(This is CNBC Pro’s live coverage of Monday’s analyst call and Wall Street chatter. Please refresh every 20-30 minutes to see the latest posts.) Bullish expectations for Apple and optimism for Nvidia were the biggest hits on Wall Street on Monday impact. Loop Capital upgraded Apple to buy from hold, and TD Cowen raised Nvidia’s price target to $165 per share. Morgan Stanley also ranks Nvidia as its top pick. See the latest calls and chats below. All times are Eastern Time. 6:43: am: Evercore ISI launches Datadog, outperforms Monitoring and analytics software company Datadog could be on track for a breakout in the second half of this year, according to Evercore ISI. Analyst Kirk Materne said: “After two years of stagnation, we believe DDOG has matured to a level (and grown to its valuation) so it can become a major player in the next 12-24 months. A more stable compound. The analyst initiated coverage of Datadog on Monday with an outperform rating and a $150-per-share price target that implies a higher price than Friday’s close. Priced at $127.80, it rose more than 17%. “From a 2H and beyond perspective, we believe the risk/reward is biased to the upside based on the estimated upside potential and continued expansion of DDOG’s TAM. [total addressable market]and selectivity around its new artificial intelligence products. The current valuation accurately reflects the company’s recent second-quarter earnings beat, making it difficult for the stock to find further upside.[Management] Having made good progress towards its medium-term targets, we believe the stock is fairly valued at 2.5x TBV [tangible book value]analyst Keith Horowitz wrote on Monday. The forecast implies an increase of less than 1% from Friday’s closing price of $64.69.Becoming the “preferred home base” for artificial intelligence. Apple’s upcoming artificial intelligence suite and subsequent integration with future iPhones may help the stock soar further. John Donovan, an analyst at Loop Capital, believes that Apple’s current opportunity is ” Opportunities to solidify itself as consumers’ go-to artificial intelligence home in the coming years, much like social media was 15 years ago (Donovan on Monday upgraded the iPhone maker to “buy” from “hold” Investment” and raised the price target to $300 per share from $180. Apple closed at $230.54 per share on Friday, representing approximately 20% growth in 2024. “While we view everything related to ‘Gen AI’ as Key drivers, but other contributors include the potential for refresh cycles from expanded COVID-19 demand and the launch of the new ‘iPhone platform’ with iPhone 17 in 2025,” Donovan said — Brian Evans 5:45 AM: TD Cowen upgrades. Nvidia price target, predicts ‘continued’ demand for Blackwell TD Cowen expects demand for Nvidia’s artificial intelligence systems Blackwell and Hopper to remain strong and boost its stock price. Analyst Matthew Ramsay said: “One thing. What hasn’t changed is NVIDIA’s fundamental strength. “In fact, as demand for Hopper/Blackwell-based AI systems continues to outpace supply, our checks continue to suggest there is upside in the data center,” the analyst said. The artificial intelligence darling raised his price target to $165 per share from $140 and reiterated his buy rating on Nvidia, which predicts a gain of about 28% from Friday’s closing price of $129.24. Shares soar 161% in 2024 Ramsey also called on the company to beat Wall Street’s second-quarter estimates on Aug. 15 and called on Nvidia to boost its outlook on strong data center demand. — Brian Evans
