The market hasn't been thrilled with Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) this year. Its stock tanked after Trump's "Liberation Day" announcements, since its iPhones are predominantly made overseas, and its artificial intelligence (AI) upgrades have underwhelmed. Apple stock is trailing the market, down 21% year to date, even as the S&P 500 is starting to climb again.
Is it as bad as the market thinks? Here's one metric you should see before you decide.
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Apple and the ecosystem
Apple has a wide ecosystem of products and services that generates long-term loyalty and engagement. The company has always been focused on the user experience, with well-designed products that work. The iPhone is its premier product, with more than 2.3 million in circulation, and fans tend to upgrade at high rates.
There's been some lumpiness with iPhone sales over the past few years, since customers bought more phones when the pandemic started, and growth has tapered off. In the fiscal 2025 second quarter (ended March 29), iPhone sales inched up only 2% over last year. However, these users will be due for new phones over the next few years, steering the growth cycle back to historical norms.
Apple has been able to monetize its users with higher-margin services like streaming and fitness apps, which lead to a stronger bottom line. As users engage more with Apple's platform, it reinforces the ecosystem in a positive cycle. Service revenue was up 12% year over year in the second quarter, and earnings per share increased 8%.
This may be why Apple has been slower on the AI uptick than investors have been expecting. Unlike other AI companies like Nvidia and Amazon, Apple's AI platform, Apple Intelligence, is a consumer-facing service rather than a platform or product for developers. Like the rest of its ecosystem, its interest is in producing tools that enhance the user interface and keep its customers happy. Apple is not the kind of company that's going to launch new products or features for hype. It's all about quality, which is why its products are expensive, and for most of its users, worth it.
This ecosystem creates a "stickiness" that makes Apple a great company. Warren Buffett has described it as a "very, very, very special product, and which has an enormously widespread ecosystem, and the product's extremely sticky."
The ecosystem means that customers don't have to go outside of Apple for almost anything tech-related. They can listen to content on Apple Podcasts, stream on Apple TV+, make purchases with Apple Pay, and take pictures with the highly acclaimed iPhone camera. Apple Intelligence will impact these functions with a unified model that should provide benefits across the platform.
Early engagement and long-term rewards
Given the sticky ecosystem, there's a metric every Apple investor should see that bodes well for Apple's long-term success. According to the spring 2025 Piper Sandler Taking Stock With Teens survey, 88% of teens own an iPhone; 25% of them plan to upgrade to an iPhone 17 next year, up from 22% last year.
This is Apple's sticky ecosystem in action. It's attracting younger customers, and as they engage with the platform and become loyal fans, that's a long-term revenue stream. It has a head start on competitors by capturing a younger market, and it has already has a huge lead.
While developers and investors bemoan the state of Apple Intelligence, young users are satisfied with their products. This is the audience that Apple needs to please, and getting it right is all the more important to keep them in the ecosystem.
Apple stock may be slipping right now, but this is an incredible long-term growth driver, and it should boost your confidence in the company's prospects.
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John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Jennifer Saibil has positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Apple, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
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Worried About Apple Slowing Down? 1 Must-See Metric That Might Change Your Mind.

With a market cap of $192.8 billion, Accenture plc (ACN) provides strategy and consulting, technology and operation services in North America and globally. Founded in 1951, the Dublin, Ireland-based company offers systems integration and application management, security, intelligent platform, infrastructure, software engineering, data and AI, and more.
Shares of the IT giant have underperformed the broader market over the past year and in 2025. ACN stock has surged 5.1% over the past 52 weeks and has declined 8.4% on a YTD basis. In comparison, the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has returned 11.9% over the past year but has dropped marginally in 2025.
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Narrowing the focus, ACN has also underperformed the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLK) 10.8% surge over the past 52 weeks and its 2.1% decline this year.
Accenture’s stock prices dropped 7.3% after the release of its mixed Q2 results on Mar. 20. The company reported a 5.4% year-over-year growth in revenues to $16.7 billion, exceeding the Street’s topline expectations by a small margin. Although the company’s earnings increased nearly 7% year-over-year to $2.82 per share, it missed the Street's expectations by a small margin.
For the current year ending in August, analysts predict ACN’s EPS to increase 6.1% year over year to $12.68. Moreover, the company has surpassed analysts’ consensus estimates in two of the past four quarters, while missing on two occasions.
Among the 24 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a “Moderate Buy.” That’s based on 16 “Strong Buy” ratings, one “Moderate Buy,” and seven “Holds.”
The configuration is slightly more bullish than three months ago, when 15 analysts gave the stock a “Strong Buy.”
On Apr. 16, Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) analyst Arvind Ramnani maintained Accenture with a “Buy” rating, and adjusted the target price from $364 to $355.
ACN’s mean price target of $361.04 indicates a premium of 12.1% from the current market prices. Its Street-high target of $415 suggests a robust 28.8% upside potential from current price levels.
On the date of publication, Kritika Sarmah did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Accenture Stock Outlook: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?

