challenges outside the US, they expect to improve consumer conditions and share the gains in 2025 based on value strategies.