Analysts made bold moves on consumer and healthcare names today. Abbott Laboratories drew the biggest upgrade of the session. TD Cowen's Joshua Jennings raised his target to $135 from $115 — a 17% jump — while reiterating a Buy rating. Abbott carries a $202 billion market cap. Short interest sits at just 1.4% of free float, signalling little bear pressure.
Lululemon got the opposite treatment. UBS analyst Jay Sole cut his target to $120 from $124 and kept a Hold rating. Short interest is already elevated at 9.7% of free float — one of the higher readings among large retailers. Bears appear well-positioned ahead of the cut.
Ulta Beauty bucked the consumer gloom. Deutsche Bank's Krisztina Katai raised her target to $695 from $692 and maintained a Buy. Short interest at Ulta stands at 5.4% of free float. Ample borrowing availability suggests shorts have plenty of room to add if the thesis sours.
Global Payments also saw a consensus target nudge higher to $103. KLA Corporation and both received upward target revisions from the broader analyst community.
The clearest theme today: healthcare attracts buyers while consumer discretionary faces growing skepticism.
ORTEX Market Intelligence content is generated by AI from a snapshot of ORTEX's proprietary data. Content is informational only and does not constitute investment advice.
