Analyst Ratings February 9, 2026

Canaccord Sticks With Buy on Newell Brands; Analysts Remain Split as Company Executes Cost Cuts

Firm says sales inflection could arrive in Q2 even as 2025 proved challenging and other brokers cut targets

By Derek Hwang NWL
Canaccord Sticks With Buy on Newell Brands; Analysts Remain Split as Company Executes Cost Cuts
NWL

Canaccord Genuity has held its Buy rating and $8.00 price target on Newell Brands Inc (NWL) after the company's fourth-quarter report, citing potential upside if sales show sustained recovery as soon as the second quarter. The stock has risen in recent months despite mixed results and uneven core sales trends, while the company moves ahead with a global productivity plan that includes more than 900 job cuts and a quarterly dividend declaration. Other brokerages have taken a more cautious view, lowering price targets on the name.

Key Points

  • Canaccord Genuity maintained a Buy rating and an $8.00 price target on Newell Brands following Q4 results, citing potential upside if sales recovery proves sustainable.
  • Q4 results were broadly in line with expectations - sales roughly 1% above estimates, gross profit and adjusted EBITDA each about 1% below - while the stock has rallied in recent months.
  • Newell announced a global productivity plan to cut over 900 jobs (about 10% of professional and clerical staff) and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.07 per share.

Canaccord Genuity has maintained a Buy rating and a price objective of $8.00 on Newell Brands Inc (NASDAQ:NWL) following the company's fourth-quarter results. The firm described 2025 as "a year to forget" for the business but said shares retain "asymmetric upside" potential if a durable sales recovery materializes.

The stock is trading at $15,332.60, close to a reported 52-week high of $15,343.03, representing a 17.37% gain over the past year. InvestingPro data cited by analysts shows the share price has climbed 14.11% over the past six months, a rise that has occurred despite what Canaccord and others characterize as mixed operational performance.

Newell's Q4 results broadly matched consensus expectations. Sales landed roughly 1% above estimates, while gross profit and adjusted EBITDA each came in about 1% below forecasts. These variances left the quarter largely in line with the market's view, and the firm that follows the company argues that the market will need clearer, sustained evidence of sales growth before pricing in a fuller recovery.

Core sales trends at Newell show an uneven trajectory. The company recorded a 14.7% decline in core sales in the first half of 2023. That deterioration moderated to a 2.3% decline in the second half of 2024, before slipping back to a 3.4% decline in the first half of 2025 and a 5.7% decline in the second half of 2025. Canaccord highlighted these patterns while suggesting turnarounds do not proceed in a straight line and that a sustainable inflection could appear as soon as the second quarter.

Among the operational moves disclosed recently, Newell outlined a global productivity plan expected to eliminate more than 900 positions - roughly 10% of its professional and clerical workforce. The company said reductions in the United States are anticipated to occur this month, with international headcount reductions continuing through 2026. Management also approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.07 per share, with a record date of November 28, 2025 and a payment date of December 15, 2025.


Analyst views beyond Canaccord are mixed. UBS lowered its price target on Newell to $4.00, attributing the move to a weak outlook following the company’s third-quarter results and updated guidance. Morgan Stanley trimmed its target to $4.50, noting that while restructuring progress is evident, topline softness and volatile margins persist. The original report also referenced a separate Canaccord note that reiterated a Buy rating with a $7.00 target, illustrating divergence even among firms covering the stock.

Canaccord's case centers on the idea that clear, sustainable sales growth would act as a catalyst for the shares - the firm argued the market is unlikely to reward the stock until there is convincing evidence that growth is returning and durable. Year-to-date, the share price return stands at 5.08%, a figure the firm and interested investors may watch alongside incoming sales data for confirmation of a recovery.

For investors weighing the opportunity, the company’s combination of cost actions - including the workforce reduction and restructuring measures - together with a modest cash dividend may factor into assessments of near-term earnings resilience and capital allocation. Analysts' price targets differ materially, reflecting divergent views on the pace and durability of any turnaround.


Summary takeaways:

  • Canaccord retains a Buy stance and a $8.00 target while warning that 2025 was difficult for Newell.
  • Q4 results were roughly in line with consensus; sales were about 1% above expectations while gross profit and adjusted EBITDA were each roughly 1% below.
  • Newell announced a global productivity program cutting over 900 roles and declared a $0.07 quarterly dividend for shareholders of record on November 28, 2025.

Investors should note the range of analyst price targets and the uneven core sales trend as they judge risk and upside potential. The company’s operational decisions and upcoming sales data will be central to whether the more optimistic scenario envisioned by Canaccord becomes evident.

Risks

  • Persistent topline softness and margin volatility, as highlighted by Morgan Stanley, could slow or reverse any recovery in earnings - impacting consumer goods and retail sector valuations.
  • Execution and timing risk around the global productivity plan and international headcount reductions through 2026 could affect operations and cost savings realization - relevant to corporate operations and employment within the company.
  • Divergent analyst price targets and lowered guidance from brokers such as UBS introduce valuation uncertainty that could produce heightened stock volatility - affecting equity markets and investor sentiment in consumer discretionary stocks.

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