Broker Watch

ASX stocks attracting the biggest broker upgrades and price target increases

Tue 24 Sep 24, 11:59am (AEDT)
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Key Points

  • There is a typical lull in broker research note output following the intense August reporting season, and we catch up on the major moves in September
  • Beaten down miners like BHP Group (ASX: BHP), Fortescue (ASX: FMG), and Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS) each saw ratings upgrades
  • Lithium and gold stocks were generally on the nose with the brokers though, but for very different reasons

This is the first Broker Moves update since the beginning of FY24 earnings season in August. Through August, rather than doing our usual end of week summary, we instead covered broker consensus updates for individual companies as they reported earnings. As one might expect, with most of the big news in the market for many companies for the next six months, September does tend to be a relatively quiet month for broker research.

It’s been a few weeks now since the end of earnings season and this means that Market Index is now sitting on a critical mass of interesting broker moves, so it’s a good time to catch up. Let’s check which companies were upgraded, downgraded, and which attracted the biggest price target changes so far in September.

Rating upgrades

Company

Broker

New Rating

Old Rating

Price Target

PT Upside%

Ampol (ALD)

Jefferies

Buy

Hold

$33.00

15.0%

Aristocrat Leisure (ALL)

Ord Minnett

Accumulate

Hold

$59.00

3.5%

Atlas Arteria (ALX)

Macquarie

Outperform

Neutral

$5.26

8.2%

ARB Corporation (ARB)

Morgan Stanley

Overweight

Equal-Weight

$46.00

0.9%

Bellevue Gold (BGL)

Ord Minnett

Hold

Sell

$1.25

0.8%

BHP Group (BHP)

Macquarie

Outperform

Neutral

$44.00

10.5%

BHP Group (BHP)

Morgan Stanley

Overweight

Equal-Weight

$47.50

19.3%

Boss Energy (BOE)

Argonaut Securities

Buy

Hold

$3.65

25.9%

BWP Trust (BWP)

Morgan Stanley

Equal-Weight

Underweight

$4.00

7.5%

Challenger (CGF)

Macquarie

Neutral

 

$7.00

9.5%

Capricorn Metals (CMM)

Macquarie

Outperform

Neutral

$6.30

0.2%

Cooper Energy (COE)

JP Morgan

Overweight

Neutral

$0.23

17.9%

Carnarvon Energy (CVN)

JP Morgan

Overweight

Neutral

$0.21

40.0%

Dicker Data (DDR)

JP Morgan

Overweight

Neutral

$10.40

15.3%

Dicker Data (DDR)

UBS

Buy

Neutral

$10.00

10.9%

Fortescue (FMG)

RBC Capital Markets

Outperform

Sector Perform

$20.00

13.1%

Fortescue (FMG)

Morgan Stanley

Equal-Weight

Underweight

$17.45

-1.4%

Goodman Group (GMG)

Jarden

Buy

Neutral

$40.00

11.9%

GPT Group (GPT)

Morgan Stanley

Overweight

Equal-Weight

$5.60

11.3%

Hansen Technologies (HSN)

Goldman Sachs

Buy

Neutral

$5.10

15.1%

Harvey Norman Holdings (HVN)

CLSA

Hold

Underperform

$4.50

-7.2%

IGO (IGO)

Bank of America

Neutral

Underperform

$5.60

10.5%

Mineral Resources (MIN)

Goldman Sachs

Neutral

Sell

$43.00

17.0%

Motorcycle Holdings (MTO)

Morgans

Add

Hold

$2.20

36.2%

National Australia Bank (NAB)

Morgan Stanley

Overweight

Equal-Weight

$38.00

-4.3%

New Hope Corporation (NHC)

Morgans

Add

Hold

$5.20

9.7%

Northern Star Resources (NST)

JP Morgan

Overweight

Neutral

$16.80

4.7%

Orora (ORA)

Jefferies

Buy

Hold

$3.00

14.1%

Orora (ORA)

