Analyst Ratings January 28, 2026

Raymond James Cuts Roper Price Target to $500, Cites Valuation Disconnect Despite Strong Buy Rating

Analyst lowers target after mixed quarterly results; market reaction and peer multiples weigh on outlook

By Sofia Navarro ROP
Raymond James Cuts Roper Price Target to $500, Cites Valuation Disconnect Despite Strong Buy Rating
ROP

Raymond James reduced its 12-month price target for Roper Industries to $500.00 from $575.00 while retaining a Strong Buy rating. The move follows a negative market response to quarterly results and a series of analyst adjustments, with the stock trading well below its recent highs and showing valuation metrics that the firm says are discounted relative to peers.

Key Points

  • Raymond James lowered Roper's price target to $500.00 from $575.00 but kept a Strong Buy rating.
  • Shares are trading at $362.58, roughly 40% below the 52-week high of $595.17, and the stock has fallen 8.75% over the past week and 33.7% over six months.
  • Analysts cite valuation compression - about a 40% discount to historical peer relationships and an EV/EBITDA near 14x versus a historical 23x - alongside company strengths such as projected buybacks exceeding $1 billion in 2026 and a long record of dividend payments.

Raymond James has trimmed its price target on Roper Industries to $500.00, down from $575.00, while continuing to carry a Strong Buy recommendation on the stock. The change arrives amid a sharp decline in the share price from recent peaks - shares are trading at $362.58, about 40% below the 52-week high of $595.17.

The analyst's decision to lower the target follows what the firm described as "solid yet imperfect results," comments that coincided with an intra-quarter market reaction that pushed the stock down roughly 11% and spurred four responsive downgrades from other research teams. Recent market movement has been pronounced: the stock is down 8.75% over the last week and has fallen 33.7% over the past six months, according to the data cited in the analysis.

Valuation concerns are central to Raymond James' note. The firm points to a roughly 40% discount in Roper's valuation versus its historical relationship to multi-industrial peers and software competitors, and notes that the company's free cash flow yield sits near a 15-year low despite expectations for visible mid-single-digit organic revenue growth. The report also flags technical indicators that suggest the shares are oversold.

Supporting the maintained Strong Buy stance, Raymond James highlights several company-level attributes: an anticipated substantial acceleration of share repurchases that could exceed $1 billion in 2026, a history of uninterrupted dividend payments for 35 consecutive years, and 12 consecutive years of dividend hikes. The firm characterizes Roper's 2026 outlook as "largely de-risked" at current price levels.

Quantitatively, the analyst reiterates Roper's potential for mid-single-digit organic growth, a free cash flow to revenue conversion rate of approximately 32%, and a compressed trading multiple of about 14x EV/EBITDA versus a historical level near 23x. Data in the report lists the current EV/EBITDA at 14.94x and notes the stock is approaching its 52-week low.


Recent analyst activity beyond Raymond James has skewed cautious after Roper's fourth-quarter results. Several firms revised their views and targets:

  • Truist Securities reduced its price target to $550, citing worries about organic growth and persistent issues at Deltek expected to continue into 2026.
  • TD Cowen also lowered its price target to $550 but maintained a Buy rating, pointing to valuation concerns.
  • Mizuho took a more conservative stance, cutting its target to $365 and keeping an Underperform rating while highlighting competitive risks tied to AI and the potential impact of a prolonged government shutdown on Deltek.
  • Stifel downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold and set a $385 target after Roper reported organic revenue growth of 4%, which fell short of Wall Street expectations.
  • Oppenheimer downgraded Roper from Outperform to Perform, citing a weak outlook and ongoing challenges across several business units including Deltek, Procare, DAT, and Neptune.

Collectively, these moves reflect a more cautious tone among equity analysts toward Roper's near-term performance prospects, even as at least one major house maintains a positive conviction on the name based on cash flow conversion, buyback potential, and dividend durability.

Risks

  • Persistent operational issues at Deltek that analysts expect could continue into 2026, affecting the software segment - impacts the software and technology segment.
  • Competitive pressures related to AI and other market dynamics, which Mizuho flagged as a concern - impacts software and technology businesses.
  • A weaker-than-expected organic revenue trajectory, exemplified by reported 4% organic growth that missed expectations, and mixed performance across business units including Deltek, Procare, DAT, and Neptune - impacts industrial and software segments.

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