The 10 Top-Rated Stocks by Wall Street Analysts in August 2021 Analyst ratings reflect the sentiment of individuals who have significant knowledge of a company's operations. For a company to be included on MarketB...

Analyst ratings are an imperfect science. However, they do reflect the sentiment of individuals who have significant knowledge of a company's operations. Ratings are done on a scale from 1.00 to 4.00. A score of 4.00 is equivalent to a "strong-buy" rating. By contrast, a score of 1.00 is equivalent to a "sell" rating. For a company to be included on MarketBeat's top-rated list it must have received at least five ratings within the last 12 months. Here are the 10 companies that have received the highest average rating by Wall Street analysts in August 2021:

1. Switch (NYSE:SWCH) – Since reporting earnings on August 5, 2021, Switch has received six positive analyst reports with an average score of 3.10. The developer and operator of data centers missed slightly on earnings, but just announced a dividend increase. SWCH stock is up 38% in the last 12 months.
2. Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD) – Traditional energy stocks have been one of the strongest recovery plays in 2021. Enterprise Products Partners, which engages in the production and trade of natural gas and petrochemicals, has received 10 ratings in the past 12 months and the EPD stock price is given a 19% upside from its price as of this writing. Enterprise Products pays out an annual dividend of $1.80 which currently has a yield of over 8%.
3. Vodafone Group (NASDAQ: VOD) – At the time of this writing, Vodafone is trading at $16.83 which is almost exactly at its price target. However, three analysts have reiterated their overweight rating in the last month which lends support to VOD stock's current price. The multinational telecommunications company is headquartered in the United Kingdom and has a consensus score of 3.10.
4. CymaBay Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CBAY) – CymaBay Therapeutics is a penny stock that analysts believe has tremendous upside. CBAY stock has been analyzed by 10 analysts in the last 12 months and has a price target of $10.70. That would be a 175.77% gain from its current level. The company has 9 buy ratings and 1 strong buy rating with an average rating of 3.10.
5. Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ: GLPI) – Gaming and Leisure Properties is a play on the reopening of the economy. In the last. In the last month, GLPI stock is up 22.9%. However, it's currently within approximately 5% of the price target set by analysts. Still, the company has received 11 ratings in the last 12 months, including three new favorable ratings in the last month since the company last reported earnings.
6. Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK) – Alaska Air Group is another potential recovery stock according to the 11 analysts that have provided a rating in the last 12 months. ALK stock currently has 10 buy ratings and 1 strong buy rating. Better still, the stock has a 33.5% upside in the next 12 months and is coming off an earnings report in which they delivered slight beats on the top and bottom lines.
7. Waste Connections (NYSE: WCN) – The waste services company has received 10 buy ratings and 1 strong buy rating resulting in a 3.09 consensus score. WCN stock is currently near the price target set by the analysts. However, two recent ratings after the company posted a double beat on their last earnings report give the stock a price target significantly higher than its current price.
8. Energy Transfer (NYSE: ET) – Energy Transfer is another top-rated stock in the traditional energy sector. ET stock is already up 43% in the last 12 months as oil prices have rebounded as a necessary condition of the economy reopening. However, the consensus opinion of 12 analysts is that the stock still has another 30%+ gain in store for investors. Energy Transfer scores a 3.08 consensus rating.
9. Rackspace Technology (NASDAQ: RXT) – After surging to over $26 a share in April, Rackspace Technology stock has fallen back to around $17 per share. However, analysts believe that RXT stock will make another run at that $26 per share number and give it a 3.08 rating.
10. Darling Ingredients (NYSE: DAR) – Darling Ingredients is a clean energy play. The company develops and produces natural ingredients from edible and inedible bio-nutrients. DAR stock has posted a 128.9% gain in the last 12 months and the consensus opinion of 13 Wall Street analysts says that Darling has another approximately 10% (9.32%) gain left in it, and that may go higher after the company reports earnings on August 11.