A flurry of broker actions hit the tape this week, shifting price targets and outlooks across social media, enterprise tech, health care, and consumer services.
Wells Fargo Downgrades Reddit Amid AI Search Threat
Wells Fargo moved Reddit (NYSE:RDDT) to Equal?weight with a $115 price target, flagging headwinds as Google layers AI into its search product. The bank now expects Reddit’s ad revenue to undershoot consensus by 6% in 2026 and 14% in 2027, with EBITDA trailing by 2% and 15% respectively—driven by weaker logged?out user engagement. Management faces a tough balance between lucrative data licensing and community health, as AI?powered answers bypass Reddit’s comment pages. Check recent broker rating changes for RDDT via the Up?Down Grades by Company API to see how sentiment has shifted across the Street.
Evercore Sees HPE Upside on Juniper Deal, Margin Gains
Evercore upgraded Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE) to Outperform, citing multiple paths to a $30 fair value—from a successful Juniper Networks acquisition to margin improvements if the deal collapses. Their scenarios span double?digit EPS growth post?deal, cost?cutting without Juniper, and sum?of?the?parts upside in networking and storage. For the latest consensus target and street high/low spread, review HPE’s metrics in the Price Target Summary API.
HSBC Cuts UnitedHealth to Reduce on Policy and MLR Risks
HSBC downgraded UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) to Reduce with a $270 price target, spotlighting rising medical?loss?ratio pressures in 2025–26, underappreciated PBM reform risks at Optum Rx, and a justified contraction in ROE multiples. The bank argues that prolonged earnings cuts and policy headwinds outweigh UNH’s historical P/E discount, delaying any meaningful recovery in Medicare Advantage.
Stifel Upgrades Planet Fitness on Stabilizing Membership Trends
Stifel raised Planet Fitness (NYSE:PLNT) to Buy with a $120 target, noting that gross new?member joins have stabilized and that a modest Black Card price hike could boost same?store sales by 3–4%. Enhanced marketing efficiency and premium spa offerings are also cited as catalysts to drive mid?single?digit comp growth and sustain margin expansion.
Monitoring these divergent calls can help you gauge which catalysts—be it AI search disruption, strategic M&A, policy headwinds, or consumer trends—are moving stock prices and investor expectations.
