The recommendations of Wall Street analysts are often relied on by investors when deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock. Media reports about these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts changing their ratings often affect a stock's price.

Citigroup and UBS Global Research became the latest Wall Street brokerages to raise their year-end targets for the S&P 500 index, pointing to receding policy risks and resilient corporate earnings.