Apple, Cava, atai Life Sciences, Abacus Global Management: What brokers said this week

Cava (NYSE:CAVA) reported strong first quarter financial results that beat Wall Street expectations, but shares fell almost 5% as the fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant brand maintained its cautious outlook for the full year.

The company expects same-store sales growth of 6% to 8% and restaurant-level profit margins in the range of 24.8% to 25.2%, unchanged from prior forecasts.

Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL, ETR:APC) may be grappling with tariff uncertainty and a sluggish AI rollout, but investors should not lose sight of its long-term strengths.

That is the message from Wedbush, which reiterated its “outperform” rating and $270 price target, citing growing confidence in Apple’s ability to manage geopolitical risks while preserving margin and scale.

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (NASDAQ:TTWO) shares edged higher in early trade on Friday as its fiscal fourth quarter report impressed investors.

Q4 revenue grew 13% year-over-year to $1.58 billion, ahead of estimates of $1.55 billion.

Abacus Global Management (NASDAQ:ABL) is quickly proving its mettle in the alternative asset management space, delivering strong first-quarter earnings that exceeded Wall Street expectations and showcased the firm’s growing dominance in life settlements and adjacent financial services.

The company posted adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.18 for the first quarter of fiscal 2025, beating consensus estimates of $0.16 and driven by record capital deployment and strong performance in its Life Solutions and Asset Management businesses.

atai Life Sciences (NASDAQ:ATAI, ETR:9VC)’ stock is poised to climb significantly, driven by a series of clinical catalysts this year and next, analysts at Jefferies wrote following the release of the company’s first quarter results.

The analysts repeated their ‘Buy’ rating and $5 price target on atai, which traded up 11.8% at $1.60 on Thursday afternoon.

Dick's Sporting Goods (NYSE:DKS) is making a bid to acquire rival Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL) for roughly $2.3 billion in a move that would reshape the US athletic retail landscape and give Dick’s a broader reach into lower-income and international markets.

The potential acquisition, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, would value Foot Locker at $24 per share—a roughly 87% premium to the company’s closing price on Wednesday.

CoreWeave (NASDAQ:CRWV) shares moved higher after the AI cloud-computing startup reported significant revenue growth for the first quarter and raised its full-year outlook.

First quarter revenue surged 420% year-over-year to $981.6 million, ahead of analyst expectations of $857 million.

Africa Oil Corp (TSX:AOI) – which will shortly be renamed Meren Energy – today delivered “a solid set of results”, that’s according to stockbroker Peel Hunt which has now repeated a ‘Buy’ rating.

The company, in its first quarter trading statement, highlighted that it was “significantly transformed” during the period in terms of scale and structure.

The rebound in global tech stocks has more room to run, according to analysts at UBS who see accelerating AI investment and sustained earnings growth as key drivers for the sector.

Despite ongoing geopolitical risks and supply chain concerns, UBS argues that the risk-reward profile for quality tech names remains attractive.

Canada’s largest banks are kicking off earnings season next week against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and a slowing economy that could cloud the outlook.

Analysts will be watching closely for insight into how economic uncertainty, rising credit costs and tariff risks are weighing on the financial sector.

Millennial Potash Corp (TSX-V:MLP, OTCQB:MLPNF)'s latest drill results from its Banio project in Gabon could significantly enhance the asset’s resource potential, according to Fundamental Research.

The firm highlighted that Millennial’s ongoing Phase 2 drill program intersected more than 290 metres of potash seams in the recently extended hole, deepening it from 364 metres to about 678 metres.

The next big catalyst for Caledonia Mining Corporation PLC (AIM:CMCL, NYSE-A:CMCL) is just around the corner.

Investors are watching closely for the long-awaited feasibility study on its Bilboes project, which Panmure Liberum believes could reshape the outlook for the Zimbabwe-focused gold miner.

UBS has downgraded its view on US equities to 'neutral' from 'attractive', following the recovery of the S&P 500 from the correction sparked by Donald Trump's 'reciprocal' tariffs announcement and expectation of continued market volatility. 

After the US and China's weekend agreement to lower tariffs for 90 days while talks continue, UBS flagged US court challenges to the Trump administration’s tariffs starting this week.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS, ETR:GOS) has lowered its estimate of the likelihood of a US recession over the coming year to 35%, down from 45%, pointing to an easing of trade tensions between the United States and China.

The change followed an agreement announced on Monday by both countries to suspend tariff increases for 90 days.

Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT, ETR:WMT) will report its fiscal first-quarter 2025 financial results on Thursday, with Bank of America analysts repeating their ‘Buy’ rating ahead of the release, citing continued market share gains and improving long-term profitability.

They also maintained their price target of $120, representing upside from Walmart's share price on Monday afternoon of about $96.

US President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday aimed at introducing “Most Favored Nation” (MFN) drug pricing, a policy designed to align US drug prices with those paid in other developed countries.

Under the executive order (EO), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is directed to set target drug prices within 30 days. Over the following 180 days, pharmaceutical companies will enter negotiations with HHS — led by Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr — to reduce US prices through a case-by-case process.

Private investors considering Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) should approach with measured optimism.

The Danish drugmaker is a global leader in the fast-growing obesity market, but Morgan Stanley believes the near-term outlook is mixed.

Shares in Diversified Energy Company PLC (LSE:DEC, NYSE:DEC) rose 5% on Monday after the company posted what Peel Hunt called a solid first-quarter update, underpinned by stronger-than-expected revenues and steady cash generation.

The report is the first since DEC closed its acquisition of Maverick Natural Resources. Although only two weeks of Maverick’s production were included in the quarter, the numbers suggest meaningful progress.

For investors searching for undervalued names in the gold space, broker Cavendish believes Caledonia Mining Corporation PLC (AIM:CMCL, NYSE-A:CMCL) stands out as a compelling opportunity.

The Zimbabwe-based gold producer is trading well below its estimated fair value, despite strong free cash flow, consistent dividends and a positive outlook on production.