Stock Price Targets and Analyst Ratings

Analyst ratings are designed to give additional information to investors beyond just what the company is saying, but are analyst ratings reliable? In this article, we'll discuss how to read analyst ratings, what goes into their decision-making process and how potential conflicts of interest influence analyst stock ratings.

Buy

Analysts bullish on a particular security will give it a "buy" rating and set a price target above the current market price. In addition, if the analyst considers the stock one of the best in the industry or sector, you'll sometimes see a "strong buy" rating attached.

Hold

A "hold" rating is typically the lowest rating a sell-side analyst gives a stock. "Hold" means the analyst projects the stock to meet the return of the market averages, making it an unspectacular investment. Stocks rated "hold" may still have a price target above the current price, but it's not likely to surpass the return of a major index like the S&P 500.

Sell

Analysts are usually apprehensive about giving a stock a "sell" rating. For example, suppose a "hold" rating indicates indecision over the stock's future. In this scenario, a "sell" rating is issued when an analyst finds something unappealing, such as questionable accounting tactics or cratering sales growth.

Underperform

Analysts won't always give a firm "buy" or "sell" rating on stock but will instead label it "underperform" or "outperform." "Underperform" means the analyst expects the stock not to keep up with the market. It doesn't necessarily mean the analyst predicts a crash but indicates a lack of confidence in the shares.

Outperform

"Outperform" is the opposite of "underperform," meaning the analyst expects the stock to do better than the market average. It's usually considered a less confident rating than "buy."

Example of an Analyst Rating

You can use MarketBeat Analyst Ratings to find ranges and aggregates from buy- and sell-side analysts across the financial media. For example, here's a stock that analysts usually love: Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG).

Using MarketBeat's tools, you can find ratings from prominent analysts from multiple periods. Alphabet is currently labeled a "moderate buy" based on MarketBeat's consensus from 17 analysts. You'll get the consensus price target and the highest and lowest from the analysts surveyed.

Looking at analyst recommendations over time is another helpful tool. For example, you can view the different levels of coverage over the last few years, which analysts changed their ratings and how the price targets vary from month to month. If an analyst can't get a good read on a particular stock they've been covering, they might choose to withhold their grade, which is one reason why the number of available ratings can change over time.

Analysts from both sides of the aisle can be found on MarketBeat, ranging from large firms like JPMorgan Chase and Co. (NYSE: JPM) to smaller investment banks like Roth Capital. Some institutions like UBS Group offer both buy-side and sell-side ratings and analysis. These graphs show that even analysts with similar ratings can have vastly different price targets, so always understand the reasoning behind an analyst's view.