Pre-Market Stock Futures:
Futures are trading higher as shell-shocked traders and investors return to a holiday-shortened trading week, where all the major indices are approaching or already in correction territory (down 10%). If we finish this week lower again, it will be the sixth straight week of losses for investors. The last time the S&P 500 had six straight weeks of losses was in May 2022, and the last such streak had occurred 11 years earlier, in June 2011. Needless to say, all of the major indices closed lower on Friday, and for the second day in a row, the Nasdaq was hit the hardest, closing down 2.15% at 20,948. The Russell 2000 finished the week at 2,445, down 1.92%, while the Dow Jones Industrials closed at 45,166, down 1.73%. The S&P 5oo was the best of the worst, closing at 6,368 down 1.67%.
Treasury Bonds:
Treasury yields were mixed across the curve, with some selling in the longer maturities, while buyers stepped in to purchase the shorter maturities and the belly of the curve. The ongoing issues we discussed last week remain firmly in place, and while President Trump extended the timeline for Iran, oil prices continue to climb higher. The 30-year long bond closed Friday at 4.97%, while the benchmark 10-year note was last seen at 4.43%.
Oil and Gas:
Oil exploded higher on Friday, and once again, that was one of the big factors contributing to the stock sell-off across domestic and global markets. With Iran rejecting U.S. terms for a peace solution and just a few tankers passing safely through the Strait of Hormuz, we look poised for another week of diplomatic jostling that will determine how stocks and the energy complex trade. Brent Crude finished trading on Friday at $113.20, up 4.79%, while West Texas Intermediate ended Friday at $100.30, up 6.12%. The last time WTI closed over $100 was in 2022, when Russia unleashed its attack on Ukraine. Natural gas closed Friday at $3.08, up 2.71%.
Gold:
Precious metals put in a solid performance on Friday as the safe-haven allure of Gold and Silver finally returned, at least for now. Gold closed Friday at $4,501, up 2.84%, while Silver closed trading at $69.72, up 2.69%. With gold consolidating after a big run-up over the last year, a solid trading bottom may be close, and investors could consider at least partial positions now.
Crypto:
Crypto markets traded sharply lower on Friday, with Bitcoin diving toward $65,000, its lowest level since early March, amid geopolitical tensions, rising U.S. bond yields, and heavy liquidations. Nearly $300 million in long positions were liquidated, and major crypto-related stocks like Coinbase Global (NASDAQ: COIN) and Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) tumbled 5%–10% as investor risk appetite waned. With $300 million to $500 million in crypto positions, predominantly long, liquidated on Friday, it was a clear indication that many traders were caught off guard by the downturn. At 8 AM EDT Monday, Bitcoin was trading at $67,540, while Ethereum was quoted at $2,073.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports daily to identify new investment ideas for both investors and traders. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock.
Here are some of the top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen on Monday, March 30, 2026.
Upgrades:
- Analog Devices Inc. (NYSE: ADI) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Arete, which has a $389 target price for the chip giant.
- Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank, which bumped the target price for the consumer staple leader to $98 from $90.
- CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWD) was upgraded to Outperform from Peer Perform at Wolfe Research, which has set a $450 tragte price for the cybersecurity leader.
- Expedia Group Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) was raised to Buy from Hold at Jefferies, which lifted the price target for the shares to $300 from $240.
- Instacart Inc. (NASDAQ: CART) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies, which raised the target price for the shares to $45 from $38.
Downgrades:
- Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE: BSX) was downgraded to Outperform from Strong Buy at Raymond James, which lowered the target price for the stock to $88 from $97.
- Dole plc (NYSE: DOLE) was cut to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank, which trimmed the target price to $15 from $18.
- Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE: HIG) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Keefe Bruvette, which cut the target price for the stock to $149 from $163.
- Nomad Foods Ltd. (NYSE: NOMD) was cut to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank, which bumped the target price to $16 from $15.
- Ovintiv Inc. (NYSE: OVV) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Citigroup, which, in turn, raised the target price for the shares to $62 from $52.
Initiations:
- Live Nation Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: LYV) was initiated with an Outperform rating at Citizens, which has a $190 target price objective.
- Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM | QCOM Price Prediction) was started with a Neutral rating at Goldman Sachs, which has set a $135 target price.
- Sanmina Corp. (NASDAQ: SANM) was initiated with a Neutral rating at JPMorgan, which has a $145 target price for the shares.
- Seagate Technology Holdings Plc. (NASDAQ: STX) was started with an Overweight rating at JPMorgan, with a $525 target price.
- Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX) was initiated with an Underperform rating at BNP Paribas, with an $84 target for the ubiquitous coffee retailer.