{"id":72866,"date":"2026-10-12T06:38:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T10:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-giants-lifted-by-analyst-upgrades-as-global-markets-eye-earnings-growth\/72866\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T06:38:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T10:38:15","slug":"tech-giants-lifted-by-analyst-upgrades-as-global-markets-eye-earnings-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-giants-lifted-by-analyst-upgrades-as-global-markets-eye-earnings-growth\/72866\/","title":{"rendered":"Tech Giants Lifted by Analyst Upgrades as Global Markets Eye Earnings Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-giants-lifted-by-analyst-upgrades-as-global-markets-eye-earnings-growth\/72866\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-giants-lifted-by-analyst-upgrades-as-global-markets-eye-earnings-growth\/72866\/#Tech_Sector_Momentum_Salesforce_and_Apple_Upgrades\" >Tech Sector Momentum: Salesforce and Apple Upgrades<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-giants-lifted-by-analyst-upgrades-as-global-markets-eye-earnings-growth\/72866\/#Goldman_Sachs_Flips_Bullish_on_Global_Equities\" >Goldman Sachs Flips Bullish on Global Equities<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-giants-lifted-by-analyst-upgrades-as-global-markets-eye-earnings-growth\/72866\/#Italy_Seeks_Fiscal_Leeway_Amid_Energy_Crisis\" >Italy Seeks Fiscal Leeway Amid Energy Crisis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-giants-lifted-by-analyst-upgrades-as-global-markets-eye-earnings-growth\/72866\/#Geopolitical_Risks_and_Energy_Infrastructure\" >Geopolitical Risks and Energy Infrastructure<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-giants-lifted-by-analyst-upgrades-as-global-markets-eye-earnings-growth\/72866\/#Monetary_Policy_and_Digital_Currency\" >Monetary Policy and Digital Currency<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>BofA Securities<\/strong> issued a dramatic double-upgrade for <strong>Salesforce (<a href=\"\/stock\/CRM\">CRM<\/a>)<\/strong>, raising its price target by <strong>78% to $285<\/strong> and citing the &quot;mission-critical&quot; nature of its data platforms in the AI era.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Goldman Sachs (<a href=\"\/stock\/GS\">GS<\/a>)<\/strong> strategists flipped to a bullish stance on global equities, projecting that <strong>upbeat earnings<\/strong> and a pullback in valuations create a favorable risk-reward profile for the next three months.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Italian PM Giorgia Meloni<\/strong> is pushing for greater <strong>EU budget flexibility<\/strong> to combat soaring energy prices while planning new <strong>tax breaks for the software industry<\/strong> in the 2027 budget.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Aramco (<a href=\"\/stock\/ARMCO\">ARMCO<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO Amin Nasser warned of a &quot;scarily thin&quot; global supply cushion following disruptions in the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, calling for collective international efforts to protect energy infrastructure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tech_Sector_Momentum_Salesforce_and_Apple_Upgrades\"><\/span>Tech Sector Momentum: Salesforce and Apple Upgrades<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Salesforce (<a href=\"\/stock\/CRM\">CRM<\/a>)<\/strong> shares surged following a notable double-upgrade from <strong>BofA Securities<\/strong>, which moved the stock from <strong>Underperform to Buy<\/strong>. Analysts raised the price target to <strong>$285 from $160<\/strong>, dismissing previous concerns that AI would disintermediate the company&#39;s business model. Instead, the bank highlighted that Salesforce&#39;s platforms house essential business logic and data pipelines that enterprises are unlikely to replace.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>)<\/strong> also received a revised outlook from <strong>JPMorgan (<a href=\"\/stock\/JPM\">JPM<\/a>)<\/strong>, with analysts raising the price target to <strong>$360 from $340<\/strong>. Despite rumors of order cuts for the iPhone, the bank maintained its bullish &quot;Overweight&quot; rating, pointing to the impending launch of <strong>Siri AI<\/strong> as a primary demand driver for the final quarter of 2026.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Goldman_Sachs_Flips_Bullish_on_Global_Equities\"><\/span>Goldman Sachs Flips Bullish on Global Equities<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Strategists at <strong>Goldman Sachs (<a href=\"\/stock\/GS\">GS<\/a>)<\/strong> have upgraded their outlook on global stocks, citing a &quot;valuation de-rating&quot; since the summer that has made equities more attractive. The team, led by <strong>Christian Mueller-Glissmann<\/strong>, is now <strong>overweight equities<\/strong> in the U.S. and Asia for the next three months. They believe that robust corporate earnings will provide a necessary buffer against rising bond yields.<\/p>\n<p>The firm also forecasted a record surge in U.S. stock supply, predicting issuance will reach <strong>$600 billion by 2027<\/strong>, driven by AI investments. However, they noted that this supply would likely be offset by <strong>$1.7 trillion in corporate buybacks<\/strong>, maintaining the structural integrity of the current bull market.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Italy_Seeks_Fiscal_Leeway_Amid_Energy_Crisis\"><\/span>Italy Seeks Fiscal Leeway Amid Energy Crisis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Italian Prime Minister <strong>Giorgia Meloni<\/strong> is set to raise the issue of <strong>budget flexibility<\/strong> at this week\u2019s EU summit, arguing that member states need more room to soften the impact of high consumer and energy prices. <strong>Regulated energy prices<\/strong> in Italy have reportedly risen <strong>25.9%<\/strong> year-over-year, prompting Rome to ask the European Commission to factor inflation into deficit calculations.<\/p>\n<p>To stimulate long-term growth, Meloni also announced plans to introduce <strong>tax breaks for the software industry<\/strong> within the 2027 budget. This move comes as the government negotiates with banks and energy firms for &quot;contributions&quot; to state finances to fund middle-income tax cuts ahead of the next national election.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Geopolitical_Risks_and_Energy_Infrastructure\"><\/span>Geopolitical Risks and Energy Infrastructure<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The global energy landscape remains under intense pressure as <strong>Aramco (<a href=\"\/stock\/ARMCO\">ARMCO<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO Amin Nasser described the recent near-closure of the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> as the most serious supply shock of his career. Nasser emphasized that nearly <strong>3 billion barrels<\/strong> of gross supply have been lost, and replenishing global inventories could take up to <strong>two years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In Yemen, the humanitarian and security situation has deteriorated further as <strong>Houthi forces<\/strong> tightened their siege of the key city of <strong>Taiz<\/strong>. Military sources report that fierce clashes have killed over <strong>60 people<\/strong> in the past 24 hours, marking a significant escalation in the protracted conflict.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Monetary_Policy_and_Digital_Currency\"><\/span>Monetary Policy and Digital Currency<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Bank of England (BoE)<\/strong> Deputy Governor <strong>Sarah Breeden<\/strong> signaled a shift in the urgency of the UK&#39;s central bank digital currency (CBDC) project. Breeden stated that a <strong>&quot;digital pound&quot;<\/strong> may not be needed as quickly as previously thought, as the bank focuses on ensuring financial stability while exploring how public money operates in an increasingly diverse payment ecosystem.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways BofA Securities issued a dramatic double-upgrade for Salesforce (CRM), raising its price target by 78% to $285 and 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