Morgan Stanley's Positive Outlook on Roku and Outfront Media Driven by Optimism in Advertising Expenditure
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 16 2025
0mins
Should l Buy ROKU?
Source: SeekingAlpha
Roku and Outfront Media Ratings Upgrade: Roku and Outfront Media received an "overweight" rating from Morgan Stanley, improving from "underweight," leading to a nearly 4% increase in premarket trading for both companies.
Positive Outlook for U.S. Advertising Market: Analysts expect a strong year for U.S. advertising spending, particularly in connected TV (CTV), driven by the migration of sports and political advertising, which may enhance revenue growth.
Roku's Growth Potential: Morgan Stanley anticipates significant growth for Roku's platform revenue by 2026, supported by an expanding user base, enhanced streaming partnerships, and new monetization strategies.
Outfront Media's Share Upside: The firm projects that Outfront Media's share price will benefit from cyclical events, improved revenue from transit, and easing revenue comparisons, with a price target increase from $20 to $28.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy ROKU?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on ROKU
Wall Street analysts forecast ROKU stock price to rise
23 Analyst Rating
19 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 100.550
Low
100.00
Averages
123.10
High
145.00
Current: 100.550
Low
100.00
Averages
123.10
High
145.00
About ROKU
Roku, Inc. operates a television (TV) streaming platform. The Company connects viewers to the streaming content they love, enables content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provides advertisers with capabilities to engage consumers. The Company’s segments include platform and devices. The platform segment is engaged in the sale of digital advertising (including direct and programmatic video advertising, media and entertainment promotional spending, and related services) and streaming services distribution (including subscription and transaction revenue shares, the sale of premium subscriptions, and the sale of branded app buttons on remote controls). The devices segment is engaged in the sale of streaming players, Roku-branded TVs, smart home products and services, audio products, and related accessories. The Company sells the majority of its devices in the United States through retailers and distributors as well as through the Company’s website.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Roku Exclusively to Stream MoonPay X Games League
- Audience Growth Driving Deal: Roku and X Games reported strong audience momentum, with Roku achieving a 149% year-over-year growth during the latest X Games Aspen event, surpassing the overall TV platform growth of 105%, indicating its strong market appeal.
- Streaming Rights Expansion: Roku will begin broadcasting the MoonPay X Games League starting with its inaugural summer season in 2026, followed by the winter competition in 2027, ensuring full live coverage for every scheduled event and enhancing its content attractiveness.
- New League Structure: The new competition format is designed around global teams competing in multiple action sports disciplines such as skateboarding, BMX, and skiing, featuring both men's and women's competitions, and aims to modernize the X Games competition model through structured seasons and team ownership.
- Digital-First Strategy: X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom emphasized the league's digital-first distribution approach to attract younger audiences, with Roku's success proving its potential in this area, making the expanded partnership a significant signal of the business's direction.
See More
Emerging Consolidation Wave in U.S. Markets
- Resurgence of M&A Activity: Over the six months ending March 2026, U.S. merger activity remained robust, with monthly deal counts consistently between 1,000 and 1,300, indicating strong market demand for consolidation despite volatility and macro uncertainty.
- Sector Concentration Trend: Frequent mergers in consumer health, semiconductors, medical devices, and media entertainment suggest that companies in these sectors are consolidating to enhance scale and competitiveness in response to rising costs and technological pressures.
- Clear Strategic Motivations: In consumer products, companies merge brand portfolios to strengthen negotiating power with retailers; semiconductor firms seek scale due to rising R&D costs; and medical technology companies acquire innovative platforms to accelerate product development.
- Emerging Investment Opportunities: As the consolidation wave accelerates, investors should focus on identifying companies that may become acquisition targets, as recognizing integration opportunities within industries could yield significant returns.
See More
U.S. Stocks Rise as Hims Surges 40.79% Amid Market Volatility
- Market Volatility Impact: U.S. equities closed higher after President Trump's remarks suggested the Iran conflict might be nearing an end, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.5% to 47,740.80, reflecting investor optimism about market prospects.
- Hims Stock Surge: Hims & Hers Health saw its stock soar by 40.79%, closing at $22.16, hitting an intraday high of $23.51, following Novo Nordisk's decision to sell its weight-loss drug through Hims' telehealth platform, resolving a patent dispute and potentially boosting future revenue growth.
- Roku Slight Decline: Roku's stock dipped 0.40% to $100.17, despite announcing the addition of Apple TV to its Premium Subscriptions to enhance viewer engagement, indicating a cautious investor sentiment regarding its future growth potential.
