Oracle initiated, Roblox upgraded: Wall Street’s top analyst calls

The most talked about and market moving research calls around Wall Street are now in one place. Here are today’s research calls that investors need to know, as compiled by The Fly.

Top 5 Upgrades:

• MoffettNathanson upgraded Roblox (RBLX) to Neutral from Sell. While the firm still struggles to “make sense of the valuation,” it notes that user metrics have “exploded higher” and that the inflection has been driven by new, viral experiences.
• HSBC upgraded Iqvia (IQV) to Buy from Hold with a price target of $235, up from $195. The firm expects easing regulatory “clouds” in pharma to support a re-rating of the shares.
• Piper Sandler upgraded PNC Financial (PNC) to Overweight from Neutral with a price target of $220, up from $211, ahead of the Q3 report. Piper feels good about PNC’s near-term prospects given its “conservative” guidance and attractive valuation following the stock’s underperformance.
• Citi upgraded Tractor Supply (TSCO) to Buy from Neutral with a price target of $62, up from $60. The firm sees same-store sales momentum for Tractor Supply and earnings growth heading into 2026.
• RBC Capital upgraded Sealed Air (SEE) to Outperform from Sector Perform with a price target of $48, up from $35. The firm is citing stabilization in Protective and continued strength in Food segments, with over $100M of cost reductions and G&A optimization, the firm tells investors in a research note.

Top 5 Downgrades:

• Jefferies downgraded Freshpet (FRPT) to Hold from Buy with a price target of $53, down from $97. The firm cites the company’s “abrupt and persistent” growth slowdown, tough compares for nine months, and the lack of a near-term catalysts for the downgrade.
• HSBC downgraded Bloom Energy (BE) to Hold from Buy with a price target of $100, up from $44. The firm sees upside in Bloom shares and expects consensus estimates to revise higher, but awaits a better entry point for the shares.
• RBC Capital downgraded Graphic Packaging (GPK) to Sector Perform from Outperform with a price target of $21, down from $25. The firm says bleached paperboard oversupply limits the company’s ability to raise prices.
• JPMorgan downgraded RenaissanceRe (RNR) to Neutral from Overweight with an unchanged price target of $303 ahead the Q3 report. The firm has an “incrementally cautious” view of reinsurance pricing.
• Northland downgraded Nutanix (NTNX) to Market Perform from Outperform with a $76 price target. Red Hat is playing for VMWare customers using its brand strength with respect to “modern applications,” whereas Nutanix is more aligned with migrating VMWare customers that are more likely to be entrenched with “traditional applications,” says the firm, which sees risk the VMWare tailwind is not as strong as anticipated due to Red Hat becoming more aggressive on capturing customer migrations.

Top 5 Initiations:

• Phillip Securities initiated coverage of Oracle (ORCL) with a Buy rating and $350 price target. Oracle can accelerate its profit growth by scaling capacity and converting its backlog, the firm tells investors in a research note. Baird also started coverage of Oracle with an Outperform rating and $365 price target.
• RBC Capital initiated coverage of McDonald’s (MCD) with a Sector Perform rating and $320 price target. The firm is cautious on the shares, saying it is unclear if McDonald’s focus on value can drive enough traffic to offset lower check prices.
• RBC Capital initiated coverage of Yum! Brands (YUM) with a Sector Perform rating and $165 price target. The stock is an intriguing story, but ultimately risk/reward is too balanced at current levels to justify an Outperform rating, the firm tells investors in a research note.
• Canaccord initiated coverage of Oklo (OKLO) with a Buy rating and $175 price target. A “new nuclear age emerging,” where nuclear assets grow in volume and as a percentage of the global energy mix, contends Canaccord.
• RBC Capital initiated coverage of Wingstop (WING) with an Outperform rating and $315 price target. The company is a strong competitor in the growing chicken market which has a well-defined niche in wings that differentiates it from competitors, and with shares down 34% since Q2 earnings, this presents an opportunity where franchisee ROIC of about 70% is best-in-class, the firm tells investors in a research note.