JP Morgan

Overweight

Neutral

$2.85

8.4%

Origin Energy (ORG)

Macquarie

Outperform

Neutral

$10.43

2.4%

Paladin Energy (PDN)

Argonaut Securities

Buy

Hold

$10.55

7.0%

Pilbara Minerals (PLS)

Morgan Stanley

Equal-Weight

Underweight

$2.95

6.1%

Peoplein (PPE)

Wilsons

Overweight

Marketweight

$1.18

68.6%

Platinum Asset Management (PTM)

Jarden

Neutral

Underweight

$1.00

-9.1%

Platinum Asset Management (PTM)

JP Morgan

Neutral

Underweight

$1.05

-4.5%

Regis Healthcare (REG)

RBC Capital Markets

Outperform

Sector Perform

$7.50

21.8%

Rio Tinto (RIO)

Macquarie

Outperform

Neutral

$120.00

6.8%

Select Harvests (SHV)

Bell Potter

Buy

Hold

$4.95

35.6%

Southern Cross Media (SXL)

Canaccord Genuity

Buy

Hold

$0.96

104.3%

Westpac Banking Corp (WBC)

Morgan Stanley

Equal-Weight

Underweight

$29.70

-11.6%

Westgold Resources (WGX)

Euroz Hartleys

Buy

Hold

$2.85

3.6%

September broker rating upgrades

Above is the complete list of major broker upgrades we have on file from our extensive Broker Consensus page. The first thing that stands out to me is the trio of major Australian iron ore miners, BHP Group (ASX: BHP) (Macquarie to OUTPERFORM from NEUTRAL and Morgan Stanley to OVERWEIGHT from EQUAL-WEIGHT), Fortescue (ASX: FMG) (RBC Capital Markets to OUTPERFORM from SECTOR PERFORM and Morgan Stanley to EQUAL-WEIGHT from UNDERWEIGHT), and Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) (Macquarie to OUTPERFORM from NEUTRAL).

Morgan Stanley issued a research note covering the ASX iron ore majors, noting that stock prices had likely already accounted for the recent sharp fall in the iron ore price. While the broker acknowledged there were still risks relating to the Chinese economy, the seasonal steel production peak would likely assist the iron ore price to stabilise in coming months. Macquarie’s upgrades of BHP and FMG were also on valuation grounds.

Other double upgrades occurred for IT software and hardware supplier Dicker Data (ASX: DDR) (JP Morgan to OVERWEIGHT from NEUTRAL and UBS to BUY from NEUTRAL) and for takeover target Orora (ASX: ORA) (Jefferies to BUY from HOLD and JP Morgan to OVERWEIGHT from NEUTRAL). Like the big miners, both stocks have underperformed the broader market in terms of share price, and generally, the brokers believed they had become undervalued.

To be fair, this idea of beaten down equals value was prevalent in several other upgrades, including in the uranium and lithium sectors. Here, I note upgrades to BUY from HOLD by Argonaut Securities for uranium stocks Boss Energy (ASX: BOE) and Paladin Energy (ASX: PDN), while lithium stocks only managed to move from sell-equivalent ratings to neutral-equivalent ratings. IGO (ASX: IGO), Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN) and Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS) are each notable here.

Rating downgrades

Company

Broker

New Rating

Old Rating

Price Target

PT Upside%

AGL Energy (AGL)

JP Morgan

Neutral

Overweight

$12.40

4.1%

Alcidion Group (ALC)

Bell Potter

Hold

Buy

$0.07

25.0%

Computershare (CPU)

JP Morgan

Neutral

Overweight

$27.00

6.1%

Computershare (CPU)

Morgan Stanley

Equal-Weight

Overweight

$27.70

8.8%

Dreadnought Resources (DRE)

Bell Potter

Hold

Buy

$0.02

33.3%

Emerald Resources (EMR)

Ord Minnett

Sell

Hold

$3.40

-13.5%

Evolution Mining (EVN)

Morgan Stanley

Equal-Weight

Overweight

$4.25

-3.0%

Evolution Mining (EVN)

