Analyst Ratings February 18, 2026

TD Cowen Lowers Waystar Price Target, Cites AI Concerns as Valuation Headwind

Analyst trims target to $42 but keeps Buy rating amid mixed signals from results and market sentiment

By Priya Menon WAY
TD Cowen Lowers Waystar Price Target, Cites AI Concerns as Valuation Headwind
WAY

TD Cowen reduced its 12-month price target on Waystar Holding to $42 from $54 while retaining a Buy rating, citing concerns tied to artificial intelligence as a continuing valuation overhang. The company reported strong fourth-quarter results and solid trailing revenue and EBITDA, but shares have faced significant declines and analyst responses have varied.

Key Points

  • TD Cowen cut its price target on Waystar to $42 from $54 but preserved a Buy rating.
  • Waystar reported a quarterly beat and last twelve months revenue of $1.1 billion (up 16.5%) with EBITDA of $391.95 million; Q4 2025 revenue was $304 million (up 24% YoY) and EPS was $0.36.
  • Analysts have issued mixed responses to the results and valuation, reflecting impacts across software sector multiples and equity investor sentiment.

TD Cowen has cut its price target for Waystar Holding (NASDAQ: WAY) to $42 from $54, while leaving its rating on the stock at Buy. The broker cited concerns related to artificial intelligence as a key factor weighing on the company’s valuation.

Waystar shares were trading at $24.31 at the time of the report, well below the stock’s 52-week high of $48.11 and down about 46% over the past year. TD Cowen pointed to AI-related pressures as a driver of earlier share weakness and said such concerns are likely to remain an overhang on valuation.

Despite the headline reduction in the target, the firm noted fundamentals that suggest resilience. The company delivered fourth-quarter revenue and EBITDA results that beat expectations, and its last twelve months revenue reached $1.1 billion, an increase of 16.5% year-over-year, with reported EBITDA of $391.95 million. TD Cowen also described Waystar’s revenue guidance for fiscal 2026 as conservative.

Management has defended the business against AI competition by stressing the proprietary character of its data. TD Cowen indicated this management argument should be positively received by investors, even as it sees AI-related concerns continuing to affect multiples.

Market data cited in the firm’s note suggested the stock may be undervalued on certain metrics: InvestingPro data showed a price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 0.16, a figure TD Cowen used to highlight relatively low valuation versus growth expectations.


Other analysts have taken differing approaches following Waystar’s quarter. The company posted fourth-quarter 2025 revenue of $304 million, a rise of 24% year-over-year, and delivered earnings per share of $0.36, above consensus forecasts. Following those results:

  • Truist Securities reduced its price target to $38 from $51 but maintained a Buy rating.
  • BMO Capital lowered its target to $30 from $47 despite revenue and EBITDA surpassing consensus.
  • Freedom Capital Markets upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold and set a price target of $33, citing the quarter’s strength and a favorable fiscal 2026 outlook.
  • Citizens trimmed its target to $34 from $48, attributing the change to broader sector multiples.

These adjustments illustrate a range of analyst views: some firms pared targets in line with a broader valuation reset among comparable software companies, while others moved more bullishly after the quarter.

TD Cowen’s overall position balances a maintained Buy rating against a lower price objective and explicit caution about AI-related valuation pressure. The firm’s characterization of guidance as conservative and the company’s recent top-line and EBITDA growth form the core factual elements underpinning that stance.

Risks

  • Ongoing AI-related concerns that TD Cowen says could continue to pressure Waystar’s valuation - this risk affects investor sentiment in the technology/software sector.
  • Broader sector multiple adjustments cited by some analysts that can depress price targets even when company fundamentals beat estimates - a market risk for software comparables.
  • Divergent analyst views create uncertainty around consensus valuation and target-pricing for the stock, influencing trading and investor decisions in equity markets.

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