Analyst Upgrades

• Marriott (MAR) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and Owens-Illinois (OI) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• FirstMerit (FMER) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Safeway (SWY) to hold from sell at Citigroup.
• Babcock & Wilcox (BWC) to buy from neutral, as well as Jacobs Engineering (JEC) and W. R. Berkley (WRB) to neutral from sell, at Goldman.
• Pioneer Natural (PXD) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Teekay Tankers (TNK) to buy from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BP, DGX, DNDN, MAR, PM, PXD, SWY, TNK, TRV ...

Analyst Calls: BP, DGX, DNDN, MAR, PM, PXD, SWY, TNK, TRV ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Jittery on Cisco, G20, and Ireland (CSCO, C. GRRF, DNDN, JNPR, WPI)

Closing Bell: Jittery on Cisco, G20, and Ireland (CSCO, C. GRRF, DNDN, JNPR, WPI) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Dendreon Sinks on Lengthy Medicare Timeline

Dendreon Sinks on Lengthy Medicare Timeline originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Southern Copper (SCCO) to buy from hold to reflect valuation and positive near-term catalysts. The firm raised its target for shares to $38 from $35.
• JMP Securities upgraded Ultimate Software (ULTI) to outperform from market perform. The firm cites the company's expanding employee base for the upgrade. The firm has a $40 target on the stock.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Aeropostale (ARO) to neutral from underweight following the company's Q4 results and raised its target for shares to $31 from $24.
• Kennametal (KMT) was upgraded to sell from conviction sell at Goldman.
• Lifetime Brands (LCUT) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Barrington.
• Volvo (VOLVY) was upgraded to overweight from underweight at JPMorgan.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ABT, ARO, BMY, CELG, DNDN, FACT, GS, PSUN, SCCO, ULTI ...

Analyst Calls: ABT, ARO, BMY, CELG, DNDN, FACT, GS, PSUN, SCCO, ULTI ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Qualcomm (QCOM) rallied 6.7% to $37.93 after approving a 12% increase in its quarterly dividend and authorizes a new $3 billion share buyback program. March put option implied volatility is at 32, April puts are at 31; near its 26-week average of 31 according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Dendreon (DNDN) closed at $33.26. Dendreon's provenge (a drug that prolongs the lives of advanced prostate-cancer patients) has a PDUFA on May 1, 2010, by which time it will respond to Dendreon's amended Biologics License Application (BLA). March put option implied is at 74, May puts are at 92; verses its 26-week average of 76, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement this spring.

Options Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Qualcomm Volatility Flat; Shares Rally on Increased Dividend, Buyback originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Dendreon Fluctuates on FDA Rumors

Dendreon Fluctuates on FDA Rumors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Yo-Yo trading (TXN, DPS, DNDN, AFFX, MMM, S)

Closing Bell: Yo-Yo trading (TXN, DPS, DNDN, AFFX, MMM, S) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Biotechs are fascinating. They have such great promise, yet very few of them actually turn those promises into money. Cures for all types of cancers always seem imminent with promising (there's that word again) results from mice or small control groups. Phase I testing is completed and all kinds of good stuff seems possible. Then something usually happens. Usually not very good things.

Most of the time, it's discovered that what works in mice doesn't work in men (or women). Or that the group was too small for meaningful data and when a larger group is studied, the efficacy isn't there. Or as soon as there's a bounce in the stock price, much more stock is issued and dilution occurs.

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: Beware pretty promises when buying biotechs

Comfort Zone Investing: Beware pretty promises when buying biotechs originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Dendreon shares soar again -- too late to join the ride?

Dendreon shares soar again -- too late to join the ride? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dendreon (NASDAQ: DNDN) closed at $21.55. DNDN will report detailed Phase 3 IMPACT (Immunotherapy for Prostate AdenoCarcinoma Treatment) this afternoon. DNDN May call option implied volatility is at 211, puts are at 190 according to Track Data, suggesting large price movement.

streetTracks Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD) is recently down 70 cents to $88.31 in pre-open trading. Gold is recently down 1.10% to $898.65 according to Bloomberg. GLD May option implied volatility is at 29; June is at 30; below its 26-week average of 38, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

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

Options Update: Dendreon volatility elevated into Prostrate AdenoCarcinoma data originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Merriman upgraded Dendreon (NASDAQ: DNDN) to Buy from Neutral on expectations shares will react positively to the full IMPACT data release on April 28. The firm thinks Provenge could represent the first cancer immunotherapy approved in the U.S. and raised its valuation range on the stock to $33-$34 from $18-$19.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Andersons (NASDAQ: ANDE) as it believes the valuation is attractive, investor expectations are low, and the company's fertilizer and rail segments could recovery in FY10. The firm has a $19 target on shares. Goldman upgraded the auto sector to Neutral from Cautious and added Ford (NYSE: F) to its Conviction Buy list. The analyst does not believe Ford will have to declare bankruptcy and sees the company benefiting from Chrysler share declines and GM's (NYSE: GM) reduced product offerings. Ford's price target is $6
• Banc of America/Merrill upgraded U.S. Airways (NYSE: LCC) to Buy from Underperform.
• Broadcom (NASDAQ: BRCM) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DNDN, ANDE, the auto sector, DGX, MTB, ADVS, ITG, MF and PCLN

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DNDN, ANDE, the auto sector, DGX, MTB, ADVS, ITG, MF and PCLN originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: When 'less-bad' starts looking great (AXP, DNDN, GM, SIRI, SBUX, YHOO)

Closing Bell: When 'less-bad' starts looking great (AXP, DNDN, GM, SIRI, SBUX, YHOO) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Set up profit taking on news (CVX, DNDN, FNM, GS, JNJ)

Closing Bell: Set up profit taking on news (CVX, DNDN, FNM, GS, JNJ) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Despite earlier skepticism Dendreon (DNDN) proves itself -- shares soar

Despite earlier skepticism Dendreon (DNDN) proves itself -- shares soar originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dendreon (NYSE: DNDN) was halted at $7.30. DNDN is reporting top-line data from the ongoing Phase 3 IMPACT (Immunotherapy for Prostate AdenoCarcinoma Treatment) this morning. DNDN April 7 straddle is priced at $1.87, May 7 straddle is priced at $6.60 according to Track Data, suggesting large price movement.