Bank of America

Neutral

Buy

$4.50

2.7%

Genmin (GEN)

Bell Potter

Hold

Buy

$0.09

50.0%

Graincorp (GNC)

Morgans

Hold

Add

$9.45

5.8%

Guzman Y Gomez (GYG)

UBS

Sell

Neutral

$35.00

-11.5%

Healthco Healthcare & Wellness (HCW)

Morgan Stanley

Underweight

Equal-Weight

$1.30

13.0%

IGO (IGO)

UBS

Sell

Neutral

$4.95

-2.4%

Jumbo Interactive (JIN)

Macquarie

Neutral

Outperform

$14.75

12.2%

Liontown Resources (LTR)

UBS

Sell

Neutral

$0.70

11.1%

Mineral Resources (MIN)

Morgans

Hold

Add

$39.00

6.1%

Northern Star Resources (NST)

Morgan Stanley

Underweight

Equal-Weight

$14.35

-10.6%

Proteomics International Labs (PIQ)

Morgans

Reduce

Buy

$0.50

-28.6%

Platinum Asset Management (PTM)

UBS

Sell

Neutral

$0.91

-17.3%

Region Group (RGN)

Morgan Stanley

Underweight

Overweight

$2.44

4.7%

Ramsay Health Care (RHC)

RBC Capital Markets

Sector Perform

Outperform

$52.00

28.4%

Ramsay Health Care (RHC)

Morgans

Hold

Add

$44.77

10.5%

Regis Resources (RRL)

Morgan Stanley

Equal-Weight

Overweight

$2.05

2.0%

Regis Resources (RRL)

Bank of America

Buy

Buy

$2.00

-0.5%

S2 Resources (S2R)

Bell Potter

Hold

Buy

$0.10

25.0%

Sims (SGM)

Jarden

Neutral

Overweight

$12.50

3.3%

Sims (SGM)

UBS

Neutral

Buy

$13.50

11.6%

Select Harvests (SHV)

Ord Minnett

Hold

Buy

$4.35

19.2%

TPG Telecom (TPG)

JP Morgan

Neutral

 

$5.10

7.6%

Woodside Energy Group (WDS)

Citi

Sell

Neutral

$24.50

-2.0%

Xero (XRO)

Ord Minnett

Accumulate

Buy

$160.00

7.3%

September broker rating downgrades

While we’re on the topic of lithium producers, they also copped a few downgrades as well. UBS took a dim view on the fortunes of IGO and Liontown Resources (ASX: LTR), downgrading both to SELL from NEUTRAL. UBS downgraded its lithium price forecasts, and this translated through to these two rating downgrades, but also several price target cuts across the ASX lithium sector. Morgans downgrade for MIN was due to the broker's post-results analysis for the company, but again, also to do with lower lithium price assumptions.

Contrasting the fortunes of lithium, ASX gold stocks have been on a relative tear lately. Gold and lithium producer share prices really couldn’t have moved in any more the opposite direction over the last 12 months, and this has left some Aussie gold miners somewhat overvalued, according to the brokers. Emerald Resources (ASX: EMR), Evolution Mining (ASX: EVN), Northern Star Resources (ASX: NST), and Regis Resources (ASX: RRL) each received downgrades, generally to neutral-equivalent ratings from buy-equivalent ratings.

Price target increases >10%

Company

Broker

Rating

New PT

Old PT

PT Change%

PT Upside%

Regis Healthcare (REG)

RBC Capital Markets

Outperform

$7.50

$3.50

114.3%

21.8%

Appen (APX)

Ord Minnett

Lighten

$1.00

$0.60

66.7%

-52.2%

Motorcycle Holdings (MTO)

Morgans

Add

$2.20

$1.40

57.1%

36.2%

Austal (ASB)

Citi

Buy

$4.14

$3.10

33.5%

36.2%

Regis Healthcare (REG)

Ord Minnett

Buy

$6.40

$4.90

30.6%

3.9%

Orora (ORA)

