Wall Street Cuts FICO Target, Banks Under Pressure

Analysts trimmed targets across several names this week, with Fair Isaac Corporation drawing the most pointed action. The consensus rating on FICO was downgraded, with the average target price falling from $1,007 to $937. That is a near-$70 cut on one of the market's most expensive analytics stocks.

Regional banks took the most consistent heat. M&T Bank was outright downgraded, with the consensus slipping from one buy to two sells. The average target fell from $248 to $246. Fifth Third Bancorp and Huntington Bancshares each saw target reductions, though ratings held steady. The pattern suggests analysts are broadly cautious on mid-cap bank earnings quality heading into year-end.

Comfort Systems USA took the biggest absolute target cut on the list. Analysts trimmed the average price target from $2,095 to $1,917, a drop of $178. The stock remains thinly covered, with just nine analysts. Any single move can shift the consensus hard.

On the positive side, Northrop Grumman and Kinder Morgan both saw target increases. NOC lifted its average target to $633.50. KMI edged up to $37.09, reflecting continued interest in energy infrastructure. ORTEX alt data shows the Global X MLP & Energy Infrastructure ETF (MLPX) saw retail attention spike 10 standard deviations above its own history last week, suggesting the energy infrastructure theme is pulling in new money beyond institutional desks.