Minneapolis, Minnesota-based U.S. Bancorp (USB) is a financial services company that provides various financial services to individuals, businesses, institutional organizations, governmental entities, and other financial institutions. Valued at a market cap of $63.8 billion, the company provides a wide range of financial services, including lending, deposits, cash management, and investment services.
This financial services company has underperformed the broader market over the past 52 weeks. Shares of USB have declined 2% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has surged 8.2%. Moreover, on a YTD basis, the stock is down 14.3%, compared to SPX’s 4.7% loss.
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Narrowing the focus, USB’s underperformance looks pronounced when compared to the iShares U.S. Regional Banks ETF’s (IAT) 4.9% gain over the past 52 weeks and 11.1% dip on a YTD basis.
On Apr. 16, shares of USB plunged 2.1% after its Q1 earnings release. The company’s revenue grew 3.6% year-over-year to $7 billion, mainly due to an increase in both tax-equivalent net interest income and noninterest income. Adding to the positives, USB’s credit quality showed improvement, as provisions for credit losses, net charge-offs, and non-performing assets all declined compared to the same period last year. Its efficiency ratio improved to 60.8%, down from 66.4% in the prior-year quarter. Additionally, the company maintained disciplined expense management and achieved 270 basis points of positive adjusted operating leverage. These efforts contributed to a 14.4% year-over-year increase in its adjusted earnings to $1.03 per share.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect USB’s EPS to grow 8.3% year over year to $4.31. The company’s earnings surprise history is promising. It topped the consensus estimates in each of the last four quarters.
Among the 23 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a “Moderate Buy” which is based on 10 “Strong Buy,” three “Moderate Buy,” nine “Hold,” and one “Strong Sell” rating.
This configuration is slightly less bullish than a month ago, with 11 analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy” rating, and two recommending “Moderate Buy.”
On May 5, Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) analyst Scott Siefers maintained a “Buy” rating on USB and set a price target of $48, which indicates a 17.1% potential upside from the current levels.
The mean price target of $50.17 represents a 22.4% premium from USB’s current price levels, while the Street-high price target of $60 suggests a notable upside potential of 46.4%.
On the date of publication, Neharika Jain did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

U.S. Bancorp Stock Outlook: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?

EQT Corporation (EQT), headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, operates as a natural gas production company. With a market cap of $31 billion, EQT is an integrated energy company with emphasis on Appalachian area natural-gas supply, transmission, and distribution, offering its products to wholesale and retail customers.
Shares of this leading independent natural gas producer have outperformed the broader market over the past year. EQT has gained 32.9% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 10.2%. In 2025, EQT stock is up 16.1%, surpassing the SPX’s 3.9% decline on a YTD basis.
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Zooming in further, EQT’s outperformance looks more pronounced compared to the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (XOP). The exchange-traded fund has declined about 24.8% over the past year. Moreover, EQT’s gains on a YTD basis outshine the ETF’s 14.7% dip over the same time frame.
On Apr. 22, EQT shares closed up more than 1% after reporting its Q1 results. Its adjusted EPS came in at $1.18, up 43.9% year over year. The company’s revenue increased 23.2% year over year to $1.7 billion.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect EQT’s EPS to grow 111.2% to $3.40 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is impressive. It beat the consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters.
Among the 22 analysts covering EQT stock, the consensus is a “Strong Buy.” That’s based on 15 “Strong Buy” ratings, one “Moderate Buy,” and six “Holds.”
This configuration is more bullish than a month ago, with 14 analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy.”
On May 2, Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) analyst Mark Lear maintained a “Hold” rating on EQT with a price target of $35.
The mean price target of $57.91 represents an 8.2% premium to EQT’s current price levels. The Street-high price target of $74 suggests a notable upside potential of 38.3%.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

EQT Corporation Stock: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?

