Five stocks stand out heading into Monday, August 24, 2026, each carrying a fresh Wall Street upgrade issued on Friday, August 21. The backdrop remains a familiar one: the Federal Open Market Committee held the federal funds target range at 3.50% to 3.75% at its July 29 meeting, and the CME Group FedWatch tool continues to price roughly an 80% probability that policy rates hold steady through the balance of 2026. That tape has pushed investors toward names with visible catalysts rather than momentum plays.
The following five ideas span data analytics, government services, utilities, steel, and packaging. Each received a bullish rating change on Friday from a well-followed shop with a specific thesis. These are editorial notes for consideration, not personalized recommendations.
Equifax (EFX) – Cloud and AI Execution Wins a New Bull
Equifax opened Friday's upgrade list when Rothschild & Co Redburn analyst Simon Clinch lifted the credit-reporting giant from Neutral to Buy and raised his price target to $235 from $214. Clinch pointed to improving execution on the multi-year cloud migration and a growing suite of AI-driven data products, arguing operating leverage should show up more clearly in 2027 numbers.
Shares traded near $192.49 during Friday's session, giving Equifax a market capitalization of roughly $22.6 billion. The 52-week range of $150.75 to $271.84 shows how much sentiment has swung in this name. The price-to-earnings multiple sits at about 33.7, consistent with a mid-teens grower with recurring revenue.
Consensus is constructive. Ten analysts rate Equifax a strong buy, with nine bullish and one neutral. The average price target of $219.80 implies roughly 14% upside from Friday's level, and the high target of $245 comes from Needham's Kyle Peterson.
Risks: Not every desk is aligned. Barclays maintained an Equal-Weight rating on July 22 with a $200 target, and RBC Capital's Ashish Sabadra trimmed his target to $194 in the same batch of updates even while keeping an Outperform rating. Consumer credit volumes remain sensitive to mortgage activity, and any pushback on cloud-migration timing could pressure near-term margins.
Parsons (PSN) – A Conservative Guidance Setup Draws Baird Back In
Government services contractor Parsons was Friday's biggest mover on the list. Baird analyst Andrew Wittmann upgraded the stock from Neutral to Outperform and lifted his price target to $57 from $48. Wittmann's thesis: sentiment on Parsons is unusually low, and management's second-half guidance appears conservatively established, with roughly $400 million in other transaction adjustments carrying no first-half contribution, a seasonal mine-clearance ramp, and a JCHK program contributing an incremental $40 million.
Shares climbed roughly 5.97% during Friday's session to about $48.81, giving Parsons a market capitalization near $5.2 billion. Even after the pop, the stock trades well below its 52-week high of $89.50 following Q2 write-downs. The trailing price-to-earnings multiple stands at 33.6, reflecting the depressed earnings base.
Coverage is heavily positive. Eight analysts rate Parsons a strong buy, with seven bullish ratings and one neutral. The average price target of $60.88 implies roughly 25% upside from Friday's close, with Stifel's Jonathan Siegmann holding the high at $66.
Risks: The Q2 disclosures included roughly $118 million in program write-downs, and Goldman Sachs' Noah Poponak maintained a Neutral rating on August 3 with a $60 target, citing execution uncertainty. Defense budget timing and reconciliation of federal contract awards remain wild cards heading into the fiscal fourth quarter.
Portland General Electric (POR) – Wells Fargo Sees Overlooked Growth
Wells Fargo utility analyst Shahriar Pourreza upgraded Portland General Electric from Equal-Weight to Overweight on Friday and raised his price target to $58 from $51. Pourreza's argument rests on four pillars: an expanding holding-company structure, a completed Washington acquisition, a large open request-for-proposal opportunity, and improving Oregon regulatory outcomes. He lifted his 2026-2030 earnings-per-share compound growth forecast to about 7.9%, roughly 200 basis points above Street consensus.
Shares traded near $49.61 during Friday's session, off about 1.12% on the day. Portland General's market capitalization is approximately $5.7 billion, its trailing price-to-earnings multiple is 21.7, and the dividend yield stands near 4%. Pourreza's thesis is that Street models are outdated on the Washington-driven earnings power.
Consensus has not caught up. Six analysts still rate the utility a hold on average, with only one bullish rating in the panel before Friday's upgrade. The average price target of $53.33 sits below Pourreza's new number, suggesting further estimate revisions could follow.
Risks: Regulated utility cases hinge on rate outcomes and cost-of-capital assumptions. Higher-for-longer rates raise the bar for utility total-return math. JP Morgan's Aidan Kelly maintained Neutral in April with a $54 target, essentially in line with Friday's price.
Ternium (TX) – Morgan Stanley Bets on a Section 232 Reprieve
Steel producer Ternium received a Morgan Stanley upgrade from Equal-Weight to Overweight on Friday, with analyst Carlos De Alba raising his price target to $65 from $55. De Alba cited three converging catalysts: a high probability the United States will reduce Section 232 tariffs on Mexican steel following the Canadian framework, the near-completion of Ternium's capacity investment cycle, and upside to Mexican domestic steel prices heading into 2027.
Shares traded near $55.31 during Friday's session, up about 2.03% and within striking distance of the $58.24 52-week high. Ternium's market capitalization stands at roughly $10.9 billion, the trailing price-to-earnings multiple is 15.3, and the dividend yield sits near 4%.
Consensus reads buy on six ratings, with two bullish and four neutral, meaning Morgan Stanley's move materially widens the bullish camp. The average target of $47.75 lags Friday's price, reflecting stale neutral marks rather than fresh caution.
Risks: On the same day Morgan Stanley upgraded, HSBC's Jonathan Brandt downgraded Ternium to Hold from Buy and raised his target to $55, arguing that the tariff-relief scenario is now largely reflected in the price. Steel remains cyclical, and any slippage in the U.S.-Mexico trade timeline would pressure the thesis.
O-I Glass (OI) – Citi Puts a 90-Day Catalyst Watch on a Beaten-Down Packager
Glass container maker O-I Glass was Friday's most explosive mover, jumping 10.89% intraday after Citigroup upgraded the name from Neutral to Buy and raised its target to $9 from $8, adding a 90-day catalyst watch. Citi had steadily reduced its target throughout 2026, so the reversal carries weight.
Shares traded near $7.08 during Friday's session, still deep within a 52-week range of $6.29 to $16.91. Market capitalization is about $1.09 billion. The trailing price-to-earnings multiple prints negative, reflecting restructuring charges rather than the underlying free cash flow profile.
Six analysts rate O-I a buy on consensus, with four bullish and two neutral. The average price target of $11 implies roughly 55% upside from Friday's level.
Risks: RBC Capital downgraded O-I to Sector Perform on August 13 with an $8 target, citing volume softness. Balance sheet leverage remains elevated, and consumer packaging demand has been choppy. The stock is small-cap and volatile; Friday's move underscores that thesis-driven moves in either direction can be large.
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