Wall Street Bullish on BBWI and Other Stocks Despite Concerns
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 23 2026
0mins
Source: Yahoo Finance
- BBWI Sales Weakness: Bath and Body Works (BBWI) has experienced declining same-store sales over the past two years, with projected sales down 2.9% over the next year, indicating limited opportunities for new store openings in its core markets, which could impact future profitability.
- DAR Revenue Decline: Darling Ingredients (DAR) has seen a 3.2% annual revenue decline over the past three years, and its low gross margin of 23.8% reflects intense competition and poor unit economics, leading to a 25.6% annual contraction in earnings per share, putting pressure on stock prices.
- NESR Rising Costs: NESR's modest revenue base of $1.43 billion limits its fixed cost leverage, with a gross margin of only 12.7%, and costs have risen faster than revenue over the past five years, causing a 48.4 percentage point decline in EBITDA margin, affecting its investment capacity.
- Market Opportunity Assessment: While Wall Street's price targets suggest potential upside for these stocks, analysts express caution regarding the fundamentals of BBWI, DAR, and NESR, advising investors to consider more promising investment opportunities.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy BBWI?" 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 BBWI
Wall Street analysts forecast BBWI stock price to rise
14 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
10 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 19.390
Low
15.00
Averages
20.14
High
26.00
Current: 19.390
Low
15.00
Averages
20.14
High
26.00
About BBWI
Bath & Body Works, Inc. is a global omnichannel retailer focused on personal care and home fragrance. The Company offers a range of fragrances for the body and home, including selling collections for 3-wick candles, home fragrance diffusers, fine fragrance mists, liquid hand soaps, body lotions and body creams. It delivers customers their fragrances in multiple forms and categories. The Company sells merchandise through its retail stores in the United States and Canada, and through its Websites and other channels, under the Bath & Body Works, White Barn and other brand names. The Company’s international business is conducted through franchise, license and wholesale partners. It provides in-store experiences at more than 1,890 Company-operated Bath & Body Works locations in the United States and Canada, more than 525 international franchised locations and an online storefront at bathandbodyworks.com. Additionally, it offers a buy online pick-up in-store (BOPIS) option.
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.
- Market Volatility: On Wednesday, the S&P 500 Index fell by 0.28%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 1.09%, while the Nasdaq 100 Index rose by 0.27%, indicating mixed market performance under pressure from rising oil prices and bond yields.
- Surge in Oil Prices: Following President Trump's declaration that the ceasefire with Iran is over, WTI crude oil prices surged over 4% to a two-week high, boosting inflation expectations and pushing the 10-year Treasury yield to a 1.5-month high of 4.59%.
- Economic Data: US MBA mortgage applications fell by 2.2% for the week ending July 3, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down 0.6% and the refinancing sub-index down 4.1%, reflecting the negative impact of high rates on housing demand.
- Earnings Outlook: Bloomberg Intelligence forecasts a 23% increase in corporate earnings for Q2, close to Q1's 30% growth, with AI infrastructure stocks expected to contribute nearly 60% of S&P 500 earnings growth, highlighting strong potential in technology investments.
See More
- Partnership Expansion: Broadcom's multiyear partnership with Apple will exceed $30 billion, leading to the production of 15 billion U.S.-made chips, significantly enhancing Broadcom's position in the semiconductor market and driving future growth.
- Facility Expansion Plans: The deal includes an expansion of Broadcom's facility in Fort Collins, Colorado, aimed at increasing production capacity to meet Apple's growing demand, thereby further solidifying their strategic partnership.
- Positive Market Reaction: Broadcom's shares rose 6%, reflecting investor optimism regarding the partnership, while Apple's stock also saw a modest increase of 1%, indicating market confidence in its future performance.
- Vaccine Market Impact: Morgan Stanley reiterated its equal-weight rating on Moderna and raised its price target to $39, despite a 7% drop in the stock, as analysts believe vaccines and individualized neoantigen therapy will be key valuation drivers for the company.
