5 analyst picks : Interpublic upgraded at BofA | Pro Recap

By Davit Kirakosyan

Investing.com -- Here is your daily Pro Recap of the biggest analyst picks you may have missed since yesterday.

Interpublic upgraded to Buy, well suited for challenging times

BofA Securities upgraded Interpublic (NYSE:IPG) to Buy from Neutral yesterday morning, raising its price target to $40.00 from $38.00. Shares closed more than 3% yesterday. The firm noted that Interpublic is well-suited for challenging times.

Following a recent meeting with management, BofA Securities said they are confident that (1) the current headwinds specific to the company are temporary, (2) weakness in the Tech/Telecom sector will be compensated for by the strength of the Healthcare sector, and (3) costs are effectively controlled.

As always, InvestingPro subscribers got this news first. Start your free 7-day trial to get on board.

Juniper Networks upgraded at Evercore, well positioned near/long term

Evercore ISI upgraded Juniper Networks (NYSE:JNPR) to Outperform from In Line and raised its price target to $38.00 from $34.00, noting it believes the company is well positioned to deliver better-than-expected results in both the near and long term.

The firm expects that Juniper Networks will exceed the consensus expectation of ~16.7% EBIT margins in 2023 due to several factors including reduced commodity and expedited fees, lower freight and logistics costs, OPEX leverage, improved software mix, and better pricing. Furthermore, the firm believes current gross margins of 57% will improve in 2023/2024 as supply chain inefficiencies normalize, resulting in significant upside potential.

Evercore expects high single-digit (8-10%) growth driven by enterprise ramps (Mist), cloud growth and backlog conversion.

Zimmer Biomet upgraded at Jefferies

Jefferies upgraded Zimmer Biomet (NYSE:ZBH) to Hold from Underperform and raised its price target to $130.00 from $115.00.

The company reported its Q4 results last month, with both EPS and revenues beating the consensus estimates. Additionally, the company's 2023 EPS guidance came in better than expected.

2 more upgrades

TD Cowen upgraded Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB) to Outperform from Market Perform earlier today, raising its price target to $15.00 from $13.00.

Shares are trading more than 3% higher pre-market.

DA Davidson upgraded Paylocity (NASDAQ:PCTY) to Buy from Neutral with a price target of $245.00.