Here’s Why BNP Paribas Views Bentley Systems (BSY) As “Outperform” With A $40 Price Target

Bentley Systems, Incorporated (NASDAQ:BSY), which offers strong upside potential, ranks among the overlooked tech stocks to invest in now. Fresh bullish coverage is framing the infrastructure software maker as a rare defensive play against mounting AI competition.

Here's Why BNP Paribas Views Bentley Systems (BSY) As "Outperform" With A $40 Price Target

On June 18, 2026, BNP Paribas analyst Andrew DeGasperi initiated coverage of Bentley Systems, Incorporated (NASDAQ:BSY) with an “Outperform” rating and a $40 price target. DeGasperi told investors the company’s defensibility in comparison to frontier AI models is strong, pointing to low software penetration in Bentley’s core markets of civil infrastructure, energy exploration, and resource mining, along with limited competition in those areas.

That view was echoed by BofA, which reinstated coverage of Bentley Systems, Incorporated (NASDAQ:BSY) at “Buy” with a $40 price target, up from a previous “Neutral” rating. The firm described Bentley as a defensive play against AI, saying its premium valuation is supported by structural barriers including embedded compliance, deterministic workflows, and regulatory requirements.

Bentley Systems, Incorporated (NASDAQ:BSY) is down nearly 20% so far in 2026, while about 80% of covering analysts remain bullish.

Bentley Systems, Incorporated (NASDAQ:BSY) develops infrastructure engineering software. The company provides integrated software solutions used across professional disciplines, infrastructure sectors, geographies, and different stages of the infrastructure lifecycle.

While we acknowledge the risk and potential of BSY as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than BSY and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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