Analyst Upgrades

• Exxon Mobil (XOM), Netflix (NFLX), Noble Corp. (NE), Pioneer Natural (PXD) and Noble Energy (NBL) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Cenovus Energy (CVE) to conviction buy from neutral and Atwood Oceanics (ATW) to neutral from sell at Goldman as well.
• Southern Company (SO) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Chevron (CVX) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Ryder (R), Entergy (ETR) and Seaspan (SSW) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Gerdau (GGB), Crown Castle (CCI) and American Tower (AMT) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Aon (AON) and Willis Group (WSH) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Ryland Group (RYL) to buy from neutral at Ticonderoga.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AON, CVX, HBI, MUR, NBL, NFLX, NVDA, SO, XOM ...

Analyst Calls: AON, CVX, HBI, MUR, NBL, NFLX, NVDA, SO, XOM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"There's a little paradox in the identity of Seaspan (SSW), a company that specializes in container ships, which it acquires, crews, maintains and sails over the Seven Seas," suggests Paul Goodwin.

The global specialist suggests, "The paradox is that, despite all that ship-owning and sailing, Seaspan isn't actually a shipping company -- rather, it's a ship leasing company.

In his Cabot China & Emerging Markets Report, he continues, "Hong Kong-based Seaspan's business model is based on long-term leasing of its 57 container ships to companies that have goods to deliver.

Continue reading Seaspan (SSW): Shipping Returns

Seaspan (SSW): Shipping Returns originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Barclays upgraded Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) to Overweight from Equal Weight and raised their target to $35 from $28 citing the company's earnings power and free cash flow generation.
  
• William Blair upgraded St. Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ) to Outperform from Market Perform following the company's Q4 results on valuation and the company's "steady growth."
  
• Wunderlich upgraded Liberty Interactive (NASDAQ:LINTA) to Buy from Hold as they believe debt concerns are overdone. The firm thinks that language in the proxy statement for the Liberty Entertainment hard spin suggests that cash and cash flow from the stub Entertainment tracker could be used to provide inter-company support to Interactive. The firm raised their target to $5 from $4.25.
• Lloyds TSB Group (NYSE:LYG) was raised to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
  
• BB&T (NYSE:BBT) was removed from Goldman's Conviction Sell List.
  
• Patni Computer (NYSE:PTI) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at KeyBanc.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BBY, LYG, XOM, BIDU

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BBY, LYG, XOM, BIDU originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"My pick for the best potential gainer for 2009 is Seaspan Corporation (NYSE: SSW), a company that leases container ships to international shipping companies," says Jack Adamo.

In his Insiders Plus newsletter, he offers an in-depth analysis of what he consider the perceived risks and the real risks that have "pummeled" the stock. The advisor explains, "The stock has been pummeled for five reasons, only one of which is valid:

• The whole market is down.
• The Baltic Dry Shipping Index dropped to its lowest level in years.
• Analysts fear shipping companies may default on their leases in a weak economy.
• Analysts are afraid ship lessors will have their ships repossessed by lenders on the basis of falling market values of their ships. Some debt covenants permit that.
• The company has reported horrible earnings the last two quarters.

"Five pretty scare reasons. Why would I consider such a stock? Here's why:

Continue reading Top Stock Picks '09: Seaspan (SSW)

Top Stock Picks '09: Seaspan (SSW) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Do you have a good financial advisor? They are hard to come by, from my experience. If you are in business you probably get somebody fresh out of business school (if that) calling at least every other day. I am very cynical about the entire financial industry and think that much of what passes for good professional advice is neither good nor professional. I harped on this a little yesterday in Sunday Funnies: Analysts must have a great sense of humor.

If one were to measure many of our foremost fianancial institutions by how well they manage their own affairs, then most of them would come up wanting. The investment banks, ratings agencies, mortgage banks and even the federal watchdogs have made a poor showing over the past year and we are all paying for it.

Recently I made the acquaintance of a Michael G., who is a broker with a major financial institution that is advising a good friend of mine and seems to contradict my generally negative opinion of the industry. He was the seed that grew into my Precision Drilling Services TR (NYSE: PDS) recommendation and last month I was happy to post Chasing Value: PDS up 75% in Q1, announces distribution.