Jefferies

Buy

$3.00

$2.40

25.0%

14.1%

Envirosuite (EVS)

Bell Potter

Hold

$0.05

$0.04

25.0%

-32.4%

Hub24 (HUB)

Citi

Neutral

$56.70

$47.00

20.6%

-1.8%

Peoplein (PPE)

Wilsons

Overweight

$1.18

$0.98

20.4%

68.6%

Motorcycle Holdings (MTO)

Moelis Australia

Buy

$2.37

$1.97

20.3%

46.7%

Technology One (TNE)

UBS

Buy

$26.20

$22.00

19.1%

9.7%

Capricorn Metals (CMM)

Macquarie

Outperform

$6.30

$5.30

18.9%

0.2%

Orora (ORA)

JP Morgan

Overweight

$2.85

$2.40

18.8%

8.4%

Downer EDI (DOW)

Macquarie

Neutral

$5.77

$4.86

18.7%

7.1%

Downer EDI (DOW)

UBS

Neutral

$5.75

$4.90

17.3%

6.7%

GPT Group (GPT)

Morgan Stanley

Overweight

$5.60

$4.80

16.7%

11.3%

De Grey Mining (DEG)

Macquarie

Outperform

$2.10

$1.80

16.7%

55.6%

Northern Star Resources (NST)

JP Morgan

Overweight

$16.80

$14.50

15.9%

4.7%

Capricorn Metals (CMM)

Macquarie

Outperform

$7.20

$6.30

14.3%

14.5%

Downer EDI (DOW)

CLSA

Hold

$5.35

$4.70

13.8%

-0.7%

Australian Finance Group (AFG)

Citi

Neutral

$1.65

$1.45

13.8%

5.8%

Australian Finance Group (AFG)

Citi

Neutral

$1.65

$1.45

13.8%

5.8%

ARB Corporation (ARB)

Morgan Stanley

Overweight

$46.00

$40.50

13.6%

0.9%

Aristocrat Leisure (ALL)

Ord Minnett

Accumulate

$59.00

$52.00

13.5%

3.5%

Resmed Inc (RMD)

Ord Minnett

Accumulate

$39.00

$34.40

13.4%

9.2%

Orora (ORA)

Ord Minnett

Hold

$2.60

$2.30

13.0%

-1.1%

Guzman Y Gomez (GYG)

UBS

Sell

$35.00

$31.00

12.9%

-11.5%

Genesis Minerals (GMD)

Macquarie

Outperform

$2.70

$2.40

12.5%

28.0%

Conrad Asia Energy (CRD)

Bell Potter

Buy

$1.90

$1.70

11.8%

71.2%

Northern Star Resources (NST)

Macquarie

Outperform

$19.00

$17.00

11.8%

18.4%

Supply Network (SNL)

Goldman Sachs

Buy

$30.50

$27.40

11.3%

4.5%

Gold Road Resources (GOR)

Macquarie

Outperform

$2.10

$1.90

10.5%

25.4%

Carnarvon Energy (CVN)

JP Morgan

Overweight

$0.21

$0.19

10.5%

40.0%

IDP Education (IEL)

Morgan Stanley

Overweight

$21.50

$19.50

10.3%

40.0%

Accent Group (AX1)

Morgan Stanley

Overweight

$2.75

$2.50

10.0%

18.0%

September broker price target increase >10%

With this table and the next, one should consider both the magnitude of the price target change, but possibly more importantly, the upside the broker making the change still sees in the stock. It is also reassuring if the broker has a buy-equivalent rating.

RBC Capital Market’s massive 114% increase in Regis Healthcare’s (ASX: REG) price target to $7.50 from $3.50 is impressive, but this means the broker still sees another 21.8% upside based upon yesterday’s closing price. RBC maintained an OUTPERFORM rating on the stock.

