Wall Street's Top 10 Stock Calls This Week - Saturday, April 12
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What has Wall Street been buzzing about this week? Here is a short look at the top 5 buy calls and the top 5 sell calls made by Wall Street's best analysts during the trading week of April 7-11, 2025. First, here are the top 5 buy calls of the week.
1. Walmart Initiated With an Outperform at Mizuho
Mizuho initiated coverage of Walmart (WMT) with an Outperform rating and a price target of $105. The company's multi-year rebuild from a legacy, store-based retailer into a much more tech-led player has "finally reached a tipping point," where Walmart's delivery and convenience are on par with anyone in the consumer sector, the firm tells investors in a research note.
Mizuho says the company offers "defensive posturing in parallel with a structurally higher margin profile." The shares can still work in a "lukewarm economy" and represent a "must-own name" in the consumer space, contends the firm. It sees "multiple ways to win" following the stock's recent 15% pullback.
2. Roku Upgraded to Buy at Redburn Atlantic
Redburn Atlantic upgraded Roku (ROKU) to Buy from Neutral with a price target of $100. The firm says the company has "defensive attributes," with $2.2 billion of cash, which should rise to $3.7 billion by 2027.
The shift of advertising dollars to connected TV will continue to progress and will likely accelerate if macro headwinds worsen, the firm tells investors in a research note. Redburn believes Roku has reached a level of financial maturity where it can be valued on EBITDA and free cash flow multiples, "for the first time providing a valuation floor to the stock."
3. Reddit Initiated With a Buy at Truist
Truist initiated coverage of Reddit (RDDT) with a Buy rating and a price target of $150. The company is one of the fastest growing social media platforms and one that's aggressively gaining share of the digital ad market while also showing material margin leverage and driving profitability with more room to grow given lower monetization relative to peers, the firm tells investors in a research note.
Reddit is also offering a differentiated product to users and advertisers with a strong product market fit, which is reflected in solid daily active user growth and growing engagement, Truist adds.
4. Dollar Tree Upgraded to Buy at Citi
Citi upgraded Dollar Tree (DLTR) to Buy from Neutral with a price target of $103, up from $76. With 50% of the company's product subject to significantly higher tariffs, the market reaction "was extremely and unsurprisingly negative," the firm tells investors in a research note. However, Citi believes the higher-tariff-across-the-board environment is going to be a positive for Dollar Tree.
The higher tariff regime gives the company cover to further expand price points from $1.25 to $1.50 or $1.75, the firm says. Citi believes it will be an easier move than when it had to "break the buck" in 2022. The firm sees Dollar Tree as winner in an environment where retail prices are going higher.
5. Dollar General Upgraded to Buy at Melius Research
Melius Research upgraded Dollar General (DG) to Buy from Hold with a price target of $110. While the company had its own "self-inflicted" challenges and competitive challenges over the last 12 months, the firm believes Dollar General likely will benefit from a worsening macro environment and a lack of tariff exposure.
Next, here are the top 5 sell calls of the week.
1. General Motors Downgraded to Underperform at Bernstein
Bernstein downgraded General Motors (GM) to Underperform from Market Perform with a price target of $35, down from $50. Vehicle tariffs have commenced, and parts tariffs are likely to follow within a month, the firm tells investors in a research note.
Bernstein says its updated forecast for General Motors shows a reduction of more than 20% in free cash flow and a decrease of over 50% in 2026 adjusted earnings. As tariff pressures intensify and consumer sentiment weakens, General Motors' shares will remain under pressure, contends the firm.
2. Bernstein Cut Ford to Underperform with Tariff Risk Not Priced In
Bernstein downgraded Ford (F) to Underperform from Market Perform with a $7 price target. The firm says tariffs are impacting Ford just as consumer confidence wanes. Bernstein assumes that tariffs apply only to non-United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement imports, but even this "modest" scenario "significantly affects Ford," the firm tells investors in a research note.
Further, Bernstein believes "downside risk from more stringent U.S. content rules" may also pressure the company's dividend. It believes significant downside risk for Ford shares is not being priced in by the market.
3. American Airlines Downgraded to Sell at Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs downgraded American Airlines (AAL) to Sell from Neutral with a price target of $8, down from $16. The firm says the company's higher balance sheet leverage and operating leverage drive significantly larger estimate cuts relative to peers amid increased macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty. As profitability for American Airlines and the industry as a whole is negatively impacted by lower demand, Goldman is forecasting lower free cash flow.
4. Caterpillar Downgraded to Sell at UBS
UBS downgraded Caterpillar (CAT) to Sell from Neutral with a price target of $243, down from $385. UBS thinks more earnings downside related to macroeconomic headwinds is not yet priced in.
The firm believes the macroeconomic impacts of the tariffs and continued uncertainty will lead to further deterioration in multiple sectors of the U.S. and global economy, and it believes this will weigh on the more economically sensitive parts of Caterpillar's business, including some construction verticals, oil and gas, and mining.
5. Fiserv Downgraded to Sell at Monness Crespi
Monness Crespi downgraded Fiserv (FI) to Sell from Neutral with a price target of $145. The stock's "rich valuation" and sensitivity to volume and transaction growth expectations in increasingly uncertain conditions make Monness Crespi question if "the quality halo can hold for much longer," the firm tells investors. Given the "lofty growth expectations" needed to reach calendar 2026 and 2027 targets, Monness continues to see guidance removal as "increasingly likely here."
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