Piper Sandler Issues Positive Forecast for Block (NYSE:XYZ) Stock Price

08 May 2026, 11:34 by Amy Steele · The Cerbat Gem

Block (NYSE:XYZ – Get Free Report) had its price target upped by investment analysts at Piper Sandler from $51.00 to $58.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “underweight” rating on the technology company’s stock. Piper Sandler’s target price points to a potential downside of 22.30% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Block from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Block from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Block in a research report on Friday. Needham & Company LLC lifted their target price on Block from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Loop Capital initiated coverage on Block in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. They set a “buy” rating and a $75.00 target price for the company. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $83.94.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Block

Block Price Performance

NYSE:XYZ traded up $4.50 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $74.64. 5,606,360 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,526,423. The company has a quick ratio of 2.20, a current ratio of 2.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stock has a market cap of $44.72 billion, a PE ratio of 35.54, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 2.57. Block has a 12 month low of $48.21 and a 12 month high of $82.50. The company has a fifty day moving average of $63.99 and a 200 day moving average of $64.19.

Block (NYSE:XYZ – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The technology company reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.55. Block had a net margin of 5.40% and a return on equity of 6.66%. The company had revenue of $6.06 billion during the quarter. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.56 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Block has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.860-0.860 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 3.850-3.850 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Block will post 2.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Block

In other Block news, CFO Amrita Ahuja sold 30,919 shares of Block stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.00, for a total transaction of $2,318,925.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 500,816 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $37,561,200. The trade was a 5.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Chrysty Esperanza sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.00, for a total transaction of $225,000.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 268,169 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,112,675. The trade was a 1.11% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 49,725 shares of company stock valued at $3,401,393 in the last three months. Insiders own 11.37% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Block

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Block by 23.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 67,626,485 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $4,887,366,000 after buying an additional 12,709,824 shares during the period. Capital World Investors raised its position in shares of Block by 41.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 16,023,441 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,042,966,000 after acquiring an additional 4,727,217 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Block by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 14,406,899 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $934,121,000 after acquiring an additional 67,560 shares during the last quarter. Sands Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Block by 12.2% during the 3rd quarter. Sands Capital Management LLC now owns 11,603,057 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $838,553,000 after acquiring an additional 1,262,317 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Block during the second quarter valued at approximately $535,305,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.44% of the company’s stock.

Key Block News

Here are the key news stories impacting Block this week:

Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings beat and strong unit results: Block reported EPS of $0.85 vs. consensus ~$0.30 and revenue of $6.06B, signaling improving profitability after restructuring. Block (XYZ) Q1 Earnings Surpass Estimates
Positive Sentiment: Raised guidance: Block lifted Q2 EPS guidance to $0.86 and FY2026 to $3.85 (above consensus), which underpins the bullish reaction and improves near-term visibility. Block Lifts Guidance on Higher Payment Volumes, Boom in Lending
Positive Sentiment: Product and strategic momentum: Management highlighted AI-driven automation, embedded finance and Cash App turning into a lending hub — potential drivers of higher-margin lending revenue. Block Rallies as AI Push Turns Cash App Into a Lending Hub
Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Several firms raised targets and reiterated buys (BTIG reaffirmed $90 PT; Needham raised its PT to $95), adding to upward momentum. Benzinga Benzinga
Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary and investor communications: Company filed the Q1 release and hosted a call to discuss results; details may create follow-on moves depending on execution. Block Announces First Quarter 2026 Results
Neutral Sentiment: Revenue growth was modest (≈4.9% YoY) despite profit beat — investors will watch whether top-line momentum accelerates. Block Shares Climb After Q1 Report — Here’s Why
Negative Sentiment: Valuation and volatility risk: XYZ trades with a relatively high P/E (~34.7) and a beta ~2.6, so upside is accompanied by higher market volatility and valuation scrutiny. (Background market data: Market Cap $43.5B, 50/200-day MAs ~ $64.)
Negative Sentiment: Pre-quarter concerns around bitcoin-related revenue and some weakened analyst sentiment were flagged in previews — a reminder of business mix risks. Block Gears Up to Report Q1 Earnings

About Block

(Get Free Report)

Block (NYSE:XYZ) is a financial technology company that builds products and services to facilitate electronic payments, commerce, and consumer finance. Its principal business lines include a seller-focused ecosystem that provides point-of-sale hardware and software, payment processing, invoicing, payroll and lending services, and a consumer-facing platform that offers peer-to-peer payments, banking-like features, and investing. Block’s portfolio also encompasses music streaming and buy-now-pay-later capabilities through businesses acquired to broaden its reach beyond core payments.