The following are today's upgrades for Validea's Growth Investor model based on the published strategy of Martin Zweig. This strategy looks for growth stocks with persistent accelerating earnings and sales growth, reasonable valuations and low debt.
BOK FINANCIAL CORP (BOKF) is a mid-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Martin Zweig changed from 38% to 85% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: BOK Financial Corporation is a financial holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the Company provides commercial and consumer banking, brokerage trading, investment and trust services, mortgage origination and servicing, and an electronic funds transfer network. Its holdings include BOKF, NA; BOK Financial Securities, Inc., and BOK Financial Private Wealth, Inc. It offers full-service banking in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Northwest Arkansas, Colorado, Arizona, and Kansas/Missouri. Its segments include Commercial Banking, Consumer Banking, and Wealth Management. Commercial Banking includes lending, treasury and cash management services, and customer commodity risk management products for small businesses, middle market, and larger commercial customers. Consumer Banking includes retail lending and deposit services, lending and deposit services to small business customers served through the retail branch network and all mortgage loan origination and servicing activities.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
P/E RATIO:
PASS
REVENUE GROWTH IN RELATION TO EPS GROWTH:
PASS
SALES GROWTH RATE:
PASS
CURRENT QUARTER EARNINGS:
PASS
QUARTERLY EARNINGS ONE YEAR AGO:
PASS
POSITIVE EARNINGS GROWTH RATE FOR CURRENT QUARTER:
PASS
EARNINGS GROWTH RATE FOR THE PAST SEVERAL QUARTERS:
PASS
EPS GROWTH FOR CURRENT QUARTER MUST BE GREATER THAN PRIOR 3 QUARTERS:
PASS
EPS GROWTH FOR CURRENT QUARTER MUST BE GREATER THAN THE HISTORICAL GROWTH RATE:
PASS
EARNINGS PERSISTENCE:
FAIL
LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH:
FAIL
INSIDER TRANSACTIONS:
PASS
Detailed Analysis of BOK FINANCIAL CORP
BOKF Guru Analysis
BOKF Fundamental Analysis
PIPER SANDLER COMPANIES (PIPR) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Investment Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Martin Zweig changed from 69% to 85% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Piper Sandler Companies is an investment bank and institutional securities firm, serving the needs of corporations, private equity groups, public entities, non-profit entities and institutional investors in the United States and internationally. The Company operates in one segment, providing investment banking services, institutional sales and trading services for various equity and fixed income products, and research services. It provides a broad set of products and services, including financial advisory services; equity and debt capital markets products; public finance services; institutional brokerage services; fundamental equity and macro research services; fixed income services; and alternative asset management strategies. The Company operates alternative asset management funds in merchant banking and healthcare in order to invest firm capital and to manage capital from outside investors. It offers both equity and fixed income advisory and trade execution services.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
P/E RATIO:
PASS
REVENUE GROWTH IN RELATION TO EPS GROWTH:
FAIL
SALES GROWTH RATE:
PASS
CURRENT QUARTER EARNINGS:
PASS
QUARTERLY EARNINGS ONE YEAR AGO:
PASS
POSITIVE EARNINGS GROWTH RATE FOR CURRENT QUARTER:
PASS
EARNINGS GROWTH RATE FOR THE PAST SEVERAL QUARTERS:
PASS
EPS GROWTH FOR CURRENT QUARTER MUST BE GREATER THAN PRIOR 3 QUARTERS:
PASS
EPS GROWTH FOR CURRENT QUARTER MUST BE GREATER THAN THE HISTORICAL GROWTH RATE:
PASS
EARNINGS PERSISTENCE:
FAIL
LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH:
PASS
INSIDER TRANSACTIONS:
PASS
Detailed Analysis of PIPER SANDLER COMPANIES
PIPR Guru Analysis
PIPR Fundamental Analysis
Martin Zweig Portfolio
About Martin Zweig: During the 15 years that it was monitored, Zweig's stock recommendation newsletter returned an average of 15.9 percent per year, during which time it was ranked number one based on risk-adjusted returns by Hulbert Financial Digest. Zweig has managed both mutual and hedge funds during his career, and he's put the fortune he's compiled to some interesting uses. He has owned what Forbes reported was the most expensive apartment in New York, a $70 million penthouse that sits atop Manhattan's Pierre Hotel, and he is a collector of all sorts of pop culture and historical memorabilia -- among his purchases are the gun used by Clint Eastwood in "Dirty Harry", a stock certificate signed by Commodore Vanderbilt, and even two old-fashioned gas pumps similar to those he'd seen at a nearby gas station while growing up in Cleveland, according to published reports.
About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Validea Martin Zweig Strategy Daily Upgrade Report - 5/6/2025

