Analyst Upgrades

• Citigroup (C) to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.
• Cubist Pharma (CBST) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Pentair (PNR) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Heritage Financial (HFWA) to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• SL Green Realty (SLG) and Digital Realty (DLR) to market perform from underperform at FBR Capital.
• MGM Resorts (MGM) to neutral from Sell at Janney Capital.
• Ciena (CIEN) to buy from neutral and Olin (OLN) to buy from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Mellanox (MLNX) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• ConocoPhillips (COP) and Canadian Natural (CNQ) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• IDEX (IEX) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Ctrip.com (CTRP) to positive from neutral at Susquehanna.
• Linear Technology (LLTC) and Analog Devices (ADI) to hold from sell at Auriga.
• Quicksilver (KWK) to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ADI, BRCM, C, CIEN, COP, INTC, MGM, OXY, QCOM, TXN ...

Analyst Calls: ADI, BRCM, C, CIEN, COP, INTC, MGM, OXY, QCOM, TXN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The markets were taking a breather after a huge recovery, but today's rally was the return of the global growth and rebuilding trade. An absolutely dismal home sales number did not even keep the bulls from charging today.

Here were the unofficial closing bells:

Dow Jones 12,086.02 +67.39 (0.56%)
S&P 500 1,297.54 +3.77 (0.29%)
Nasdaq 2,698.30 +14.43 (0.54%)

Continue reading Closing Bell: Growth & Rebuilding Back On Track (BAC, CREE, MU, NFLX, PRAN)

Closing Bell: Growth & Rebuilding Back On Track (BAC, CREE, MU, NFLX, PRAN) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Cree (CREE) and Rubicon Technology (RBCN) to buy from neutral at Merriman.
• Children's Place (PLCE) to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.
• Lockheed Martin (LMT) to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Copano Energy (CPNO) to outperform from market perform at Morgan Keegan.
• Motorola Mobility (MMI) to neutral from reduce at Nomura.
• Parker-Hannifin (PH) to buy from hold at KeyBanc.
• Akamai (AKAM), ShoreTel (SHOR), AMB Property (AMB) and ProLogis (PLD) to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AAPL, AEO, CREE, DELL, HPQ, IBM, LMT, MMI, MYGN, PH ...

Analyst Calls: AAPL, AEO, CREE, DELL, HPQ, IBM, LMT, MMI, MYGN, PH ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Air Products (APD) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Zimmer (ZMH) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• SunPower (SPWRA) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Brocade (BRCD) to buy from hold at Wunderlich and at ThinkEquity.
• Duke Energy (DUK) to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• NewStar Financial (NEWS) to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Hormel Foods (HRL) to hold from sell at Soleil.
• Inspire Pharma (ISPH) to hold from sell at Duncan-Williams.
• Alnylam (ALNY) to buy from neutral at Roth Capital.
• Weight Watchers (WTW) to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• Raytheon (RTN) and Toreador Resources (TRGL) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BRCD, CREE, DUK, HRL, MOLX, RTN, SPWRA, VCLK, WTW ...

Analyst Calls: BRCD, CREE, DUK, HRL, MOLX, RTN, SPWRA, VCLK, WTW ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It was an ugly quarter for Cree (CREE), which develops chips for LED lighting. In early trading Wednesday, the shares were off 13% to $54.21.

In the fiscal second quarter, revenues came to $257 million, which was well below the Street consensus of $276.6 million. Non-GAAP earnings were 55 cents per share. The Street forecast? It was three cents higher.

Continue reading Cree Gets Crushed

Cree Gets Crushed originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The earnings season ramps up this week. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters foresee strong reports from such big names as Apple (AAPL), eBay (EBAY), IBM (IBM), General Electric (GE), Google (GOOG), Schlumberger (SLB) and Southwest Airlines (LUV). And fast on the heels of last week's big earnings beat from JPMorgan Chase (JPM), there will be plenty more results from the financial sector to peruse this week.

