Continue reading PNM Resources Tops Bullish Volatility Skews; Colony Financial Tops Bearish Skews

PNM Resources Tops Bullish Volatility Skews; Colony Financial Tops Bearish Skews originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Barclays upgraded Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR) to Overweight from Equal Weight and raised its target to $64 from $48 following the better-than-expected Q2 report.
• Cowen upgraded Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR) to Outperform from Neutral. The firm cites stabilizing demand trends and recovering margins for the upgrade.
• Susquehanna upgraded Isle of Capri (NASDAQ: ISLE) citing weakness following the weak quarter. The firm, which has a $13 target on shares, expects regional operators to benefit from improving macro trends quicker than destination markets.
• Senior Housing (NYSE: SNH) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo.
• Barclays (NYSE: BCS) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• CGI Group (NYSE: GIB) was upgraded to Buy from Speculative Buy at Canaccord.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BBBY, DLTR, ISLE, SEAC, WHR ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BBBY, DLTR, ISLE, SEAC, WHR ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Citigroup initiated Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) with a Hold rating and $49 target. The firm believes the upside potential from bapineuzumab is masking the company's unfavorable average EPS and revenue growth forecast versus the industry.
  
• Piper believes 3SBio Inc (NASDAQ: SSRX) is the market leader in a largely underpenetrated EPO market in China and sees limited downside risk. Shares were assumed with a Buy rating and $12 target.
  
• RBC Capital initiated Cellcom Israel (NYSE: CEL) and Partner Communications (NASDAQ: PTNR) with Outperform ratings and targets of $40 and $30, respectively. RBC said they have defensive appeal given their predictable earnings stream.

• HCP (NYSE: HCP), Nationwide Health Properties (NYSE: NHP) and Medical Properties Trust (NYSE: MPW) were initiated with Market Perform ratings at Wachovia.
  
• SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) was assumed with an Above Average rating and $20.50 target at Caris.

Analyst initiations: WYE, SSRX, CEL and PTNR originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• EDO Corporation (NYSE: EDO) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse following the acquisition by ITT Corporation (NYSE: ITT). Shares were also downgraded to Market Weight from Overweight at Thomas Weisel and to Hold from Buy at B&T Capital.
  
• Goldman downgraded shares of General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM) to Neutral from Buy to reflect risk to the company's international and the slowing U.S. economy. Further, Goldman believes expectations for a deal over healthcare costs with unions are now priced into the stock.
  
• Wachovia downgraded Cameron International (NYSE: CAM) to Market Perform from Outperform on valuation.
  
• Kaufman Bros. downgraded shares of Getty Images Inc (NYSE: GYI) to Sell from Hold to reflect reduced expectations following the company's announced price reductions.
  
• CIBC downgraded shares of Micrus Endovascular Corporation (NASDAQ: MEND) to Sector Performer from Outperformer following the company's lowered guidance..

• BB&T downgraded Champion Enterprises (NYSE: CHB) and Palm Harbor Homes (NASDAQ: PHHM) to Hold from Buy.
  
• Stifel downgraded HCP Inc (NYSE: HCP) and Medical Properties Trust Inc (NYSE: MPW) to Hold from Buy.
  
• Goldman downgraded E-Trade Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: ETFC) to Neutral from Buy.
  
• Kellwood Company (NYSE: KWD) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Broadpoint.

Analyst downgrades: EDO, GM, CAM, GYI and MEND originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Sep 2007 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• JP Morgan upgraded shares of the New York Times Co (NYSE: NYT) to Neutral from Underweight to reflect easier advertising sales comparisons the rest of the year and the possibility for a stepped-up buyback program.

• Friedman Billings upgraded New York Community Bancorp (NYSE: NYB) to Market Perform from Underperform with an $18 target.

• Bernstein upgraded shares of Cadbury Schweppes (NYSE: CSG) to Outperform from Market Perform and revised its sum-of-the-parts and "real options" analysis. The firm still sees major upside and limited downside at these levels.

• Matrix believes higher selling prices and lower costs are improving profit margins at International Paper (NYSE: IP).

• TurboChef Technologies (NASDAQ: OVEN) was upgraded to Sector Perform from Underperform following Q1 results...

• Citigroup upgraded H.J. Heinz Co (NYSE: HNZ) to Buy from Hold with a $52 target.

• AG Edwards raised Corporate Office Properties Trust (NYSE: OFC) to Buy from Hold.

• Baird transitioned coverage of Pike Electric Corp (NYSE: PEC) with an Outperform rating, up from Neutral.

• Medical Properties Trust, Inc (NYSE: MPW) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Stifel.

• Buckingham raised Eaton Corp (NYSE: ETN) to Strong Buy from Accumulate.

Analyst upgrades 5-24-07: CSG, HNZ, IP, NYT and OVEN originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 May 2007 11:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Wedbush initiated CKE Restaurants (NYSE: CKR) with a Buy rating and $25 target.

• Wachovia resumed coverage of Texas Instruments Inc (NYSE: TXN) with an Outperform rating, as the firm believes that TXN's fundamentals have bottomed and the valuation is attractive.

• SurModics Inc (NASDAQ: SRDX) was initiated with an Underperform rating and $28 target at Piper Jaffray. Piper doesn't see a near-term catalyst to move shares higher given a lack of visibility regarding new licenses.

• Nokia (NYSE: NOK) was initiated at Nollenberger with a Neutral rating.

• HSBC started DirecTV (NYSE: DTV) with an Underweight rating and $21 target.

• Stanford initiated Armor Holdings, Inc (NYSE: AH) with a Buy rating and $80 target.

• Wedbush initiated Jack in the Box Inc (NYSE: JBX) with a Hold rating and $68 target, citing the company's operational improvements and benefits from ongoing refranchising and share repurchases are fully reflected in the stock price.

• Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd (NYSE: CP) was initiated with a Sector Performer rating at CIBC.

• Stifel initiated Medical Properties Trust, Inc (NYSE: MPW) with a Hold rating.

• Bear Stearns initiated Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (NASDAQ: TEVA) with a Peer Perform rating.

• Thomas Wiesel initiated shares of Cepheid (NASDAQ: CPHD) and Luninex Corp (NASDAQ: LMNX) with Overweight ratings.

Analyst initiations 3-20-07: Nokia, Teva Pharma & Texas Insturments initiated today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 11:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.