Many investors spent April worrying about the effect of the still-fresh tariff war on their holdings. To hedge against this concern, they sought out stocks considered to be relatively well insulated from possible sudden price spikes of materials and components made abroad.
Enter Chewy (NYSE: CHWY), the next-generation pet food and supply specialist. Chewy fit the profile of a solid, domestically oriented company, and investors piled into the stock. It exited April with an over 15% gain across the month.
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Top hedging candidate
What helped enormously with the narrative that Chewy is a fine hedge was that it was promulgated during the month by several analysts tracking the company.
Citigroup, for one, flagged Chewy in a re-evaluation of top retail stocks it published just after the Trump administration annonuces a slew of "reciprocal" tariffs. According to reports, Citigroup's take was that big retailers were most exposed, owing to their considerable imports of goods from affected nations such as China and India.
On the flip side, Citigroup elevated -- or maintained its bullish views on -- several stocks that it considered to be less dependent on manufacturing from such nations. Chewy was one that the bank left intact as a buy.
Analysts weren't only bullish on the pet goods purveyor because of its domestic focus. Piper Sandler's Anna Andreeva pointed to several solid fundamental reasons for investing in the stock. Just after the Citigroup note was published, she disseminated an update, in which she reiterated her overweight (read: buy) recommendation and $40-per-share price target.
In Andreeva's view, according to reports, the U.S. is set for a rise in overall pet ownership, particularly of cats. She added that veterinarians increasingly favor Chewy's healthcare products. Finally, she commented that Chewy is one of her company's favorite stock titles at the moment.
A company that's maturing well
Chewy's days of white-hot growth are behind it as it matures into a new stage of development -- rather like a puppy or a kitten who's growing up. Yet the company continues to post encouraging growth numbers, not least because it's cleverly pushed its Autoship renewal program on its customers. This approach builds ever-valuable recurring revenue while increasing customer loyalty.
I think the tariff hedge story will fizzle out before long, not least because President Trump and his team have shown a clear willingness to either compromise or carve out significant exemptions. But that leaves the fundamental story with Chewy, and in its case the tale is a compelling one. I'd be on the side of those bullish analysts in considering the company's stock a fine buy candidate.
Should you invest $1,000 in Chewy right now?
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Citigroup is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chewy. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Why Chewy Stock Crushed It in April

Houston, Texas-based Schlumberger Limited (SLB) provides technology for the energy industry. With a market cap of $47.2 billion, the company provides scaling new energy systems, delivering digital at scale, innovating in oil and gas, and decarbonizing industrial products and services, as well as offers harnessing geothermal energy, enterprise data performance, and methane elimination solutions.
Shares of this oilfield services giant have underperformed the broader market over the past year. SLB has declined 27% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 12.3%. In 2025, SLB stock is down 9.4%, compared to SPX’s 3.3% decline on a YTD basis.
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Narrowing the focus, SLB’s outperformance is apparent compared to the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF (XES). The exchange-traded fund has declined about 31.1% over the past year. Moreover, SLB’s single-digit dip on a YTD basis outshine the ETF’s 22.6% losses over the same time frame.
On Apr. 25, SLB shares closed down more than 1% after reporting its Q1 results. Its adjusted EPS of $0.72 did not meet Wall Street expectations of $0.74. The company’s revenue was $8.5 billion, missing Wall Street forecasts of $8.6 billion.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect SLB’s EPS to drop 8.5% to $3.12 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat the consensus estimate in three of the last four quarters while missing the forecast on another occasion.
Among the 25 analysts covering SLB stock, the consensus is a “Strong Buy.” That’s based on 18 “Strong Buy” ratings, three “Moderate Buys,” and four “Holds.”
This configuration is more bullish than a month ago, with 17 analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy.”
On Apr. 29, Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) kept a “Neutral” rating on SLB and lowered the price target to $44, implying a potential upside of 26.7% from current levels.
The mean price target of $49.28 represents a 41.9% premium to SLB’s current price levels. The Street-high price target of $68 suggests an ambitious upside potential of 95.8%.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

