The buy-ratings count is how many covering analysts rate a stock Buy or Strong Buy — the two most bullish rungs of the five-step scale (Strong Buy, Buy, Hold, Sell, Strong Sell). It only means something relative to the hold and sell counts.
Fifteen buy ratings sounds impressive until you learn there are also fifteen holds and ten sells — then it’s a genuinely split house. The buy count only means something next to the other two counts and next to total coverage. Watch the mix (are buys the clear majority, or is the panel divided?) and the drift (buys converting to holds over time is a cooling story even if buys still lead).
The two most bullish rungs of the standard five-step scale — Strong Buy and Buy. Quantustik groups both into the buy count.
Not on its own. Sell-side ratings skew bullish by default and lag price, so buys are the normal state. Read the count against the hold and sell counts and the model's own signal.
Analysts face structural incentives to stay positive — banks chase business from the companies they cover — so the whole scale is skewed, and buy ratings vastly outnumber sells across the market.
AAPL analysis shows this metric in context, or browse all S&P 500 tickers.
Educational research only — not investment advice.