Analyst Upgrades

• Siemens (SI) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Diamond Offshore (DO) to market perform from underperform at FBR Capital.
• MeadWestvaco (MWV) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• TD AmeriTrade (AMTD) and Cabot Oil & Gas (COG) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Janus Capital (JNS) to hold from sell at Citigroup.
• Motorola Mobility (MMI) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Frontier Communications (FTR) to neutral from underperform at Macquarie.
• Humana (HUM) to buy from hold at Argus.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMTD, COG, DO, F, GM, HUM, LEA, MMI, NKE, SI, TRW ...

Analyst Calls: AMTD, COG, DO, F, GM, HUM, LEA, MMI, NKE, SI, TRW ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• General Growth (GGP) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• PPL Corp. (PPL) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Hudson City Bancorp (HCBK) to neutral from reduce at Nomura.
• Hologic (HOLX) to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• Cognex (CGNX) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Buckeye Partners (BPL) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Ericsson (ERIC) and Health Care REIT (HCN) to buy from neutral and Olin (OLN) to neutral from sell at UBS.
• Nalco (NLC) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Watts Water (WTS) to buy from hold at BB&T.
• McDermott (MDR) to buy from neutral at Pritchard.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMTD, BPL, BX, ERIC, FTE, GGP, HCBK, HCN, NE, PPL, TUP ...

Analyst Calls: AMTD, BPL, BX, ERIC, FTE, GGP, HCBK, HCN, NE, PPL, TUP ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• inContact (SAAS) to buy from neutral at Roth Capital.

Analyst Downgrades

• Ericsson (ERIC) to neutral from buy at Goldman.
• Hovnanian (HOV) to underperform from buy at BofA/Merrill.
• PrivateBancorp (PVTB) to market perform from outperform at BMO Capital.
• Logitech (LOGI) to neutral from outperform at Exane BNP Paribas.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AGN, ERIC, HOV, LOGI, MMI, SAAS, SOL, TSLA ...

Analyst Calls: AGN, ERIC, HOV, LOGI, MMI, SAAS, SOL, TSLA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Allergan's Botox Approved for Migraine Treatment

Allergan's Botox Approved for Migraine Treatment originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As the opening bell sounded and stocks got off to a sluggish start, I decided to take a look for stocks that got off to a fast start. One of those stocks is Botox-maker Allergan (AGN). In early trading, the pharmaceutical firm was more than a percentage point higher, so I took to digging to find out why.

The biggest news I found for Allergan was that it entered into an Amended and Restated License, Development and Marketing Agreement with Inspire Pharmaceuticals. The agreement deals with terms related to the Prolacria 2% development program and Inspire's right to receive revenues from Allergan relating to net sales of Restasis and any other human opthalmic formulations of cyclosporine owned or controlled by Allergan. Simply put, Inspire will receive revenues on net sales of Restasis and any related cyclosporine-based medicines.

Continue reading Allergan Rallies on News of License Agreement

Allergan Rallies on News of License Agreement originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Drug manufacturer Allergan, Inc. (AGN) will be reporting its second quarter results on Monday, with analysts expecting to see an 8% earnings increase from the same period last year.

Analysts have forecast earnings of $0.81 for the quarter, versus $0.75 during the same period last year.

Allergan has managed to outpace analyst estimates for each of the past six quarters, and has not failed to at least match estimates since the first quarter of 2007.

Continue reading Allergan Second Quarter Earnings Preview

Allergan Second Quarter Earnings Preview originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Morgan Keegan upgraded Copano Energy (CPNO) to Outperform from Market Perform based on the $300M capital infusion it received from TPG Capital.
• Wells Fargo upgraded SunTrust (STI) to Market Perform from Underperform following the company's Q2 results citing improving credit quality trends and valuation.
• UBS upgraded Baidu (BIDU) to Buy from Neutral based on solid fundamentals following the strong Q2 report and guidance and valuation. The firm raised its price target to $92 from $69.
• Baxter (BAX) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
• JetBlue (JBLU) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Soleil.
• Penn Virginia GP (PVG) was upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital.