What Are Wall Street Analysts' Target Price for Schlumberger Stock?

On this final trading day of the latest Jobs Week, a fresh Employment Situation Report has hit the tape from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the month of April. What we see is a headline +177K new jobs filled last month, above the +133K analysts had expected. The Unemployment Rate remained at +4.2%, as anticipated.
While this is a good headline number, with considerably more jobs than needed to make up a wide swath of new retirees (roughly 100K per month), we also see some downward revisions for the previous two months: March’s initial +228K reported a month ago have been revised down to +185K this morning. February’s BLS headline was originally +151K, but this has now come down to +117K.
Hourly Wages cooled a bit, to +0.2% from +0.3% expected and reported a month ago. To find a lower number for wage growth, we’d have to travel back to August of 2023. Year over year, Hourly Wages grew +3.8%, in-line with last month’s tally and down 10 basis points (bps) from estimates. The Average Workweek grew 10 bps to 34.3 hours in April. Labor Force Participation reached 62.6%, equaling the highs of September last year.
Federal agencies only shed -9K jobs last month; many of the DOGE layoffs throughout the past couple months included employment that came with severance packages. In other words, this figure is lower than may have been expected, but there’s a reason for it. Education & Health Services led the way by segment at +70K, followed by +29K in Transportation & Warehousing and +24K at Leisure & Hospitality.
In short, this is a very good report considering the vast amount of uncertainty regarding trade/tariff policy and new culture of job layoffs. The labor market — and the economy in general — continues to show resiliency, and pre-market indexes are showing their appreciation: the Dow is +425 points at this hour, the S&P 500 is +60 and the Nasdaq +215 points.
Q1 Earnings at a Glance: Big Oil & More
This morning, Q1 earnings season rolls along with three of the top Big Oil companies in the world reporting earnings. ExxonMobil XOM posted a 4-cent beat to $1.76 per share while missing on its top line. Chevron CVX posted a 3-cent beat to $2.18 per share while missing on revenue estimates by -2%. Shell SHEL, on the other hand, posted a strong +19.5% earnings beat ahead of today’s open.
Wendy’s WEN posted earnings of 20 cents per share this morning — exactly in-line with estimates. Revenues of $523.47 million in the quarter missed the Zacks consensus by a smidge. Shares had been trading down -23% year to date, but are up on this strong pre-market morning.
One of the strongest earnings reports out this morning comes from financial services provider Piper Sandler PIPR, which posted a +69% positive earnings surprise to $4.09 per share, on revenues of $383 million which outperformed the Zacks consensus by +7.8%. Shares are up +3.8% on the news this morning, but are still down -15% year to date.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Hotter-Than-Expected Nonfarm Payrolls for April