Other stocks to do well in this table include:

  • Motorcycle Holdings (ASX: MTO): Morgans ADD | +57.1% PT | +36.2% Upside and Moelis Australia BUY | +20.3% PT | +46.7% Upside

  • Austal (ASX: ASB): Citi BUY | +33.5% PT | +36.2% Upside

  • Peoplein (ASX: PPE): Wilsons OVERWEIGHT | +20.4% PT | +68.6% Upside

  • De Grey Mining (ASX: DEG): Macquarie OUTPERFORM | +16.7% PT | +55.6% Upside

  • Genesis Minerals (ASX: GMD): Macquarie OUTPERFORM | +12.5% PT | +28% Upside

  • Conrad Asia Energy Ltd. (ASX: CRD): Bell Potter BUY | +11.8% PT | +71.2% Upside

  • Carnarvon Energy (ASX: CVN): JP Morgan OVERWEIGHT | +10.5% PT | +40.0% Upside

  • IDP Education (ASX: IEL): Morgan Stanley | OVERWEIGHT | +10.3% PT | +40.0% Upside

Price target cuts >10%

Company

Broker

Rating

New PT

Old PT

PT Change%

PT Upside%

Dreadnought Resources (DRE)

Bell Potter

Hold

$0.02

$0.15

-86.7%

33.3%

Genmin (GEN)

Bell Potter

Hold

$0.09

$0.48

-81.3%

50.0%

Radiopharm Theranostics (RAD)

Bell Potter

Buy

$0.07

$0.25

-72.0%

125.8%

S2 Resources (S2R)

Bell Potter

Hold

$0.10

$0.24

-58.3%

25.0%

Proteomics International Labs (PIQ)

Morgans

Reduce

$0.50

$0.99

-49.5%

-28.6%

Nexted Group (NXD)

Ord Minnett

Buy

$0.30

$0.50

-40.0%

172.7%

Johns Lyng Group (JLG)

Morgan Stanley

Overweight

$4.40

$7.20

-38.9%

28.7%

Impedimed (IPD)

Canaccord Genuity

Buy

$0.09

$0.14

-35.7%

45.2%

Bellevue Gold (BGL)

UBS

Buy

$1.45

$2.25

-35.6%

16.9%

Jupiter Mines (JMS)

Macquarie

Outperform

$0.22

$0.34

-35.3%

41.9%

Patriot Battery Metals Inc. (PMT)

UBS

Buy

$0.65

$1.00

-35.0%

85.7%

Southern Cross Media (SXL)

Morgan Stanley

Underweight

$0.50

$0.75

-33.3%

6.4%

Imugene (IMU)

Bell Potter

Buy

$0.10

$0.15

-33.3%

104.1%

4DMEDICAL (4DX)

Bell Potter

Buy

$0.75

$1.10

-31.8%

66.7%

Liontown Resources (LTR)

Macquarie

Neutral

$0.70

$1.00

-30.0%

11.1%

Paladin Energy (PDN)

Morgan Stanley

Overweight

$12.00

$16.65

-27.9%

21.7%

Piedmont Lithium Inc. (PLL)

Macquarie

Neutral

$0.11

$0.15

-26.7%

4.8%

Mineral Resources (MIN)

Morgans

Hold

$39.00

$53.00

-26.4%

6.1%

Curvebeam AI (CVB)

Bell Potter

Buy

$0.26

$0.35

-25.7%

52.9%

Atlantic Lithium (A11)

Macquarie

Outperform

$0.30

$0.40

-25.0%

20.0%

Imexhs (IME)

Morgans

Buy

$1.15

$1.50

-23.3%

-92.5%

Cettire (CTT)

Bell Potter

Buy

$2.00

$2.60

-23.1%

50.4%

Arcadium Lithium (LTM)

Macquarie

Outperform

$5.10

$6.60

-22.7%

38.2%

Patriot Battery Metals Inc. (PMT)

Macquarie

Outperform

$0.70

$0.90

-22.2%

100.0%

DGL Group (DGL)

UBS

Neutral

$0.59

$0.75

-21.3%

25.5%

Mount Gibson Iron (MGX)

