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Investing.com -- Wall Street banks have launched coverage of NIQ Global Intelligence (NYSE:NIQ), with analysts highlighting the company’s turnaround story, long-term growth potential, and strategic transformation since its carve-out from Nielsen Holdings (NYSE:NLSN) in 2021.
The moves come after the consumer insights company, backed by investment firms Advent International and KKR (NYSE:KKR), last month raised $1.05 billion in its initial public offering (IPO) in the U.S.
About 50 million shares were priced at $21 each in the IPO, valuing NIQ at $6.35 billion.
NIQ, which provides insights into consumer shopping behavior to help brands and retailers refine their products and strategies, has about 23,000 clients, including high-profile names such as Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO), Nestle SA (SIX:NESN), and Sony Group (NYSE:SONY).
Stifel initiated with a Buy rating and a $24 target, highlighting that NiQ “sits at the intersection of brands, retailers, and consumers” and now derives 68% of its revenue from multi-year subscriptions.
The broker sees mid-single-digit organic revenue growth and significant margin expansion, with EBITDA margins projected to rise from 18.5% in 2024 to nearly 24% by 2027.
BMO Capital Markets also began coverage at Outperform with a $24 target, viewing NiQ as “well-positioned due to broad data offerings and some exclusivity.”
The firm forecasts 4.8% revenue CAGR through 2027, with adjusted EBITDA margins climbing to 23.5%.
BMO described recent share weakness as an “attractive entry point” but flagged high debt and competitive pressures as risks. Nonetheless, the broker believes NiQ is "outmeasuring the competition."
Baird echoed the Outperform view, emphasizing NiQ as “an operational value-creation opportunity with significant proof points led by a proven CEO.”
The analysts pointed to gross client retention, upselling momentum, and improved infrastructure following a $400 million technology reinvestment.
They also highlighted long-standing customer ties, with Coca-Cola a client for 100 years and Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) for over 80.
Separately, Barclays (LON:BARC) initiated NiQ coverage at Overweight with a $24 price target, citing CEO Jim Peck’s turnaround record and the company’s improved trajectory.
The note described the bull case as growth and margins exceeding conservative guidance, while the bear case centered on competitive and AI-related threats.
Still, the analysts judged “results reported over the last 6 quarters do at least provide some comfort that downside will likely be limited.”
JPMorgan took a more cautious stance, starting at Overweight but with a lower $21 year-end 2026 target.
The Wall Street giant called NiQ’s journey “a turnaround that now scans as a thorough transformation” with new platforms, omnichannel retail measurement, and the GfK acquisition.
It expects revenues to grow 5% annually with margin gains and a free cash flow swing from negative in 2025 to positive $366 million by 2027.
Lastly, UBS also initiated at Buy with a $24 price target, estimating ~5% annual revenue growth and EBITDA margins improving to 24.1% by 2027.
The bank credited the 2021 transformation, nearly $1 billion in reinvestments, and new AI tools such as Ask Arthur, which it said helped Net Promoter Scores rise sharply. UBS sees NiQ “poised to reap the benefits of its transformation.”