Monday's analyst calls: Rivian downgrade, JPMorgan sees strong gains for Lowe's
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(This is CNBC Pro’s live coverage of Monday analyst calls and Wall Street chatter. Please refresh every 20-30 minutes to view the latest posts.) An electric vehicle stock and a home improvement giant were in focus Monday among early analyst calls. Barclays lowered its rating on Rivian Automotive to equal weight, citing headwinds for the company ahead. JPMorgan, meanwhile, upgraded Lowe’s to overweight on the prospects of lower mortgage rates. Check out the latest calls and chatter below. All times ET. 5:52 a.m.: Piper Sandler upgrades Teva Pharmaceutical to overweight It’s time to pick up shares of Teva Pharmaceutical , Piper Sandler said. Analyst David Amsellem U.S.-listed upgraded shares to overweight from neutral and raised his price target by $7 to $19, indicating 58% potential upside. The stock —which has rallied more than 15% this year — climbed 2.75% in premarket trading Monday. According to Amsellem, Teva’s shares are “well-positioned” for multiple recovery and expansion, due to: The company’s neuroscience business, led by the Austedo franchise, can drive longer-term EBITDA stability Teva’s U.S. generics/biosimilars business that is better-positioned for muted pressure, Amsellam said, noting that the company’s roughly 13 generic product launches between 2024 and 2025 should drive stability Teva’s improving capital structure “All told, we believe that growing contribution from the brand portfolio, coupled with relative stability from U.S. generics, ultimately points to high visibility into longer-term EBITDA stability at a minimum,” Amsellam wrote in a Sunday note. — Pia Singh 5:43 a.m.: Buy Lowe’s ahead of mortgage rates decline, JPMorgan says The Federal Reserve is expected to start easing monetary policy later this year, which could lead to lower mortgage rates — boosting Lowe’s , according to JPMorgan. Analyst Christopher Horvers upgraded the home improvement giant to overweight from neutral. The analyst also raised his price target on the stock to $265 from $210, implying upside of 19.2%. “The market is pricing in 150 bps in rate cuts by this time next year, which suggests mortgage rates fall to ~5.5% by Jan 2025, with levels implied near 6% by September 2024,” Horvers wrote. “The last time mortgage rates were at 5.5%, single family [existing home sales] trended at ~4.3MM homes, which would represent a > 20% growth rate from recent levels.” Lowe’s shares have struggled in 2024, losing 0.1%, while the S & P 500 has climbed 5.4% to record levels. LOW .SPX YTD mountain LOW vs SPX in 2024 — Fred Imbert 5:43 a.m.: Barclays downgrades Rivian Automotive amid broader EV market slowdown Supply constraints are just one near-term headwind for Rivian Automotive , according to Barclays. Analyst Dan Levy downgraded shares to equal weight from overweight. He also lowered his price target by $9 to $16, suggesting just over 4% upside from the stock’s latest close at $16.68.Levy listed three key issues currently facing Rivian: The company offers a “great” product and technology, but that’s not enough to avoid increased signs of demand pressure amid broader electric vehicle slowdown Softer demand implies a profit risk, with slower volume growth making it harder for the company to achieve positive margins and cash flow Rivian’s ongoing need for capital raises “The consequences of weak demand are significant. Not only does it mean that the volume outlook is challenged, but it also presents potential pricing risk – with both points reinforcing RIVN is likely to miss its 2024 target of reaching gross margin profitability,” Levy wrote in a Monday note. “Moreover, with ongoing capital needs given preparation for the high volume R2 in 2026, we see future pressure.” Still, Levy’s equal weight rating relies on his belief that Rivian is well-positioned to take “solid share” in the North American EV market, allowing for greater long-term upside. — Pia Singh
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