Five stocks stand out heading into Tuesday, September 29, 2026, each carrying a bullish rating change issued on Monday, September 28. The rate outlook still sets the tone. The Federal Open Market Committee raised the federal funds target range to 3.75% to 4.00% on September 16, and the CME Group FedWatch tool showed a 72.3% probability of another quarter-point hike at the October 27-28 meeting as of September 28. August Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation data, due September 30, could move those odds in either direction.
The five ideas below span cruise travel, medical devices, fast-casual dining, quantum computing, and public-sector software. Editorial notes only, not investment advice.
Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) – Two Firms Upgrade on the Same Day
Royal Caribbean drew two upgrades on Monday. BofA moved the stock from Neutral to Buy, and Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Woronka moved it from Hold to Buy with a $299 price target. Two upgrades on the same day are notable for a stock that has pulled back well off its highs. Demand for cruising has held up as travelers look for value compared with land-based vacations.
Shares traded near $245.41 during Monday's session, up about 1.11%, giving Royal Caribbean a market capitalization near $66 billion. The stock sits closer to its 52-week low of $222.22 than its high of $356.39. The trailing price-to-earnings multiple is 15.17, and the dividend yield is near 2%.
Consensus reads strong buy, with 13 bullish and four neutral ratings among 17 tracked firms. The average price target of $354.35 implies roughly 44% upside, while Deutsche Bank's more measured target implies about 22%. Tigress Financial's Ivan Feinseth holds the high target of $425.
Risks: Truist's Patrick Scholes holds Hold at $298, and Morgan Stanley's Jamie Rollo holds Equal-Weight at $330. Fuel costs, the company's debt load in a rising-rate environment, and any slowdown in consumer travel spending all remain factors to monitor.
Teleflex (TFX) – BofA Upgrades the Medical Device Maker
Teleflex was upgraded from Neutral to Buy on Monday by BofA analyst Craig Bijou, who raised his price target to $158 from $145. Teleflex makes catheters, surgical instruments, and other hospital products. Sentiment on the name has improved through 2026, with RBC Capital upgrading in May and Piper Sandler in June.
Shares traded near $127.89 during Monday's session, up about 4.77%, giving Teleflex a market capitalization near $5.7 billion. The 52-week range runs from $100.18 to $145. The trailing price-to-earnings multiple reads negative at negative 5.49, reflecting charges that have depressed reported earnings.
Consensus reads buy, with four bullish and four neutral ratings among eight tracked firms. The average price target of $155.38 implies roughly 21% upside. Needham's Mike Matson holds the high target of $170.
Risks: Half the panel remains neutral. Truist's Ravi Misra holds Hold at $150, and Mizuho's Anthony Petrone holds Neutral at $145. Restructuring execution, hospital procedure volumes, and pricing pressure from group purchasing organizations all remain factors to monitor.
Sweetgreen (SG) – Wells Fargo Nearly Doubles Its Target
Sweetgreen was upgraded from Equal-Weight to Overweight on Monday by Wells Fargo analyst Anthony Trainor, who raised his price target to $11 from $6. The salad chain has been working to improve restaurant-level margins and lift traffic after a difficult stretch for the stock.
Shares traded near $8.46 during Monday's session, up about 2.61%, giving Sweetgreen a market capitalization near $1 billion. The 52-week range runs from $4.49 to $10.63, and the trailing price-to-earnings multiple is 84.75.
This is a contrarian call. Consensus reads hold, with five bullish, seven neutral, and two bearish ratings among 14 tracked firms. The average price target of $7.72 sits below the current price, while the Wells Fargo target implies roughly 30% upside.
Risks: This is the most speculative idea on the list. BNP Paribas' Steve McManus holds Underperform at $5, and TD Cowen's Andrew Charles holds Hold at $6. Same-store traffic, labor costs, and the payoff from the company's kitchen-automation investments all remain factors to monitor.
IonQ (IONQ) – BofA Initiates on Quantum Computing
IonQ drew a fresh Buy initiation on Monday from BofA. IonQ builds trapped-ion quantum computers and sells access through major cloud platforms and to government customers. The company is early in commercializing a technology that could eventually handle problems beyond the reach of classical computers.
Shares traded near $45.97 during Monday's session, up about 1.07%, giving IonQ a market capitalization near $17 billion. The stock sits well below its 52-week high of $84.64 and above its low of $25.89. The company is not yet profitable, with a trailing price-to-earnings multiple of negative 9.86.
Consensus reads buy, with eight bullish and three neutral ratings among 11 tracked firms. The average price target of $64.73 implies roughly 41% upside, and Rosenblatt's John McPeake holds the high target of $100.
Risks: The stock is highly volatile and valued on long-term potential rather than current earnings. Mizuho's Vijay Rakesh cut his target to $52 from $61 on September 9 while holding Outperform. The pace of commercial adoption, competition from larger technology companies, and cash burn all remain factors to monitor.
Tyler Technologies (TYL) – Piper Sandler Assumes Coverage at Overweight
Tyler Technologies drew an Overweight rating on Monday as Piper Sandler analyst Clarke Jeffries assumed coverage, though he trimmed his price target to $450 from $491. Tyler sells software for courts, tax offices, schools, and other public agencies. Government contracts tend to be sticky and less sensitive to economic cycles.
Shares traded near $323.79 during Monday's session, down about 0.55%, giving Tyler a market capitalization near $13 billion. The stock sits well below its 52-week high of $531.94 and above its low of $270.71. The trailing price-to-earnings multiple is 42.91.
Consensus reads strong buy, with 10 bullish and three neutral ratings among 13 tracked firms. The average price target of $448.46 implies roughly 39% upside. BTIG's Allan Verkhovski reiterated Buy at $400 on September 24.
Risks: The trimmed target is a reminder that sentiment has cooled. Barclays' Saket Kalia cut his target to $410 from $715 in February while holding Overweight. The pace of cloud migration among public-sector clients, government budget pressure, and competition from AI-native software vendors all remain factors to monitor.
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