4 big analyst cuts: Snap slashed to Hold, Southwest gets several downgrades

Here is your Pro Recap of the biggest analyst cuts you may have missed since yesterday: downgrades at Snap, Southwest Airlines, Mersana, and Perficient.

InvestingPro subscribers got this news first. Never miss another market-moving headline.

Snap cut to Hold following Q2

China Renaissance downgraded Snap (NYSE:SNAP) to Sell from Hold with a price target of $7.00, as reported in real-time on InvestingPro.

Earlier this week, the company reported its Q2 earnings results. While both EPS and revenues came in better than the consensus estimates, the company missed expectations on its guidance, which resulted in a share price drop of more than 14% on Wednesday.

Southwest Airlines receives 3 downgrades after Q2 report

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) received three downgrades, following its Q2 earnings yesterday. While EPS was in line with consensus estimates and revenue beat expectations, the load factor was weaker than expected and could explain post-earnings weakness in shares, which closed nearly 9% lower yesterday.

Deutsche Bank downgraded the company to Hold from Buy and cut its price target to $38.00 from $52.00, noting "earnings forecast cut and limited share price upside as the company optimizes its post-COVID network."

BofA Securities downgraded the company to Neutral from Buy and cut its price target to $35.00 from $45.00. Meanwhile, Raymond James downgraded to Outperform from Strong Buy and cut its price target to $40.00 from $47.00.

Mersana received several downgrades following UPLIFT clinical trial results

After announcing UPLIFT clinical trial did not meet its primary endpoint, Mersana Therapeutics (NASDAQ:MRSN) shares plunged more than 72% yesterday. The company got downgraded at a number of Wall Street firms, including Baird, Citi, BTIG, JPMorgan, Guggenheim, Wedbush, and Truist Securities.

Citi downgraded the company to Neutral from Buy and cut its price target to $1.00 from $8.00, while JPMorgan slashed its rating to Underweight from Neutral.

Truist Securities downgraded the stock to Hold from Buy.

There is no way to sugarcoat it: the UPLIFT topline data is very disappointing, and based on the fact that MRSN is winding down development efforts with UpRi, we have low expectations of any saving graces that would enable the drug to be salvaged.

Perficient downgraded at JPMorgan after Q2 miss

JPMorgan downgraded Perficient (NASDAQ:PRFT) to Neutral from Overweight and cut its price target to $70.00 from $84.00.

Shares plummeted more than 26% yesterday after the company reported a Q2 miss and cut its 2023 outlook.

JPMorgan decided to downgrade the company due to its projections of relatively modest mid-single-digit revenue growth for the next year, even assuming a return to normal demand trends. Furthermore, the absence of a positive catalyst, coupled with ongoing demand uncertainty across the industry, might restrict the potential for multiple expansions throughout the rest of the year.

***

Get ready to supercharge your investment strategy with our exclusive discounts.

Don't miss out on this limited-time opportunity to access cutting-edge tools, real-time market analysis, and expert insights. Join InvestingPro today and unlock your investing potential. Hurry, the Summer Sale won't last forever!