Workday Co-Founder Aneel Bhusri Returns as CEO with $300 Buy and $175 Hold Targets
Workday’s co-founder Aneel Bhusri replaced Carl Eschenbach as CEO, with Eschenbach staying on as strategic advisor. One firm maintained a Buy rating with a $300 target for accelerated AI expansion, while another cut its target from $235 to $175 and kept a Hold rating on fiscal 2027 risks.
1. Leadership Transition
On February 9, Workday’s board announced Carl Eschenbach stepped down as CEO and board member, with co-founder Aneel Bhusri immediately resuming the CEO role. Eschenbach will remain at the company as a strategic advisor while Bhusri shifts from executive chairman back to the CEO position.
2. $300 Buy Rating for AI Expansion
A bullish analyst maintained a Buy rating with a $300 price target, highlighting Bhusri’s return as critical to accelerating the company’s AI-driven product roadmap and capturing growing market demand for intelligent cloud solutions.
3. $175 Hold Rating and Risk Assessment
A second analyst firm lowered its price target from $235 to $175 but retained a Hold rating, citing potential challenges in achieving fiscal 2027 guidance, operational pressures since 2022, and the timing of the leadership change at the fiscal year’s start.