See More
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.79%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 1.44%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased by 0.61%, reflecting heightened investor caution following President Trump's declaration that the ceasefire with Iran is over, prompting a flight to safety.
- Surge in Oil Prices: WTI crude oil prices surged over 7% to a two-week high as the US launched strikes against Iran, raising concerns about potential disruptions to energy supplies and pushing inflation expectations higher, which in turn lifted the 10-year Treasury note yield to a 1.5-month high of 4.59%.
- Mortgage Applications Decline: US MBA mortgage applications fell by 2.2% in the week ending July 3, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down 0.6% and the refinancing sub-index down 4.1%, indicating that high interest rates are negatively impacting housing demand and could further suppress the recovery in the real estate market.
- Optimistic Earnings Outlook: Bloomberg Intelligence forecasts a 23% increase in corporate earnings for Q2, close to the 30% growth seen in Q1, indicating that AI infrastructure stocks are expected to contribute nearly 60% of the S&P 500's earnings-per-share growth, suggesting a positive long-term outlook despite short-term market volatility.
See More
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.49%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.96%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased by 0.19%, reflecting investor concerns over escalating tensions in the Middle East, prompting a flight to safety.
- Oil Price Surge: WTI crude oil prices surged over 4% to a two-week high following U.S. military strikes against Iran, raising fears of potential disruptions in energy supplies and further boosting inflation expectations.
- Mortgage Applications Drop: U.S. MBA mortgage applications fell by 2.2% in the week ending July 3, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down 0.6% and refinancing down 4.1%, indicating the negative impact of high interest rates on housing demand.
- Optimistic Earnings Outlook: Bloomberg Intelligence forecasts a 23% increase in corporate earnings for Q2, close to the 30% growth seen in Q1, indicating that AI infrastructure stocks will drive S&P 500 earnings-per-share growth, reflecting market confidence in tech stocks.
See More
- Viking Holdings Rating: BMO initiates coverage of Viking Holdings (VIK) with an Outperform rating and a $115 target price, indicating confidence in the company's future growth despite its high valuation.
- Apple's Sustained Growth: Bernstein reiterates Apple as Outperform, noting a 2% YoY increase in May iPhone sales, with nearly all markets showing positive growth, particularly in Japan and emerging markets, highlighting Apple's competitive strength globally.
- Optimistic Tesla Outlook: Goldman Sachs maintains a neutral rating on Tesla, anticipating that the upcoming earnings report will exceed market expectations, supported by strong second-quarter delivery numbers, reflecting the company's ongoing appeal in the electric vehicle market.
- Pinterest Engagement Growth: DA Davidson initiates a Buy rating on Pinterest with a $26 price target, emphasizing the company's consistent growth in user engagement over the past ten quarters, showcasing its strong performance in the social media sector.
See More
- Energy Stocks Surge: Energy stocks saw significant gains as President Trump announced the end of the ceasefire with Iran, leading to a surge in U.S. oil prices; Diamondback Energy rose over 3%, while APA Corporation and Occidental Petroleum increased by more than 2.5%, indicating strong market confidence in the energy sector.
- Airlines and Cruise Lines Decline: Companies heavily exposed to fuel prices, such as Carnival Corporation and Norwegian Cruise Line, fell by 3.5% and 3% respectively, while United Airlines and Delta Air Lines dropped 3% and nearly 2%, reflecting the negative impact of rising oil prices on these industries.
- Memory Stocks Continue to Drop: The memory sector faced ongoing sell-offs, with Sandisk down over 5.5%, Western Digital falling 5%, and Micron Technology and Seagate Technology declining by 4.5% and 3.5% respectively, highlighting market concerns about the industry's outlook.
- Bath & Body Works Downgraded: Following a downgrade from Goldman Sachs from neutral to sell, Bath & Body Works saw its stock drop over 4%, as analysts warned that its expansion into third-party distribution could cannibalize its retail business, reflecting market apprehension about its future growth prospects.
See More











