Most people know that Wall Street analyst recommendations are overstated because of pressure from public companies. No investor relations executive wants to see "hold" and "sell" ratings issued for their company's stock. In reality, a "buy" rating really means "hold." "Hold" ratings really mean "sell" and "sell" ratings mean get out while you still can.
If Wall Street's top-rated analysts are consistently giving "hold" and "sell" ratings to stock, you know there's a serious problem. We have compiled a list of the companies that Wall Street's top equities research analysts are consistently giving "hold" and "sell" ratings to. If you own one of these stocks, consider getting out while there's still time.
This slide show lists the 20 companies that have the lowest average analyst recommendations from Wall Street's equities research analysts over the last 12 months.
#1 - Harmony Gold Mining (NYSE:HMY)
- Consensus Rating
- Strong Sell
- Rating Score
- 1.0
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 0 Hold Ratings, 3 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $4.90 (46.8% Downside)
About Harmony Gold Mining
Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited engages in the exploration, extraction, and processing of gold. The company explores for uranium, silver, copper, and molybdenum deposits. It has eight underground operations in the Witwatersrand Basin; an open-pit mine on the Kraaipan Greenstone Belt; and various surface source operations in South Africa.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#2 - Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.6
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 3 Hold Ratings, 2 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $31.00 (13.0% Downside)
About Hormel Foods
Hormel Foods Corporation develops, processes, and distributes various meat, nuts, and other food products to retail, foodservice, deli, and commercial customers in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Retail, Foodservice, and International segments. The company provides various perishable products that include fresh meats, frozen items, refrigerated meal solutions, sausages, hams, guacamoles, and bacons; and shelf-stable products comprising canned luncheon meats, nut butters, snack nuts, chili, shelf-stable microwaveable meals, hash, stews, tortillas, salsas, tortilla chips, nutritional food supplements, and others.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#3 - Expeditors International of Washington (NASDAQ:EXPD)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.6
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 5 Hold Ratings, 3 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $112.13 (5.2% Downside)
About Expeditors International of Washington
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides logistics services worldwide. The company offers airfreight services, such as air freight consolidation and forwarding; ocean freight and ocean services, including ocean freight consolidation, direct ocean forwarding, and order management; customs brokerage, import, intra-continental ground transportation and delivery, and warehousing and distribution services; and customs clearance, purchase order management, vendor consolidation, time-definite transportation services, temperature-controlled transit, cargo insurance, specialized cargo monitoring and tracking, and other supply chain solutions.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#4 - Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.5
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 5 Hold Ratings, 5 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $25.00 (3.3% Upside)
About Vornado Realty Trust
Vornado is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) with a portfolio of premier New York City office and retail assets and the developer of the new PENN DISTRICT. While concentrated in New York, Vornado also owns the premier assets in both Chicago and San Francisco. Vornado is a real estate industry leader in sustainability, with over 27 million square feet of LEED-certified buildings and over 23 million square feet at LEED Gold or Platinum.
Recent Analyst Ratings
#5 - Southern Copper (NYSE:SCCO)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.6
- Ratings Breakdown
- 2 Buy Ratings, 0 Hold Ratings, 5 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $90.50 (23.8% Downside)
About Southern Copper
Southern Copper Corporation engages in mining, exploring, smelting, and refining copper and other minerals in Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile. The company is involved in the mining, milling, and flotation of copper ore to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates; smelting of copper concentrates to produce blister and anode copper; refining of anode copper to produce copper cathodes; production of molybdenum concentrate and sulfuric acid; production of refined silver, gold, and other materials; and mining and processing of zinc, copper, molybdenum, silver, gold, and lead.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#6 - Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.6
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 5 Hold Ratings, 3 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $26.00 (9.5% Upside)
About Franklin Resources
Franklin Resources, Inc is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides its services to individuals, institutions, pension plans, trusts, and partnerships. It launches equity, fixed income, balanced, and multi-asset mutual funds through its subsidiaries.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#7 - T. Rowe Price Group (NASDAQ:TROW)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.6
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 6 Hold Ratings, 4 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $112.10 (0.4% Upside)
About T. Rowe Price Group
T. Rowe Price Group, Inc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm provides its services to individuals, institutional investors, retirement plans, financial intermediaries, and institutions. It launches and manages equity and fixed income mutual funds. The firm invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#8 - Cheniere Energy Partners (NYSE:CQP)
- Consensus Rating
- Strong Sell
- Rating Score
- 1.4
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 2 Hold Ratings, 3 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $47.80 (0.4% Upside)
About Cheniere Energy Partners
Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P., through its subsidiaries, provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) to integrated energy companies, utilities, and energy trading companies worldwide. The company owns and operates natural gas liquefaction and export facility at the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#9 - Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.8
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 3 Hold Ratings, 1 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $68.00 (41.6% Upside)
About Bank of Nova Scotia
The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Wealth Management, and Global Banking and Markets segments.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.6
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 5 Hold Ratings, 3 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $166.37 (16.4% Upside)
About Diageo
Diageo plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, marketing, and sale of alcoholic beverages. It offers scotch, gin, vodka, rum, raki, liqueur, wine, tequila, Chinese white spirits, cachaça, and brandy, as well as beer, including cider and flavoured malt beverages. The company also provides Canadian, Irish, American, and Indian-Made Foreign Liquor whiskies, as well as ready to drink and non-alcoholic products.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#11 - C.H. Robinson Worldwide (NASDAQ:CHRW)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.7
