Traders on Wall Street are starting to place their bets that Mariner Energy (ME) is going to be one of the next stocks to fall to bearish trading pressure.

We know that they are placing their bets because Mariner's short interest is jumping through the roof.

Short interest is the current number of shares of a stock that have been sold short without being covered. And since traders typically only sell a stock short if they believe it is going to lose value, we know traders are growing increasingly bearish on Mariner.

Continue reading Bears Pile on Mariner Energy, Enbridge, Shaw

Bears Pile on Mariner Energy, Enbridge, Shaw originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Soleil upgraded Potash (POT) to hold from sell due to valuation. The firm maintains a $100 price target for shares.
• FBR Capital upgraded Arkansas Best (ABFS) to market perform from underperform after the company reached a tentative agreement with the Teamsters to amend its existing contract to include a 15% wage concession. The firm has a $34 price target for shares.
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Zions Bancorp (ZION) to market perform from underperform following the company's Q1 results and raised its target for shares to $25 from $17.
• Apache (APA) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• MGM Mirage (MGM) wasupgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• Monster Worldwide (MWW) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ABFS, APA, CSTR, ESL, MGM, POT, SAI, TIVO, UL, ZION ...

Analyst Calls: ABFS, APA, CSTR, ESL, MGM, POT, SAI, TIVO, UL, ZION ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Mariner Energy Acquisition Could Help Apache Break Out

Mariner Energy Acquisition Could Help Apache Break Out originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the Bell: Futures Lower Ahead of Economic Data

Before the Bell: Futures Lower Ahead of Economic Data originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Oppenheimer upgraded Gymboree (NASDAQ: GYMB) to Outperform from Perform following the company's Q2 results to reflect valuation and square footage growth from Crazy 8. The firm has a $52 target on the stock.
• KeyBanc upgraded Lululemon (NASDAQ: LULU) to Buy from Hold on expectations sales and margins will improve in the near-term due to clean inventory levels. The firm recommends a pair trade of long Lululemon, short Under Armour (NYSE: UA).
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Allied Capital (NYSE: ALD) to Market Perform from Underperform following the company's Q2 results and raised its target on shares to $3.50 from $1.
• Jack in the Box (NASDAQ: JACK) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.
• LogMeln (NASDAQ: LOGM) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Barclays (NYSE: BCS) was reinstated with an Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AZN, BCS, JACK, MVL, PCLN, UA ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AZN, BCS, JACK, MVL, PCLN, UA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Banc of America/Merrill upgraded Gymboree (NASDAQ:GYMB) to Buy from Underperform and raised their target to $33 from $15 following the company's Q1 comparable store sales guidance.
  
• Oppenheimer upgraded Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) to Outperform from Perform after channel checks indicated the company's shipments are gaining momentum. The firm raised their price target on the stock to $35 from $20.
  
• Owens & Minor (NYSE:OMI) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse. The firm upgraded shares but lowered their target to $45 from $46 citing underappreciated earnings growth and valuation.
• Albermarle (NYSE:ALB) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
  
• Protective Life (NYSE:PL) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at UBS.
  
• Maxim (NASDAQ:MXIM) was lifted to Buy from Hold at Canaccord.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GYMB, BP, CVX, COP, TOL

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GYMB, BP, CVX, COP, TOL originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Goldman upgraded Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT) to Buy from Sell and added shares to its Conviction Buy List citing valuation. The firm also upgraded the Semiconductor Capital Equipment Sector to Attractive.
  
• Morgan Keegan believes Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) will emerge from the slowdown as a stronger company with greater market share and expansion into adjacent markets. Shares were upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform.
• Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays.
  
• Daimler (NYSE: DAI) was upgraded at UBS to Neutral from Sell.
• Friedman Billings upgraded Mariner Energy (NYSE: ME) to Market Perform from Underperform on valuation and the company's upcoming catalysts in the deepwater GOM.
• Swiss Reinsurance (OTC: SWCEY) was raised to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.

• Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman.
• Deutsche Bank cut Hess Corp (NYSE: HES) and Marathon Oil (NYSE: MRO) to Hold from Buy and Suncor (NYSE: SU) and ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) to Sell from Hold after cutting their oil price forecast for 2009 to $60/bbl and 2010 to $58/bbl.
  
• Merrill downgraded Akzo Nobel (OTC: AKZOY) to Neutral from Buy on expectations the company's coatings end markets will worsen and chemicals division will see pressure next year.
• Monster (NASDAQ: MNST) was lowered at Citigroup to Hold from Buy.

Continue reading Analyst calls: AMAT, CSCO, PFE, DAI, INTC, COP, MNST, SGP ...

Analyst calls: AMAT, CSCO, PFE, DAI, INTC, COP, MNST, SGP ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Micrus Endovascular and Acorda Therapeutics were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Jefferies expects the quality gap between Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) and its peers will become more apparent in a weakening consumer environment. The firm started shares with a Buy rating and $110 target.
  
