AnalystsInsight

David Williams (Needham): Analyst Track Record and Price‑Target Accuracy

How often David Williams’s price targets were reached, how fast, and what the stocks did after each call: a 7‑year backtest of 856 ratings, compared with the average Wall Street analyst.

Published Updated 3 min readHow we research

Key takeaways

  • David Williams ranks #108 of 1,000 analysts in Exent’s scoring (5.0★).
  • 61.3% of price targets were reached over 7 years, versus 52.4% for the average analyst.
  • Median time to reach a target: 84 days; 52.6% of calls were up 12 months later.
  • Most‑covered stocks: PLXS, IONQ, POWI, QBTS.

David Williams’s track record at a glance

David Williams of Needham ranks #108 of the 1,000 analysts Exent scores, with a 5.0★ rating and a focus on technology. Over a 7‑year lookback, 61.3% of David’s price targets were reached, 8.9 points above the 52.4% average across all analysts.

MetricDavid WilliamsAll analysts
Price‑target hit rate61.3%52.4%
Median days to hit target84 days91 days
Calls up after 12 months52.6%64.0%
Median 12‑month return of calls+2.4%+13.4%
Hit rate, last 2 years78.2%—
Average worst drop after a call−28.9%—
Ratings in the sample856—
Stocks covered32—

How fast price targets were reached

Time to reach the targetDavid Williams
Under 30 days18.6%
30–90 days35.1%
90–180 days22.7%
Over 180 days23.6%

Share of the targets that were reached, by how long they took. Targets are usually set for 12 months.

Stocks David Williams covers most

StockRatings in the sample
PLXS38
IONQ35
POWI33
QBTS33
RGTI29
LFUS28
MXL27
BDC23

In the past year David’s ratings were 97% Buy, 3% Hold and 0% Sell.

Recent ratings (shown with a 30-day delay)

DateStockActionRatingPrice target
Sep 14, 2026GSITInitiated Coverage: BuyBuy$9.00
Aug 14, 2026PLXSReiterated: BuyBuy$310.00
Aug 13, 2026AOSLReiterated: BuyBuy$45.00
Aug 6, 2026POWIRated: BuyBuy$80.00
Aug 4, 2026VSHInitiated Coverage: BuyBuy$45.00
Jul 30, 2026PLXSReiterated: BuyBuy$310.00
Jul 29, 2026LFUSReiterated: BuyBuy$520.00
Jun 10, 2026POWIInitiated Coverage: BuyBuy$90.00
Jun 10, 2026POWIInitiated CoverageBuy$90.00
Jun 7, 2026PLXSMaintainedBuy$310.00
Jun 7, 2026PLXSMaintained: BuyBuy$310.00
Jun 7, 2026PLXSReiterated: BuyBuy$310.00
  • Sep 14, 2026
    Stock
    GSIT
    Action
    Initiated Coverage: Buy
    Rating
    Buy
    Price target
    $9.00
  • Aug 14, 2026
    Stock
    PLXS
    Action
    Reiterated: Buy
    Rating
    Buy
    Price target
    $310.00
  • Aug 13, 2026
    Stock
    AOSL
    Action
    Reiterated: Buy
    Rating
    Buy
    Price target
    $45.00
  • Aug 6, 2026
    Stock
    POWI
    Action
    Rated: Buy
    Rating
    Buy
    Price target
    $80.00
  • Aug 4, 2026
    Stock
    VSH
    Action
    Initiated Coverage: Buy
    Rating
    Buy
    Price target
    $45.00
  • Jul 30, 2026
    Stock
    PLXS
    Action
    Reiterated: Buy
    Rating
    Buy
    Price target
    $310.00
  • Jul 29, 2026
    Stock
    LFUS
    Action
    Reiterated: Buy
    Rating
    Buy
    Price target
    $520.00
  • Jun 10, 2026
    Stock
    POWI
    Action
    Initiated Coverage: Buy
    Rating
    Buy
    Price target
    $90.00
  • Jun 10, 2026
    Stock
    POWI
    Action
    Initiated Coverage
    Rating
    Buy
    Price target
    $90.00
  • Jun 7, 2026
    Stock
    PLXS
    Action
    Maintained
    Rating
    Buy
    Price target
    $310.00
  • Jun 7, 2026
    Stock
    PLXS
    Action
    Maintained: Buy
    Rating
    Buy
    Price target
    $310.00
  • Jun 7, 2026
    Stock
    PLXS
    Action
    Reiterated: Buy
    Rating
    Buy
    Price target
    $310.00

Live ratings from David Williams and the other top‑ranked analysts, and the stocks where they agree, are in Exent Stocks Radar.

How Exent scores analysts

Exent replays every rating with a price target over a 7‑year lookback: was the target reached, how long it took, and what the stock returned 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the call. The star rating and rank combine success rate, average return and the number of ratings, so a few lucky calls do not make a top analyst. Statistics as of Jun 24, 2026; ranking updated Oct 19, 2026. How accurate are analyst price targets overall?

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Historical figures are calculated by Exent from market data and are for education only; they are not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

Follow the analysts with the best records

  1. Exent Stocks Radar shows David Williams’s live ratings and those of the other top‑ranked analysts, without the 30‑day delay used on this page.
  2. Gems are the stocks where several 4★+ analysts agree: Exent’s shortlist of high‑conviction ideas.
  3. Check any idea against your own portfolio: correlation, concentration and crash exposure before you buy.

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Frequently asked questions

By Exent’s scoring David Williams ranks #108 of 1,000 with a 5.0★ rating. 61.3% of price targets were reached over a 7-year lookback (all analysts: 52.4%), and 52.6% of calls were up 12 months later. Past accuracy does not guarantee future accuracy.

David Williams’s success rate is 57.2% by the ranking source and 61.3% by Exent’s price-target hit-rate backtest, with a median of 84 days to reach a target.

David Williams (Needham) covers 32 stocks, mostly in technology. The most frequently rated are PLXS, IONQ, POWI, QBTS, RGTI.

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Educational content, not investment advice. Examples are illustrative; past performance does not guarantee future results.

DISCLAIMER: Exent AI is an informational research platform and does not provide investment advice, financial advice, or act as an investment adviser, broker-dealer, or fiduciary. All content, analytics, and model outputs are provided for educational and informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any financial instrument. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Exent AI does not execute trades, hold customer funds, or provide brokerage services. Past performance and hypothetical results are not indicative of future results. Third-party data and AI-generated outputs may be incomplete or inaccurate.