Not a good buy right now for an impatient investor: price trend is still bearish (SMA200 > SMA20 > SMA5 and MACD weakening), and there is no proprietary “strong buy” signal to override the downtrend.
Insider selling has accelerated (+146.37% over the last month), which is a meaningful near-term negative while the stock is already breaking below nearby support.
Options are pricing elevated uncertainty (very high IV) into the upcoming earnings window (2026-02-23 AH), which makes “buy now” less attractive without a clear catalyst or signal.
Trend/structure: Bearish moving-average stack (SMA_200 > SMA_20 > SMA_5) indicates the stock is in a downtrend.
Momentum: MACD histogram at -0.00998 and negatively expanding suggests downside momentum is strengthening, not stabilizing.
RSI: RSI_6 at 21.918 is deeply oversold (often bounce-prone), but oversold alone is not a reliable buy trigger in a confirmed downtrend.
Levels: Pre-market ~20.4 is below S1 (20.674) and near S2 (20.162). A break below ~20.16 increases downside risk; reclaiming ~20.67 and then pivot ~21.50 would be the first technical improvement.
Pattern-based expectation (provided): Similar pattern backtest shows a bullish drift bias (next day +0.71%, next week +2.94%, next month +8.51%), but it conflicts with current bearish momentum signals—treat as secondary.
Options Data
Neutral
Open Interest Put-Call Ratio
Bullish
Option Volume Put-Call Ratio
Sentiment (OI): Put/Call OI ratio 1.05 is slightly defensive/tilted to puts, not an outright bullish setup.
Activity: Reported options volume is 0 today (no real-time sentiment confirmation from flow).
Volatility: 30D IV ~108.12 with IV percentile ~94.82 indicates options are extremely expensive and the market is pricing a large move (often seen into earnings).
Positioning note: Today vs open interest average ~130% suggests open interest is elevated vs typical, but with no volume today it’s not showing fresh bullish demand.
Technical Summary
Sell
10
Buy
5
Positive Catalysts
can produce a short-term bounce if selling pressure fades.
Neutral/Negative Catalysts
pre-market, increasing risk of continuation lower.
Net income: $6.086M, +6.31% YoY (profit growth slightly ahead of revenue).
EPS: $0.20, +5.26% YoY.
Gross margin: 51.19%, down 2.94% YoY (key negative trend—margin compression).
Growth
Profitability
Efficiency
Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends
Most recent action (2026-01-08): Canaccord lowered price target to $25 from $28 and maintained a Hold rating, citing an uncertain healthcare environment.
Wall Street pro view (pros): Target still implies upside from ~20.4 if conditions stabilize; business is still growing.
Wall Street con view (cons): “Hold” stance plus a target cut suggests reduced conviction and a more cautious near-term outlook.
Wall Street analysts forecast HSTM stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for HSTM is 25 USD with a low forecast of 25 USD and a high forecast of 25 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
4 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast HSTM stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for HSTM is 25 USD with a low forecast of 25 USD and a high forecast of 25 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
2 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 20.300
Low
25
Averages
25
High
25
Current: 20.300
Low
25
Averages
25
High
25
Canaccord
Hold
downgrade
$28 -> $25
AI Analysis
2026-01-08
Reason
Canaccord
Price Target
$28 -> $25
AI Analysis
2026-01-08
downgrade
Hold
Reason
Canaccord lowered the firm's price target on HealthStream to $25 from $28 and keeps a Hold rating on the shares. The firm updated its model to reflect an uncertain healthcare environment.
Canaccord
Hold
downgrade
$29 -> $28
2025-08-07
Reason
Canaccord
Price Target
$29 -> $28
2025-08-07
downgrade
Hold
Reason
Canaccord lowered the firm's price target on HealthStream to $28 from $29 and keeps a Hold rating on the shares. The firm said they reported a solid bounce back quarter following a disappointing 1Q report in back in May. Four of the five delayed deals cited last quarter crossed the finish line in 2Q, with the fifth expected to be closed in 3Q. Notably, the average total contract size of $2.2 million was highlighted as these were previously characterized as medium-sized deals.
Unlock Full Analyst Thesis, Get the complete breakdown of rating reason for HSTM