Earnings season delivered its loudest day of the summer on Tuesday, August 4, with Palantir's blowout second quarter, Ameresco's record backlog, and a wave of upgrades reshaping conviction across software, industrials, medtech, and consumer staples. The macro backdrop is unchanged from the July 29 FOMC statement: Chair Kevin Warsh's committee held the target range at 3.50%-3.75%, and CME Group's FedWatch tool still assigns roughly an 80% probability to no cuts through 2026. Analyst desks at BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Bank of America, Wolfe Research, and Oppenheimer all issued Buy-equivalent upgrades on August 4. The five names below span clean energy, AI software, staples, transport, and medtech.
Ameresco (AMRC) — BNP Paribas turns bullish on record data-center backlog
Ameresco designs, builds, and operates energy infrastructure for utilities, governments, and enterprises, including behind-the-meter data-center power projects. On August 4, BNP Paribas analyst Moses Sutton upgraded from Neutral to Outperform with a $40 target (up from $34), following a "transformational" Q2 print after the August 3 close: revenue of $515.5 million (up 9% YoY, 11.9% above the $460.5 million consensus), non-GAAP EPS of $0.20 in line, adjusted EBITDA of $62.8 million, and record backlog of $4.4 billion, up 65%, with $1.2 billion of new data-center awards. Management raised full-year non-GAAP EPS guidance to $1.15-$1.35; Canaccord's George Gianarikas raised his target to $62 from $59.
Shares closed at $28.39 on August 4, up 24.9% on the day, with a market cap of $1.50 billion and a trailing P/E of 41.75. The 52-week range is $18.38 to $44.93. The consensus rating is Strong Buy, with 7 of 8 covering analysts bullish, an average target of $42.50, a median of $42, a high of $62, and a low of $28.
Risks: The bulk of data-center revenue impact is not expected until 2028-2030, so estimates could drift lower first; full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance of $260 million came in below the $265.9 million consensus; and Q2 adjusted cash from operations was negative on execution timing. UBS analyst Jon Windham holds Neutral with a $28 target, the low end of coverage.
Palantir Technologies (PLTR) — Deutsche Bank finally flips to Buy after a Q2 blowout
Palantir is an AI data-analytics software company whose Gotham, Foundry, and AIP platforms serve U.S. defense, intelligence, and commercial customers. On August 4, Deutsche Bank analyst Brad Zelnick upgraded from Hold to Buy with a $200 target after a blowout Q2 in which CEO Alex Karp raised the full-year revenue guide to $8.15 billion. Citi's Tyler Radke raised his Buy target to $245 from $200, and DA Davidson's Gil Luria raised his Buy target to $200 from $175, citing "parabolic" U.S. AI demand.
Shares closed at $162.82 on August 4, up 29.58% on the day, with a market cap of $373.8 billion and a trailing P/E of 171.39. The 52-week range is $106.37 to $207.52. The consensus rating is Buy, with 8 of 11 covering analysts bullish, an average target of $192, a median of $200, a high of $245, and a low of $90.
Risks: The trailing P/E above 170 leaves no margin for slippage; comparisons stiffen into 2027 as international growth moderates; and government-contract concentration remains a persistent overhang. Jefferies' Brent Thill kept an Underperform rating on August 4 while raising his target to $80 from $70, warning "the setup gets harder from here."
Fomento Economico Mexicano (FMX) — Bank of America upgrades on OXXO's push into grocery
FEMSA is a Mexican conglomerate that owns the OXXO convenience-store chain, the Coca-Cola FEMSA bottler franchise, and a growing fintech and lending platform. On August 4, Bank of America analyst Robert Ford upgraded from Neutral to Buy with a $150 target (up from $125), citing OXXO's grocery entry, further bottler consolidation, the QED-partnered lending JV, and expected foot-traffic gains. Ford raised his 2026-2030 CAGR forecast to 20% from 17%, lifted retail EV/EBITDA to 11x from 10x, and cut his SOTP discount to 10% from 20%.
Shares closed at $124.64 on August 4, down 0.88%, with a market cap of $42.5 billion and a trailing P/E of 39.69. The trailing dividend yield is roughly 5%. The 52-week range is $83.08 to $141.47. The consensus rating is Strong Buy, with 5 of 6 covering analysts bullish, an average target of $128.33, a median of $129, a high of $150, and a low of $97.
Risks: Modest downward revisions to 2026 and 2027 estimates on Brazil integration and FX; ongoing Mexico consumer softness; and execution risk on the grocery expansion. Barclays' Benjamin Theurer maintains Equal-Weight with a $130 target.
Landstar System (LSTR) — Wolfe Research sees the freight cycle turning
Landstar is an asset-light transportation and logistics company providing truckload freight capacity through a network of independent business-capacity owners and third-party carriers. On August 4, Wolfe Research analyst Scott Group upgraded from Peer Perform to Outperform with a $214 target. The upgrade followed the Q2 call, during which CEO Frank Lonegro said Landstar renewed its insurance tower with favorable terms and expects scale players to weather legal volatility better after a prior large accident settlement, reflecting growing confidence that freight is inflecting from a multi-year trough.
Shares closed at $182.20 on August 4, up 3.08%, with a market cap of $6.18 billion and a trailing P/E of 37.80. The 52-week range is $119.32 to $228.46. The consensus rating is Hold, with 2 of 12 covering analysts bullish, an average target of $195.83, a median of $195, a high of $240, and a low of $145 (pending incorporation of the August 4 upgrade).
Risks: A slower-than-expected freight recovery, exposure to independent-contractor litigation, and scale-based insurance advantages that depend on continued benign loss experience. Morgan Stanley's Ravi Shanker holds Equal-Weight with a $145 target.
Inspire Medical Systems (INSP) — Oppenheimer sees pricing power ahead
Inspire develops implantable neurostimulation therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. On August 4, Oppenheimer analyst Suraj Kalia upgraded from Perform to Outperform with an $85 target. Kalia's thesis centers on average selling-price expansion after the CMS 2026 final Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System rule lifted the facility fee for Inspire's core procedure to roughly $45,000 from $30,500. Three other desks reiterated cautious ratings the same day while lifting targets: Truist Hold to $62, Evercore ISI In-Line to $54, and Piper Sandler Neutral to $60.
Shares closed at $62.94 on August 4, up 20.53%, with a market cap of $1.81 billion and a trailing P/E of 24.40. The 52-week range is $38.91 to $147.03. The consensus rating is Hold, with 2 of 11 covering analysts bullish, an average target of $55.91, a median of $56, a high of $66, and a low of $39.
Risks: Competitive pressure from lower-cost sleep-apnea therapies, execution risk on the Inspire V rollout, and reimbursement gains only translating to earnings if average selling prices actually move higher. Wells Fargo's Larry Biegelsen maintains Equal-Weight with a $56 target.
Found this helpful? Share it with others.