FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

Research Alert: CFRA Keeps Hold Rating On Shares Of Block, Inc.

By

-- CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:

We raise our 12-month target price by $10 to $81, 16.7x our 2027 earnings estimate, vs. XYZ's three-year historical forward P/E average of 25.4x. We raise our 2026 EPS view to $3.85 from $3.62 and 2027's to $4.85 from $4.35. Following a strong first quarter, XYZ significantly raised its full-year 2026 guidance, and is now projecting 19% gross profit growth and over 60% growth in adjusted EPS. This confidence is fueled by accelerating momentum across its core businesses, including explosive growth in Cash App's lending products and renewed strength in Square's target verticals. Crucially, the quarter provided the first tangible proof of its AI-centric strategy, with management citing a 2.5x increase in engineer productivity and dramatically accelerated project timelines. While the 82% surge in lending originations introduces heightened credit risk, this is currently being managed by a disciplined underwriting model where loss rates on mature customer cohorts are proving to be healthy and predictable.

Related Articles

Research

Research Alert: CFRA Maintains Hold Opinion On Shares Of Exelon Corporation

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We lower our 12-month target by $2 to $48, 16.8x our next-12-month EPS estimate of $2.88, slightly above its five-year average of 16.4x. We lower our 2026 EPS view by $0.08 to $2.85 and lower 2027 EPS by $0.06 to $3.04. In our opinion, EXC now faces significant regulatory headwinds in Pennsylvania and Maryland. PECO's withdrawal of its rate case in April 2026 amid affordability concerns and Governor scrutiny creates uncertainty around timing and terms of future Pennsylvania filings, while Maryland's Utility RELIEF Act (awaiting Governor signature) prohibits forecast test years until April 2027 and constrains ratemaking tools for BGE, Pepco, and DPL. Despite these headwinds, EXC maintained its long-term (2025-2029) EPS growth guidance range of 5%-7% and expects to deliver near the top end of that range. From 2025 to 2028, we project EPS growth at a 5.6% CAGR, slightly below the midpoint of the range and below our expectations for peers, while we anticipate dividend growth close to a 5.1% CAGR, closer to peers.

$EXC
Research

Research Alert: CFRA Maintains Hold Opinion On Shares Of Exelon Corporation

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We lower our 12-month target by $2 to $48, 16.8x our next-12-month EPS estimate of $2.88, slightly above its five-year average of 16.4x. We lower our 2026 EPS view by $0.08 to $2.85 and lower 2027 EPS by $0.06 to $3.04. In our opinion, EXC now faces significant regulatory headwinds in Pennsylvania and Maryland. PECO's withdrawal of its rate case in April 2026 amid affordability concerns and Governor scrutiny creates uncertainty around timing and terms of future Pennsylvania filings, while Maryland's Utility RELIEF Act (awaiting Governor signature) prohibits forecast test years until April 2027 and constrains ratemaking tools for BGE, Pepco, and DPL. Despite these headwinds, EXC maintained its long-term (2025-2029) EPS growth guidance range of 5%-7% and expects to deliver near the top end of that range. From 2025 to 2028, we project EPS growth at a 5.6% CAGR, slightly below the midpoint of the range and below our expectations for peers, while we anticipate dividend growth close to a 5.1% CAGR, closer to peers.

$EXC
Research

Research Alert: Oln Maintained At Hold On Q2 Ebitda Improvement: Tp $32

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We maintain our Hold rating (3-STARS) and increase our target price to $32. This is derived using an EV/EBITDA multiple of 7.5x and our 2027 EBITDA estimate of $872 million. Olin reported a net loss of ($83.0M), or ($0.73) per share, in Q1 2026 as the Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment swung to a loss on lower pricing, reduced volumes following the Blue Water Alliance exit, and $36.1M in legacy litigation charges. The company delivered sequential adjusted EBITDA improvement from Q4 2025, supported by its Beyond250 cost reduction program. Epoxy returned to profitability with growth in European operations, while Winchester revenue increased 21% on higher military sales, although margins compressed from commodity cost inflation. Management guided Q2 2026 adjusted EBITDA to $160M-$200M, reflecting expected seasonal demand improvement and pricing gains across Chemicals businesses along with continued Winchester demand momentum. We cut our 2026 EPS estimate by $0.62 to $-0.43 and keep 2027's as $1.25.

$OLN