Brian Swint
Dell Technologies was getting a thumbs-up from analysts on Wednesday even though investors were shunning the stock.
To be sure, the earnings, which came after the market closed on Tuesday, weren't that bad. The company beat expectations for earnings per share, but missed slightly on top-line revenue and provided guidance for the current quarter that was a bit soft. That was enough to push the stock down more than 12% to $124.75 in premarket trading Wednesday.
That could be an opportunity to buy the dip. The company said that orders for its artificial-intelligence services are still picking up, even if demand in non-AI areas such as PCs or storage may be weakening.
"We get it -- investors don't like lowered guidance," said Melius Research analysts led by Ben Reitzes. "However, it isn't as bad as it seems. While Dell's forth-quarter outlook is a near-term blip, the commentary around margins and demand for 2026 take our estimates modestly higher." Reitzes raised his price target to $155 from $140, and has a Buy rating on the stock.
He wasn't alone in recommending the shares. Citi analyst Asiya Merchant tweaked his price target for Dell stock to $156 from $160, but still maintained a Buy rating. Evercore ISI strategists led by Amit Daryanani kept their Outperform rating and $150 target.
Write to Brian Swint at brian.swint@barrons.com
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 27, 2024 07:38 ET (12:38 GMT)
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