• Piper Jaffray downgraded Beckman Coulter (BEC) to Neutral from Overweight following the company's weaker than expected Q2 results and lowered guidance. The firm lowered its target for shares to $60 from $74. Shares were also downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies and to Neutral from outperform at Baird following the company's reduced guidance.
• Keefe Bruyette cut AmeriCredit (ACF) to Market Perform from Outperform following the acquisition by General Motors (GM, MTLQQ).
• FBR Capital downgraded SunTrust (STI) to Market Perform from Outperform and lowered its price target to $27 from $34. The analyst believes larger banks are better positioned than regionals due to greater prospects of reserve releases.
• Travelers (TRV) was downgraded to Perform from Outperform at Oppenheimer.
• Lender Processing (LPS) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman.
• Penn Virginia Resource (PVR) was downgraded to Sector Perform at RBC Capital.

• ThinkEquity assumed coverage of SanDisk (SNDK) with a Buy rating.
• Macquarie initiated Allergan (AGN) with an Outperform rating and $75 price target.
• Macquarie also initiated Cooper Companies (COO) with an Outperform rating and $45 price target.
• NCR Corp (NCR) was initiated with a Hold rating at KeyBanc.
• CryoLife (CRY) was started at Benchmark Co. with a Buy rating and $8 target.
• China New Borun (BORN) was initiated with an Overweight rating and $7.40 target at Piper Jaffray.

Analyst Calls: STI, BIDU, BAX, JBLU, TRV, SNDK, AGN, COO, BEC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're interested on taking a bet on a potential high-flyer, you might want to take a look at Allergan (AGN).

Goldman Sachs recently said they expect more M&A activity in pharmaceutical and that Allergan is a prime candidate for a takeover. Sanofi-Aventis (SNY) and Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) are two companies analysts are speculating may be interested in acquiring Allergan.

Goldman also upgraded its price target for Allergan on its Conviction Buy List from $78 to $81.

Continue reading Goldman Sachs Targets Allergan as Takeover Candidate

Goldman Sachs Targets Allergan as Takeover Candidate originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It appears that U.S.-based drug makers and cigarette companies caught the attention of traders Tuesday -- at least, that's what they're searching for.

If you want to know what stocks traders are interested in right now at this very second, you need look no further than what's hot in Google.

Here's what's hot Friday:

Continue reading Allergan, BJ's Wholesale and Others Heating Up in Google

Allergan, BJ's Wholesale and Others Heating Up in Google originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• JPMorgan upgraded T. Rowe Price (TROW) to overweight from neutral while downgrading Janus Capital (JNS) to underweight from neutral to reflect valuations and fundamentals. The firm has a $67 price target for T. Rowe Price shares.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Lincoln Electric (LECO) to overweight from neutral as it believes the rebound in global manufacturing is accelerating. The firm has a $70 price target on the stock.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Highwoods Properties (HIW) to market perform from underperform, citing valuation and a strong balance sheet.
• Corning (GLW) was upgraded to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Allergan (AGN) was upgraded to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Mohawk (MHK) was upgraded to buy from neutral at SunTrust.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ARG, BX, CL, GLW, LECO, PALM, TEVA, TROW ...

