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Wall Street’s Top Analysts Identify 3 Attractive Stocks Amid Current Challenges

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The ongoing uncertainty surrounding tariffs is causing turbulence in global stock markets, with investors increasingly anxious about rising costs and the potential for a broader economic downturn.

Amid this volatility, some stocks have seen declines, presenting a strategic opportunity for investors to acquire shares at attractive prices. Experienced analysts on Wall Street can be instrumental in pinpointing stocks that are poised to withstand short-term challenges and provide robust returns in the future.

In light of this, we spotlight three stocks currently favored by esteemed analysts according to TipRanks, a platform that assesses analysts based on their performance history.

Affirm Holdings

First on our list is Affirm Holdings (AFRM), a prominent player in the buy now, pay later (BNPL) sector. By the close of 2024, the company boasted a customer base of 21 million and partnerships with 337,000 active merchants.

On April 7, analyst Moshe Orenbuch from TD Cowen began coverage of Affirm with a bullish outlook, giving it a price target of $50, representing a valuation of roughly 23 times the anticipated adjusted earnings per share for 2026. Orenbuch emphasized that Affirm is among the leading BNPL brands in the U.S., equipped with a comprehensive point-of-sale lending system and consumer-friendly practices.

The analyst expressed confidence in Affirm’s superior underwriting capabilities compared to competitors, noting that the company has lengthy experience in underwriting long-term loans prior to its expansion into BNPL solutions. Furthermore, Orenbuch underscored Affirm’s collaborations with major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Shopify, suggesting these alliances enhance Affirm’s market presence and enable more efficient engagement with a diverse range of businesses.

During the economically challenging period of 2022-2023, the company demonstrated resilience, outperforming many nonprime lenders. Orenbuch believes that while a slowdown in gross merchandise value growth could transiently impact profits, it is unlikely to impede Affirm’s long-term profitability.

Orenbuch ranks as the 22nd most successful analyst among over 9,300 tracked by TipRanks, with a commendable 64% profitability rate on his past ratings, yielding an average return of 19.4%. Explore Affirm Holdings Stock Charts on TipRanks for more insights.

TJX Companies

The second stock recommendation for this week is TJX Companies (TJX), which operates over 5,000 stores in nine countries, including popular retail brands such as TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Homesense, and Sierra. As an off-price retailer, TJX capitalizes on purchasing inventory at lower costs, allowing the company to offer significant discounts compared to traditional retail outlets.

Recently, Jefferies analyst Corey Tarlowe reaffirmed an optimistic buy rating for TJX, setting a price target of $150. Tarlowe’s insights came following an analysis revealing that inventory levels across a group of 85 companies rose 2.9% year-over-year, indicating that TJX is likely best positioned to benefit from the current surplus in inventory within the marketplace.

“With a highly skilled team of more than 1,300 buyers, we anticipate that TJX will reap significant rewards from opportunistically acquiring merchandise from its extensive network of over 21,000 vendors across 100 countries,” Tarlowe noted.

He also foresees that the ongoing trend toward off-price retailing can further enhance TJX’s market share at the expense of traditional retailers. Additionally, the company’s expansion into the Home category and its international markets present unique avenues for growth.

Notably, despite a year-on-year comparison matching a leap year, TJX achieved a peak gross margin of 30.6% in fiscal 2025. Tarlowe suggests that the management’s fiscal 2026 guidance of 30.4% to 30.5% might be conservative, especially given the company’s track record of exceeding past forecasts.

Tarlowe ranks as the 574th analyst among over 9,300 on TipRanks, with a success rate of 55% and an average return of 10.2%. Dive into TJX Companies Insider Trading Activity for more detailed information.

CyberArk Software

Finally, we turn our attention to CyberArk Software (CYBR), a cybersecurity firm focused on identity security solutions. The company is set to disclose its first-quarter results on May 13.

In anticipation of the upcoming earnings report, TD Cowen analyst Shaul Eyal maintained a buy recommendation for CyberArk, setting a price target of $450. Eyal believes the company is positioned to effectively navigate the current market challenges and exceed revenue expectations. His outlook is supported by data showing strong demand, bolstered by CyberArk’s expansion strategies beyond its traditional privileged access management offerings.

Moreover, despite overarching global economic hurdles, Eyal has noted that CyberArk’s network of value-added resellers, consultants, and partners indicate a solid pipeline for the second quarter. Key factors contributing to CyberArk’s stability include the critical nature of its Identity and Access Management solutions and the ongoing threats against digital identity security. Furthermore, recent performances from competitor SailPoint also suggest a healthy market environment for CyberArk.

Eyal posits that CyberArk might upwardly revise its fiscal 2025 revenue guidance as the year unfolds. Even if the company maintains its current guidance despite a potential beat in Q1 2025, such a stance would still be positively perceived given the prevailing economic climate.

The analyst also pointed out CyberArk’s strategic acquisitions like Zilla, which enhances identity governance, and Venafi, which focuses on machine identity solutions. He sees a significant opportunity for CyberArk in the rapidly evolving Agentic AI space.

“CyberArk is executing effectively and remains firmly positioned to achieve its long-term fiscal targets of $2.2 billion in revenue and $600 million in free cash flow by FY28,” Eyal stated.

Shaul Eyal ranks No. 14 among more than 9,300 analysts on TipRanks, achieving a success rate of 64% with an average return of 22.5%. Review CyberArk Ownership Structure on TipRanks for additional insights.

Source
www.cnbc.com

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