Stifel Financial appoints Jonathan Siegmann as MD, equity research
New Appointment at Stifel Financial: Jonathan Siegmann has been appointed as Managing Director of Equity Research at Stifel Financial, focusing on the aerospace and defense sector, and will be based in Boston. He previously worked at Terran Orbital Corporation, where he led investor relations and corporate development.
Investment Opportunities: The article highlights tools like TipRanks’ Stock Screener for identifying strong stock recommendations from top analysts, emphasizing the importance of analyzing investment opportunities to maximize portfolio performance.
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- Stock Price Decline: Microsoft (MSFT) shares fell nearly 5% on Thursday, closing at $393.58 with a market cap of $3.1 trillion, reflecting heightened negative sentiment towards software stocks.
- Analyst Rating Change: Stifel's analyst Brad Reback downgraded Microsoft's rating from 'Buy' to 'Hold' and significantly reduced the price target from $540 to $392, indicating a bearish outlook on the company's future financial performance.
- Increased Capex Forecast: Reback raised his forecast for Microsoft's capital expenditures to $200 billion for fiscal 2027, well above the $160 billion average expected by analysts, which could pressure the company's profitability.
- Market Sentiment Impact: The sell-off of Microsoft is largely driven by panic and herd behavior, yet despite short-term challenges, the company maintains diverse revenue streams, suggesting a positive long-term growth outlook.

- Analyst Downgrade: Microsoft stock received a rare downgrade from an analyst.
- Optimistic Projections: The analyst believes that the company's revenue and earnings expectations are overly optimistic.
- Earnings Performance: Roper Technologies reported a 10% year-over-year revenue increase to $2.06 billion for Q4 2025, although slightly missing the analyst estimate of $2.08 billion; however, net income rose to $561 million, exceeding the forecast of $5.14 per share, indicating dual growth from acquisitions and organic expansion.
- Market Reaction: Despite the decent earnings report, Roper's shares fell nearly 9% this week, reflecting market caution regarding future growth expectations, particularly as the allure of software businesses diminishes amid the ongoing AI stock craze.
- Future Outlook: The company projects an 8% revenue growth for 2026, reaching $7.9 billion, with adjusted net income estimated between $21.30 and $21.55 per share, although these forecasts are below average analyst expectations, raising concerns about its growth potential.
- Analyst Rating Changes: Following the earnings release, Stifel analyst Brad Reback downgraded Roper's rating from buy to hold and sharply cut the price target from $550 to $385, reflecting a pessimistic outlook on the company's future performance.

LIFT OFF: The article discusses the recent developments in the capital markets, highlighting the involvement of various financial institutions.
Key Players: Notable underwriters mentioned include Bancroft Capital, Stifel, and Cabreera Capital, indicating a competitive landscape in the market.
Market Dynamics: The commentary reflects on the current trends and challenges faced by these firms in the capital markets.
Future Outlook: There is an emphasis on the potential for growth and opportunities within the market as it continues to evolve.
- Record Revenue: Stifel Financial achieved a record revenue of $5.5 billion in 2025, marking an 11% increase and the first time surpassing $5 billion in its 135-year history, indicating robust growth momentum.
- Strong Wealth Management Performance: The Global Wealth Management segment generated $933 million in revenue for the quarter, while institutional revenue reached $610 million, up 28% year-over-year, reflecting the company's strong competitive position in wealth management and investment banking.
- Increased Shareholder Returns: The Board of Directors authorized an 11% increase in the common stock dividend starting in Q1 2026 and a 3-for-2 stock split effective February 26, 2026, demonstrating the company's commitment to shareholders and confidence in future growth.
- Optimistic Outlook: Total net revenue is projected to range between $6 billion and $6.35 billion for 2026, and despite the impact of the SIA sale and closure of the European equities business, management remains confident in improving expenses and margins.









