Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) is a leading mining and natural resources company in the U.S., and is also the largest producer of iron ore pellets in North America. It competes with other international mining and natural resources companies like Vale, BHP Billiton (BHP) and Rio Tinto (RTP).

Cliffs' North American Iron Ore division accounts for more than two-thirds of the company's total revenue, and around 60% of Cliffs' stock value, by our estimates. Long-term contracts with customers like ArcelorMittal (MT), Algoma and Severstal ensure substantial sales of the firm's mineral produce.

Continue reading ArcelorMittal Is a Crucial Customer for Cliffs

ArcelorMittal Is a Crucial Customer for Cliffs originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) holds the distinction of being the largest producer of iron ore pellets in North America. It is also a major supplier of direct-shipping lump and fines iron ore out of Australia and is also a significant producer of metallurgical coal. It competes with other international mining and natural resources companies like Vale (VALE), BHP Billiton (BHP) and the Rio Tinto (RIO) group.

We maintain a $103 price estimate for Cliffs Natural Resources stock, roughly 8% ahead of market price.

Continue reading A Relationship Between Giants: Cliffs Natural Resources and ArcelorMittal

A Relationship Between Giants: Cliffs Natural Resources and ArcelorMittal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

ArcelorMittal (MT) is currently the largest steel manufacturer in the world, formed by the merger of two steel giants, Arcelor and Mittal in 2006. The company competes with other international Steel giants like BaoSteel, Posco, Nippon Steel and ThyssenKrupp.

Our price estimate for Arcelor Mittal stands at $40.67, roughly 10% above market price.

Continue reading ArcelorMittal Results Suggest Slow and Steady Recovery in Steel Industry

ArcelorMittal Results Suggest Slow and Steady Recovery in Steel Industry originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

You may not have felt it yet, but inflation is running rampant for certain commodities. Prices for some raw materials like cotton, oil, aluminum, tin and many others have skyrocketed in the last year. Manufacturers from electronics to apparel are feeling the pain as they report lower earnings due to higher raw materials costs. That can only mean one thing: prices will be going up on many items in the near future or profit margins will be lower, driving down earnings.

If the first scenario plays out, then inflation will start making a comeback as it will take more dollars to buy the same products. That means a semiconductor chip that cost $2.50 last year may cost $2.75 this year. Same chip, just more expensive. Or an all cotton shirt that cost $50 this year will go to $60. Same shirt, just more expensive.

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: Either Prices Are Going Up or Margins Are Going Down

Comfort Zone Investing: Either Prices Are Going Up or Margins Are Going Down originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 12 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Aetna (AET) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Kellogg (K) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• PetSmart (PETM) to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• NetApp (NTAP) and Scripps Networks (SNI) to buy from hold at Wunderlich.
• Thoratec (THOR) to buy from hold at Auriga.
• ArcelorMittal (MT) to overweight from neutral at HSBC.
• Bristol-Myers (BMY) to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
• Eaton Vance (EV) to neutral from sell at Ticonderoga.
• Adtran (ADTN) to buy from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AET, BMY, DVN, GLW, K, MRK, MT, PETM, SPLS, WY ...

Analyst Calls: AET, BMY, DVN, GLW, K, MRK, MT, PETM, SPLS, WY ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• SanDisk (SNDK) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• JPMorgan resumed Potash (POT) at overweight, up from neutral.
• Ariba (ARBA) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Roth Capital.
• Cirrus Logic (CRUS) was upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Morgan Stanley upgraded Tesoro (TSO) to overweight from equal weight.
• Solarfun Power (SOLF) was upgraded to buy from hold at Auriga.
• Barclays upgraded Ciena (CIEN) to overweight from equal weight.
• Optimer Pharm (OPTR) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• Argo Group (AGII) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• BofA/Merrill upgraded Green Mountain (GMCR) to buy from underperform and Southern Company (SO) to neutral from underperform.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ATW, CIEN, DE, GMCR, GPN, MEE, MT, POT, SNDK, SO, TSO ...

Analyst Calls: ATW, CIEN, DE, GMCR, GPN, MEE, MT, POT, SNDK, SO, TSO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Union Pacific (UNP) and Polycom (PLCM) were upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Time Warner Cable (TWC) was upgraded to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• LaSalle Hotel (LHO) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Graco (GGG) was upgraded to buy from hold at BB&T.
• Valley National (VLY) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Credit Suisse (CS) was upgraded to hold from sell at RBS.
• U.S. Bancorp (USB) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Penn National (PENN) and Riverbed (RVBD) were upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Goodrich (GR) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
• Amazon.com (AMZN) upgraded to buy from average at Caris.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMZN, CAKE, CS, EMC, FCX, GR, HOT, K, MAR, TWC, UNP, USB ...

