16 S&P 500 Stocks With The Worst Analyst Ratings

Analyst rating and price target changes are one of the most common catalysts in the stock market. Wall Street analysts typically have years of experience in the market and access to industry insiders, cutting edge technology and a tremendous amount of resources that are helpful in forecasting the market.

These analysts are far from perfect in picking stock winners and losers, and they take a lots of heat in the media for their mistakes. But in general, analyst commentary is a useful resource for investors.

Power Of Diversification

Financial advisors encourage investors to diversify their portfolios to help mitigate the risk that of any individual investment. Traders should think the same way about analyst opinions as well. Relying too heavily on one analyst can be dangerous, but the consensus analyst opinion on a stock can give a much more accurate snapshot of the outlook for a stock.

Analyst Sell ratings can be particularly useful to traders given they are extremely rare. In general, more than 90% of all analyst ratings are Buys or Holds, while under 10% are Sells.

Worst-Rated Stocks

Here’s a look at the 16 S&P 500 stocks with the most bearish consensus analyst ratings according to Finviz. The overall rating score is based on an average analyst rating on a scale of 1.0 (Strong Buy) to 5.0 (Strong Sell).

1. Franklin Resources, Inc. BEN, 3.6 rating.
2. Fossil Group Inc FOSL, 3.5 rating.
3. J M Smucker Co SJM, 3.5 rating.
4. Macy's Inc M, 3.4 rating.
5. Waters Corporation WAT, 3.4 rating.
6. Campbell Soup Company CPB, 3.4 rating.
7. Kraft Heinz Co KHC, 3.3 rating.
8. The Western Union Company WU, 3.3 rating.
9. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. MTD, 3.3 rating.
10. Southern Co SO, 3.3 rating.
11. Southwestern Energy Company SWN, 3.2 rating.
12. MarketAxess Holdings Inc. MKTX, 3.2 rating.
13. Hormel Foods Corp HRL, 3.2 rating.
14. Garmin Ltd. GRMN, 3.2 rating.
15. Consolidated Edison, Inc. ED, 3.2 rating.
16. Expeditors International of Washington EXPD, 3.2 rating.

Benzinga’s Take

Investors who want some insight into an analyst’s track record can check his or her profile on TipRanks. However, an analyst’s track record may be a bit deceiving if he or she covers a market sector that has performed particularly well or poorly in recent years.

Do you agree with this take? Email feedback@benzinga.com with your thoughts.

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