Toast (TOST) faces limited risk from artificial intelligence pressures, with its AI tool Toast IQ leveraging a differentiated competitive edge, Morgan Stanley said in a Friday note.
Toast's capabilities will be hard for competitors to match given its entrenched position in restaurant technology and proprietary data advantage. Toast IQ not only generates and analyzes data but also automates tasks such as menu management and inventory adjustments in real time, driving efficiency and enhancing revenue.
The market is undervaluing the durability of the company's location growth, which reached 164,000 total live restaurants, up 30,000 from a year earlier. It is expected to increase net additions again in 2026, according to the note.
The investment firm said that growth is supported by steady share gains in the core US SMB market as well as strong momentum across Enterprise, Retail and International segments.
Toast provided what Morgan Stanley described as conservative 2026 guidance, leaving room for positive estimate revisions across both revenue and earnings. The stock represents an attractive entry point with potential for outperformance across the top and bottom line.
Morgan Stanley adjusted the price target on the company's stock to $51 from $56, with a overweight rating.
Shares of Toast were up nearly 6% in recent trading.
Price: 27.69, Change: +1.55, Percent Change: +5.93
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