Continue reading Correction: Phil's Masters Win Costs Sponsors $1M

Correction: Phil's Masters Win Costs Sponsors $1M originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Jefferies upgraded Netflix (NFLX) to buy from hold and has a $65 target, citing stronger than expected momentum following the Q4 report and guidance. Merriman upgraded Netflix to buy from neutral following the company's better-than-expected Q4 results as it sees upside in shares to the $66 to $75 range. Shares were also upgraded to buy from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Citigroup upgraded Rockwell Automation (ROK) to hold from sell following the company's better-than-expected Q1 results and raised FY10 guidance. Citi raised its target on shares to $52 from $35.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Textainer (TGH) to buy from hold to reflect improved container fundamentals and potential fleet growth. The firm keeps a $19 price target on shares.
• STMicroelectronics (STM) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at Piper Jaffray.
• Caterpillar (CAT) was upgraded to neutral from sell at UBS.
• Apache (APA) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: APA, BKC, CAT, NFLX, KFT, QCOM, ROK ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: APA, BKC, CAT, NFLX, KFT, QCOM, ROK ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) to Outperform from Market Perform due to valuation and the company's capital position. The firm has an $8 target price on the stock.
• BofA/Merrill upgraded its view of the semiconductor sector and upgraded Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) and Marvell Technology (NASDAQ: MRVL) to Buy from Neutral, LSI Corp. (NYSE: LSI) to Buy from Underperform, and Maxim (NASDAQ: MXIM) and National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM) to Neutral from Underperform. The firm now sees 2010 revenue growth of 21% vs. its prior estimate of 14% due to improving electric demand and lean inventories.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded Vital Images (NASDAQ: VTAL) to Overweight from Market Weight based on compelling valuation and potential upside from its new ViTAL Enterprise product offering.
• Jones Apparel (NYSE: JNY) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
• Hess Corp. (NYSE: HES) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays.
• Nationwide Health (NYSE: NHP) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Morgan Keegan.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BJ, INTC, MMM, MRVL, NSM ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BJ, INTC, MMM, MRVL, NSM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Callaway Golf (ELY) slashes dividend to $0.01

Callaway Golf (ELY) slashes dividend to $0.01 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If Justin Timberlake played Callaway clubs, would you? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After a U.S. Open victory that was perhaps the most thrilling of his entire career, Tiger Woods will miss the rest of the season to undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left knee.

Obviously this is bad news for his main sponsor, Nike (NYSE: NKE). They pay him handsomely to hit their clubs and wear their hat (although his bag bears the logo for Buick), and watching a close-up of his 18th hole birdie was priceless marketing: as the ball rolled, the Nike swoosh was in plain view.

And in a larger sense, this is bad news for anyone who's marketing on the PGA Tour. It's a well-known fact that golf's ratings plummet for any event Tiger isn't playing in. I mean, who really cares about Justin Leonard and Geoff Ogilvy? There's Tiger and then there's everyone else. Wake me when it's over -- maybe I'll go watch some arena football.

Continue reading Tiger Woods out for the season, bad news for Nike

Tiger Woods out for the season, bad news for Nike originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

ThinkPanmure intiated coverage of Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) with a "buy", according to the the AP.

Wachovia downgraded Lehman (NYSE:LEH) to "market perform" from "outperform" according to Briefing.com. The newservice also reports that Caris initiated Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) as "above average."

According to 24/7 Wall St. Callaway Golf (NYSE:ELY) was started as Outperform at Raymond James. The financial website also writes that Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) was raised to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Early analyst calls (KO) (LEH) (INTC) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Is Aldila's complaining about the golf market believable?

Is Aldila's complaining about the golf market believable? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 May 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Are golf stocks a good bet for a troubled economy?

Are golf stocks a good bet for a troubled economy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Keefe Bruyette resumed coverage of Old Republic (NYSE:ORI), MGIC Investment (NYSE:MTG), PMI Group (NYSE:PMI) and Radian (NYSE:RDN) with Market Perform ratings and a $16 target, $13 target, $7 target and $6.50 target, respectively, as they expect increased capital needs to generate operational headwinds in the near-term.
  
• JMP Securities expects FDA approval of Thoratec's (NASDAQ:THOR) next generation HeartMate II VAD any day now and for the company to meet/beat 2008 sales guidance. Shares were started with an Outperform rating and $20 target.
  