Among the financials expected to post double-digit earnings growth this week are Capital One Financial (COF), Morgan Stanley (MS), SLM Corp. (SLM) and U.S. Bancorp (USB), but the week's biggest earnings winner may be Wells Fargo (WFC).

Continue reading Week in Preview: Banks in the Earnings Spotlight

Week in Preview: Banks in the Earnings Spotlight originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is one in a series in which more than 60 newsletter advisors share their Top Stock Picks for 2011. This special report is courtesy of TheStockAdvisors.com.

"Cree Inc. (CREE), a semiconductor equipment company based in Durham, North Carolina, is my top investment idea for the coming year," says trading specialist Rick Pendergraft.

The editor of Cabot Options Trader explains, "The stock has experienced tremendous growth in the last few years with a long-term growth rate of 22%.

Continue reading Top Picks 2011: Cree (CREE)

Top Picks 2011: Cree (CREE) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 02 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Looking for a shopping list of new stock ideas for 2011?

Each year for 28 years, TheStockAdvisors.com has turned to the nation's most respected and well-known newsletter advisors and asked them for their favorite investment ideas for the coming 12 months.

With 65 advisors participating in this year's survey, there's something for every type of investor, from high-quality blue chips to speculative home runs.

Continue reading Top Picks 2011: Favorite Stocks from 60+ Advisors

Top Picks 2011: Favorite Stocks from 60+ Advisors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Pre-Holiday Market Cheers (ARMH, INTC, IRE, CREE, EWY, TIF, TIVO, USO)

Closing Bell: Pre-Holiday Market Cheers (ARMH, INTC, IRE, CREE, EWY, TIF, TIVO, USO) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Sprint (S) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at Piper Jaffray.
• Cree (CREE) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Morgan Keegan.
• Brocade (BRCD) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• JPMorgan upgraded WuXi PharmaTech (WX) to overweight from neutral.
• Barclays upgraded ITC Holdings (ITC) to overweight from equal weight.
• Centene (CNC) was upgraded to outperform from underperform at Oppenheimer.
• Senior Housing (SNH) was upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• UBS upgraded Hovnanian (HOV) to neutral from sell.
• GeoResources (GEOI) was upgraded to accumulate from neutral at Madison Williams.
• Compellent (CML) was upgraded to hold from sell at Canaccord.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BRCD, CCE, DPS, HOV, JOYG, KMB, KO, PEP, S, ...

Analyst Calls: BRCD, CCE, DPS, HOV, JOYG, KMB, KO, PEP, S, ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Bulls Come Back Quick (ABK, BAC, AAPL, AMLN, CREE, FSII, WFC)

Closing Bell: Bulls Come Back Quick (ABK, BAC, AAPL, AMLN, CREE, FSII, WFC) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cree (CREE - option chain) stock is trading lower today after the company reported fiscal Q1 earnings last night, posting a profit of $58 million, or 53 cents per share. Excluding one-time items, CREE earned 60 cents per share on revenue of $268.44 million. Analysts had forecast a profit of 58 cents per share on revenue of $377.68 million. CREE also forecast Q2 earnings of 56 to 60 cents per share on revenue of $270 to $280 million, compared to analysts' earnings estimates of 60 cents per share on revenue of $297 million. If you think this stock won't be rising too far in the coming months, then it could be a good time to look at a bearish hedged play on CREE.

Continue reading Cree Drops on Weak Q1 Revenue and Q2 Guidance

Cree Drops on Weak Q1 Revenue and Q2 Guidance originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Cree (CREE): LEDs for the 'Green Revolution'

Cree (CREE): LEDs for the 'Green Revolution' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• CLSA upgraded Capital One (COF) to outperform from underperform based on valuation and an acceleration in loan growth. The firm raised its price target to $43 from $40.
• KeyBanc upgraded Brush Engineered (BW) to buy from hold based on increased confidence in profit momentum in Specialty Engineered Alloys, valuation and value-added revenue unit growth. The firm has a $30 target on the stock.
• Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Heico (HEI) to buy from hold with a $42 target, citing the better-than-expected Q3 results.
• Greenbrier (GBX) was upgraded to buy from hold at BB&T.
• Paychex (PAYX) was upgraded to hold from sell at Deutsche Bank.
• A. Schulman (SHLM) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Longbow.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ASX, BW, CBOE, COF, CREE, MDT, NDAQ, SCHW, TSM ...

