Analyst Upgrades

• NYSE Euronex (NYX) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• General Dynamics (GD) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Deere (DE), Parker-Hannifin (PH) and ExlService (EXLS) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Aflac (AFL) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Wynn Resorts (WYNN) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Amdocs (DOX) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Juniper (JNPR) to buy from hold at ThinkEquity.
• Rudolph Tech (RTEC) and KLA-Tencor (KLAC) to perform from underperform at Oppenheimer.
• Hershey (HSY) and Pinnacle Entertainment (PNK) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Spirit AeroSystems (SPR) to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• Micron (MU) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AFL, DE, DOX, GD, GS, HSY, ITT, MS, NYX, TXN, UBS, WYNN ...

Analyst Calls: AFL, DE, DOX, GD, GS, HSY, ITT, MS, NYX, TXN, UBS, WYNN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Goldman believes EOG Resources (EOG) can regain its premium multiple given its ability to find new horizontal liquids resource plays. The firm upgraded shares to conviction buy from buy and has a $129 price target on the stock.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Macerich (MAC) to buy from hold following the company's Q2 results and raised its target for shares to $47 from $45.
• Needham upgraded QuinStreet (QNST) to strong buy from buy, citing the strong Q4 report and valuation, and has a $20 target on the stock.
• Macy's (M) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Whole Foods (WFMI) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Texas Instruments (TXN) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Raymond James.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BBY, BWA, DGI, EOG, M, MAC, MR, NOC, TXN, WFMI ...

Analyst Calls: BBY, BWA, DGI, EOG, M, MAC, MR, NOC, TXN, WFMI ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• SunTrust upgraded Anadarko Petroleum (APC) to buy from neutral. The firm believes weakness related to the oil spill disaster is overdone and is a buying opportunity. The firm set an $82 price target on the stock.
• JPMorgan upgraded NII Holdings (NIHD) to overweight from neutral following the company's Q1 results. The firm has a $55 price target on the stock.
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Columbia Banking (COLB) to outperform from market perform following the company's secondary offering due to valuation. The firm has a $30 price target on the stock.
• Clean Harbors (CLH) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Pinnacle Entertainment (PNK) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Janney Montgomery.
• Digital River (DRIV) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at First Analysis.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: APC, BP, COLB, GS, IGTE, MCD, MLM, MXL, NIHD, SRDX ...

Analyst Calls: APC, BP, COLB, GS, IGTE, MCD, MLM, MXL, NIHD, SRDX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 May 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Citigroup upgraded Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) to Buy from Hold after meeting with management as it believes a more aggressive strategy will lead to the company regaining market share. Citi raised its target on shares to $66 from $54.
  
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Allscripts (NASDAQ:MDRX) to Overweight from Neutral after learning the company signed a large contract with North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital. Piper now sees upside to estimates and raised its target on shares to $22.50 from $14.
  
• UBS upgraded Amedisys (NASDAQ:AMED) to Buy from Neutral following a review of the Senate Finance Committee's healthcare proposal, which they view as "benign." The firm raised its target to $57 from $46.
• Daimler (NYSE:DAI) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Bernstein.
  
• Boston Private (NASDAQ:BPFH) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.
  
• E-Trade (NASDAQ:ETFC) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• ING upgraded Roche (OTC: RHHBY) to Buy from Hold as it believes Roche will not pay more than $100/share for Genentech (NYSE: DNA) and that the Avastin adjuvant data due April 2009 provides significant upside potential.
  
• Oppenheimer upgraded Motorola (NYSE: MOT) to Outperform from Perform on valuation as it believes sentiment is at an all-time low and the stock has limited downside. The firm set a $5 target on shares.
  
• Morgan Stanley upgraded Comerica (NYSE: CMA) to Equal Weight from Underweight citing valuation that adequately reflects credit deterioration in its commercial-heavy loan portfolio and aggressive government action.
• Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ: CAKE) and Nucor (NYSE: NUE) were upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
  
• Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: RHHBY, MOT, RBS, DKS, MCO ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: RHHBY, MOT, RBS, DKS, MCO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Wachovia believes Ulta Salon's (NASDAQ: ULTA) assortment of products and unique shopping experience will drive growth, starting shares with an Outperform rating. Shares were also initiated with an Overweight rating at JP Morgan, as they are positive on favorable industry dynamics, and ULTA's consistent growth and comps.
  
• Stanford initiated Force Protection (NASDAQ: FRPT) with a Sell rating and $5 target and expects the company will struggle to grow after 2008 due to its highly concentrated exposure to the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles program. They believe total MRAP demand is likely smaller than expected and that MRAP demand will peak in FY08.
  
• Kaufman Bros. believes shares of First Bancorp (NYSE: FBP) offer an attractive risk/reward despite economic softness in its Puerto Rico and southern Florida regional markets. They think most of the charge-offs have already occurred and find the sell-off overdone, and started shares with a Buy rating and $11 target.

• Broadpoint initiated Cytori Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CYTX) and PhotoMedex (NASDAQ: PHMD) with Buy ratings.
  
• Morgan Stanley resumed coverage of Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK) with an Overweight rating and $32 target.

Analyst initiations: ULTA, FRPT and FBP originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Suntrust initiated AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) with a Buy rating and $32 target and expects AVAV's market leadership in unmanned aerial systems and increased effort in the high altitude to drive strong organic growth.
• Jefferies believes American Oriental (NYSE: AOB) is capable of making sizable acquisitions given its strong cash position and finds the valuation attractive at current levels. The firm started shares with a Buy rating and $20 target.
• Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) was initiated with a Neutral rating and $30 target at Baird on valuation.

• Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX) was initiated with a Market Perform rating at Wachovia.
• Goldman started Quest Diagnostics (NASDAQ: DGX) with a Sell rating and $55 target, LabCorp (NASDAQ: LH) with a Neutral rating and $77 target and Pinnacle Entertainment (NASDAQ: PNK) with a Buy rating and $35 target.

Analyst initiations: AVAV, AOB and INTC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• William Blair assumed coverage of Apollo Group Inc (NASDAQ: APOL) and Strayer Education Inc (NASDAQ: STRA) with Outperform ratings and Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ: CECO) with a Market Perform rating. The broker also assumed coverage and downgraded DeVry Inc (NYSE: DV) to Market Perform from Outperform.
  
• Goldman Sachs initiated coverage on Copa Holdings (NYSE: CPA) with a Buy rating and $88 target, GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA (NYSE: GOL) and TAM SA (NYSE: TAM) with Neutral ratings and Lan Airlines SA (NYSE: LFL) with a Sell rating and $93 target; Lan Airlines was also initiated at Morgan Stanley with an Overweight rating and $105 target.
  
• Asta Funding was initiated at Kaufman Brothers with a Buy rating and $55 target. The firm believes the company should grow earnings at a midpoint of 20% over time, with near-term growth at 15% and longer-term growth at 20%-25%.
  
• Citigroup initiated shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill with a Buy rating and $100 target, as the firm expects the company will see unit growth at a rate in the high-teens while experiencing above-average SSS and some margin expansion.

• BMO Capital initiated shares of CDC Corp (NASDAQ: CHINA) with a Market Perform rating and $11 target.
  
• Jazz Technologies Inc (NYSE: JAZ) was initiated with a Buy rating and $5 target at Wedbush Morgan Securities.
  
• Calyon Securities initiated shares of Pinnacle Entertainment Inc (NYSE: PNK) with an Add rating and $32 target.
• Luminex Corporation (NASDAQ: LMNX) was initiated with a Buy rating at Pacific Growth Equities.

Analyst initiations 6-29-07: ASFI and CMG originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 Jun 2007 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• UBS downgraded First Data Corp (NYSE: FDC) to Neutral from Buy following the acquisition by KKR.

• Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK) was cut to Hold from Buy at Matrix USA, as the firm believes post-hurricane reconstruction efforts are leading to significant capital expenditures, which limits upside.

• Cephalon Inc (NASDAQ: CEPH) was removed from American Technology's Focus List with shares up 15% in three weeks as the approval of Nuvigil without a Black Box warning has passed.

• JP Morgan cut shares of Verint Systems (NASDAQ: VRNT) to Underweight from Neutral, citing risks and costs associated from the Witness Systems' (WITS) acquisition.

• Labor Ready, Inc (NYSE: LRW) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Goldman based on the slowdown in U.S. residential construction activity.

• Citigroup downgraded International Paper Co (NYSE: IP) to Hold from Buy with a $39 target.

• Bernstein cut MedImmune, Inc (NASDAQ: MEDI) to Market Perform from Outperform.

• Sanders Morris downgraded Dreamworks Animation SKG, Inc (NYSE: DWA) to Neutral from Buy on valuation.

• JP Morgan downgraded Icagen, Inc (NASDAQ: ICGN) to Neutral from Overweight.

• Friedman Billings cut CompuDyne Corp (NASDAQ: CDCY) to Market Perform from Outperform following Q4 results.

• Roth Capital cut LivePerson, Inc (NASDAQ: LPSN) to Sell from Hold.

Analyst downgrades 4-04-07: Cephalon, First Data & Dreamworks Animation downgraded today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Prudential initiated the Gaming sector with a Favorable rating,
  
• They initiated Boyd Gaming Corp (NYSE: BYD), Town Sports International Holdings (NASDAQ: CLUB), Penn National Gaming (NASDAQ: PENN), Shuffle Master Inc (NASDAQ: SHFL), Steiner Leisure Ltd (NASDAQ: STNR) and Great Wolf Resorts Inc (NASDAQ: WOLF) with Outperform ratings.
  
• Ameristar Casinos Inc (NASDAQ: ASCA), MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM) and WMS Industries Inc (NYSE: WMS) were initiated with Neutral ratings.
• Underweight ratings were given to International Game Tech (NYSE: IGT), Isle of Capri Casinos Inc (NASDAQ: ISLE), Life Time Fitness Inc (NYSE: LTM), Pinnacle Entertainment Inc (NYSE: PNK) and Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc (NASDAQ: TRMP).

• UBS initiated CBS Corp (NYSE: CBS) with a Buy rating and $38 target, citing valuation, dividends and buybacks.

• Nollenberger believes International Rectifier Corp (NYSE: IRF) is the way to play the trend for energy efficiency, initiating the company with a Buy rating and $60 target.

• Goldman Sachs resumed coverage of AT&T Inc (NYSE: T) with a Buy rating and Level 3 Communications inc (NASDAQ: LVLT) with a Neutral rating.

• Stanford started EDO Corp (NYSE: EDO) with a Hold rating and $25 target; the firm believes EDO can be a turnaround story in 2007, but they recommend investors to stay on the sidelines until after Q4 earnings given their concerns over the quarter and guidance.

Analyst initiations 1-26-07: Prudential is Favorable on gaming originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.