Citigroup Upholds Buy Rating for NICE - Depositary Receipt (NICE)
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Nov 15 2025
0mins
Should l Buy NICE?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Citigroup's Recommendation: Citigroup has maintained a "Buy" recommendation for NICE - Depositary Receipt (NasdaqGS:NICE) as of November 14, 2025, with an average one-year price target of $196.46/share, indicating a potential upside of 47.23% from its current price of $133.44/share.
Projected Financials: The projected annual revenue for NICE is $2,952 million, reflecting a 2.48% increase, while the expected non-GAAP EPS is 10.72.
Fund Sentiment: There are currently 537 funds reporting positions in NICE, a decrease of 2.36% from the previous quarter, with a total of 40,501K shares owned by institutions, down 4.84%.
Shareholder Activity: Notable changes in shareholder allocations include Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss increasing its shares by 2.64%, while FIL significantly raised its holdings by 75.89%, contrasting with decreases from other firms like Menora Mivtachim Holdings and Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings.
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Analyst Views on NICE
Wall Street analysts forecast NICE stock price to rise
15 Analyst Rating
10 Buy
5 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 102.050
Low
120.00
Averages
158.57
High
200.00
Current: 102.050
Low
120.00
Averages
158.57
High
200.00
About NICE
NICE Ltd., formerly NICE-Systems Ltd., is a global enterprise software provider. The Company's segments include Customer Interactions Solutions, and Financial Crime and Compliance Solutions. The Customer Interactions Solutions segment provides data driven insights that enable businesses to deliver personalized experience to customers. The Financial Crime and Compliance Solutions segment provides real time and cross-channel fraud prevention, anti-money laundering, brokerage compliance and enterprise-wide case management. The Company serves contact centers, back office operations and retail branches, covering various industries, including communications, banking, insurance, healthcare, business processes outsourcing (BPO), government, utilities, travel and entertainment. Its Multi-Channel Recording and Interaction Management enables organizations to capture structured and unstructured customer interaction and transaction data from multiple channels.
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.
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- Emerging Winners: The next phase of the AI revolution will reward companies providing cost-effective AI solutions, like data centers Equinix and Digital Realty, which generate stable monthly revenue and can offer reliable dividends, with Equinix's quarterly per-share dividend having grown nearly 80% over the past five years.
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See More
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- Excellent Customer Feedback: Among evaluated vendors, NiCE Cognigy received above-average customer feedback, reflecting the effectiveness and customer satisfaction of its products in real-world applications, further solidifying its market position.
- Outstanding Technical Advantages: NiCE Cognigy scored the highest in 10 current offering and strategy criteria, particularly excelling in AI model management and omnichannel support, demonstrating its strong capabilities in complex conversational AI applications that meet enterprises' needs for efficient solutions.
- Alignment with Market Trends: As enterprises shift towards unified platforms to integrate AI and data, this recognition of NiCE Cognigy not only enhances its brand image but also lays a foundation for future market expansion and technological innovation, aiding businesses in their digital transformation success.
See More
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- Rating Downgrade: Citi Research downgraded six application software stocks, including Similarweb, Docusign, Autodesk, Nice, CCC Intelligent Solutions, and Veeva Systems, from Buy to Neutral, reflecting concerns over a lack of catalysts in the next 12 months.
- Price Target Cuts: The firm also lowered price targets significantly, with Similarweb reduced from $8.50 to $3, Docusign from $99 to $50, Autodesk from $331 to $246, Nice from $184 to $119, CCC from $10 to $6, and Veeva from $291 to $176, indicating heightened risk perceptions regarding software application architecture.
- Market Reaction: Shares of all six companies fell during Friday trading, highlighting investor uncertainty about the software sector's future, particularly amid intensifying competition in the AI landscape.
- Strategic Shift: Citi analysts noted that while these companies may be well-positioned long-term, adopting a more cautious rating strategy allows for greater agility in response to market changes, especially with the rapid growth of AI companies and rising software optimization costs.
