Five stocks stand out heading into Friday, September 25, 2026, each carrying a bullish rating change issued on Thursday, September 24. The rate backdrop keeps tightening. After the Federal Open Market Committee raised the federal funds target range to 3.75% to 4.00% on September 16, New York Fed President John Williams said on September 24 that another hike by year-end would be a "reasonable" expectation. The CME Group FedWatch tool priced the odds of an October 27-28 increase at 77.5% on September 24, up from about 53% on September 23. That setting rewards pricing power, defensive demand, and balance-sheet strength.
The five ideas below span discount retail, AI cloud infrastructure, senior-housing real estate, alternative asset management, and premium cinema technology. Editorial notes only, not investment advice.
Dollar General (DG) – HSBC Moves to Buy on Trade-Down Demand
Dollar General was upgraded from Hold to Buy on Thursday by HSBC analyst Daniela Bretthauer, who raised her price target to $160 from $125. In our view, the setup favors discount retailers when higher borrowing costs and energy-driven inflation squeeze household budgets, since value-focused shoppers tend to trade down to lower-priced formats.
Shares traded near $123.13 during Thursday's session, up about 2.10%, giving Dollar General a market capitalization near $27 billion. The 52-week range runs from $95.11 to $158.23, the trailing price-to-earnings multiple sits at 16.00, and the dividend yield is near 2%.
Consensus reads buy, with 10 bullish and 12 neutral ratings among 22 tracked firms. The average price target of $139.86 implies roughly 14% upside, while HSBC's new target implies about 30%. Barclays' Seth Sigman raised his target to $151 on September 8 with Overweight.
Risks: More than half the panel remains neutral. Evercore ISI Group's Michael Montani holds In-Line at $145, and Morgan Stanley's Simeon Gutman holds Equal-Weight at $160. Store-remodel execution, shrink, and competition from larger mass merchants all remain factors to monitor.
CoreWeave (CRWV) – JPMorgan Upgrades the AI Cloud Specialist
CoreWeave was upgraded from Neutral to Overweight on Thursday by JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee, who raised his price target to $125 from $120. The company rents GPU capacity to AI developers and hyperscalers, and demand for AI compute continues to outpace supply.
Shares traded near $89.77 during Thursday's session, up about 3.31%, giving CoreWeave a market capitalization near $49 billion. The stock trades well below its 52-week high of $153.20 and above its low of $60.55. The company is not yet profitable on a trailing basis, with a price-to-earnings multiple of negative 24.59.
Consensus reads buy, with 17 bullish, six neutral, and one bearish rating among 24 tracked firms. The average price target of $142.71 implies roughly 59% upside, and Rosenblatt's John McPeake holds the high target of $250.
Risks: This is the most volatile name on the list, and rising rates matter here. CoreWeave has relied heavily on debt to fund data-center buildouts, so higher financing costs could pressure returns. Barclays' Raimo Lenschow holds Equal-Weight at $106. Customer concentration and execution on capacity delivery also remain factors to monitor.
Welltower (WELL) – JPMorgan Turns Bullish on Senior Housing
Welltower was upgraded from Neutral to Overweight on Thursday by JPMorgan. The largest U.S. healthcare real estate investment trust is benefiting from an aging population and limited new senior-housing construction, which supports occupancy and rent growth across its operating portfolio.
Shares traded near $235.05 during Thursday's session, up about 2.25%, giving Welltower a market capitalization near $169 billion. The 52-week range runs from $163.75 to $255.20. The trailing price-to-earnings multiple of 124.55 overstates the valuation for a REIT, where funds from operations is the more relevant measure.
Consensus reads strong buy, with 12 of 14 tracked ratings bullish. The average price target of $259.79 implies roughly 11% upside. Jefferies' Joe Dickstein assumed coverage with Buy and a $275 target on September 15.
Risks: REITs are rate-sensitive, and another Fed hike could weigh on valuations across the sector. Evercore ISI Group's Steve Sakwa trimmed his target to $256 from $260 on September 21 while holding Outperform. Labor costs at operating properties and acquisition pricing all remain factors to monitor.
Ares Management (ARES) – Piper Sandler Initiates at Overweight
Ares Management drew a fresh Overweight initiation on Thursday from Piper Sandler. Ares is one of the largest managers of private credit, and higher rates can lift the income generated by floating-rate loans in its funds, supporting fee-related earnings.
Shares traded near $119.79 during Thursday's session, down about 1.39%, giving Ares a market capitalization near $39 billion. The stock sits well below its 52-week high of $181.19. The trailing price-to-earnings multiple is 49.79, and the dividend yield is near 4%.
Consensus reads strong buy, with 10 bullish and three neutral ratings among 13 tracked firms. The average price target of $161.85 implies roughly 35% upside. Oppenheimer's Chris Kotowski raised his target to $162 on August 27 with Outperform.
Risks: Several analysts cut targets sharply in the spring, including Goldman Sachs' Alexander Blostein, who lowered his to $131 from $165 on April 7 while holding Buy. Credit quality in private loan books, fundraising momentum, and regulatory scrutiny of private credit all remain factors to monitor.
IMAX (IMAX) – Morgan Stanley Initiates at Overweight
IMAX drew a fresh Overweight initiation on Thursday from Morgan Stanley. The company licenses premium large-format screen technology and earns a share of box office on films shown in its theaters, benefiting when studios release event films designed for the format.
Shares traded near $53.44 during Thursday's session, up about 0.25%, giving IMAX a market capitalization near $2.9 billion. The stock sits just below its 52-week high of $55.57 and well above its low of $30.74. The trailing price-to-earnings multiple is 73.60.
Consensus reads strong buy, with nine of 11 tracked ratings bullish. The average price target of $54.09 sits roughly in line with the current price, which suggests much of the good news is already priced in. Rosenblatt's Steve Frankel holds the high target of $65.
Risks: Valuation is the main concern after a strong run. Goldman Sachs' Mike Burton holds Neutral at $50, below the current price. Film-slate timing, box-office volatility, and reliance on a small number of blockbuster releases all remain factors to monitor.
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