","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"http://g.foolcdn.com/avatar/226381633/large.ashx","height":"80","width":"80"}},"about":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.fool.com/","name":"The Motley Fool","url":"https://www.fool.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://g.foolcdn.com/misc-assets/logo-tmf-primary-7-magenta-royalpurple.svg","width":"157","height":"43"},"brand":"The Motley Fool","contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"Media Inquiries","email":"[email protected]"},"publishingPrinciples":"https://www.fool.com/about/","sameAs":["https://www.fool.com/about/","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Motley_Fool","https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7752442","https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-motley-fool","https://www.facebook.com/themotleyfool/","https://x.com/themotleyfool","https://www.instagram.com/themotleyfoolofficial/","https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpRQuynBX9Qy9tPrcswpPag","https://www.pinterest.com/themotleyfool/","https://www.tiktok.com/@themotleyfoolofficial","https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/0578mk"]},"description":"Stocks are constantly moving on news of an analyst's new price target. Are these something that individual investors should focus on?","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","height":"630","width":"1200"}}","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"http://g.foolcdn.com/avatar/226381633/large.ashx","height":"80","width":"80"}},"inLanguage":"en-US"}

Do You Pay Attention to Analysts' Price Targets?

Stocks are constantly moving on news of an analyst's new price target. Are these something that individual investors should focus on?

By Brendan Mathews and Jason Moser – Mar 26, 2014 at 8:00PM EST

In this edition of The Motley Fool's "Ask a Fool" series, Motley Fool One analyst Jason Moser and Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst Brendan Mathews take a question from a reader who asks: "When researching a stock, how much weight should I give analysts' price targets? And how accurate/successful are analysts in their price target predictions?"

Brendan suggests ignoring analyst price targets, as they don't tend to be very accurate and are typically very short-term in nature. Jason points out that if a stock price falls because an analyst lowers a price target, that could be a good opportunity to pick up shares at a bargain.

See more in the following video.

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About the Author

Brendan Mathews (TMFWillSommers), a northern Virginia native, began following the Fool as a teenager as part of his lifelong love of investing. He graduated from the University of Virginia as an Echols Scholar, after which he promptly began a nine-year career in the corporate strategy practice of a big consulting firm. Along the way, he picked up an MBA from UC Berkeley and worked briefly at two California hedge funds. But he never forgot about his passion for finding great investments, and he's thrilled to be back in his hometown, working for the Fool. He enjoys scouring financial statements, pontificating on competitive advantage, and any outdoor activity. Follow @TMFWillSommers

TMFWillSommers