Analyst Calls: AMZN, CAKE, CS, EMC, FCX, GR, HOT, K, MAR, TWC, UNP, USB ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: When a Loss Is a Loss (MT, MSO, CPKI, DJSP, APL, EK)

Closing Bell: When a Loss Is a Loss (MT, MSO, CPKI, DJSP, APL, EK) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• RBC Capital upgraded Suncor (SU) to outperform from sector perform following the Q1 report and FY10 production guidance. The firm has a $46 target on the stock.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO) to outperform from market perform. The firm expects the company to report higher-than-expected Q1 revenue and guidance, as it thinks a late cycle ad recovery is occurring.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Power Integrations (POWI) to overweight from neutral following the company's Q1 results and subsequent sell-off. The firm has a $43 price target for shares.
• ArcelorMittal (MT) was upgraded to buy from hold at ING Group.
• Sapient (SAPE) was raised to conviction buy from buy at Goldman and to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Powerwave (PWAV) was upgraded to buy from hold at Befferies and to buy from neutral at Merriman.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ACN, CCO, CLX, EHTH, HAS, HOLX, MT, POWI, SON, SU ...

Analyst Calls: ACN, CCO, CLX, EHTH, HAS, HOLX, MT, POWI, SON, SU ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 May 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The editor of The Moneypaper explains, "The pair developed a Net Current Asset Value (NCAV) model to determine if a company was worth its market price. Their formula subtracts all liabilities, including short-term debt and preferred stock, from a company's current asset balance"

Continue reading A Value Shopper's List of Graham and Dodd Stocks

A Value Shopper's List of Graham and Dodd Stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Oppenheimer upgraded Boeing (BA) two notches to outperform from underperform to reflect, among other things, the company's plans to accelerate 777 and 747-8 production. The firm raised its price target for shares to $80 from $56. Boeing was also upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
• FBR Capital upgraded Waddell & Reed (WDR) to outperform from market perform on expectations the company will outperform peers. The firm raised its target for shares to $40 from $36.
• Morgan Keegan upgraded Standard Microsystems (SMSC) to outperform from market perform. The firm has increased optimism that the company will benefit from continued strength in the PC end market.
• Genuine Parts (GPC) was upgraded to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Halozyme Therapeutics (HALO) was upgraded to buy from hold at Brean Murray.
• Medtronic (MDT) was upgraded to buy from hold at Lazard Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BA, BZH, FTO, HANS, IACI, LMT, MT, SMSC, STI, TRNO, WDR ...

Analyst Calls: BA, BZH, FTO, HANS, IACI, LMT, MT, SMSC, STI, TRNO, WDR ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• UBS upgraded Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) to buy from neutral, citing strong fundamentals and buybacks. The firm raised its target to $42 from $31.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded ProAssurance (PRA) to overweight from neutral. The firm has a $76 price target on shares.
• Hershey (HSY) and Sunoco (SUN) were upgraded to sell from conviction sell at Goldman.
• Level 3 Comm (LVLT) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• Cathay Pacific (CPCAY) was upgraded to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BBBY, DPS, HSY, MT, PSYS, SUN, TMK, YHOO ...

Analyst Calls: BBBY, DPS, HSY, MT, PSYS, SUN, TMK, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading ArcelorMittal Downgraded to Hold from Buy

ArcelorMittal Downgraded to Hold from Buy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the Bell: Futures Higher on Greece Rescue Hopes

Before the Bell: Futures Higher on Greece Rescue Hopes originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Wells Fargo (WFC) to buy from hold as it believes the TARP repayment should remove uncertainty and that the company will report strong Q4 results. The firm raised its target price on shares to $36 from $29. Keefe Bruyette upgraded Wells Fargo to market perform from outperform following the TARP repayment and raised its target on shares to $28 from $24.
• Wells Fargo believes News Corp's (NWS) newspaper and TV station segments are finally outperforming budget, while cable nets continue to perform well. The firm upgraded shares to outperform from market perform and has a $16 to $17 Valuation range.
• BofA/Merrill upgraded Starwood Hotels (HOT) to buy from underperform as they expect "strong cyclical recovery in lodging earnings" in late 2010. The firm raised its target to $40 from $25.
• ArcelorMittal (MT) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.
• JA Solar (JASO) was upgraded to hold from sell at ThinkEquity.
• Acxiom (ACXM) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Stephens.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CBS, H, HOT, MT, NWS, WFC, XTO ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CBS, H, HOT, MT, NWS, WFC, XTO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Piper Jaffray upgraded Viacom (NYSE:VIA) to Overweight from Neutral to reflect the improving ad market and better ratings at key cable networks. The firm raised its target on shares to $35 from $29.
  