See More
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- Profitability Challenges: Despite Palantir Technologies reporting a net income of $1.6 billion last year, its market cap of $330 billion raises concerns about profitability, leading to a stock price decline of over 30% since November.
- Strong Data Center Performance: Digital Realty achieved a 10% revenue increase and nearly 40% growth in operating profits last year, reflecting robust demand in the AI data center market, with expectations for similar growth this year emphasizing the market's focus on efficient data processing.
- Value Discrimination in AI Solutions: A survey indicates that 56% of CEOs have yet to see financial benefits from AI investments, highlighting the market's increasing scrutiny of AI solution value, with companies favoring technologies that deliver tangible benefits.
- Power Consumption Pressure: The International Energy Agency forecasts a 15% annual increase in data center electricity consumption through 2030, significantly outpacing overall energy growth, prompting the industry to adopt more efficient power systems, such as the upcoming 800-volt DC systems, to reduce operational costs.
See More
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- Importance of Profitability: As the market increasingly focuses on profitability, Palantir reported a net income of $1.6 billion against a market cap of $330 billion, and despite expected per-share profit growth of over 70%, it failed to meet investor expectations, resulting in a more than 30% decline from its peak.
- Strong Data Center Performance: Digital Realty achieved a 10% revenue increase in 2025 and nearly 40% growth in operating profit, demonstrating solid profitability in the AI data center sector, which has helped its stock maintain a long-term upward trend despite volatility.
- Cautious Market for AI Solutions: While emerging technologies like AI assistants are gaining attention, a survey indicates that 56% of CEOs have yet to see financial benefits from AI investments, reflecting a growing demand for sustainable value in the market.
- Challenges of Power Efficiency: The International Energy Agency projects that data center electricity consumption will grow by 15% annually, significantly outpacing overall energy usage growth, prompting the industry to shift towards more efficient 800-volt DC systems to address rising operational costs.
See More
Retirees Must Beware of AI Bubble Risks
- AI Bubble Risks: As the AI frenzy cools, retirees must be cautious with their AI stock holdings, particularly those with poor profitability and increasing losses, such as SentinelOne, a $5 billion company whose losses are widening despite revenue growth, posing greater risks for investors.
- Emerging Winners: The next phase of the AI revolution will reward companies providing cost-effective AI solutions, like data centers Equinix and Digital Realty, which generate stable monthly revenue and can offer reliable dividends, with Equinix's quarterly per-share dividend having grown nearly 80% over the past five years.
- Power Solutions Demand: With increasing electricity needs from data centers, onsite power solution providers like Bloom Energy are gaining attention, as their solid oxide fuel cells can provide electricity at lower costs than the national grid, with projections indicating that about one-third of data centers will use 100% onsite power by 2030.
- Transition Planning Necessity: Retirees should develop a transition plan to shift from popular AI stocks to lesser-known AI companies poised for future success, such as Nice, which reported 13% revenue growth in its cloud business last year and is expected to benefit from rising demand for autonomous customer service agents.
See More
RPD Fund Management Acquires $100M Stake in NICE
- New Investment Insight: According to an SEC filing dated February 17, 2026, RPD Fund Management initiated a new position in NICE by purchasing 886,005 shares, with an estimated transaction value of $100.15 million, reflecting confidence in NICE's growth potential.
- Asset Allocation Analysis: This investment accounts for 43.42% of RPD Fund Management's reportable U.S. equity assets under management as of December 31, 2025, indicating the significance of NICE in its portfolio and potential implications for future investment strategies.
- Market Performance Assessment: As of March 19, 2026, NICE shares were priced at $118.28, down 21.7% over the past year, underperforming amid market sell-offs of software stocks; however, RPD's acquisition suggests a contrarian view against market fears.
- Growth Potential Outlook: NICE's cloud sales grew by 13% in 2025, with expectations for a 15% increase in 2026, and its AI product's annual recurring revenue surged by 66%, indicating strong competitive positioning and future growth prospects in the AI sector.
See More
