3 New Strong Buy Ratings from Top-Rated Analysts: 02/11/2025

Finance, biotech, and real estate, oh my! Here’s what’s trending with Wall Street’s top-rated analysts right now: 

• Axogen Inc (NASDAQ: AXGN) has surged 89.36% in the past year — but the move may not be over. 
• We featured LPL Financial Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: LPLA) last month when it was trading in the $330s. It’s now in the $360s, and there’s a long potential runway for growth, according to Wells Fargo.
• Jones Lang Lasalle Inc (NYSE: JLL) has unanimous Buy ratings among the analysts we track, and could benefit from a potential resurgence in commercial real estate.

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1- Axogen Inc (NASDAQ: AXGN)

Biotech stocks often get a bad rap. There’s a good reason for that, unfortunately — most “breakthroughs” don’t pan out — and even when they do, it’s a winner-takes-all scenario. Axogen Inc sidesteps both of these issues. For one, it’s the only publicly traded pure-play nerve repair company. Secondly, and more importantly, it already has a commercially proven, FDA-approved portfolio with minimal competition.

Zen Rating: A (Strong Buy) — see full analysis >  

Recent Price: $17.96  — get current quote > 

Max 1-year forecast: $22.00  

Why we’re watching:

• Although the stock is tracked by just 2 analysts, one rates it a Strong Buy while the other rates it a Buy, and the average forecast for AXGN stock sees a 11.23% upside in the cards. See the ratings 
• Caitlin Cronin, a Canaccord Genuity researcher (a top 26% rated analyst) maintained a prior Strong Buy rating on February 3.
• Cronin told readers they updated their model in response because "the shares now merit a premium valuation compared to small-cap peers" after Axogen preannounced its Q4 and FY 2024 earnings.
• Stocks with a Zen Rating of A, like AXGN, have provided an average annual return of 32.52% since the early 2000s.
• Axogen stock has surged by 89.36% over the last 365 days — far outperforming even the class of vaunted peers that it is in.
• Growth and Sentiment are Axogen’s strongest Component Grade ratings, in which it ranks in the 95th and 98th percentile, respectively. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

2- LPL Financial Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: LPLA)

You’ve probably heard that you should engage the services of a financial advisor more times than you can count. However, even independent advisors need infrastructure — and that’s where LPL Financial Holdings comes in. The tools, technology, and support that advisors need to provide you with the best support — that’s what this company offers. So no matter what is going on in the markets, LPLA stock benefits — as you’ll see shortly.

Zen Rating: B (Strong Buy) — see full analysis >  

Recent Price: $369.14 — get current quote > 

Max 1-year forecast: $435.00 

Why we’re watching:

• A consensus Strong Buy, LPLA stock was rated as such by 9 equity analysts — with an additional 2 Buy ratings and a lone Hold rating. See the ratings
• After the release of the company’s Q4 and FY 2024 earnings report, Michael Brown of Wells Fargo (a top 9% rated analyst) upped his price target to $405 from $390, doubling down on a previous Strong Buy rating.
• Brown highlighted the quarter's EPS beat, driven by "Advisory fees, commissions, cash sweep, and expenses."
• Looking ahead, the analyst told readers that Wells Fargo believes LPL Financial Holdings should continue to deliver strong organic growth but with a sharper focus on operating leverage, which will return high-teens EPS growth.
• LPL Financial Holdings’ Zen Rating of B puts in the top 20% of all the stocks tracked by our proprietary quant system.
• Growth, Sentiment, Financials and Momentum are the stock’s strongest Component Grade ratings. All of these categories have merited a B rating — but Momentum is LPLA’s strong suit, as it ranks in the top 6% of stocks in that category. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

3- Jones Lang Lasalle Inc (NYSE: JLL)

Real estate markets tend to ebb and flow — but Jones Lang Lasalle has been in business since 1997, and has managed to both weather crises and thrive when conditions are favorable. Recently named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune magazine, this real estate business has kept up with the times — and is active in high-growth subsectors such as logistics, data centers, and sustainable real estate.

Zen Rating:  A (Strong Buy) — see full analysis >  

Recent Price: $278.45  — get current quote > 

Max 1-year forecast: $353.00 

Why we’re watching:

• 5 Wall Street analysts we track issue ratings on JLL stock. 3 of them rate it a Strong Buy, while 2 gave it a Buy rating. See the ratings
• Notably, Anthony Pettinari of JP Morgan (a top 2% rated analyst) recently reiterated an earlier Strong Buy rating, while increasing his price target on the stock from $263 to $327. 
• Pettinari said they are maintaining a positive outlook on commercial real estate broker names. Further clarifying, the analyst stated that although the "easy money" has been earned, the companies are heading into a "beat-and-raise earnings cycle.
• In addition, the JP Morgan researcher hinted at a possible resurgence in leasing and commercial real estate sales that could continue "for a while", and predicted outsized earnings growth compared to the overall equities market through 2027
• On the whole, JLL stock earned a Zen Rating of A — more to the point, it ranks in the top 1% of all the stocks we track.
• 7 Component Grade ratings make up a Zen Rating — and JLL scored a B in all categories, with the exception of its Artificial Intelligence Component Grade rating, where it earned a C. In plain English, it’s hard to find discernable weaknesses here. (See all 7 Zen Component Grades here >)

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