Notable analyst calls: Salesforce, Walmart and Lockheed Martin gain analyst support as tech downgrades mount
Bank of America upgraded Salesforce (CRM) to Buy, raising its price target to $285, citing AI adoption and strong free cash flow. Barclays downgraded Dell (DELL), HPE (HPE), NetApp (NTAP), HubSpot (HUBS), and monday.com (MNDY) due to AI growth concerns. Deutsche Bank upgraded Walmart (WMT) to Buy, targeting $136, citing inflation benefits. RBC downgraded GoDaddy (GDDY) to Sector Perform, citing AI's impact. MongoDB (MDB) ratings reaffirmed by Needham and BofA.
How this was made

The 30-second read
Why it matters
The mixed rating actions suggest sector rotation and selective bullishness on firms with strong AI positioning.
Market read
Rating changes could drive short-term price moves in the highlighted tickers.
What to watch
Potential supply-chain constraints could temper expected gains for hardware firms.
Background
Analysts issued a wave of upgrades and downgrades across software, hardware, and retail stocks amid evolving AI expectations.
Ticker impact
Salesforce upgraded to Buy with price target raised to $285, indicating bullish outlook.
likely upward pressure from upgrade and higher target
Upgrade and target increase suggest improved earnings expectations.
Walmart upgraded to Buy with price target raised to $136 on inflation tailwinds.
likely upward pressure from upgrade
Analyst cites stronger value proposition and margin growth.
Dell downgraded to Equal Weight, target cut to $574.
likely downward pressure from downgrade
Downgrade reflects concerns over AI growth prospects.
HPE downgraded to Equal Weight, target cut to $77.
likely downward pressure from downgrade
Analyst cites valuation and AI growth concerns.
NetApp downgraded to Equal Weight, target unchanged at $219.
possible modest downside from downgrade
Downgrade without target change signals caution.
HubSpot downgraded to Equal Weight, target held at $240.
possible modest downside from downgrade
Downgrade reflects slower AI benefit timeline.
monday.com downgraded to Equal Weight, target held at $100.
possible modest downside from downgrade
Downgrade due to early-stage AI monetization.
GoDaddy downgraded to Sector Perform, target unchanged at $95.
possible modest downside from downgrade
AI shift cited as risk to core business.
Market effects
Analyst rating changes affect broader tech and retail sectors.
U.S. equities may see modest volatility from multiple upgrades/downgrades.
Limited to U.S. listed companies; no direct global macro effect.
Counterpoint
Some upgrades may be premature given lingering AI integration risks.
Key entities
- AnalystBank of America
Upgraded Salesforce to Buy.
- AnalystDeutsche Bank
Upgraded Walmart to Buy.
- AnalystBarclays
Downgraded Dell, HPE, NetApp, HubSpot, monday.com.




