Needham analyst Richard Valera upgraded Ansys to Buy with a price target of $172, saying the recent 20% pullback in its stock price in spite of "largely unchanged fundamentals" has created a more favorable risk-reward profile. The analyst points to near-to-medium term catalysts of "continued improvements in sales capacity / effectiveness and success with the Discovery Live product in 2019". Valera also believes that the ongoing strategic sales organization at Ansys, which is likely in the "early innings", should yield a tailwind to its bookings and revenue growth.