This post was originally published on this site
https://i-invdn-com.investing.com/news/LYNXNPEB7A0ZL_M.jpg
The bank cut Zoom (NASDAQ:ZM), DocuSign Inc . (NASDAQ:DOCU), Everbridge, Inc. (NASDAQ:EVBG), Clear Secure, Inc. (YOU), and Kaltura (KLTR) to Underweight from Equal Weight. In addition, Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) and RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE:RNG) were downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight.
Analysts commented that 2023 was a bounceback year for software names. However, Covid-boosted models are “still stuck,” and creative fixes have become necessary.
“While we’ve exercised patience with some of the pandemic ‘winners’, it’s become clear over the course of the past yr that many are still struggling to find stable footing,” the analysts wrote.
“Given lack of clear growth/margin strategy going fwd, we’re expecting an uptick in activist/M&A interest in ’24 aiming to address these challenged models, but aren’t expecting substantive fixes in all cases,” they added.
ZM’s price target was kept at $70 per share, with the firm stating that until clearer signs emerge around its growth acceleration, margin improvements, or returning capital to shareholders, they expect its shares to underperform the rest of software.
Salesforce was downgraded due to the stock’s performance. Wells Fargo believes the company has captured much of the value from its margin expansion story. “Despite still palatable valuation levels (25x EV/CY25 FCF), our diligence suggests the next growth drivers are further off than expected, and we expect CRM shares to prove more range-bound in CY24,” said the analysts.
