A large number of broker notes have hit the wires this week, leading to many popular shares being declared buys and sells.
Three shares that are in favour with brokers and have been given a buy rating are listed below. Here's why they are bullish on them:
Afterpay Limited (ASX: APT)
According to a note out of Morgan Stanley, its analysts have retained their overweight rating and $44.00 price target on this payments company's shares. Morgan Stanley appears to have been pleased with Afterpay's latest sales update. That update revealed that Afterpay achieved $1 billion of monthly underlying sales in November. It also reported 6.6 million active customers at the end of the period. This was ahead of Morgan Stanley's estimates. I agree with Morgan Stanley on Afterpay and would be a buyer of its shares.
Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS)
A note out of Goldman Sachs reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating and $3.05 price target on this wholesale distributor's shares. According to the note, Goldman was pleased with the performance of Metcash's Food division during the first half of FY 2020. It also notes the emergence of positive underlying sales trends in the division. While I think that the broker makes some fair points, I'd like to see how the company handles recent contract losses before considering an investment.
Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)
Analysts at UBS have upgraded this gold miner's shares to a buy rating with a $12.00 price target. According to the note, the broker believes that recent weakness in the Northern Star share price is a buying opportunity for investors. Whilst it acknowledges that issues with its Pogo operation are disappointing, it is confident that a turnaround is coming following a site visit. Overall, it believes that its shares are undervalued, hence today's upgrade. I think Northern Star could be a good option for investors that are looking for exposure to gold.