- Joby Aviation Project Selection: Joby Aviation's stock increased by 5.13%, closing at $10.04, after being selected for the White House-backed eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, which is expected to accelerate its early U.S. operations and could hasten the deployment of its commercial air-taxi service.
See More
Cathie Wood's Ark Invest Bets on Robinhood and Roku
- Robinhood Growth Potential: In 2025, Robinhood achieved a 52% year-over-year revenue increase to $4.5 billion, with net income rising 33% to $1.9 billion, demonstrating its ongoing efforts in democratizing finance and market appeal.
- Service Diversification: Robinhood is expanding its Gold premium service and launching tax-filing services for high-net-worth users, which not only creates stable revenue streams but also enhances its appeal among younger investors, expected to drive growth over the next decade.
- Roku Market Leadership: Roku reported a 15% year-over-year revenue growth in 2025, reaching $4.7 billion, successfully turning a net loss per share into earnings of $0.59, showcasing its strong performance in a competitive streaming market.
- Platform Revenue Growth: Roku's advertising platform revenue is growing much faster than device sales, and with increasing streaming viewership, profits are expected to rise over the next decade, providing investors with substantial returns.
See More
US Department of War Denies Negotiations with Anthropic AI
- Government Denial: The US Department of War has refuted any ongoing negotiations with AI startup Anthropic, which plans to challenge the government's designation of it as a national security 'supply chain risk,' potentially impacting its funding and market confidence.
- Congressional Scrutiny on China: Congressman John Moolenar urged the Treasury Secretary to exercise 'heightened scrutiny' of inbound investments from China, which could lead to stricter restrictions on Chinese businesses seeking market access in critical manufacturing sectors in the US, affecting US-China economic relations.
- Trump Administration's New Framework: The Trump administration is reportedly considering a new framework that would require foreign governments to invest in US data centers when exporting advanced AI chips, which could alter the dynamics of the global technology supply chain and impact international competition.
- Amazon Job Cuts: Amazon has reportedly cut additional jobs in its robotics division, reflecting structural adjustments as the company faces market challenges, which may affect its future innovation capabilities and competitive position.
See More
Apple Unveils New AI-Powered M5 MacBook Air and More
- Product Launch: Apple Inc. made headlines on Tuesday by unveiling four new products, including the M5 MacBook Air, emphasizing AI performance at the core of its Mac ecosystem, which is expected to attract more consumer interest.
- Revenue Growth Forecast: Analyst Gene Munster predicts that the launch of the $599 MacBook Neo, Apple's most affordable laptop, could boost overall revenue by 0.5%, significantly lower than previous entry-level models, potentially appealing to more education customers.
- Content Expansion Partnership: Roku, Inc. announced the addition of Apple TV to its Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel, aiming to enhance viewer engagement and expand content offerings, which may strengthen Roku's competitive position in the market.
- Cybersecurity Threat Identification: Google's Threat Intelligence Group identified a hacking tool named “Coruna” targeting iPhone models running iOS versions 13.0 to 17.2.1, highlighting the importance of cybersecurity, especially in the current geopolitical context.
See More
Roku Exclusively to Stream MoonPay X Games League
- Audience Growth Driving Deal: Roku and X Games reported strong audience momentum, with Roku achieving a 149% year-over-year growth during the latest X Games Aspen event, surpassing the overall TV platform growth of 105%, indicating its strong market appeal.
- Streaming Rights Expansion: Roku will begin broadcasting the MoonPay X Games League starting with its inaugural summer season in 2026, followed by the winter competition in 2027, ensuring full live coverage for every scheduled event and enhancing its content attractiveness.
- New League Structure: The new competition format is designed around global teams competing in multiple action sports disciplines such as skateboarding, BMX, and skiing, featuring both men's and women's competitions, and aims to modernize the X Games competition model through structured seasons and team ownership.
- Digital-First Strategy: X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom emphasized the league's digital-first distribution approach to attract younger audiences, with Roku's success proving its potential in this area, making the expanded partnership a significant signal of the business's direction.
See More
Emerging Consolidation Wave in U.S. Markets
- Resurgence of M&A Activity: Over the six months ending March 2026, U.S. merger activity remained robust, with monthly deal counts consistently between 1,000 and 1,300, indicating strong market demand for consolidation despite volatility and macro uncertainty.