• Baird upgraded Research in Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) to Outperform from Neutral on valuation as it views the recent weakness as a buying opportunity. The firm keeps an $84 price target on shares.
  
• Jefferies upgraded Usana (NASDAQ:USNA) to Buy from Hold as it believes direct selling companies have been gaining momentum. The firm raised its target on shares to $44 from $37.
• AK Steel (NYSE:AKS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
  
• First Merit (NASDAQ:FMER) was upgraded to Perform from Underperform at Oppenheimer.
  
• Spectra Energy (NYSE:SE) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Neutral at Goldman.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: VIA, RIMM, ARO, JPM, BMY

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: VIA, RIMM, ARO, JPM, BMY originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Deutsche Bank upgraded ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) to Buy from Hold on expectations that oil supply will begin to tighten and demand rise. The firm has a $55 price target on the stock.
• Citigroup upgraded Pinnacle West (NYSE: PNW) to Buy from Hold and added the stock to its Top Picks Live list. The firm expects the company's settlement in Arizona to be approved and raised its target on shares to $35 from $32.
• RBC Capital upgraded NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP) to Outperform from Sector Perform as it believes that the company is performing better than expected during its October quarter. The firm expects the company to continue to execute well during subsequent quarters and it raised its target to $33.
• Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
• PetSmart (NASDAQ: PETM) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Janney Montgomery.
• General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AMD, GD, COP, MT, TIVO, WFC ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AMD, GD, COP, MT, TIVO, WFC ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Wells Fargo transferred coverage of Cooper Industries (NYSE: CBE) with an Outperform rating, upgraded from the previous analysts' Market Perform rating. The firm believes commercial construction will be of less of a headwind for the company than the Street thinks, and has a $38-$41 valuation range on the stock.
• Kaufman Bros. upgraded SuccessFactors (NASDAQ: SFSF) to Buy from Hold after channel checks indicated demand trends picked up in July. The firm raised its target on shares to $15 from $12.
• UBS upgraded eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) to Buy from Neutral and believes Marketplace transaction growth is "turning the corner." Additionally, the firm believes the secondary market represents a long-term opportunity for the company. The firm raised its target to $28 from $24.
• Novartis (NYSE: NVS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies.
• Arcelor Mittal (NYSE: MT) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
• Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
• Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform AMC Monday at Bernstein.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CCL, CSX, EBAY, GLW, NFLX, YHOO ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CCL, CSX, EBAY, GLW, NFLX, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Arcelor Mittal (NYSE: MT) closed at $29.87. MT is in advanced discussions with its principle bankers to improve its financial leverage covenant banking facility. MT is expected to report Q2 EPS on July 29. MT August and December option implied volatility of 69 is below its 26-week average of 77, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Regis Corp (NYSE: RGS) closed at $12.23. RGS announced on July 8 a convertible note offering and a common stock offering of 11.5M RGS shares priced at $12.37, with net proceeds of $281M. RGS July option implied volatility is at 62, August and December is at 65; verses its 26-week average of 66, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

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

Options Update: Arcelor Mittal volatility low at 69 on banker leverage discussions originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Affiliated Managers Group (NYSE: AMG) to Market Perform from Outperform to reflect the rebound in equity and fixed income markets as well as an attractive risk/reward profile. The firm raised its target on shares to $72 from $61.
• Jefferies upgraded AGCO Corp. (NYSE: AGCO) to Buy from Hold as it believes equipment sales in Brazil are holding up better than expected and farm stimulus should set a floor in sales. The firm raised its target on shares to $36 from $25.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) to Buy from Hold to reflect reduced balance sheet risk and a more positive view on the steel sector. The raised its target on shares to $42 from $23
• Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
• Synovus (NYSE: SNV) was raised to Buy from Neutral at SunTrust.
• First American (NYSE: FAF) was lifted to Overweight from Equal Weight at Stephens.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DTV, LEA, MT, WMT, YHOO

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DTV, LEA, MT, WMT, YHOO originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.