Princeton, New Jersey-based Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products. With a market cap of $102.2 billion, the company focuses on products and experimental therapies address cancer, heart disease, HIV and AIDS, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis, organ transplant rejection, and psychiatric disorders.
Shares of this biopharma giant have outperformed the broader market over the past year. BMY has gained 12.2% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 11.7%. However, in 2025, BMY stock is down 12.3%, compared to the SPX’s 4.7% decline on a YTD basis.
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Zooming in further, BMY’s outperformance looks more pronounced compared to the iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHE). The exchange-traded fund has gained marginally over the past year. However, the ETF’s marginal dip on a YTD basis outshines the stock’s double-digit losses over the same time frame.
BMY's outperformance can be attributed to strong growth in key drugs like Opdivo, Breyanzi, Reblozyl, and Camzyos. Opdivo's new subcutaneous formulation, Opdivo Qvantig, has been well-received and is expected to drive further growth. Reblozyl, in collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), has seen stellar performance in treating MDS-associated anemia. Camzyos has also witnessed strong global demand. Additionally, the approval of Cobenfy for schizophrenia broadens BMY's portfolio and is expected to contribute significantly to the company's revenue in the coming years.
On Apr. 24, BMY shares closed up marginally after reporting its Q1 results. Its revenue stood at $11.2 billion, down 5.6% year over year. The company’s adjusted EPS came in at $1.80, compared to its adjusted loss per share of $4.40 from the year-ago quarter.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect BMY’s EPS to grow 499.1% to $6.89 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is impressive. It beat the consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters.
Among the 26 analysts covering BMY stock, the consensus is a “Moderate Buy.” That’s based on seven “Strong Buy” ratings, 18 “Holds,” and one “Strong Sell.”
This configuration is fairly stable over the past three months.
On Apr. 30, Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) kept an “Overweight” rating on BMY and raised the price target to $66, implying a potential upside of 33% from current levels.
The mean price target of $56.76 represents a 14.4% premium to BMY’s current price levels. The Street-high price target of $68 suggests an ambitious upside potential of 37.1%.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Are Wall Street Analysts Bullish on Bristol-Myers Stock?

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) is one of the world’s largest and most diversified technology companies, with a market cap of $2.9 trillion. Its products include operating systems, cross-device productivity applications, server applications, business solution applications, desktop and server management tools, software development tools and video games.
Shares of this tech giant have lagged behind the broader market over the past 52 weeks. MSFT has gained 1.5% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has surged 10.6%. Moreover, on a YTD basis, the stock is down 6.2% compared to SPX’s 5.3% decline.
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Narrowing the focus, Microsoft has underperformed the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLK) 7% rise over the past 52 weeks. However, it has outpaced XLK’s 9.7% downtick on a YTD basis.
Recently, on Apr. 30, Microsoft reported strong third-quarter earnings results. Its revenue rose 13.3% year-over-year to $70.1 billion, exceeding analyst expectations by 2.5%. The solid performance was driven by robust growth across all reportable segments, with the Intelligent Cloud segment leading the way, posting a 20.8% increase in revenue. Its operating income climbed 16% from the same quarter last year to $32 billion, contributing to a notable 17.7% year-over-year rise in its net income per share to $3.46. This EPS figure also surpassed Wall Street estimates by 8.1%.
For the current fiscal year, ending in June, analysts expect MSFT’s EPS to grow 10.4% year over year to $13.03. The company’s earnings surprise history is promising. It exceeded the consensus estimates in each of the last four quarters.
Among the 45 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a “Strong Buy” which is based on 37 “Strong Buy,” four “Moderate Buy,” and four “Hold” ratings.
This configuration is slightly less bullish than a month ago, with 38 analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy” rating.
On May 1, Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) maintained an “Overweight” rating on MSFT and raised its price target to $475, which indicates a 20.2% potential upside from the current levels.
The mean price target of $490.75 represents a notable 24.2% upside from Microsoft’s current price levels, while the Street-high price target of $600 suggests an ambitious upside potential of 51.8%.
On the date of publication, Neharika Jain did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

	Change	Change by industry	Min.	Max.	Volume
Yesterday	-1.79%	2.05%	$265.75	$273.24	30.82M
Week	3.56%	8.51%	$252.02	$273.24	93.15M
Month	6.94%	5.59%	$244.06	$273.24	319.41M
3 Months	-2.41%	10.50%	$202.91	$273.62	930.38M
6 Months	-12.83%	15.44%	$202.91	$333.09	1.43B
Year	21.86%	10.58%	$202.91	$351.80	2.86B
3 years	132.95%	98.39%	$102.60	$351.80	5.69B
5 years	358.53%	72.39%	$53.89	$351.80	8.14B
All time	215.80%	144.14%	$31.95	$351.80	8.41B

	PIPR	By industry
Yesterday	0.03%	0.91%
Week	4.70%	3.39%
Month	8.32%	11.01%
3 Months	16.48%	19.20%
6 Months	28.38%	25.13%
Year	41.14%	35.90%
3 years	60.07%	66.10%
5 years	80.48%	94.77%
All time	—	—

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