Baird recommends buying Pentair for potential 27% gain

Analyst firm Baird has upgraded Pentair, a water treatment company, from neutral to outperform. They set a price target of $114 for the stock, suggesting a potential increase of nearly 27% from its closing price on Monday. Pentair's shares have fallen by 11% in 2025. This decrease is larger than the S&P 500's 2% decline. Analyst Michael Halloran believes this drop creates a buying opportunity for investors. He sees the company as changing into a high-quality business with strong profit margins and growth potential. Halloran also indicated that some of Pentair's main markets might be near their lowest point. He thinks they could see improvement soon. He pointed out that many of Pentair’s markets, especially residential pools, are currently weak but may recover. He emphasized that the long-term outlook for Pentair is still positive due to strong market demand and growth strategies. His upgrade matches the opinions of most analysts, with 13 out of 21 rating the stock as a buy or strong buy.