• Micrus Endovascular (NASDAQ: MEND) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $20 target at Barrington, citing the company's strong product line, improving salesforce, leading market share position and their expectation for continued strong transition from clipping to coiling.
  
• Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ACOR) was assumed with an Overweight rating at JP Morgan, as they believe the company's Fampridine-SR for multiple sclerosis is a $500M + opportunity

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Stanford initiated Mariner Energy (NYSE: ME) with a Buy rating and $35 target.
  
• Deutsche Bank assumed Liberty Entertainment (NASDAQ: LMDIA) with a Buy rating and $29 target.
  
• EnerNoc (NASDAQ: ENOC) was initiated with a Neutral rating at Broadpoint.

Analyst initiations: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Micrus Endovascular, Acorda Therapeutics originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Goldman removed shares of Air France (NYSE: AKH) from its Conviction Buy List due to the increase in the price of fuel and the possibility of an economic slowdown.
  
• Goldman downgraded BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) to Neutral from Buy and removed the stock from its Pan-Europe Buy List due to valuation.
  
• Merrill Lynch downgraded shares of AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) to Sell from Neutral to reflect increased competition from generic-drug makers, a poor pipeline and slow earnings growth.
  
• Wachovia downgraded shares of Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM) to Hold from Buy to reflect valuation and the company's lower than expected Q3 results. Shares were also lowered to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank.
  
• Stanford lowered Savvis (NASDAQ: SVVS) to Hold from Buy and notes that the company's Q3 results and Q4 revenue guidance brings the company's 2007 revenue outlook $15M below the consensus, and advises investors to remain on the sidelines. The firm believes the company's strategy is sound, but that its execution has been slow.

• Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI) and Akzo Nobel (OTC: AKZOY) were downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan.
  
• Friedman Billings downgraded the E&P sector, including Brigham Exploration Company (NASDAQ: BEXP), Mariner Energy (NYSE: ME) and Nobel Energy (NYSE: NBL) to Market Perform from Outperform.
  
• Baird downgraded Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) to Neutral from Outperform.
  
• Goldman downgraded Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) to Neutral from Buy.

Analyst downgrades: AKH, BHP, AZN, BRCM and SVVS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Stifel expects Dreamworks Animation's (NYSE: DWA) fundamental outlook for film to improve given a more accommodating home entertainment market, while next-gen DVD format adoption and the introduction of 3D exhibition in theaters creates incremental opportunities for film studios. The firm started shares off with a Buy rating.
  
• Wachovia believes BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) is one of the best-positioned managers in both product and geographic perspectives and initiated shares with an Outperform rating.
  
• BMO Capital believes Mariner Energy (NYSE: ME) has a number of catalysts that could push shares higher, but feels current trading levels are not attractive. BMO started shares with a Market Perform rating.
  
• William Blair views Franklin Resources (NYSE: BEN) as a premier global firm with an advantage in many attractive international markets and started shares with an Outperform rating.
  
• Cantor believes RightNow Tech's (NASDAQ: RNOW) transition creates significant execution risk, initiated shares with a Hold rating...

• China Sunergy (NASDAQ: CSUN) was initiated with a Neutral rating at Cowen.
  
• Banc Of America initiated shares of The Stanley Works (NYSE: SWK) with a Neutral rating.
  
• Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY) was started with a Buy rating and Credit Suisse.
  
• Deutsche Bank initiated Cree (NASDAQ: CREE) with a Hold rating.

Analyst initiations 7-13-07: AUY, BLK, DWA and RNOW originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Jul 2007 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Onyx Pharmaceuticals (ONXX) and CommVault (CVLT) top the list of today's initiations.

• Citigroup started Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX) with a Hold rating and $22 target as the broker expects shares to be range bound until clarity is given into the company's cancer indications. A bunch firms initiated recent IPO CommVault Systems this morning, including IPO managers First Boston and Goldman Sachs.
• Goldman started shares of CommVault Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CVLT) with a Buy and $21 target, and added shares to its prestigious Conviction Buy List, as they expect the company to benefit from relationships with DELL and HDS. First Boston is more lukewarm on the name, starting shares with a Neutral rating and the same target of $21. Other firms' imitating the stock this morning was Merrill Lynch with a Buy, and Thomas Weisel and RBC Capital with Outperform ratings.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Caris initiated three retail names this morning: American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEOS), Limited Brands, Inc. (NYSE:LTD) and Men's Wearhouse, Inc. (NYSE:MW). The broker favors Limited and Men's Wearhouse with Above Average ratings, thinking inventory and cost management can bring margin expansion. Caris is less excited about American Eagle, starting shares with an Average rating, believing shares are fairly valued at current levels.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

Analyst initiations 11-1-06: CommVault initiated by four firms originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Nov 2006 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.