Should I Buy PIPR? PIPR 2026 Analysis

Should You Buy Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Conclusion

Hold

Latest Price

346.350

1 Day change

-0.35%

52 Week Range

380.260

Analysis Updated At

2026/01/30

Not a good buy right now. PIPR is trading ~347 pre-market (below/near the key S1 support ~349.34) while momentum is still deteriorating (negative and expanding MACD histogram). With no Intellectia proprietary buy signals today (AI Stock Picker: none; SwingMax: none) and pattern-based odds skewing to further weakness over the next week/month, the risk/reward for an impatient entry is unfavorable ahead of earnings (2026-02-06 pre-market).

Technical Analysis

Trend/momentum: Bearish-to-weak. MACD histogram is -2.899 and negatively expanding, signaling downside momentum is strengthening. RSI(6) is 28.64 (near oversold), which can precede bounces, but oversold alone is not a buy trigger when MACD is still worsening. Levels: Pivot ~362.97 is well above price, reinforcing that the stock is trading below an important balance point. Immediate support is S1 ~349.34 (currently being tested/undercut in pre-market), then S2 ~340.92. Resistance levels sit at ~376.60 (R1) and ~385.02 (R2). Moving averages: Converging MAs suggests a transition phase, but current price action near/below support with negative MACD favors a bearish continuation unless price quickly reclaims S1 and then the pivot. Probabilistic trend (similar candlestick patterns): 80% chance of ~-1.25% over the next week and ~-6.55% over the next month, aligning with the current negative momentum backdrop.

Options Data

Bullish

Open Interest Put-Call Ratio

Bullish

Option Volume Put-Call Ratio

Sentiment/positioning: Open interest put-call ratio at 0.82 implies slightly more call positioning than puts (mildly constructive). However, today’s option volume is dominated by puts (put volume 228 vs call volume 0 as provided), which reads as near-term caution/hedging. Volatility: IV percentile 75.2 indicates options are relatively expensive versus the stock’s own history; that often coincides with elevated uncertainty (notably with earnings approaching on 2026-02-06). Implied vol (30d) ~36.58 is close to historical vol ~37.37, suggesting options are not cheap and the market is pricing meaningful movement risk. Activity: Volume today vs 30-day average is very elevated (570), signaling unusual attention, but the put-heavy volume points to defensive/negative near-term tone.

Technical Summary

Sell

Buy

Positive Catalysts

citing best-in-class capital markets exposure and potential acceleration in mid-cap M&A; Wolfe reiterated Outperform and nudged PT higher (2026-01-07).
could re-rate shares if results/guidance beat expectations.
modestly supports franchise build-out.

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

with a negatively expanding MACD—this combination often precedes another leg down toward S2 (~340.
if support fails.
with a $385 PT, arguing Piper’s smaller-market-cap skew may limit upside EPS growth versus peers.

Financial Performance

Latest quarter provided: 2025/Q3. Growth: Revenue $475.319M (+33.60% YoY), Net Income $60.266M (+73.23% YoY), EPS $3.38 (+72.45% YoY). This is strong operating leverage and earnings acceleration. Margins: Gross margin ~99.83% (slightly higher YoY), consistent with an advisory/capital-markets model. Takeaway: Fundamentals were strong in the latest reported quarter, but the stock’s current setup is being driven more by near-term technical/positioning and the upcoming earnings catalyst than by trailing-quarter strength alone. Politicians/congress: No recent congress trading data available; no politician/influential-figure activity provided. Hedge funds and insiders are reported as Neutral with no significant recent trends.

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

Recent trend: Mixed but leaning constructive overall. Upgrades/positives: Goldman upgraded to Buy (2025-11-09) with PT raised to $386; Wolfe maintained Outperform and nudged PT to $398 (2026-01-07). New negative coverage: BofA initiated Underperform (2026-01-26) with PT $385, highlighting potentially less upside versus peers due to deal-size exposure. Wall Street pros vs cons: Pros: Beneficiary of improving capital markets/M&A cycle; differentiated mid-cap M&A exposure; multiple bullish/Outperform-type stances with ~$386–$398 PTs. Cons: One notable Underperform initiation; upside may be capped versus peers if larger-deal activity drives the cycle; near-term technical weakness could overwhelm fundamentals until after earnings.

1 Analyst Rating

Wall Street analysts forecast PIPR stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for PIPR is 386 USD with a low forecast of 386 USD and a high forecast of 386 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.

1 Buy

0 Hold

0 Sell

Moderate Buy

Current: 347.560

Low

386

Averages

386

High

386

Current: 347.560

Low

386

Averages

386

High

386

BofA

Underperform

initiated

$385

AI Analysis

2026-01-26

New

Reason

BofA

Price Target

$385

AI Analysis

2026-01-26

New

initiated

Underperform

Reason

BofA initiated coverage of Piper Sandler with an Underperform rating and $385 price target. While Piper stands to benefit from accelerating M&A activity, especially U.S. bank M&A, franchise strength that skews smaller market-cap limits its potential for outsized EPS growth compared to peers exposed to larger deals, the analyst tells investors while initiating coverage on the boutique investment banks.

Wolfe Research

Outperform

maintain

$396 -> $398

2026-01-07

Reason

Wolfe Research

Price Target

$396 -> $398

2026-01-07

maintain

Outperform

Reason

Wolfe Research raised the firm's price target on Piper Sandler to $398 from $396 and keeps an Outperform rating on the shares as part of the firm's Top 10 Themes for 2026 note on the Banks, Brokers, and Alternative Managers. Heading into 2026, the firm notes Retail Brokers and Alts are its favorite subsectors.

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PIPR Should I Buy

PIPR Should I Buy

Should You Buy Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Technical Analysis

Options Data

Technical Summary

Positive Catalysts

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

Financial Performance

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

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