4 big analyst picks: Pinterest upped to Buy after Q2 beat

Here is your Pro Recap of the biggest analyst picks you may have missed since yesterday: upgrades at Pinterest, Comcast, Hayward, and Vertiv.

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Pinterest upgraded following Q2 beat

Rosenblatt upgraded Pinterest (NYSE:PINS) to Buy from Neutral and raised its price target to $35.00 from $27.00, as reported in real time on InvestingPro.

Shares fell more than 3% yesterday despite the company reporting better-than-expected Q2 earnings.

Rosenblatt noted that Pinterest, along with its peers, is “leaning into building better ad tools and employing better AI engines.”

But, argues the analysts, what sets Pinterest apart is its ability to significantly improve margins. Rosenblatt said the company's positive momentum is evident in the updated guidance, with EBITDA margins projected to increase by 400 basis points for the year, adding:

"Under new CEO Bill Ready and CFO Julia Donnelly this company is finding synergies that more than fund investments."

Even so, shares slid in a weak market on Wednesday, closing down 3.9% to $27.85. The stock was ticking fractionally higher in premarket trading.

Comcast upgraded to Peerperform

Wolfe Research upgraded Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) to Peerperform from Underperform.

"We estimate the combination of organic EBITDA growth, EPIC Universe turnaround from investment to positive FCF contributor and buybacks can drive $5.16/s in FCF in 2026E up from $3.55/s in 2023 (+21% CAGR)."

The company reported its Q2 results last week, with EPS and revenues coming in above the consensus estimates.

Shares nonetheless slipped 0.5% to $45.09.

2 more upgrades

Hayward (NYSE:HAYW) shares rose more than 1% pre-market today after Stifel upgraded the company to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $16.50 from $14.00.

Shares gained more than 3% yesterday after the company reported better-than-expected Q2 results.

According to Stifel, the revised guidance aligns with their projections, and a stronger margin performance provides a solid foundation against the challenges posed by higher destock headwinds.

BofA Securities upgraded Vertiv (NYSE:VRT) to Buy from Underperform and raised its price target to $40.00 from $14.00, following the company’s Q2 beat, which resulted in a share price gain of more than 29% yesterday.

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