$ESI

Jim Cramer recommended holding Element Solutions (NYSE:ESI) and buying MasTec (NYSE:MTZ). Barclays initiated coverage on ESI with an Overweight rating and $53 target. Stifel lowered MTZ's target to $305. Cramer prefers CoreWeave (NASDAQ:CRWV) over IREN (NASDAQ:IREN). He also favored Waste Management (NYSE:WM) over Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN), and Penguin Solutions (NASDAQ:PENG). SailPoint (NASDAQ:SAIL) and Starwood Property Trust (NYSE:STWD) were also discussed.

Element Solutions Inc. reported $227.6M in free cash flow for fiscal year 2025, a 22.5% decrease from the prior year. Trailing 12-month free cash flow was $120.9M. The company's free cash flow has varied significantly over the past 15 years, with notable fluctuations in growth rates.

UBS reduced its price target for Element Solutions (NYSE:ESI) to $47 from $49, maintaining a Buy rating. The stock is down 33% from its 52-week high. UBS sees strong earnings potential for 2026-2027 but questions near-term support. The company reported 26.61% revenue growth over the last year. Several analysts have revised earnings estimates upward, with a consensus P/E ratio of 44.87 for FY2026. The stock trades at $33.17.

Element Solutions (ESI) shares fell after its merger with Solstice Advanced Materials collapsed. Analysts remain bullish, but sector weakness and profit-taking are pressuring the stock. The company benefits from demand in electronics and semiconductors, but profitability and cash flow concerns persist.

Major indices closed lower Thursday, with the Russell 2000 down 1.04%. Brent Crude surged 7.2% to $108.60 due to U.S.-Iran tensions. Morgan Stanley downgraded Novo Nordisk (NVO) to Underweight, while RBC initiated Dell (DELL) with an Outperform rating and $640 target. Analysts also made calls on Atmos Energy (ATO), Celanese (CE), Check Point (CHKP), Chewy (CHWY), Fortinet (FTNT), Global Payments (GPN), HP (HPQ), and Shopify (SHOP).

Solstice (SOLS) and Element Solutions (ESI) terminated their $14.5B merger due to shareholder feedback. Solstice authorized a $500M buyback and reaffirmed guidance. Both companies' shares rose in after-hours trading. Solstice reported Q2 sales up 11% to $1.148B, while Element saw Q2 sales up 56% to $978M.

Solstice Advanced Materials (SOLS) shares rose 12.8% after abandoning a merger with Element Solutions (ESI). SOLS's nuclear business grew 27% in Q2, now 10.9% of revenue. ESI reported 56% revenue growth in Q2, driven by AI-related demand. Both trade at 16x-17x forward P/E, with SOLS having higher short interest and hedge fund interest.

Analysts made several calls: Bank of America raised Dell's price target to $600, Morgan Stanley reiterated Tesla and Apple, JPMorgan upgraded Nvidia, and others initiated coverage on various companies. Key reasons include AI growth, product portfolios, and market positioning. Price targets and ratings were adjusted based on earnings, events, and market conditions.

Solstice Advanced Materials and Element Solutions canceled their $14.5B merger due to shareholder opposition. Solstice's stock dropped from $80.19 to $68.05 after the deal announcement. The combined company would have had $6.8B in sales. Neither company will pay a termination fee.

Solstice Advanced Materials and Element Solutions terminated their $14.5B merger agreement. Both companies' boards cited shareholder feedback and strategic plans as reasons. Solstice reaffirmed its guidance, while Element will focus on operational excellence and new products.