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.

Oil Services Holders Trust (OIH) closed above $155 as crude oil futures traded above $91 according to Bloomberg. February and April put option implied volatility of 30 is near its 26-week average of 30 according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) overall option implied volatility is at 21 according to Track Data, below its 26-week average of 23 into its release of Q4 EPS on February 3, suggesting decreasing price movement.

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

Options Update: Oil Services Holders Trust Volatility Flat originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Merck Ends Blood Clot Drug Study

Merck Ends Blood Clot Drug Study originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I have already gone on record this year saying that financial companies and insurance stocks are going to continue to rebound. In my previous two posts Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks -- 5 of 11 and Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks -- 6, 7, 8, 9, I included several financial institutions. Today I add an insurance company.

The industry got whacked hard for many reasons. For one, it makes a significant amount of profit by investing its float, and like every other investor, the industry lost a pile of money in the financial crisis. It was embroiled more directly than some industries, as several insurers are affiliated with banks. Finally the housing crisis meant disruption to payment streams by homeowners who were delinquent on more than their mortgages.

Continue reading Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks -- 10 and 11

Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks -- 10 and 11 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Research In Motion (RIMM) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Citigroup (C) to buy from hold at ISI Group.
• Integrated Silicon (ISSI) to buy from hold at Auriga.
• Kinross Gold (KGC) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: C, CHK, EBAY, KMB, MRK, NSRGY, PFE, RIMM, SNDA, VRA ...

Analyst Calls: C, CHK, EBAY, KMB, MRK, NSRGY, PFE, RIMM, SNDA, VRA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Merck (MRK - option chain) shares are rising today after the company said a study of its experimental cholesterol drug Anacetrapib showed the drug dramatically lowered bad cholesterol (LDL) while raising so-called good cholesterol (HDL). If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on MRK.

MRK opened this morning at $34.81. So far today the stock has hit a low of $34.52 and a high of $34.94. As of 12:05, MRK is trading at $34.65 up 0.55 (1.6%). The chart for MRK looks bullish and S&P gives MRK a positive 4 STARS (out of 5) buy ranking.

Continue reading Merck Lifted by Cholesterol Drug Study

Merck Lifted by Cholesterol Drug Study originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) to buy from hold based on valuation. The firm keeps a $39 target on the stock.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Kenexa (KNXA) to overweight from neutral, citing a strengthening of trends for the company. The firm has a $29 price target on the stock.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded Gaylord Entertainment (GET) to buy from neutral on expectations the company will benefit from strong trends in 2011. The firm raised its target for shares to $35 from $32.50.
• MeadWestvaco (MWV) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• EADS (EADSY) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BAC, CPB, CSX, DPS, GET, KMB, KNXA, MGA, MKGAY, UA ...

Analyst Calls: BAC, CPB, CSX, DPS, GET, KMB, KNXA, MGA, MKGAY, UA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Credit Suisse upgraded Netflix (NFLX) to neutral from underperform and raised its price target to $140 from $90. The firm's survey work indicates Netflix's streaming offering is compelling and will continue to grow as it acquires additional streaming content.
• Barclays upgraded Ford (F) to overweight from equal weight, citing the company's earnings power, reduced cost base, expectations for a return to prior peak margins and valuation. The firm raised its target to $16 from $15.
• Merriman upgraded OpenTable (OPEN) to buy from neutral based on increased visibility into international expansion from the toptable.com acquisition and upside from its Spotlight product.
• Siemens (SI) was upgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• Medicis (MRX) was upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• IDEX (IEX) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Baird.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BT, BWA, COG, F, GD, HRS, LMT, MRK, NFLX, NOC, OPEN, SI ...

Analyst Calls: BT, BWA, COG, F, GD, HRS, LMT, MRK, NFLX, NOC, OPEN, SI ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here is a common sentiment about the stock market: "No fun at all. As I have said before, I believe it has turned into one big casino largely divorced from its original goal of providing capital to companies who produce something of value."

There's a lot of truth to what "granny" recently said to me in an e-mail. Fortunately she also noted "FYI Granny's up 5.86% + dividends." That would give her a gain of about 10% in the past ten months since I posted Where should granny put $50,000, suggesting a very conservative portfolio for an uncertain time.

Not only has she earned a very nice return, surpassing her CD account by 9.5% (20 fold), but she was able to do so with a great deal less volatility than the overall market most of us have lived through.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Granny Said, 'It Has Turned into One Big Casino'

Chasing Value: Granny Said, 'It Has Turned into One Big Casino' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Is Novartis a Buy After Q2 Numbers?

Is Novartis a Buy After Q2 Numbers? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Thursday morning, Merck & Co. (MRK) announced that it would shut down eight manufacturing plants and eight research sites around the world, along with consolidating some of its offices.

Merck notes that these moves are part of the ongoing consolidation triggered by the acquisition of Schering-Plough last November. The acquisition made Merck the second-biggest pharmaceutical firm in the world. That said, the company is going to eliminate roughly 15% of its workforce (which comes out to 16,000 jobs) in order to save roughly $3.5 billion a year.