Analyst Calls: ASX, BW, CBOE, COF, CREE, MDT, NDAQ, SCHW, TSM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Red for the Day and Red for the Year (AIG, FIG, TRV, CREE, APA, AVGO)

Closing Bell: Red for the Day and Red for the Year (AIG, FIG, TRV, CREE, APA, AVGO) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Cree Gets Creamed

Cree Gets Creamed originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Auriga upgraded Allscripts (MDRX) to buy from hold to reflect valuation and potential synergies from the company's pending merger with Eclipsys (ECLP). The firm upped its target price for shares to $20 from $19.
• SunTrust upgraded Newell Rubbermaid (NWL) to buy from neutral based on completion of its turnaround plan, stabilizing end markets and favorable comparisons. The firm has a $25 price target on the stock.
• Morgan Joseph upgraded C.R. Bard (BCR) to buy from hold based on valuation and upside to estimates from the share buyback program. The firm has a $97 price target on the stock.
• Shire (SHPGY) was upgraded to buy from hold at Lazard Capital.
• Onyx Pharma (ONXX) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.
• AvalonBay (AVB) was upgraded to neutral from sell at UBS.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AVB, BCR, CREE, DAI, HRB, HSP, MDRX, NANO, NWL ...

Analyst Calls: AVB, BCR, CREE, DAI, HRB, HSP, MDRX, NANO, NWL ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Bernstein upgraded Corning (GLW) to outperform from market perform based on Gorilla glass prospects and valuation. The firm raised its price target to $22 from $21.
• RBC Capital upgraded Beckman Coulter (BEC) two rating levels to outperform from underperform, citing valuation and customer checks that indicate high retention rates. The firm upped its target for shares to $65 from $55.
• Credit Suisse upgraded Canadian Pacific (CP) to outperform from underperform. The firm expects Canadian Pacific to have stronger-than-average Q2 volume growth, improved productivity and notes leverage to growth in Asia, among other reasons for the upgrade. The firm raised its target to $75 from $59.
• Freeport McMoRan (FRX) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at HSBC.
• Solera (SLH) was upgraded to strong buy from buy at Needham.
• Jefferies upgraded IPC The Hospitalist Co. (IPCM) to buy from hold.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BEC, BRCM, CP, CVS, DO, GLW, INTC, LMT, NE, NVDA, RIG, RTN ...

Analyst Calls: BEC, BRCM, CP, CVS, DO, GLW, INTC, LMT, NE, NVDA, RIG, RTN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• FBR Capital upgraded Transocean (RIG) to outperform from market perform as it believes congressional hearings and reports indicate the company's blowout preventer at the Deepwater Horizon likely worked properly. The firm has an $87 price target for shares.
• Auriga upgraded First Solar (FSLR) to buy from hold as it believes the recent sell-off in shares as created an attractive entry point. Despite upgrading, the firm lowered its target for shares to $138 from $147.
• Soleil upgraded Priceline.com (PCLN) to buy from hold, citing a favorable risk-reward profile. Despite the upgrade, the firm lowered its target for shares to $230 from $250.
• Blackrock (BLK) was upgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• Abbott (ABT) was upgraded to hold from sell at Citigroup.
• Exxon Mobil (XOM) was upgraded to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ABT, AON, APA, BX, CSIQ, FSLR, GRMN, GXDX, PCLN, RIG, XOM ...

Analyst Calls: ABT, AON, APA, BX, CSIQ, FSLR, GRMN, GXDX, PCLN, RIG, XOM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 May 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Put Spread Players Target Cree

Put Spread Players Target Cree originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 May 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.