These are the five stocks to watch heading into Thursday, November 12, 2026. Each received a bullish rating change or new coverage on Wednesday, November 11. Stocks slipped on Tuesday, November 10, after October consumer prices rose 0.4% against a 0.3% forecast and core prices rose 0.3% against a 0.2% forecast. The S&P 500 fell 29.01 points, or 0.38%, to 7,520.93. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 157.86 points, or 0.30%, to 52,231.89, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.74% to 25,065.87. On November 11, technology shares rebounded after CoreWeave's quarterly results, even as the 10-year Treasury yield hovered near 5% and Baird cut Nvidia to Neutral. The October Producer Price Index is due November 13.
The five ideas below span optical fiber, defense electronics, waste collection, warehouse and retail technology, and consumer devices. Editorial notes only, not investment advice.
Corning (GLW) – Jefferies Initiates the Optical Fiber Maker at Buy
Jefferies analyst Dushyant Ailani initiated coverage of Corning on Wednesday with a Buy rating and a $134 price target. He called Corning "an AI optical infra play." He expects a global optical fiber shortfall of about 30% of demand in 2026 to persist. Corning reported third-quarter Optical Communications sales up 44% from a year earlier. In our view, multiyear contracts with hyperscalers and carriers give Corning unusual visibility for a materials company.
Shares traded near $122.40 during Wednesday's session, up about 9.16%, giving Corning a market capitalization near $105 billion. The stock remains far below its 52-week high of $271.78 and above its low of $77.39. The trailing price-to-earnings multiple is 49.35.
Consensus reads buy, with eight of 12 tracked firms bullish and four neutral. The average price target of $172.67 implies roughly 41% upside, while the Jefferies target implies about 9.5% after the session's gain. UBS's Joshua Spector rates the stock Buy with a $192 target as of October 28.
Risks: Bernstein's Daniel Zhu cut his target to $120 from $140 on November 9 and rates the stock Market Perform. Jefferies expects a slower ramp in Photonics. AI spending sentiment and the stock's sharp swings remain factors to monitor.
Mercury Systems (MRCY) – JPMorgan Upgrades the Defense Electronics Supplier
JPMorgan analyst Seth Seifman upgraded Mercury Systems from Neutral to Overweight on Wednesday, while trimming his price target to $102 from $110. He called the fiscal first quarter a "key proof point." Revenue rose 12.4% to $253 million. Bookings hit a record $370 million, lifting backlog to about $2.1 billion. Gross margin hit 35.2%, its highest since fiscal 2023. In our view, rising missile production gives Mercury a long runway.
Shares traded near $87.17 during Wednesday's session, up about 4.29%, giving Mercury a market capitalization near $5.3 billion. The 52-week range runs from $64.37 to $128.45. Trailing earnings are near zero, so the price-to-earnings multiple is not meaningful.
Consensus reads buy, with six of eight tracked firms bullish, one neutral, and one bearish. The average price target of $105 implies roughly 20% upside, and the JPMorgan target implies about 17%. Piper Sandler's Clarke Jeffries reiterated Overweight with a $107 target on November 11.
Risks: JPMorgan cautioned that margins can swing with product mix and flagged volatility in small and mid-cap defense stocks. Free cash flow outflows, component shortages, and defense budget politics remain factors to monitor.
Republic Services (RSG) – JPMorgan Upgrades the Waste Hauler on a Volume Turn
JPMorgan analyst Tami Zakaria upgraded Republic Services from Neutral to Overweight on Wednesday and raised her price target to $295 from $265. She expects solid waste volumes to turn positive in 2027 after three years of declines. Small and large container volumes each rose 0.5% in the third quarter. In our view, a volume recovery on top of steady pricing would strengthen this defensive name.
Shares traded near $247.83 during Wednesday's session, little changed, giving Republic a market capitalization near $75 billion. The 52-week range runs from $196.41 to $254.39, and the trailing price-to-earnings multiple is 34.28. The dividend yield is about 1%.
Consensus reads buy, with eight of 15 tracked firms bullish and seven neutral. The average price target of $251.53 sits close to the share price, so the JPMorgan target, which implies about 19% upside, carries more weight here. Citigroup's Bryan Burgmeier raised his target to $281 on November 2.
Risks: Barclays' William Grippin rates the stock Equal Weight with a $254 target. A split consensus, diesel costs, and a premium valuation remain factors to monitor.
Zebra Technologies (ZBRA) – Jefferies Initiates the Barcode and Mobile Computing Leader at Buy
Jefferies analyst Dushyant Ailani also initiated coverage of Zebra Technologies on Wednesday with a Buy rating and a $382 price target. Zebra makes barcode scanners, mobile computers, and printers. He said the stock had fallen about 10% since the third-quarter report as investors priced in memory-driven margin pressure. Memory costs cut gross margin by 220 basis points, but adjusted EBITDA margin held at 21.6%. He models about 8% revenue growth in 2027, above management's 5% to 7% range. In our view, a logistics hardware refresh cycle is a credible catalyst.
Shares traded near $333.46 during Wednesday's session, up about 3.76%, giving Zebra a market capitalization near $15.7 billion. The 52-week range runs from $199.05 to $392.78, and the trailing price-to-earnings multiple is 27.54.
Consensus reads buy, with six of nine tracked firms bullish and three neutral. The average price target of $407.56 implies roughly 22% upside, and the Jefferies target implies about 15%. Barclays' Guy Hardwick raised his target to $432 from $416 on November 4.
Risks: Citigroup's Piyush Avasthy rates the stock Neutral with a $398 target. Memory prices and customer spending on hardware remain factors to monitor.
Apple (AAPL) – China Renaissance Upgrades the iPhone Maker
China Renaissance analysts Jack Zhou and Lemuel Lin upgraded Apple from Hold to Buy on Wednesday and raised their price target to $425 from $280. They cited the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable phone, launched in October, as a potential driver of a longer upgrade cycle. Apple reported record fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $114.5 billion, up 12%. In our view, Duo sales will be the key test of that thesis.
Shares traded near $354.76 during Wednesday's session, up about 1.79%, giving Apple a market capitalization near $5.16 trillion. The stock sits just below its 52-week high of $355.38, well above the low of $243.42. The trailing price-to-earnings multiple is 39.56.
Consensus reads buy, with 16 of 24 tracked firms bullish, five neutral, and three bearish. The average price target of $344.03 sits below the share price, so the China Renaissance target, which implies about 20% upside, is the more relevant marker. Bernstein's Mark Newman raised his target to $380 on November 4.
Risks: UBS's David Vogt rates the stock Neutral with a $340 target. Memory costs, Services growth, and a valuation near record highs remain factors to monitor.
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