Carmax To Rally Around 14%? Here Are 10 Top Analyst Forecasts For Wednesday
Original source ↗  |  February 18, 2026 at 10:17 UTC  |  Finnhub - CDNS
Speakers
Benzinga

Summary

  • Morgan Stanley analyst Lee Simpson cut the price target on Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) to $370 from $385.
  • Despite the price target reduction, the analyst maintained a bullish "Overweight" rating on the stock.
  • The new price target of $370 still implies a significant potential upside of approximately 30.5% from the stock's previous closing price of $283.46.
  • The article also notes several other analyst actions, including a price target cut on Palo Alto Networks (PANW) and a price target raise on Carmax (KMX).

=== MARKET IMPLICATIONS === - The mixed signal on CDNS—a price target cut combined with a maintained Overweight rating—could create short-term volatility. The market may initially react negatively to the "cut" headline before processing the still-bullish underlying thesis from a major firm. - This action suggests that while Morgan Stanley remains confident in the long-term outlook for CDNS, its near-term expectations for valuation or growth may have been slightly tempered. - A contrarian take is that this represents a buying opportunity. If the stock dips on the headline, it could be an attractive entry point for investors who share the analyst's long-term "Overweight" view, as the new target still represents substantial upside.

Trade Ideas
Ticker Direction Speaker Thesis Time
LONG Benzinga (reporting on Morgan Stanley) Morgan Stanley cut its price target on Cadence Design Systems to $370 from $385 but explicitly maintained its "Overweight" rating. The stock's last close was $283.46. The headline news of a price target "cut" can cause a negative short-term sentiment-driven dip in the stock price. However, the core message from the analyst is bullish, as the "Overweight" rating is reaffirmed and the new target still projects a ~30.5% upside. This creates a potential dislocation between the short-term price action and the analyst's fundamental long-term view. This is a potential "buy the dip" scenario. The trade is to initiate a long position on CDNS, capitalizing on any weakness resulting from the headline, while aligning with the underlying bullish conviction expressed by the Morgan Stanley analyst. The market could over-emphasize the price target reduction and ignore the maintained rating, leading to a more sustained sell-off. The unspecified reasons for the target cut could be tied to fundamental sector headwinds that prove more severe than anticipated.