<div id="readability-page-1">U.S. stocks settled higher on Friday, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining around 300 points during the session as investors continued to show optimism towards the AI theme and positioned into December’s “triple witching” session. The Dow Jones closed higher by around 183 points to 48,134.89 on Friday. The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.88% to 6,834.50, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.31% to 23,307.62 during Friday's session. Wall Street analysts make new stock picks on a daily basis. Unfortunately for investors, not all analysts have particularly impressive track records at predicting market movements. Even when it comes to one single stock, analyst ratings and price targets can vary widely, leaving investors confused about which analyst’s opinion to trust. Benzinga’s Analyst Ratings API is a collection of the highest-quality stock ratings curated by the Benzinga news desk via direct partnerships with major sell-side banks. Benzinga displays overnight ratings changes on a daily basis three hours prior to the U.S. equity market opening. Data specialists at investment dashboard provider Toggle.ai recently uncovered that the analyst insights Benzinga Pro subscribers and Benzinga readers regularly receive can successfully be used as trading indicators to outperform the stock market. Top Analyst Picks: Fortunately, any Benzinga reader can access the latest analyst ratings on the Analyst Stock Ratings page. One of the ways traders can sort through Benzinga’s extensive database of analyst ratings is by analyst accuracy. Here’s a look at the most recent stock picks from each of the five most accurate Wall Street analysts, according to Benzinga Analyst Stock Ratings. Analyst: Ruben Roy <ul> <li>Analyst Firm: Stifel</li> <li>Ratings Accuracy: 87%</li> <li>Latest Rating: Maintained a Buy rating on Viavi Solutions Inc ( VIAV ) and increased the price target from $18 to $20 on Dec. 17. This analyst sees around 9% upside in the stock.</li> <li>Recent News: On Dec. 16, VIAVI announced share exchange for $103.463 million aggregate principal amount of its 1.625% convertible senior notes due 2026.</li> </ul> Analyst: William Stein <ul> <li>Analyst Firm: Truist Securities</li> <li>Ratings Accuracy: 85%</li> <li>Latest Rating: Maintained a Hold rating on Analog Devices Inc ( ADI ) and boosted the price target from $258 to $291 on Dec. 19. This analyst sees around 5% upside in the stock.</li> <li>Recent News: On Nov. 25, Analog Devices ( ADI ) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results.</li> </ul> Analyst: Matt Bryson <ul> <li>Analyst Firm: Wedbush</li> <li>Ratings Accuracy: 84%</li> <li>Latest Rating: Maintained an Outperform rating on Micron Technology Inc ( MU ) and increased the price target from $300 to $320 on Dec. 18. This analyst expects around 17% surge in the stock.</li> <li>Recent News: On Dec. 17, Micron reported better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 and issued a strong outlook for the second quarter.</li> </ul> Analyst: Justin Post <ul> <li>Analyst Firm: B of A Securities</li> <li>Ratings Accuracy: 84%</li> <li>Latest Rating: Maintained a Buy rating on Expedia Group Inc ( EXPE ) and raised the price target from $285 to $326 on Dec. 19. This analyst expects around 13% gain in the stock.</li> <li>Recent News: On Nov. 6, Expedia ( EXPE ) posted upbeat third-quarter earnings and raised FY25 guidance.</li> </ul> Analyst: Aaron Rakers <ul> <li>Analyst Firm: Wells Fargo</li> <li>Ratings Accuracy: 84%</li> <li>Latest Rating: Maintained an Overweight rating on Micron Technology Inc ( MU ) and increased the price target from $300 to $335 on Dec. 18. This analyst expects around 22% jump in the stock.</li> <li>Recent News: On Dec. 17, Micron reported upbeat earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 and issued a strong forecast for the second quarter.</li> </ul> Read More: <ul> <li>Jim Cramer Bears Down On EchoStar (SATS): ‘I Think The Play Is Over’</li> </ul> Photo via Shutterstock</div>

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Wall Street analysts have made new stock picks, with the most accurate analysts maintaining positive ratings on various stocks. Ruben Roy from Stifel sees a 9% upside for Viavi Solutions, William Stein from Truist Securities sees a 5% upside for Analog Devices, Matt Bryson from Wedbush expects a 17% surge for Micron Technology, Justin Post from B of A Securities expects a 13% gain for Expedia Group, and Aaron Rakers from Wells Fargo expects a 22% jump for Micron Technology.

- U.S. stocks rose on Friday, with the Nasdaq Composite increasing by approximately 300 points, driven by investor optimism around AI and the "triple witching" session.  
- Major indices closed higher, with the Dow Jones up about 183 points and the S&P 500 gaining 0.88%.  
- Analysts' stock ratings vary significantly, but Benzinga’s Analyst Ratings API offers curated stock ratings, showcasing top picks from highly accurate analysts and providing insights that have been linked to outperforming the market.

5 Stock Picks Last Week From Wall Street's Most Accurate Analysts