NASDAQ 100 (NASDAQ:QQQQ) overall implied volatility at 36; 26-week average is 43. CBOE Volatility Index S&P 500 Options-VIX at 37.81; 10-day moving average is 40.82.

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

Options Update: Dendreon options indicate movement into data originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dendreon (NASDAQ: DNDN) is a classic example of how a company fares as they struggle through the arcane and sometimes bewildering process of gaining FDA approval of a new treatment protocol.

A little more than a year and a half ago, the Seattle-based company was anxiously awaiting FDA approval of its new drug treatment protocol for prostate cancer.

The company's new drug, Provenge, had completed a trial that found that the treatment extended the lives of men suffering from prostate cancer an average of 4.5 months over those who did not receive the treatment. The company felt it had adequately demonstrated the efficacy of the treatment and deserved FDA approval.

In an unexpected but somewhat typical move, the FDA chose not to approve the drug for distribution at that time. It opted to delay approval until completion of another study under way with 500 subjects. This came in spite of a finding by an FDA panel that the drug was "safe and substantially effective."

Continue reading Dendreon delays request for FDA approval of prostate cancer drug

Dendreon delays request for FDA approval of prostate cancer drug originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dendreon (NASDAQ: DNDN) expects the Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) to review in October 2008 the interim analysis of overall survival relating to the Company's Phase 3 IMPACT (Immunotherapy for Prostate AdenoCarcinoma Treatment). DNDN November call option implied volatility is at 164, puts are at 195; above its 26-week average of 129 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Savient Pharma (NASDAQ: SVNT) closed at $21.95 Thursday. SVNT's Puricase (treatment for refractory gout) BLA (biologics license application) filing is expected this autumn. SVNT September and October option implied volatility is at 86, December is at 82. SVNT average option implied volatility over the last 26-weeks is 79 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

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

Option Update: Dendreon and Savient Pharma volatility elevated originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

E*Trade (NASDAQ: ETFC) trading up 15% on news that it has sold off some of its troubled debt.

Dendreon (NASDAQ: DNDN) is trading higher by over 8% on no apparent news.

MBIA (NYSE: MBI) if off 10% on news that it has cut its dividend.

Siemens (NYSE: SI) is selling off over 4% on rumors that the European conglomerate may cut its 2008 outlook.

Stocks may trade differently in the pre-market than they do in the regular session.

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

Pre-market movers: MBI, ETFC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) and JA Solar Holdings (NASDAQ: JASO) were initiated with Buy ratings and targets of $160 and $61 at Collins Stewart. Collins Stewart sees room for margin expansion and is positive on First Solar after channel checks; the firm expects JA Solar to expand capacity given its long-term supply agreements with four wafer suppliers.
  
• Merrill Lynch started shares of Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) with a Sell rating, citing a lack of revenue growth prospects.
  
• The firm also started shares of Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) with a Buy rating, as they believe the company's share gains and margin expansion will continue.
  
• Merrill also resumed coverage of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) with a Neutral rating, expecting high single digit earnings and share growth, but not enough for a Buy rating.

• Goldman initiated the trucking and railroad sectors with Neutral ratings.
  
• Wachovia initiated Isis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ISIS), BioMarin and Molecular Insight (NASDAQ: MIPI) with Outperform ratings and Bioenvision (NASDAQ: BIVN), Dendreon Corporation (NASDAQ: DNDN), Arena Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARNA) and Neurocrine Biosciences (NASDAQ: NBIX) with Market Perform ratings.

Analyst initiations: FSLR, JASO, ALU, NOK and ERIC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dendreon is basically a one-trick pony, and a money-losing one. As of June 30, the company had an accumulated deficit of $445.5 million. Its shares have plunged more than 50% since May, when the FDA didn't approve Provenge as had been expected.. The stock fell again in July after the company said the SEC was conducting an informal inquiry and that it was hit with a shareholder lawsuit.

Investors' hopes were rekindled again earlier this month after Dendreon released what was seen as promising results for its Neuvenge treatment for breast cancer. Forbes magazine, though, cautions against reading too much into these results.

"While the Neuvenge results were positive, Dendreon investors will have to be patient," the magazine said. "The drug's human trial remains in the early stage, meaning that Neuvenge has a long way to go before it nears Food and Drug Administration approval. Investors remain concerned that Neuvenge could go the way of Provenge."

Provenge remains Dendreon's bread and butter -- at least it would be if the company actually had products. The company made that point very clear in a recent filing with the SEC. "If we fail to obtain FDA approval for Provenge or fail to successfully commercialize Provenge, our business would be harmed and our stock price would likely decline," the filing said.

How true.

Hopefully, M&D will eventually recoup some of their losses so they can focus on more important things like spoiling grandchildren.

Dendreon (DNDN) remains a dog originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.