Buy/Sell: Wall Street’s top 10 stock calls this week

What has Wall Street been buzzing about this week? Here are the top 5 Buy calls and the top 5 Sell calls made by Wall Street’s best analysts during the week of December 15-19.

Find all top-rated stocks by the best-rated analysts on TipRanks.

Top 5 Buy Calls:

1. Dollar General upgraded to Overweight at JPMorgan

JPMorgan upgraded Dollar General (DG) to Overweight from Neutral with a price target of $166, up from $128. The firm sees upside to company’s 2%-3% same-store-sales growth outlook for fiscal 2026 given its exposure to the employed low-income consumer and higher level of middle income consumers trading down. Following a meeting with management, JPMorgan says Dollar General is “back on offense.”

2. Roku upgraded to Overweight from Underweight at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley double upgraded Roku (ROKU) to Overweight from Underweight with a price target of $135, up from $85. The firm sees a “strong” 2026 for U.S. advertising spend due to digital strength. Connected TV should be the fastest area of growth in a “healthy” ad market, Morgan Stanley tells investors in a research note. The firm double upgraded Roku to gain ad exposure.

3. Airbnb upgraded to Outperform at RBC Capital

RBC Capital upgraded Airbnb (ABNB) to Outperform from Sector Perform with a price target of $170, up from $145. The firm sees an “increasingly attractive brand monetization story,” saying first party data is likely worth a premium in the evolving consumer artificial intelligence landscape. RBC is bullish on Airbnb’s entry into hotels as an incremental room nights driver and as a possible entry point for outsized profit from promoted listings.

4. Hershey upgraded to Overweight at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley upgraded Hershey (HSY) to Overweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $211, up from $195. The firm says the stock “offers rare visibility into significant” earnings growth within staples. Hershey’s cost pressures are easing, and its sales momentum is improving, Morgan Stanley tells investors in a research note. The firm believes Hershey’s “credible” multiyear earnings recovery is not reflected in consensus estimates.

5. Akamai upgraded to Overweight from Underweight at KeyBanc

KeyBanc double upgraded Akamai (AKAM) to Overweight from Underweight with a price target of $115, up from $66. The firm adjusted ratings in the enterprise software as part of its 2026 outlook. It has a preference for small- and mid-cap software over large-caps heading into next year. KeyBanc admits to being wrong on Akamai. The company’s revenue has the opportunity to accelerate as more of the business shifts toward compute, the firm tells investors in a research note.

Top 5 Sell Calls:

1. Costco downgraded to Sell at Roth Capital

Roth Capital downgraded Costco (COST) to Sell from Neutral with a price target of $769, down from $906. The company reported a Q1 earnings beat but its underlying metrics are “concerning,” the firm tells investors in a research note. Roth says Costco’s renewal rates are fading, paid members have slowed, and its year-over-year comp traffic is decelerating. The firm also believes the company’s competition is intensifying as Walmart’s (WMT) Sam’s Club and BJ‘s Wholesale (BJ) dramatically increase investments.

2. Wedbush downgrades Lyft to Underperform on autonomous vehicle impact

Wedbush downgraded Lyft (LYFT) to Underperform from Neutral with a price target of $16, down from $20. The firm believes Lyft is most at risk to the impact of autonomous vehicle disruption given the company’s exposure to the U.S. ridesharing market and undiversified offering mix. Furthermore, Wedbush thinks the market is underestimating the negative terminal value impact that AVs may have on Lyft’s discounted cash flow value.

3. Adobe downgraded to Underweight at KeyBanc

KeyBanc downgraded Adobe (ADBE) to Underweight from Sector Weight with a $310 price target. The firm adjusted ratings in the enterprise software as part of its 2026 outlook. It has a preference for small- and mid-cap software over large-caps heading into next year. KeyBanc’s survey work shows Adobe’s competitive pressures have been picking up and will continue to weigh on shares and the multiple.

4. ServiceNow downgraded to Underweight at KeyBanc

KeyBanc downgraded ServiceNow (NOW) to Underweight from Sector Weight with a $775 price target. The firm adjusted ratings in the enterprise software as part of its 2026 outlook. The firm has a preference for small- and mid-cap software over large-caps heading into next year. There are signals in the IT back-office employment data that raise the likelihood that the “death of software-as-a-service” narrative could come for ServiceNow in 2026, KeyBanc tells investors in a research note.

5. Texas Instruments downgraded to Sell from Buy at Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs double downgraded Texas Instruments (TXN) to Sell from Buy with a price target of $156, down from $200. The firm adjusted ratings in the semiconductor group as part of its 2026 outlook. Goldman sees hyperscaler artificial intelligence spending continuing to move higher, driving tailwinds for digital, memory and storage in 2026. It also sees a gradual industrial and automotive recovery driving cyclical tailwinds in analog. The firm cites Texas Instruments’ “lackluster” execution through the cycle, and less leverage than peers in the upcycle for the double downgrade.