** Clearwater Analytics' stock up 2.3% to 4-week high of $19.46 early Mon after Oppenheimer upgrades investment accounting software provider to "outperform" from "perform"
** Brokerage sets PT at $25, ~31% above stock's last close
** "CWAN has a durable growth story and a defensible moat in the AI era as a system of records and Verticals leader," Oppenheimer writes in note to clients
** Oppenheimer says business positioned to reaccelerate growth next year from expansions strength and deliver upside to estimates, adding these items look "underappreciated and should catalyze multiple expansion when more apparent"
** CWAN's roughly $40 mln acquisition in Apr of four risk and performance products from Wilshire Associates paves path to gain greater share of investment management IT budgets, Oppenheimer says
** Now, 7 of 11 analysts rate CWAN "strong buy" or "buy", 3 have "hold", while 1 recommends "sell" with $22 median PT, per LSEG data
** With move on the session, CWAN shares off 3% YTD
(Lance Tupper is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)
((lance.tupper@thomsonreuters.com lance.tupper@tr.com 1-646-279-6380))
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