How Analysts’ Target at $30 Reinforces Clearwater Analytics’ Buyout Valuation Thesis

Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CWAN) is one of the best FinTech stocks to buy in 2026.

On December 10, 2025, DA Davidson analyst Peter Heckmann reiterated a Buy rating on Clearwater Analytics and maintained his $30 price target, following reports of Starboard Value’s stake in the company. In that same vein, DA Davidson has framed the situation as one where a credible strategic outcome could demand a meaningfully higher valuation than the stock had been trading at, with some coverage corroborating the view that a potential buyout could land in the $30 to $34 per share range.

That December stance lines up with the same analyst’s November 2025 positioning. In a Nov 18, 2025 note carried by The Fly, Heckmann kept a Buy rating and a $30 target. His discussion leaned heavily on takeover logic, suggesting Clearwater could be worth roughly $30 to $34 in a buyout scenario after reports of external interest from PE firms Warburg Pincus and Permira (as reported by Bloomberg). Another November writeup similarly characterized DA Davidson’s view as essentially: “If this is getting bought, it probably is not getting bought cheaply,” with the $30 area repeatedly appearing as the threshold that starts to look serious.

Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CWAN) provides cloud-based investment accounting, reporting, and analytics software for insurers, asset managers, and institutional investors, helping clients manage complex portfolios with real-time, automated data.

While we acknowledge the potential of CWAN to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CWAN and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None.