AnalystsInsight

Jacob Smith CFA (Guggenheim): Analyst Track Record and Price‑Target Accuracy

How often Jacob Smith CFA’s price targets were reached, how fast, and what the stocks did after each call: a 7‑year backtest of 48 ratings, compared with the average Wall Street analyst.

Reviewed by:David, Senior AnalystPublished Oct 26, 2026Updated Nov 10, 20263 min readHow we research

What changed since Nov 2

Exent re-checks this page every day. Ratings appear 30 days after they are published; live calls are in Gems.

#1242 rank (was #1069)+1 new rating (PCTY)4.4★ rating (was 4.5★)

Key takeaways

Jacob Smith CFA ranks #1086 of 1,181 analysts in Exent’s scoring (4.4★).
54.1% of price targets were reached over 7 years, versus 53.1% for the average analyst.
Median time to reach a target: 116 days; 50.0% of calls were up 12 months later.
Most‑covered stocks: PCTY, PAYC, ADP, PAYX.
Free on Exent: Jacob Smith CFA’s full record, with ratings 3 days after publication.

Which stocks do Wall Street’s best‑ranked analysts agree on? See them in Exent Gems →

In this article

Jacob Smith CFA’s track record at a glance
How fast price targets were reached
Stocks Jacob Smith CFA covers most
Exent’s top 50 analysts
Jacob Smith CFA’s latest ratings
More analysts to compare
How Exent scores analysts

Jacob Smith CFA’s track record at a glance

Jacob Smith CFA of Guggenheim ranks #1086 of the 1,181 analysts Exent scores, with a 4.4★ rating and a focus on technology. Over a 7‑year lookback, 54.1% of Jacob’s price targets were reached, 1.0 points above the 53.1% average across all analysts.

Metric	Jacob Smith CFA	All analysts
Price‑target hit rate	54.1%	53.1%
Median days to hit target	116 days	93 days
Calls up after 12 months	50.0%	64.4%
Median 12‑month return of calls	−4.5%	+13.5%
Hit rate, last 2 years	54.1%	—
Average worst drop after a call	−13.8%	—
Ratings in the sample	48	—
Stocks covered	4	—

The full records of Exent’s top 50 analysts and the top 50 of each sector, and the stocks where several of them agree right now, are members‑only in Exent Gems.

See the top-ranked analysts in Gems

How fast price targets were reached

Time to reach the target	Jacob Smith CFA
Under 30 days	5.0%
30–90 days	0.0%
90–180 days	80.0%
Over 180 days	15.0%

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

Stocks Jacob Smith CFA covers most

Stock	Ratings in the sample
PCTY	17
PAYC	16
ADP	10
PAYX	9

In the past year Jacob’s ratings were 80% Buy, 20% Hold and 0% Sell.

Exent’s top 50 analysts

Across 983,543 ratings, the average Wall Street analyst’s price target was reached 53.1% of the time: close to a coin flip. The spread between analysts is wide, and 14.3% of the 965 analysts with a measurable record reached 70% or more (Exent data, Nov 9, 2026).

Exent Gems is built on the top 50 of Exent’s ranking. Over the last two years, some of them reached 90% or more of their price targets. Who they are, which stocks they are calling now and how often they have been right is for members.

Unlock the top 50 analysts

Jacob Smith CFA’s latest ratings

Date	Stock	Action	Rating	Price target
Nov 6, 2026	PCTY	Reiterated: Buy	Buy	$200.00
Oct 23, 2026	PAYC	Reiterated: Buy	Buy	$300.00
Oct 23, 2026	ADP	Maintained: Buy	Buy	$340.00
Oct 23, 2026	PCTY	Reiterated: Buy	Buy	$200.00
Oct 23, 2026	PAYC	Rated: Buy	Buy	$300.00
Oct 22, 2026	ADP	Reiterated: Buy	Buy	$340.00
Oct 22, 2026	PCTY	Reiterated: Buy	Buy	$200.00
Sep 23, 2026	PAYX	Reiterated: Hold	Hold	—
Sep 16, 2026	PAYX	Reiterated: Hold	Hold	—
Aug 5, 2026	PAYC	Reiterated: Buy	Buy	$225.00
Aug 4, 2026	PCTY	Reiterated: Buy	Buy	$180.00
Jun 24, 2026	PAYX	Reiterated: Hold	Hold	—

Nov 6, 2026
Stock
PCTY
Action
Reiterated: Buy
Rating
Buy
Price target
$200.00
Oct 23, 2026
Stock
PAYC
Action
Reiterated: Buy
Rating
Buy
Price target
$300.00
Oct 23, 2026
Stock
ADP
Action
Maintained: Buy
Rating
Buy
Price target
$340.00
Oct 23, 2026
Stock
PCTY
Action
Reiterated: Buy
Rating
Buy
Price target
$200.00
Oct 23, 2026
Stock
PAYC
Action
Rated: Buy
Rating
Buy
Price target
$300.00
Oct 22, 2026
Stock
ADP
Action
Reiterated: Buy
Rating
Buy
Price target
$340.00
Oct 22, 2026
Stock
PCTY
Action
Reiterated: Buy
Rating
Buy
Price target
$200.00
Sep 23, 2026
Stock
PAYX
Action
Reiterated: Hold
Rating
Hold
Price target
—
Sep 16, 2026
Stock
PAYX
Action
Reiterated: Hold
Rating
Hold
Price target
—
Aug 5, 2026
Stock
PAYC
Action
Reiterated: Buy
Rating
Buy
Price target
$225.00
Aug 4, 2026
Stock
PCTY
Action
Reiterated: Buy
Rating
Buy
Price target
$180.00
Jun 24, 2026
Stock
PAYX
Action
Reiterated: Hold
Rating
Hold
Price target
—

Jacob’s ratings are free on Exent 3 days after publication. Exent Gems has them the same day, with the calls of the top‑ranked analysts and the stocks where several of them agree.

See the top-ranked analysts in Gems

More analysts to compare

Also at Guggenheim: Eddie Hickman · Michael Ciarmoli · John Difucci · Yatin Suneja · Vamil Divan · Debjit Chattopadhyay

Also covering technology: John Blackledge · John Cheong · Keith Bachman · Tal Liani · Scott Searle · Koji Ikeda

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 Nov 9, 2026; ranking updated Nov 11, 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.

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Exent Gems shows live ratings from the top‑ranked analysts, without the 3‑day delay used on this page.
Gems are the stocks where several 4★+ analysts agree: Exent’s shortlist of high‑conviction ideas.
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Exent is our product. Educational content, not investment advice.

Frequently asked questions

By Exent’s scoring Jacob Smith CFA ranks #1086 of 1,181 with a 4.4★ rating. 54.1% of price targets were reached over a 7-year lookback (all analysts: 53.1%), and 50.0% of calls were up 12 months later. Past accuracy does not guarantee future accuracy.

In Exent’s 7-year price-target backtest, 54.1% of Jacob Smith CFA’s price targets were reached, with a median of 116 days to reach a target (all analysts: 53.1%).

Jacob Smith CFA (Guggenheim) covers 4 stocks, mostly in technology. The most frequently rated are PCTY, PAYC, ADP, PAYX.

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What changed since Nov 2

Key takeaways

Are Analyst Price Targets Accurate? 7 Years of Data

How to Follow Wall Street Analysts the Smart Way: Track Records, Not Headlines

What Are Exent Gems? Top‑Analyst Agreement Explained