Analyst Calls: ARG, BX, CL, GLW, LECO, PALM, TEVA, TROW ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Allergan Rises On FDA Botox Approval

Allergan Rises On FDA Botox Approval originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• JPMorgan upgraded TiVo (TIVO) to overweight from neutral as it believes Thursday's appeal win against DISH Network could lead to revenue upside. The firm raised its target price for shares to $23 from $15.
• Collins Stewart upgraded DISH Network (DISH) to buy from hold on valuation, as it believes much of the impact from the negative appeals ruling is priced into the stock. The firm has a $30 target for shares.
• Cowen upgraded Ciena (CIEN) to outperform from neutral. The firm believes Ciena's acquisition of MEN is transformative and will accelerate top line growth.
• Progress Software (PRGS) was upgraded to buy from hold at Needham.
• Allergan (AGN) was upgraded to buy from hold at Lazard Capital.
• Public Service (PEG) was upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CIEN, COF, DISH, ED, GME, MOS, POT, TIVO, WEN ...

Analyst Calls: CIEN, COF, DISH, ED, GME, MOS, POT, TIVO, WEN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded MSCI Inc. (MXB) to outperform from market perform on valuation following Monday's sell-off as it views the acquisition of RiskMetrics (RISK) favorably. The firm has a $36 price target on shares. UBS also upgraded MSCI, to buy from neutral, and raised its target to $40 from $34, citing the recent pullback in shares and the accretive acquisition of RiskMetrics.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Suncor (SU) to hold from sell on valuation and raised its price target on shares to $28 from $20. The firm continues to prefer Canadian Natural (CNQ) to Suncor, however, and raised its target on shares to $80 from $78.
• JMP Securities upgraded Grubb & Ellis (GBE) to outperform from market perform based on the improved operating environment and balance sheet, and valuation, among other reasons.
• Dell (DELL) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.
• FEMSA (FMX) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at HSBC.
• Westar Energy (WR) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AGN, AOL, DELL, KMB, MXB, RISK, SNDA, T ...

Analyst Calls: AGN, AOL, DELL, KMB, MXB, RISK, SNDA, T ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET) reported better-than-expected Q3 earnings and revenue, sending shares higher.
• Allergan Inc. (NYSE: AGN) reported better-than-expected Q3 numbers, sending shares higher.
• Bare Escentuals Inc. (NASDAQ: BARE) Q3 profit easily topped analysts' estimates, and shares surged.
• Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. (NYSE: COG) received an upgrade following the release of its Q3 numbers.
• Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) reported strong Q1 results, sending shares higher.
• E*Trade Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: ETFC) reported a smaller-than-expected net loss for Q3.
• Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE: GT) Q3 earnings topped estimates and revenue was up sequentially.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Aetna, Allergan, E*Trade, Goodyear, RadioShack, SAP, Visa ...

Earnings highlights: Aetna, Allergan, E*Trade, Goodyear, RadioShack, SAP, Visa ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One would expect generic U.S. drugmaker Mylan (NYSE: MYL) to benefit from all this talk about increased generic competitions, but revenue only increased 5.2 percent to $1.26 billion on an operational basis, beating analyst revenue estimates of $1.23 billion. Still, revenue in North America, where most pharmas have been hurting, rose 9.2 percent to $502.5 million, helped by new product launches and increased volume.

On an adjusted basis, Mylan posted better-than-expected third-quarter results on Thursday, reporting an earnings per share of 32 cents -- 5 cents higher than the average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. It seems that just like branded pharmas, Mylan benefited from cost cuts. Still, the world's No. 3 generic drugmaker raised its full-year outlook and said it believes it can continue its current momentum into 2010.

