Zhitong
2024.07.09 06:26
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US stock long bull stock Arts Group received a rating upgrade from Stifel, stating that the pre-tax profit margin will reach 20% in the next few years

American financial company Stifel has upgraded its rating on Yikon Group from "hold" to "buy", with a target price raised from $233 to $283. Stifel expects Yikon Group to achieve a 20% EBIT margin target in the coming years. Several other analysts have also given positive evaluations of Yikon Group, anticipating an expansion in its profit margin. Royal Bank of Canada Capital forecasts that Yikon's sales and price growth will drive its earnings beyond expectations in 2024 and 2025. UBS Group predicts a recent increase in profit margin for Yikon Group. Montreal Bank Capital Markets expresses concerns about the valuation of Yikon Group

According to the Zhitong Finance and Economics APP, Stifel has upgraded its rating on Ecolab Inc. (ECL.US) from "Hold" to "Buy", and raised the target price from $233 to $283. The stock rose by 1.97% on Monday. Stifel believes that the company's prospects are more favorable than in previous years, and expects the development trajectory to continue to improve. With various supporting factors, the company is expected to achieve a target EBIT margin of 20% in the coming years.

Stifel's new target price is based on a 32x P/E ratio and an expected EPS of $8.83 in 2026. Stifel stated that Ecolab's operational improvements and profit expansion are likely to attract investor interest, and anticipates that the company's financial data may be revised upwards in the future.

Recently, Ecolab Inc. has also been the focus of several other analysts' research reports. RBC Capital Markets maintains its "Outperform" rating and a stable target price of $260.00, emphasizing that the company is expected to significantly expand its profit margin due to lower raw material costs.

The company expects Ecolab's growth to be primarily driven by sales volume and price increases, leading to approximately 5% organic revenue growth. Despite lower revenue expected in the second quarter of 2024, RBC Capital Markets predicts that its EPS will be close to expectations based on historical performance, and may even exceed expectations.

UBS Group maintains a "Buy" rating on Ecolab, forecasting recent profit margin growth driven by favorable pricing and cost strategies, and has slightly raised its target price from $269.00 to $270.00. UBS expects Ecolab's EPS in 2024 and 2025 to exceed consensus expectations by approximately 5% and 12%, respectively.

On the other hand, BMO Capital Markets has maintained a "Market Perform" rating on Ecolab and expressed concerns about the company's current valuation, considering it to be relatively high compared to historical standards