BlackLine transferred with Neutral rating at Piper Sandler

Piper Sandler kept a Neutral rating on BlackLine (BL) with a $50 price target following a transfer of coverage. The firm downgraded three names and cut price targets across the platforms and apps group, saying “seat-compression and vibe coding narratives could set a ceiling on multiples.” Piper is not making a call on the Q4 reports. Rather, the analyst has mixed views on the software space despite share declines in the past 12 months. The firm expects continued “pessimism” around software and recommends investors focus on the hyperscaler, consumption and vertical sub-sectors. Piper’s top picks are Microsoft and ServiceTitan.