(This is CNBC Pro’s live coverage of Friday’s analyst calls and Wall Street chatter. Please refresh every 20-30 minutes to view the latest posts.) A biotech stock and an energy company were among the names being talked about by analysts on Friday. JPMorgan downgraded Moderna to underweight from neutral. Meanwhile, BMO Capital Markets initiated GE Vernova with an outperform rating. Check out the latest calls and chatter below. All times ET. 6:19 a.m.: Pivotal says buy TKO Group A competitive media landscape could mean gains for TKO Group , according to Pivotal Research Group. The firm initiated coverage on the stock with a buy rating and a price target of $170. That implies nearly 48% upside from Thursday’s close. Analyst Jeffrey Wlodarczak highlighted the strength of the sports and entertainment company’s business model, noting high EBITDA margins and strong free cash flow conversion rates. He also pointed to “relatively under-monetized” assets on multiple fronts. “It is a play on the continued heightened competitive environment in the distribution business,” the analyst said in a note, adding that the inclusion of Internet streaming players into sports rights bidding could make the media landscape even more competitive. “In our view, the battle to stay relevant will force traditional media players into more aggressive sports rights offers, while ownership of sports rights by large cap tech will accelerate advertising away from traditional players while bolstering their core businesses,” the analyst said in a note. TKO Group shares are up nearly 41% year to date. TKO YTD mountain TKO in 2024 â Sean Conlon 5:49 a.m.: JPMorgan downgrades Moderna to underweight JPMorgan sees a rocky road ahead for Moderna . The bank downgraded the stock to underweight from neutral and decreased its price target to $70 from $88, implying less than 1% upside from Thursday’s close. Though the firm welcomes the expense discipline exhibited by Moderna’s cost-cutting plans, analyst Jessica Fye said the company’s recent change to its long-term revenue forecast is weighing on the stock. She also pointed to Moderna’s 2025 top-line outlook as being lower than the expected figure in product sales for 2024. “We are projecting the launch of multiple new products over the coming years, however our 2028 rev est falls shy of the $6bn targeted to achieve operating cash breakeven that year,” the analyst wrote in a Thursday note. Another headwind, Fye said, is feedback from the Food and Drug Administration that it’s not in favor of accelerated approval for the company’s individualized neoantigen therapy (INT) in adjuvant melanoma. “We think it could be challenging for the stock to perform apace with the group and therefore we rate MRNA Underweight,” the analyst also said. Shares have fallen around 30% year to date. MRNA YTD mountain MRNA year to date â Sean Conlon 5:49 a.m.: BMO says GE Vernova is a buy Investors looking for a way to play the transition toward clean energy should buy GE Vernova , according to BMO Capital Markets. Analyst Ameet Thakkar initiated coverage of the General Electric spin-off with an outperform rating. His price target of $245, which implies upside of nearly 14% from Thursday’s close. “We see the successful transition of the power electric industry involving five Ds: Decarbonization, Demand, Dispatchability, Decentralization, and Debottlenecking,” Thakkar wrote. “GEV is the only company under our current coverage with the scale, products, and market leadership that can check all five boxes.” The analyst added he’s also bullish on “potential emerging super-cylce for Gas Power next decade and optimistic onshore wind rebounds, offshore issues transitory. Electrification growth should help drive improvement in consolidated EBITDA margins.” GE Vernova was spun off from General Electric on April 2. Over the past three months, shares are up more than 22%. GEV 3M mountain GEV 3-month chart â Fred Imbert
