New York, February 26, 2026, 05:50 EST
- Wells Fargo initiated coverage on Live Nation, tagging it “Overweight” and putting a $204 price target on the stock.
- Live Nation wants to push back its U.S. antitrust trial over Ticketmaster, even as jury selection is marked down for March 2.
- TD Cowen bumped its Live Nation price target up to $177, sticking with its Buy rating.
Wells Fargo has kicked off its coverage on Live Nation Entertainment, parent of Ticketmaster, tagging the stock with an “Overweight” rating—a bullish call to buy—and pegging a price target at $204. That points to potential gains of roughly 29% from the previous close, per MarketBeat. Marketbeat Cnbc
Live Nation and Ticketmaster are just days away from a federal antitrust showdown that could shake up the U.S. ticketing and concert world. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian told the court he’s “not inclined” to put the brakes on, despite Live Nation’s push to delay the case while it appeals. Pollstar
Live Nation and Ticketmaster are pressing the judge to permit an interlocutory appeal—essentially, an appeal before the case wraps up—arguing that two unresolved legal questions have the potential to “dramatically change” and “substantially narrow” the trial, as Variety reported. Dan Wall, Live Nation’s executive vice president for corporate and regulatory affairs, put it bluntly: “The claim that Live Nation and Ticketmaster are responsible for high concert ticket prices and fees was, and is, false.” Variety
Wells Fargo is touting Live Nation’s ambitions to expand beyond its traditional promoter role, with particular emphasis on the Venue Nation arm and a steady stream of new venue projects. The bank’s forecast calls for Venue Nation to pull in around $8.5 billion in revenue and $1.3 billion in adjusted operating income by 2026. (That profit metric strips out some costs.) Live Nation, according to the bank, expects to add 48 venues through 2031, projecting roughly $4 billion in net capex, or capital spending. Investing
Wells Fargo figures Live Nation pulls in $150 million to $200 million in adjusted operating income just from Ticketmaster’s secondary ticketing. The bank also points out: if the resale market gets squeezed, primary ticket sales might see a lift.
Some analysts have a more upbeat take, though they’re less bullish on the valuation. According to MarketBeat, the stock carries a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $179.95.
TD Cowen bumped its price target on Live Nation up to $177, from $166, while sticking with its Buy call. Analysts there anticipate another record-setting 2026, mostly thanks to concerts fueling growth, and say both supply and demand look solid in the U.S. and abroad. Yahoo Tipranks
Wells Fargo, in its initiation note, pointed out that Ticketmaster is “facing change,” though the bank described the potential impact as “manageable.” The analysts argued that investors have already dialed back what they expect from Ticketmaster’s operating income. Tipranks
Live Nation turned in revenue of $6.31 billion, topping forecasts and climbing 11.1% over last year, but that wasn’t enough to keep the bottom line in the black—losses landed at $1.06 a share. MarketBeat highlighted the slim net margin and the company’s hefty debt load.
Here’s the core risk—no guarantee the courts will care about Wall Street logic. If Live Nation loses at trial, it may have to overhaul ticket sales or its relationships with venues. Even a victory doesn’t clear the path; appeals and government oversight could drag on for years. And if exclusive ticketing contracts get restricted, that could hand competitors like AXS or SeatGeek a real shot.