• Callaway Golf (NYSE:ELY) was assumed at Stephens with an Overweight rating and $19 target. The firm is positive on Callaway's leadership position, strong balance sheet, new products and international opportunity.

• Kaufman Bros. initiated Bancscares of Florida (NASDAQ:BOFL) with a Buy rating and $15.50 target.
  
• Raymond James started Dialysis Corp of America (NASDAQ:DCAI) with a Strong Buy rating and $9 target.
  
• Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) was initiated at Lazard with a Buy rating and $420 target.

Analyst initiations: Mortgage insurers, THOR and ELY originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Canaccord Adams expects Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) growth to be driven by its expanding international reach, mix shift to third-party revenue, product innovation, and category expansion. The firm initiated shares with a Buy rating and $78 target.
  
• UBS is positive on Altria's (NYSE: MO) growth, low likelihood of downward EPS revisions, and best-in-class cash flow distribution; shares were started with a Buy rating.
  
• Skilled Healthcare (NYSE: SKH) was initiated with an Outperform rating at Morgan Keegan, as they believe nursing home reimbursement risk is already reflected in its valuation.

• KeyBank assumed Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) with a Buy rating and $19 target.
  
• Credit Suisse initiated Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU) with an Outperform rating and $35 target.
  
• Broadpoint initiated Novell (NASDAQ: NOVL) with a Buy rating.

Analyst initiations: Amazon, Altria Group, Skilled Healthcare originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) is scheduled to release Q4 EPS this afternoon.

ELY will hold an analyst meeting on February 7.

ELY overall option implied volatility of 50 is above its 26-week average of 41 according to Track Data, suggesting larger risk.

CA, Inc. (NYSE: CA), an information technology management software company, closed at $22.30 Wednesday.

Stanford Group initiated CA with a Hold rating. Stanford says: "In our opinion CA has suffered from three main problems in recent years; growth, restructuring-related disruptions, and a complex financial model that hindered visibility of its financial performance."

CA is expected to report Q3 EPS after the market close tonight. CA February option implied volatility of 43 is above its 26-week average of 28 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risks.

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

Option update 1-31-08: Callaway Golf volatility elevated into EPS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Callaway Golf Company (ELY) is engaged in the design, manufacture, and sale of golf equipment. Products include drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, putters and balls. The company also sells such accessories as golf bags, golf gloves, golf headwear, golf footwear, golf towels, and golf umbrellas. In addition, Callaway licenses its trademarks to third parties for use on apparel, watches, travel gear and eyewear. The firm sells its products to pro shops, sporting goods retailers and mass merchants.

Callaway had good news for investors last week, when it said it expected FY07 EPS of 87-89 cents and revenues of $1.125 billion. Analysts had been looking for 87 cents and $1.11 billion. The CEO cited an improved product development process, improved inventory management and the successful re-launch of the Top-Flite brand for the favorable view. Wachovia subsequently upgraded the shares from "market perform" to "outperform." The stock popped into bullish "flag" consolidation pattern on the announcement. Prices frequently exit flags moving in the same direction they were traveling on entry. In this case, that would be to the upside.

Continue reading Callaway Golf: Shares in bullish 'flag' formation

Callaway Golf: Shares in bullish 'flag' formation originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Jefferies upgraded Websense (NASDAQ: WBSN) to Hold from Underperform to reflect the strong recent results from SurfControl as well as the possibility for 2H software seasonality.

• Lehman upgraded shares of OSI Pharma (NASDAQ: OSIP) to Overweight from Underweight on valuation as well as expectations for price increases and growth in Europe.

• Susquehanna upgraded shares of Gap (NYSE: GPS) to Positive from Neutral citing management's ability to control costs & manage inventories, share buybacks, and streamlining of organizational structure.
  

• Tiffany & Co (NYSE: TIF) was upgrade to Accumulate from Neutral at Buckingham based on valuation and strong worldwide luxury trends outside of Japan.

• Matrix upgraded shares of Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) to Strong Buy from Hold to reflect positive fundamentals and the recent share weakness...

• Valueclick (NASDAQ: VCLK) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Needham.

• WestLB raised Swisscom (NYSE: SCM) to Add from Hold and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) to Buy from Hold.

Analyst upgrades: ELY, GPS, TIF and VCLK originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.