- Ratings Breakdown
- 2 Buy Ratings, 7 Hold Ratings, 6 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $82.60 (0.1% Downside)
About C.H. Robinson Worldwide
C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides freight transportation services, and related logistics and supply chain services in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: North American Surface Transportation and Global Forwarding. The company offers transportation and logistics services, such as truckload, less than truckload transportation brokerage services, which include the shipment of single or multiple pallets of freight; intermodal transportation that comprises the shipment service of freight in containers or trailers by a combination of truck and rail; and non-vessel operating common carrier and freight forwarding services, as well as organizes air shipments and provides door-to-door services.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#12 - Consolidated Edison (NYSE:ED)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.8
- Ratings Breakdown
- 1 Buy Ratings, 7 Hold Ratings, 4 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $88.46 (9.4% Downside)
About Consolidated Edison
Consolidated Edison, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States. It offers electric services to approximately 3.7 million customers in New York City and Westchester County; gas to approximately 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County; and steam to approximately 1,530 customers in parts of Manhattan.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#13 - Rocket Companies (NYSE:RKT)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.6
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 8 Hold Ratings, 6 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $10.60 (22.5% Downside)
About Rocket Companies
Rocket Companies, Inc, a fintech holding company, provides mortgage lending, title and settlement services, and other financial technology services in the United States and Canada. It operates through two segments, Direct to Consumer and Partner Network. The company's solutions include Rocket Mortgage, a mortgage lender; Amrock that provides title insurance, property valuation, and settlement services; Rocket Homes, a home search platform and real estate agent referral network, which offers technology-enabled services to support the home buying and selling experience; and Rocket Loans, an online-based personal loans business.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#14 - Gold Fields (NYSE:GFI)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.6
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 3 Hold Ratings, 2 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $13.67 (19.3% Downside)
About Gold Fields
Gold Fields Limited operates as a gold producer with reserves and resources in Chile, South Africa, Ghana, Canada, Australia, and Peru. It also explores for copper and silver deposits. The company was founded in 1887 and is based in Sandton, South Africa.
Recent Analyst Ratings
#15 - Janus Henderson Group (NYSE:JHG)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.9
- Ratings Breakdown
- 1 Buy Ratings, 5 Hold Ratings, 2 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $29.59 (9.3% Downside)
About Janus Henderson Group
Janus Henderson Group plc is an asset management holding entity. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides services to institutional, retail clients, and high net worth clients. It manages separate client-focused equity and fixed income portfolios. The firm also manages equity, fixed income, and balanced mutual funds for its clients.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.8
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 12 Hold Ratings, 4 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $146.43 (2.1% Upside)
About Clorox
The Clorox Company manufactures and markets consumer and professional products worldwide. It operates through four segments: Health and Wellness, Household, Lifestyle, and International. The Health and Wellness segment offers cleaning products, such as laundry additives and home care products primarily under the Clorox, Clorox2, Scentiva, Pine-Sol, Liquid-Plumr, Tilex, and Formula 409 brands; professional cleaning and disinfecting products under the CloroxPro and Clorox Healthcare brands; professional food service products under the Hidden Valley brand; and vitamins, minerals and supplement products under the RenewLife, Natural Vitality, NeoCell, and Rainbow Light brands in the United States.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#17 - Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.7
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 4 Hold Ratings, 2 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $11.27 (3.2% Downside)
About Ecopetrol
Ecopetrol SA operates as an integrated energy company. The company operates through four segments: Exploration and Production; Transport and Logistics; Refining, Petrochemical and Biofuels; and Electric Power Transmission and Toll Roads Concessions. It engages in the exploration and production of oil and gas; transportation of crude oil, motor fuels, fuel oil, and other refined products, including diesel, jet, and biofuels; processing and refining crude oil; distribution of natural gas and LPG; sale of refined and petrochemical products; supplying of electric power transmission services; design, development, construction, operation, and maintenance of road and energy infrastructure projects; and supplying of information technology and telecommunications services.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#18 - Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR)
- Consensus Rating
- Hold
- Rating Score
- 2.0
- Ratings Breakdown
- 1 Buy Ratings, 3 Hold Ratings, 1 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $113.40 (19.3% Upside)
About Whirlpool
Whirlpool Corporation manufactures and markets home appliances and related products and services in the North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. The company's principal products include refrigerators, freezers, ice makers, and refrigerator water filters; laundry appliances, and commercial laundry products and related laundry accessories; cooking and other small domestic appliances; and dishwasher appliances and related accessories, as well as mixers.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.9
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 9 Hold Ratings, 1 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $305.78 (12.9% Downside)
About Waters
Waters Corporation provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments: Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
#20 - Principal Financial Group (NYSE:PFG)
- Consensus Rating
- Reduce
- Rating Score
- 1.8
- Ratings Breakdown
- 0 Buy Ratings, 8 Hold Ratings, 2 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $80.30 (4.4% Downside)
About Principal Financial Group
Principal Financial Group, Inc provides retirement, asset management, and insurance products and services to businesses, individuals, and institutional clients worldwide. The company operates through Retirement and Income Solutions, Principal Asset Management, and Benefits and Protection segments. The Retirement and Income Solutions segment provides retirement, and related financial products and services.
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Recent Analyst Ratings
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