Analyst Rating Boosts May Signal More Upside for These 3 Stocks

Key Points

• StubHub, Targa Resources, and Equinor have each received recent analyst rating upgrades tied to distinct company-specific catalysts and improving fundamentals.
• StubHub shares have fallen sharply post-IPO, but strong revenue and EBITDA growth alongside debt reduction prompted a Citigroup upgrade.
• Targa Resources and Equinor have seen upgrades driven by EBITDA growth, long-term contracts, and strategic positioning, though Equinor still carries notable risks.

Though it's not a guarantee, analyst stock ratings upgrades generally don't happen in a vacuum. They tend to follow improvements in fundamentals, strong earnings trends, or other catalysts that could reinvigorate a company's outlook. This tends to get retail investors to look more closely at those stocks, which can in turn drive purchases and, potentially, share price increases.

StubHub Holdings Inc. NYSE: STUB, Targa Resources Corp. NYSE: TRGP, and Equinor ASA NYSE: EQNR have all recently experienced analyst upgrades, although for different reasons. In each case, the company may be showing signs of righting some of its underlying issues—or of continuing to improve upon aspects of its operations that have already been going well.

StubHub Shares Have Plunged Post-IPO, But Investors May Have Reason to Be Optimistic

As the operator of one of the world's largest secondary-ticket marketplaces, StubHub has recently completed its first year as a publicly traded company. During this time, STUB shares have fallen by about 71%, with about 62% of that decline occurring in 2026. The firm has nearly 90% upside potential, according to analysts, and shareholders are likely waiting for a catalyst to drive a turnaround in performance to achieve it.

Recent stronger-than-expected app downloads may be part of that solution. With new advertising products, international expansion through viagogo, and a growing list of partnerships with a variety of venues around the world, StubHub is looking to boost its monetization opportunities beyond traditional ticket sales.

The results have already been apparent in the company's financials: Q2 2026 brought a 34% year over year (YOY) increase to gross merchandise sales, which reached a record $3.1 billion. Revenue surged by a third YOY, while adjusted EBITDA was up an impressive 94%. Net income of $14.6 million was an encouraging sign as well, bolstered by expanding margins.

StubHub has been improving its balance sheet—it trimmed its debt by $1.1 billion over the last year or so—but it still has work to do. A recent upgrade by analysts at Citigroup may reflect optimism surrounding the company's debt load.

Impressive EBITDA Growth and Long-Term Partnerships Fuel Targa's Upgrades

Like many energy sector firms, Targa has done well in the current geopolitical environment: shares are up nearly 50% year to date (YTD), despite having fallen over 3% in the last month. This midstream provider dominates natural gas gathering, processing, transportation, and export in the Permian Basin, one of North America's richest production sites. If the U.S. faces the need to rely more on domestic production, Targa could play an essential role.

Adjusted EBITDA has expanded significantly in recent years thanks to the addition of new processing plants, export facilities, and other infrastructure to Targa's service. This has allowed the company to fuel more shareholder returns and to reinvest in its own growth—and management expects adjusted EBITDA for the full year to approach $6 billion, showing no signs of slowing. With strong long-term contracts, the company is somewhat insulated from short-term commodity price volatility.

The announcement of a major 20-year contract agreement with ExxonMobil NYSE: XOM alongside plans for multiple new natural gas processing plants, coupled with EBITDA growth, may have prompted several analysts to either upgrade ratings or boost price targets for TRGP shares. The stock has received a unanimous Buy rating across 19 Wall Street firms.

A Critical Player in the European Energy Space Comes With Some Risks

Norwegian oil and gas exploration and production company Equinor is a vital player in European energy at a time of deep uncertainty for the region. With the EU's natural gas inventories at only about two-thirds of full capacity as of mid-September—and as Europe faces significant fallout from the ongoing war in Iran—Equinor may have an advantageous position thanks to the underwater pipelines it uses to transport natural gas throughout Europe.

Equinor is able to avoid added costs associated with liquefaction, marine freight, and other processes necessary for traditional tanker shipments. This fact has helped shares of EQNR surge by nearly 80% YTD and may have been behind a recent Bank of America ratings upgrade, although it's important for investors to note that turbulence in the European energy space still weighs on analyst ratings of EQNR overall and that the stock remains a Hold. Other risks include Equinor's ties to the price of both crude oil and natural gas, the ongoing risk of European regulations, and the continuous need to replace produced reserves through new exploration, acquisitions, or project development. This makes the stock a riskier move, despite the new optimism coming from BofA analysts.