Macquarie

Outperform

$0.38

$0.48

-20.8%

31.0%

Ramsay Health Care (RHC)

Morgans

Hold

$44.77

$56.54

-20.8%

10.5%

Liontown Resources (LTR)

UBS

Sell

$0.70

$0.85

-17.6%

11.1%

Mineral Resources (MIN)

Bell Potter

Buy

$66.00

$80.00

-17.5%

79.5%

Global Lithium Resources (GL1)

Macquarie

Neutral

$0.21

$0.25

-16.0%

20.0%

Nickel Industries (NIC)

Macquarie

Outperform

$0.95

$1.13

-15.9%

13.1%

Jumbo Interactive (JIN)

Macquarie

Neutral

$14.75

$17.45

-15.5%

12.2%

DGL Group (DGL)

Bell Potter

Hold

$0.55

$0.65

-15.4%

17.0%

DGL Group (DGL)

Morgans

Hold

$0.55

$0.65

-15.4%

17.0%

Ramsay Health Care (RHC)

RBC Capital Markets

Sector Perform

$52.00

$61.00

-14.8%

28.4%

Coronado Global Resources (CRN)

Macquarie

Outperform

$1.80

$2.10

-14.3%

82.7%

Ramsay Health Care (RHC)

JP Morgan

Neutral

$43.00

$50.00

-14.0%

6.1%

Michael Hill International (MHJ)

Citi

Neutral

$0.57

$0.66

-13.6%

20.0%

Platinum Asset Management (PTM)

UBS

Sell

$0.91

$1.05

-13.3%

-17.3%

Fineos Corporation (FCL)

Goldman Sachs

Neutral

$1.65

$1.90

-13.2%

19.1%

4DMEDICAL (4DX)

Ord Minnett

Buy

$1.05

$1.20

-12.5%

133.3%

Alcidion Group (ALC)

Bell Potter

Hold

$0.07

$0.08

-12.5%

25.0%

Webjet (WEB)

Macquarie

Neutral

$8.72

$9.95

-12.4%

18.6%

Ramsay Health Care (RHC)

Citi

Neutral

$44.00

$50.00

-12.0%

8.6%

Ramsay Health Care (RHC)

Jarden

Neutral

$48.22

$54.47

-11.5%

19.0%

Core Lithium (CXO)

Macquarie

Neutral

$0.09

$0.10

-10.0%

-5.3%

September broker price target cuts >10%

Finally, stocks in the sin bin. In most cases we’re looking at brokers catching up to large share price declines. Bell Potter is prominent with the top four biggest price target cuts. A quick look at the charts of Dreadnought Resources (ASX: DRE), Genmin (ASX: GEN), Radiopharm Theranostics (ASX: RAD), S2 Resources (ASX: S2R) all show devastating share price declines over the last 12 months. Interestingly though, Bell Potter remains quite optimistic about each making some sort of share price recovery from here, with price target upsides in excess of 25% across the four. The broker has RAD rated at BUY (+126% upside), while the others remain rated at HOLD.

Other notable “catch up cuts” can be found across the ASX lithium sector – share prices have been decimated there – but also in serial underperformer Ramsay Health Care (ASX: RHC). RHC’s share price is down nearly 30% since March, and this has resulted in it achieving the dubious honour of logging the most broker price target cuts over 10% (five in total). Interestingly, the brokers are all still neutral-equivalent rated on the stock, and among those five brokers, the average price target upside for RHC is +14.5%.

I hope you enjoyed this deep dive into the biggest broker moves for ASX companies over the past few weeks. We’ll revert to the usual weekly update from here – so stay tuned!

 

 

Written By

Carl Capolingua

Content Editor

Carl has over 30-years investing experience, helping investors navigate several bull and bear markets over this time. He is a well respected markets commentator who specialises in how the global macro impacts Australian and US equities. Carl has a passion for technical analysis and has taught his unique brand of price-action trend following to thousands of Aussie investors.

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