Kennametal price target raised to $28 from $24.50 at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley analyst Angel Castillo raised the firm’s price target on Kennametal (KMT) to $28 from $24.50 and keeps an Equal Weight rating on the shares. The firm upgraded its Machinery industry view to Attractive as it expects 2025 to “offer clarity on key equipment cycles, warranting higher beta.” Machinery equipment cycles may be approaching a trough, the analyst tells investors. Morgan Stanley believes improved cycle visibility warrants adding some incremental beta to one’s portfolio. However, with macro and geopolitical uncertainty still abound, risk remains elevated, so the choices for higher beta are names that “represent the more de-risked and attractive fundamental stories” where value can be unlocked in the coming year,” contends Morgan Stanley.