• Citigroup upgraded Patriot Coal (NYSE: PCX) to Hold from Sell on easing credit and liquidity concerns following the company's guidance. The firm raised its target on the stock to $7.50 from $4.
  
• UBS upgraded Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) to Buy from Neutral and raised their target to $90 from $65 as they expect pent-up replacement demand in enterprise to drive 2010 estimates higher and for the consumer smartphone opportunity to grow in 2009 and 2010.
  
• Goldman upgraded Suncor (NYSE: SU) to Conviction Buy from Sell and raised their target to $33 from $25 citing their bullish view on crude oil for 2H09 and 2010 and in the company's ability to lower operating and capital costs in the oil sands region.
• Canadian National (CNI) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan.
  
• Applied Micro Circuits (NASDAQ: AMCC) was lifted at Oppenheimer to Overweight from Neutral.
  
• QLogic (NASDAQ: QLGC) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Baird.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: RIMM, MCD, ORLY, CELG, URBN ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: RIMM, MCD, ORLY, CELG, URBN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 01 May 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading John Deere: How bumpy a ride?

John Deere: How bumpy a ride? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Terex (NYSE: TEX) is recently trading at $42.50 in pre-open trading, below its close of $47.32. TEX lowered 2008 EPS view to $6.35-$6.65 from $6.85-$7.15. TEX overall option implied volatility of 50 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Agco (NYSE: AG), global manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, closed at $56.10. AG overall option implied volatility of 49 is near its 26-week average, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Deere (NYSE: DE) closed at $66.53. DE overall option implied volatility of 40 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

CNH Global (NYSE: CNH), an agricultural and construction equipment manufacturer, closed at $35.17. CNH overall option implied volatility of 54 is near its 26-week average, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) closed at $67.73. CAT October option implied volatility of 32 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Option Update: Volatility flat for heavy earth movers; CAT, DE, TEX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Oppenheimer believes H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) has shown several catalysts over the past few months, most importantly the sale of its mortgage business. The firm, which upgraded shares to Outperform from Perform, believes the company's strong 2008 tax season will lead to future growth, and they think the stock can appreciate 20%+, as catalysts are not yet fully reflected in the stock.
  
• Friedman Billings upgraded Talbots (NYSE: TLB) to Outperform from Market Perform as they believe the company has several sources of cash to avoid a liquidity crisis, charge card EPS contribution provides good visibility, improved merchandise margins, and better merchandising.
  
• Credit Suisse raised SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR) to Outperform from Neutral citing strength in Italy and other geographies.

• Agco (NYSE: AG) was raised at Wachovia to Outperform from Market Perform.
  
• UBS upgraded Metso Oyg (OTC: MXCYY) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• JMP Securities upgraded SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) to Market Perform from Underperform.
  
• Stifel upgraded eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) to Buy from Hold.

Analyst upgrades: HRB, TLB, SPWR, AG, EBAY, SNDK originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Oil's not the widespread tax it used to be

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Oil's not the widespread tax it used to be originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 May 2008 09:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded shares of Citizens Republic Bancorp (NASDAQ: CRBC) to Outperform from Market Perform on valuation following yesterday's sell-off, which they attribute in part to its removal from the Dow Jones Select Dividend Index. Shares were also raised to OUtperform from Perform at Oppenheimer following the sell-off.
  
• Goldman upgraded Hess (NYSE: HES) to Buy from Neutral citing the company's leverage to higher oil prices. The firm said oil is likely to hit $150-$200/bbl in the next 6-24 months.
  
• Stephens upgraded shares of Sanderson Farms (NASDAQ: SAFM) to Overweight from Equal Weight as they expect industry fundamentals to improve in FY09.

• Baird raised Stellent (NASDAQ: STEL) to OUtperform from Neutral.
  
• Friedman Billings upgraded Preferred Bank (NASDAQ: PFBC) to Market Perform from Underperform.
  
• Agco (NYSE: AG) was upgraded at Goldman to Buy from Neutral.
• Lehman upgraded SLM Corp (NYSE: SLM) to Overweight from Equal Weight.

Analyst upgrades: CRBC, HES, STEL, PFBC, AG, SLM and SAFM originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 May 2008 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Goldman Sachs upped Agco (NYSE:AG) to "buy" from "neutral" and downgraded CNH Global (NYSE:CNH) from "buy" to "neutral" according to MarketWatch.

UBS downgraded HSBC (NYSE:HBC) to "neutral" to "buy" according to Briefing.com. The news service also reports that Morgan Stanley downgraded Valero (NYSE:VLO) to "neutral" from "overweight".