- Sector Concentration Trend: Frequent mergers in consumer health, semiconductors, medical devices, and media entertainment suggest that companies in these sectors are consolidating to enhance scale and competitiveness in response to rising costs and technological pressures.
- Clear Strategic Motivations: In consumer products, companies merge brand portfolios to strengthen negotiating power with retailers; semiconductor firms seek scale due to rising R&D costs; and medical technology companies acquire innovative platforms to accelerate product development.
- Emerging Investment Opportunities: As the consolidation wave accelerates, investors should focus on identifying companies that may become acquisition targets, as recognizing integration opportunities within industries could yield significant returns.
See More
U.S. Stocks Rise as Hims Surges 40.79% Amid Market Volatility
- Market Volatility Impact: U.S. equities closed higher after President Trump's remarks suggested the Iran conflict might be nearing an end, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.5% to 47,740.80, reflecting investor optimism about market prospects.
- Hims Stock Surge: Hims & Hers Health saw its stock soar by 40.79%, closing at $22.16, hitting an intraday high of $23.51, following Novo Nordisk's decision to sell its weight-loss drug through Hims' telehealth platform, resolving a patent dispute and potentially boosting future revenue growth.
- Roku Slight Decline: Roku's stock dipped 0.40% to $100.17, despite announcing the addition of Apple TV to its Premium Subscriptions to enhance viewer engagement, indicating a cautious investor sentiment regarding its future growth potential.
- Joby Aviation Project Selection: Joby Aviation's stock increased by 5.13%, closing at $10.04, after being selected for the White House-backed eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, which is expected to accelerate its early U.S. operations and could hasten the deployment of its commercial air-taxi service.
See More
Cathie Wood's Ark Invest Bets on Robinhood and Roku
- Robinhood Growth Potential: In 2025, Robinhood achieved a 52% year-over-year revenue increase to $4.5 billion, with net income rising 33% to $1.9 billion, demonstrating its ongoing efforts in democratizing finance and market appeal.
- Service Diversification: Robinhood is expanding its Gold premium service and launching tax-filing services for high-net-worth users, which not only creates stable revenue streams but also enhances its appeal among younger investors, expected to drive growth over the next decade.
- Roku Market Leadership: Roku reported a 15% year-over-year revenue growth in 2025, reaching $4.7 billion, successfully turning a net loss per share into earnings of $0.59, showcasing its strong performance in a competitive streaming market.
- Platform Revenue Growth: Roku's advertising platform revenue is growing much faster than device sales, and with increasing streaming viewership, profits are expected to rise over the next decade, providing investors with substantial returns.
See More
US Department of War Denies Negotiations with Anthropic AI
- Government Denial: The US Department of War has refuted any ongoing negotiations with AI startup Anthropic, which plans to challenge the government's designation of it as a national security 'supply chain risk,' potentially impacting its funding and market confidence.
- Congressional Scrutiny on China: Congressman John Moolenar urged the Treasury Secretary to exercise 'heightened scrutiny' of inbound investments from China, which could lead to stricter restrictions on Chinese businesses seeking market access in critical manufacturing sectors in the US, affecting US-China economic relations.
- Trump Administration's New Framework: The Trump administration is reportedly considering a new framework that would require foreign governments to invest in US data centers when exporting advanced AI chips, which could alter the dynamics of the global technology supply chain and impact international competition.
- Amazon Job Cuts: Amazon has reportedly cut additional jobs in its robotics division, reflecting structural adjustments as the company faces market challenges, which may affect its future innovation capabilities and competitive position.
See More
Apple Unveils New AI-Powered M5 MacBook Air and More
- Product Launch: Apple Inc. made headlines on Tuesday by unveiling four new products, including the M5 MacBook Air, emphasizing AI performance at the core of its Mac ecosystem, which is expected to attract more consumer interest.
- Revenue Growth Forecast: Analyst Gene Munster predicts that the launch of the $599 MacBook Neo, Apple's most affordable laptop, could boost overall revenue by 0.5%, significantly lower than previous entry-level models, potentially appealing to more education customers.
- Content Expansion Partnership: Roku, Inc. announced the addition of Apple TV to its Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel, aiming to enhance viewer engagement and expand content offerings, which may strengthen Roku's competitive position in the market.
- Cybersecurity Threat Identification: Google's Threat Intelligence Group identified a hacking tool named “Coruna” targeting iPhone models running iOS versions 13.0 to 17.2.1, highlighting the importance of cybersecurity, especially in the current geopolitical context.
See More