Continue reading Merck to Close Eight Plants

Merck to Close Eight Plants originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• FBR Capital upgraded Noble Corporation (NE) to outperform from market perform as it finds the company's acquisition of Frontier Drilling as smart and strategic. The firm upped its target price for shares to $42 from $36.
• Citigroup upgraded Ameriprise (AMP) to buy from hold, citing potential margin expansion from the Columbia acquisition. The firm maintains a $50 price target for shares.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded Jabil Circuit (JBL) to overweight from market weight, citing valuation and the company's growth prospects. The firm raised its target for shares to $20 from $18.
• Blackrock (BLK) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Disney (DIS) and News Corp (NWS) were upgraded to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Portland General Electric (POR) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AH, AMP, BDX, DIS, ETH, JBL, MRK, NE, NWS, TWX, VIA ...

Analyst Calls: AH, AMP, BDX, DIS, ETH, JBL, MRK, NE, NWS, TWX, VIA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"If you're a retiree or otherwise focused on income, dig into the holdings that make up our Incredible Dividend Machine; this portfolio is designed to home in on champion dividend payers," says Richard Band.

The editor of Profitable Investing explains, "We're looking for the highest yields available, consistent with safety. Three that currently stand out are Merck (MRK), AT&T (T) and Pinnacle West (PNW).

Continue reading Dividend Champs: AT&T (T), Merck (MRK), Pinnacle West (PNW)

Dividend Champs: AT&T (T), Merck (MRK), Pinnacle West (PNW) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Citigroup upgraded Baker Hughes (BHI) to hold from sell following the company's Q1 results.
• Auriga upgraded Canadian Solar (CSIQ) to buy from hold as it believes the company's negative preannouncement on April 20 removes a downside catalyst. Despite upgrading, the firm lowered its target for shares to $21 from $25.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Post Properties (PPS) to hold from sell following the company's Q1 results. The firm upped its target for shares to $27 from $16.
• Wright Express (WXS) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Nvidia (NVDA) coverage was assumed with a buy from hold at ThinkEquity.
• Elan (ELN) was upgraded to neutral from sell at UBS.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMD, BHI, CSIQ, INTC, ITMN, MRK, MYGN, PPS, TXN ...

Analyst Calls: AMD, BHI, CSIQ, INTC, ITMN, MRK, MYGN, PPS, TXN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 May 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This declining company lost patent protection for its statin, Zocor. It has replaced some of these sales with three new drugs, but, in reality, they cannot make up for the lost revenue from Zocor.

Merck's (MRK) revenues are stagnant and the company has a very weak pipeline. Even if health care reform adds more patients, it will also bring increased pressure to cut prices.

Continue reading Deadbeat Stock #5: Merck (MRK)

Deadbeat Stock #5: Merck (MRK) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Spring is finally here, which means it's time to break out the broom and dustpan for some spring cleaning.

But your home isn't the only thing that requires constant maintenance -- your portfolio does too.

And what better time than spring to get a fresh start by cleaning out the stocks that are sitting around collecting dust rather than making you money?

Continue reading Six Deadbeat Stocks to Clean Out of Your Portfolio

Six Deadbeat Stocks to Clean Out of Your Portfolio originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading JPMorgan Leads in Year Bankers Make Money on Each Other

JPMorgan Leads in Year Bankers Make Money on Each Other originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) lower Q4 earnings topped estimates and same-store sales also declined.
• Campbell Soup Co. (CPB) reaffirmed its earnings outlook but lowered its revenue forecast for the full year.
• Daimler AG (DAI) provided guidance for the year that included slashing its dividend, sending shares lower.
• Dell Inc. (DELL) lower Q4 earnings beat estimates by a penny but it didn't offer guidance, sending shares lower.
• Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT) easily topped Q4 earnings estimates and revenue increased as well.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Campbell, Dell, Goodyear, JCPenney, Merck, Playboy ...

Earnings Highlights: Campbell, Dell, Goodyear, JCPenney, Merck, Playboy ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Merck & Co. (MRK) reported Tuesday that it earned $6.49 billion, or $0.79 per share on an adjusted basis, in the fourth quarter, compared with $1.64 billion, or $0.78 per share a year ago. Earnings were in line with consensus estimates.

Sales for the quarter rose 40.2% from a year ago to $10.09 billion, due in large part to the acquisition of rival Schering-Plough Corp. for $41 billion in early November.

Continue reading Merck Rises on Strong Q4 Revenue, Reaffirmed Outlook

Merck Rises on Strong Q4 Revenue, Reaffirmed Outlook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Global pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK), whose brands include Claritin, Coppertone, Lotrimin, Propecia, Singulair and Vytorin, is scheduled to discuss its fourth-quarter and full-year financial results in a conference call Monday, Feb. 16, at 8:00 AM (ET), hosted by CEO Richard T. Clark and CFO Peter N. Kellogg. A live webcast of the call will be available at the company's website.

During the three months that ended in December, Merck merged with Schering-Plough, appointed a chief medical officer and announced a quarterly dividend. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are looking for earnings for that period of $0.78 per share, down from $0.90 per share in the previous quarter and $0.87 per share a year ago. But revenue for the fourth quarter is expected to have jumped 60.8% from a year ago to $9.7 billion.

Continue reading Merck Earnings Preview: Lower Profit, Higher Sales Expected

Merck Earnings Preview: Lower Profit, Higher Sales Expected originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.