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Early analyst calls (HBC) (VLO) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 May 2008 07:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Back in my hedge fund days, we did a TON of work on U.S. egg prices. This was back in 2003-2004 in the throes of the Atkins craze. Pasta companies, companies with a lot of exposure to grain, and anything anti-Atkins was taking a hit. Even the great, Weight Watchers (NYSE: WTW), with just a great business model and brand, was getting whacked. It looked like Atkins, and its seemingly lethal blend of high fat and high protein, was going to stay.

We decided to play this trend by purchasing Cal-Maine Foods (NYSE: CALM), a huge distributor of eggs to the likes of Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) and other huge grocery outfits. Based in Jackson, Mississippi, and run by an effervescent CEO, Fred Adams, Cal-Maine rode record egg prices those couple of years. In 2003 alone, the stock was up almost 1000%.

What Mr. Adams told us then was that although Atkins was helping to increase demand for eggs, the egg itself was making a comeback. Once shunned as solely a cholesterol-delivery device, the egg is back in fashion and recognized for its overall health benefits.

Continue reading No egg on Cal-Maine's face

No egg on Cal-Maine's face originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ever wonder what became of some of those big-time agricultural equipment companies that passed into history ... names like International Harvester, Case and Massey Ferguson? Well, a Dutch outfit got the first two, but Massey Ferguson was picked up by an American firm headquartered in Duluth, Georgia.

AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AG) is a global manufacturer of agricultural equipment, offering a full product line of tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage, tillage equipment and implements. The firm markets such brands as AGCO, Massey Ferguson and Fendt through more than 3,200 independent dealers and distributors in over 140 countries. It has acquired Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT)'s high-tech MT series tractor line, as part of a strategy to expand its offerings. Deere (NYSE: DE) is a major competitor.

Continue reading AGCO Corporation (AG): Shares display a bullish 'pennant' consolidation pattern

AGCO Corporation (AG): Shares display a bullish 'pennant' consolidation pattern originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AGCO Corp. (AG): A good one to harvest in the Fall originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• JP Morgan upgraded shares of Reynolds American Inc (NYSE: RAI) to Neutral from Underweight to reflect the company's solid 2007 outlook and improved cigarette mix.

• Baird raised PRA International (NASDAQ: PRAI) to Neutral from Underperform.

• Wendy's International (NYSE: WEN) was upgraded to Neutral from Underweight with a $26 target at Prudential.

• 3M Company (NYSE: MMM) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at Prudential...

• Bear Stearns upgraded shares of ArvinMeritor, Inc (NYSE: ARM) to Outperform from Underperform.

• Roth Capital raised WPT Enterprises (NASDAQ: WPTE) to Hold from Sell.

• Soleil upgraded the semiconductor sector to Overweight from Underweight, believing a recovery in fundamentals is likely over the next 6 months and expecting shares to outperform over the next 12 to 18 months.

• First Albany upgraded shares of Xilinx, Inc (NASDAQ: XLNX) to Buy from Neutral to reflect operating leverage and the end of the inventory concern.

• Wachovia upgraded shares of Agco Corp (NYSE: AG) to Market perform from Outperform.

• Deutsche Bank raised Dover Corp (NYSE: DOV) to Buy from Hold.

• Corning (NYSE: GLW) was upgraded at Goldman to Buy from Neutral with a $31 target.

Analyst upgrades 4-26-07: ARM, GLW, MMM, RAI and WEN originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cramer pans chips and likes agriculture originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Feb 2007 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Credit Suisse initiated Level 3 Communications (NASDAQ: LVLT) with an Outperform rating and $7.50 target; the firm expects Level 3 to continue to benefit from strong demand for higher data usage.

• Morgan Stanley initiated the Machinery Sector with an In-Line rating.
  
• Within the sector, Deere & Co (NYSE: DE) was started with an Overweight rating and $116 target, Terex Corp (NYSE: TEX) with an Equal Weight rating and $67 target, and Caterpillar Inc (NYSE: CAT) & Agco (NYSE: AG) with Underweight ratings and targets of $52 & $25 respectively.

• Baird initiated Alcatel-Lucent ADS (NYSE: ALU) with a Neutral rating and $15 target citing valuation and integration risks.

• Ferris Baker Watts initiated Navigators Group (NASDAQ: NAVG) with a Sell rating and $43 target; the firm said Navigators' balanced growth will serve to reduce underwriting/EPS volatility when the next highly active catastrophe season surfaces.

• Prudential initiated Allergan Inc (NYSE: AGN) with an Overweight rating and $138 target; the firm expects 2007 to be another strong year driven by medical aesthetics products acquired from Inamed in last year.

Analyst Initiations 1-11-07: Level 3 started with an Outperform originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Jan 2007 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.