Earnings
Home›Earnings›Analyst Ratings›Upgraded stocks outside AI spotlight include PayPal, T…
Upgraded stocks outside AI spotlight include PayPal, Texas Instruments
PayPal shares rebounded after a buyout proposal from Stripe and Advent International valued the company at about $53 billion, or $60.50 per share.
In July, three stocks that were heavily upgraded by analysts stood out for having little or no direct connection to the AI trade, according to MarketBeat Ratings. The list highlights PayPal, Texas Instruments, and J.B. Hunt, each of which saw analyst sentiment improve even as investors largely focused on data centers and artificial intelligence.
PayPal shares have had a volatile 2026, falling as much as 35% earlier in the year after its February earnings guidance called for slightly negative to slightly positive EPS growth in 2026, which was below what the market expected. After a new CEO announcement contributed to a drop of more than 20% in one day, the stock later surged more than 32% in one month in July as investors turned to the payments firm after Stripe and private equity firm Advent International offered to acquire PayPal for about $53 billion, or $60.50 per share.
MarketBeat also points to Texas Instruments as another July standout, noting that while the company benefits from semiconductor demand tied to data centers, it is not typically viewed as an “AI chip” play. The outlet says Texas Instruments generated a total return of more than 60% in 2026 and that its latest earnings beat included sales ahead of estimates by more than $200 million, along with near 23% year over year growth and industrial end market growth of about 30% year over year.
The piece describes the upgrades as reflecting factors beyond AI exposure, including analyst target and rating changes tied to earnings performance and potential corporate actions, as in PayPal’s case. PayPal also indicated the current offer may be too low, leaving open the possibility of a higher bid.