Analyst Ratings February 19, 2026

KeyBanc Lowers Amplitude Price Target Citing Persistent Margin Pressure

Analyst keeps Overweight rating as ARR accelerates but profitability and margin expansion remain constrained

By Jordan Park AMPL
KeyBanc Lowers Amplitude Price Target Citing Persistent Margin Pressure
AMPL

KeyBanc trimmed its 12-month price target for Amplitude Inc. (AMPL) to $14 from $16 while keeping an Overweight stance. The firm highlighted a streak of accelerating annual recurring revenue growth but flagged consistently low margins and an expectation that margins will remain subdued for another year. Amplitude reported healthy gross profit margins yet remains unprofitable on an EPS basis. Recent industry coverage includes Morgan Stanley and BTIG raising ratings and targets, and Amplitude's acquisition of AI marketing analytics firm InfiniGrow.

Key Points

  • KeyBanc cut its price target on Amplitude to $14 from $16 but maintained an Overweight rating; the target implies sizable upside from the current $7.18 share price.
  • Amplitude has posted six consecutive quarters of accelerating ARR growth, moving from 8.2% to 17.3% as it exited 2025, and revenue rose 12.78% over the last twelve months.
  • Margin expansion remains a central concern: gross profit margin is 73.96% but the company reported an EPS of -$0.79 over the trailing twelve months; analysts differ on valuation and near-term profitability expectations.

KeyBanc has reduced its price objective for Amplitude Inc. (AMPL) to $14 from $16, while leaving its Overweight rating intact. The updated target implies substantial upside from the stocks recent trading level of $7.18, and InvestingPro data identifies the share price as slightly undervalued on its Fair Value assessment.

The research note underlined a consistent improvement in the companys annual recurring revenue (ARR) growth, which has accelerated for six consecutive quarters. According to KeyBancs characterization, ARR growth moved from 8.2% to 17.3% as Amplitude exited 2025. That acceleration forms part of a broader top-line trend: the companys revenue has expanded 12.78% over the last twelve months.

Despite revenue momentum, KeyBanc flagged margin performance as a central concern. The firm described Amplitudes margin level and expansion as stubbornly low and said it expects margins to stay depressed for another year. The company reported a gross profit margin of 73.96%, but remains unprofitable on an earnings basis, with trailing twelve-month earnings per share at -$0.79.

The analyst framed Amplitude as a case that may reveal investor preferences: the company is delivering accelerating growth while maintaining margins that some investors find unacceptably low. KeyBanc said it continues to value the rarity of accelerating growth even as it adjusted its target downward using peer multiples.


Several other brokerages and corporate developments were also noted. Amplitude announced the acquisition of InfiniGrow, an AI marketing analytics firm, which the company says will help make analytics more actionable for marketers by improving measurement, forecasting, and optimization of marketing impact on revenue.

On the coverage front, Morgan Stanley upgraded Amplitudes rating from Equalweight to Overweight and raised its price target to $16.00, pointing to potential benefits from generative AI for accelerating mobile and web application development. Separately, BTIG initiated coverage with a Buy rating and set a $14.00 price target, emphasizing Amplitudes leadership in product analytics and noting platform expansion into experimentation, marketing analytics, and session replay.

Collectively, the notes and strategic moves signal both continued confidence in Amplitudes growth trajectory and ongoing questions about when the company will translate that growth into sustainable margin expansion and profitability.

Risks

  • Persistent low margins - KeyBanc expects margins to remain low for another year, posing a risk to near-term profitability and valuation in the software sector.
  • Continued unprofitability - With trailing EPS at -$0.79, Amplitude has not converted revenue growth into positive earnings, which could influence investor appetite in the technology and SaaS markets.
  • Investor preference divergence - Accelerating growth alongside weak margin expansion creates uncertainty about how different investor groups will value the stock, affecting demand in equity markets.

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