** Shares of residential solar firm Sunnova Energy International NOVA.N fall 3.6% to $2.38

** Jefferies downgrades the stock to "hold" from "buy" and cuts price target to $2 from $9

** New price target represents a 18.7% downside to the stock's last close

** Brokerage says softness in the residential solar market and unexpected tightening in tax equity markets in response to growing uncertainty on anything Inflation Reduction Act-related have weighed on NOVA

** "We have increasing doubts over the company achieving the full $100 mln of cash generation in Q4 and believe 2025-2026 targets of $750 mln are at risk as well" - Jefferies

** Brokerage says it no longer sees the priority as cash generation but rather addressing debt and cutting costs; expects NOVA to return to stronger cash generation in later years

** 12 of 24 brokerages rate the stock "buy" or higher, 11 "hold" and 1 "sell"; their median PT is $5.75 - data compiled by LSEG

** Including session's moves, stock down 28.3% YTD

(Reporting by Pooja Menon in Bengaluru)

((Pooja.Menon@thomsonreuters.com;))