Continue reading Pharma earnings recap: Mylan, Allergan, Novo-Nordisk

Pharma earnings recap: Mylan, Allergan, Novo-Nordisk originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• UBS upgraded Corning (NYSE: GLW) to Buy from Neutral and raised its target to $19 from $18.50, citing the improved LCD supply-demand outlook and improved sell-through ahead of the holiday season in China.
• Credit Suisse upgraded Newfield Exploration (NYSE: NFX) to Outperform from Neutral and raised its target to $48 from $44 citing valuation and improved asset quality.
• Stifel upgraded Newfield Exploration and Ultra Petroleum (NYSE: UPL) shares to Buy from Hold based on strong fundamentals and a long-term positive view for the E&P sector. The firm has a $50 target on Newfield and a $58 target on Ultra Petroleum.
• TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Buy at Goldman.
• General Mills (NYSE: GIS) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Coca-Cola Femsa (NYSE: KOF) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BP, CMCSA, GLW, MAR, RIMM, TIF, TJX ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BP, CMCSA, GLW, MAR, RIMM, TIF, TJX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Citigroup upgraded National Fuel (NYSE: NFG) to Hold from Sell to reflect better than expected drilling results for the company's Marcellus shale assets. Citi raised its target on shares to $43 from $42.
• Baird upgraded Netezza (NYSE: NZ) to Outperform from Neutral and raised its target to $14 from $7 based on the company's new product announcement and potential revenue acceleration.
• JPMorgan upgraded Liberty Interactive (NASDAQ: LINTA) to Overweight from Neutral. The firm finds the valuation attractive following Liberty's better than expected Q2 results and set a $13 price target on the stock.
• Marlin Business (NASDAQ: MRLN) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at William Blair.
• Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) was upgraded to Sell from Conviction Sell at Goldman.
• Hewitt Associates (NYSE: HEW) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BBY, DAI, FTE, LOGM, RIMM ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BBY, DAI, FTE, LOGM, RIMM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Citigroup upgraded Allergan (NYSE: AGN) to Buy from Hold to reflect increased estimates for Botox and its belief Latisse guidance looks conservative. The firm raised its target on shares to $57 from $45.
  
• Jefferies upgraded Texas Instruments (TXN) to Hold from Underperform after channel checks indicated business is strengthening. Jefferies believes Texas Instruments' September quarter guidance will come in better than expected and raised its target on shares to 23 from $16.
  
• FBR Capital upgraded Peabody Energy (BTU) to Outperform from Market Perform to reflect "strong" long-term steel and steam demand trends from China and India. The firm raised its target on shares to $44 from $36.
  
• Elan Corp (ELN) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
  
• Affymetrix (AFFX) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
  
• ASML Holding (ASML) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AGN, TXN, ELN, PALM, DOW

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AGN, TXN, ELN, PALM, DOW originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Citigroup upgraded Emergency Medical Services (NYSE: EMS) to Hold from Sell as it believes earnings estimates and valuation multiples could expand should Congress extend insurance coverage to the currently uninsured. The firm raised its target on shares to $38 from $29.
• JPMorgan upgraded Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB) to Neutral from Underweight on expectations the company's fixed income business will drive earnings.
• KeyBanc expects U.S. Steel (NYSE: X) to benefit from a global recovery in flat-rolled products and a potential stabilization in energy end markets. The firm upgraded shares to Buy from Hold.
• Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Soleil.
• Pinnacle Financial (NASDAQ: PNFP) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Stephens.
• BP Plc (NYSE: BP) was raised to Buy from Hold at ING Group.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BP, DB, NUE, TLB, X, YHOO ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BP, DB, NUE, TLB, X, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Jefferies upgraded MDS Inc. (NYSE: MDZ) to Buy from Hold on valuation as it believes shares are pricing in a "worst case" scenario at current levels. The firm keeps a $6.50 target on the stock.
  
• JP Morgan upgraded Continental (NYSE: CAL) to Overweight from Neutral on valuation as it believes the recent sell-off is overdone. The firm keeps a $13 price target on the stock.
• Thomas Weisel is positive on Allergan's (NYSE: AGN) diverse product portfolio, global infrastructure, vertical integration, and deep pipeline. The firm upgraded shares to Overweight from Market Weight and has a $54 target on the stock.
• NetLogic (NASDAQ: NETL) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Piper.
  
• Dover (NYSE: DOV) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Banc of America/Merrill.
  
• Map Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MAPP) was upgraded at Argus to Hold from Sell.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CAL, NETL, MAPP, DDUP, LMT ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CAL, NETL, MAPP, DDUP, LMT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.