In my conversation with Mike, Seaspan Corp (NYSE: SSW) was his latest intrigue. According to AOL Money & Finance data, Seaspan maintains a fleet of about 30 vessels. Its charter operations are managed by sister company Seaspan Management Services Limited. Both companies are a part of The Washington Marine Group, a group of companies that focus on marine transportation and ship building.

Continue reading Serious Money: So, what about Seaspan Corp (SSW)?

Serious Money: So, what about Seaspan Corp (SSW)? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 May 2008 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Seaspan, Vodafone, Telefonica and 8x8 Inc. were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Jefferies believes shares of Seaspan (NYSE: SSW) are attractively valued at current levels given the company's large modern fleet of containerships and "excellent" earnings and cash flow visibility; shares were initiated with a Buy rating and $33 target.
  
• Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) and Telefonica (NYSE: TEF) were assumed with Outperform ratings at Bernstein, as they believe their mobile growth will be stronger than expected.
  
• Kaufman Bros. believes 8x8 Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT) is on the cusp of posting sustainable profitability and could be an attractive acquisition candidate. The firm started shares with a Buy rating and $2 target.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Goldman initiated Ford (NYSE: F) with a Neutral rating.
  
• Sensient Tech (NYSE: SXT) was started withan Outperform rating and $36 target at Oppenheimer.
  
• Friedman Billings assumed Prudential FInancial (NYSE: PRU) with a Market perform rating and $86 target.

Analyst initiations: Seaspan, Vodafone, Telefonica, 8x8 Inc. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Novartis (NYSE: NVS) was initated with a Neutral at Cowen, which cited the company's upcoming patent expirations.
  
• Gabelli initiated Waste Systems (NASDAQ: WSII) with a Buy, as it believes consolidated operations in Florida, increased waste internalization, and continued price increases, should lead to expanding EBIT margins.
  
• Oppenheimer initiated AirMedia Group (NASDAQ: AMCN) with an Outperform, as it believes that the Beijing Olympics will help the company acheive better than expected earnings.
  
• Deutsche Bank initiated PAETEC Holding (NASDAQ: PAET) with a Buy, as the firm believes PATEC is well-positioned to benefit from improving industry conditions.

• Wachovia started Seaspan (NYSE: SSW) with a Market Perform.
• Needham initiated Memsic (NASDAQ: MEMS) with a Buy.
• Oppenheimer started Intellon (NASDAQ: ITLN) with an Outperform.
• Morgan Stanley initiated Dice Holdings (NYSE: DHX) with an Equal Weight.

Analyst initiations: NVS, WSII, AMCN and PAET originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Morgan Keegan initiated Home Depot (NYSE: HD) with a Market Perform rating, citing valuation and the possibility that housing continues to deteriorate in 2008.
  
• Oppenheimer believes Seaspan (NASDAQ: SSW) is well positioned within the containership sector given its modern fleet profile and entrenched liner relationships. The firm assumed coverage with an Outperform rating and $32 target.
  
• JMP Securities initiated shares of Pharmasset (NASDAQ: VRUS) with a Market Outperform rating and $35 target and believes R7128 is evolving to be the premier product in hepatitis C. The firm expects a phase 2b trial evaluating R7128 in combination with standard of care to be initiated in 2H08 by partner Roche (OTC: RHHBY).

• UBS started BioMarin (NASDAQ: BMRN) with a Neutral rating and $38 target.
  
• First Analysis initiated Ecolab (NYSE: ECL) with an Equal Weight rating.
  
• Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN) was initiated with an Overweight rating at JP Morgan.

Analyst initiations: HD, SSW and VRUS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• CNOOC Limited (NYSE: CEO) is China's nationalized oil play, the number one offshore, a large player in Indonesia; it is 67% government-owned. Under the production sharing, the company gets the mandatory rights. As long as oil stays high this one is a winner, he thinks. ADR's have a $45 billion market cap; 3% dividend yield.
• China Mobile Limited (NYSE: CHL), says Cramer, is the winner in the Chinese wireless market with 68% of the mobile users in China. The government owns the majority of the company. It has been on hold because of rumors that China Telecom might enter wireless; it has 1.9% dividend; $191 billion market cap.

Continue reading Cramer in China: Cramer's top five China stock picks

Cramer in China: Cramer's top five China stock picks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cramer's take on News Corp. & Dow Jones originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 May 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.