Should Investors Trust Dan Ives?

Dan Ives has become the most visible stock analyst on Wall Street.

As global head of tech research at Wedbush Securities, his bullish calls on major technology companies land within minutes of breaking news and echo across cable TV and social media.

But less visible is how many roles Ives now holds outside traditional research.

He is chairman of Eightco Holdings, an adviser to Zeta Global Holdings, and the public face of the Dan IVES Wedbush AI Revolution ETF. Those roles intersect directly with the same AI and software sectors he covers as an analyst.

Barron’s reporting highlights why that overlap matters.

Industry experts say leadership positions, advisory roles, and branded investment products can create incentives that disclosure alone may not cure. Finra rules prohibit analyst conduct where conflicts are too pronounced, and require transparency when analysts discuss investments publicly.

Wedbush says it has controls in place, including information barriers and limits on Ives’s financial exposure. The firm also emphasizes his long track record and integrity.

However, history looms in the background.

After the dot-com bubble, regulators tightened rules to prevent analysts from acting as promoters. Some of those safeguards have since been rolled back, even as analysts remain overwhelmingly bullish.

Ives’s profile keeps rising. So does scrutiny. For investors trying to separate signal from hype, it’s worth considering every factor influencing Ives’s optimism.