Trade on Quiksilver, Body Central, and Aeropostale Earnings Today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Expedia (EXPE) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Weatherford (WFT) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• MDC Holdings (MDC) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• AutoNavi (AMAP) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Ciena (CIEN) and Nvidia (NVDA) to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• Canadian Pacific (CP) to outperform from market perform at Raymond James.
• First Midwest (FMBI) and Quiksilver (ZQK) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Sonic (SONC) to neutral from negative at Susquehanna.
• MIPS Technologies (MIPS) to buy from hold at Benchmark Co.
• Arrow Electronics (ARW) and Avnet (AVT) to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ANF, BBBY, CIEN, CP, EXPE, ICE, NVDA, QCOM, SONC ...

Analyst Calls: ANF, BBBY, CIEN, CP, EXPE, ICE, NVDA, QCOM, SONC ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Unemployment Pink-Slips the Bears (BRCD, CPB, ZQK, TTWO, PBR, ULTA)

Closing Bell: Unemployment Pink-Slips the Bears (BRCD, CPB, ZQK, TTWO, PBR, ULTA) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• FBR Capital upgraded Talbots (NYSE: TLB) to Outperform from Market Perform as it believes the company's inventory and SG&A control should help earnings and the stock's risk/reward is compelling at current levels. The firm raised its target on shares to $7 from $5.
• ThinkEquity upgraded Human Genome (NASDAQ: HGSI) to Buy from Accumulate to reflect higher assumptions for the company's Lupus treatment Benlysta. The firm raised its target on shares to $26 from $18.
• KeyBanc upgraded Parkway Properties (NYSE: PKY) to Buy from Hold based on valuation, improving fundamentals, and stable capital position. The firm has a $17 target on the stock.
• HSBC Holdings (NYSE: HBC) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.
• BioScrip (NASDAQ: BIOS) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BIOS, DISH, FTE, HBC, MDSO, TLB ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BIOS, DISH, FTE, HBC, MDSO, TLB ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE: B) withdrew its 2009 earnings guidance due to uncertainty in transportation.
• Brown-Forman Corp. (NYSE: BF.B) Q4 profit beat estimates and it offered guidance for next year.
• Del Monte Foods Co. (NYSE: DLM) posted strong Q4 results on price increases and a better tax situation.
• FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) posted lower Q2 sales but announced a big order from South Korea.
• Men's Wearhouse Inc. (NYSE: MW) lower Q1 profit topped estimates but the outlook was in line.
• National Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: NSM) Q4 net loss and fiscal-year profit both beat estimates.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Del Monte, Men's Wearhouse, National Semiconductor, Talbots ...

Earnings highlights: Del Monte, Men's Wearhouse, National Semiconductor, Talbots ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If ever a brand could use a boost it's Talbots (NYSE: TLB).

This week the company announced that profits plummeted 68% to $1.6 million in the quarter ended May 3.

This conservative women's clothing store has lacked the pizzazz to capture a larger market share. Michelle Obama wearing TLB injects some much needed life into the brand.

After the election, when it was known that Mrs. Obama wore Talbots, shares bounced significantly. Previously, the stock was threatening to broach the $1 mark. Today, you can buy shares for around $5.

Continue reading Obama stock #1: Talbots (TLB)

Obama stock #1: Talbots (TLB) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Quiksilver (NYSE: ZQK), an apparel company that, like related name Nike (NYSE: NKE), deals with sports clothing and accessories, is not having a good day. Shares of the business are down in early afternoon trading by over 20%. On Monday, Quiksilver reported Q2 earnings. The market obviously is reticent about them.

According to the press release (note: that link takes you to a .pdf file), Quiksilver saw a drop in sales of 8% after currency effects were stripped out (it's always disappointing when you strip out currency effects and still come out with a drop). The company made $0.05 per share from continuing operations on an adjusted basis. That compares to $0.30 per share in the year-ago period. And that's one heck of a decrease.

Continue reading Quiksilver down on Q2 report

Quiksilver down on Q2 report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The problem with using consumer confidence as a guide to buy stocks is that consumers tend to be fickle.

Nowhere is that more true than in the clothing space, especially the teenybopper clothing space. Fall out of favor with the younger crowd and your business can be destroyed. Poor management decisions don't help, either.

As such, Pacific Sunwear (NASDAQ: PSUN) lost its mojo and has yet to find its way.

Continue reading Consumer stocks to sell now: #1 -- Pacific Sunwear (PSUN)

Consumer stocks to sell now: #1 -- Pacific Sunwear (PSUN) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're going to the beach this summer, chances are you'll bring a swimsuit with you. Last summer, with the recession beginning and the credit crisis just unfolding, consumers held off on updating their wardrobe. This summer, those two-year-old duds will not do.

One of my favorite beachwear names is Quiksilver (NYSE: ZQK). This ultra-hip name will provide beach goers with an instant upgrade. My bet is that sales will increase this summer from previously anemic levels.

Continue reading Stock #2: Quiksilver (ZQK)

Stock #2: Quiksilver (ZQK) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 30 May 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Before you retreat to your favorite summer locale with the perfect book, let's take a look at the stocks set to profit as consumers look to enjoy the fruits of their labor over the next several months.

For me, summer means lots of boating, fishing, and time with my family. And this year I'll be doing more of each to make up for lost time spent hunkering down during the downturn.

As such, companies that make the goods in each of these categories should do well. That's how it goes during a recession. Demand builds as we retreat to preserve cash and fix balance sheets.

Continue reading 5 hot summer stocks for cool profits

5 hot summer stocks for cool profits originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 30 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• B. Riley upgraded shares of Quiksilver (NYSE: ZQK) to Buy from Neutral on valuation and to reflect the EPS catalyst and debt reduction associated with divesting Rossignol.
  
• Friedman Billings upgraded shares of Omniture (NASDAQ: OMTR) to Outperform from Market Perform following the recent pullback, as they believe the company is in its best competitive position ever, which should drive increasing win rates and help restore pricing power.
  
• Banc of America upgraded shares of Crown Holdings (NYSE: CCK) to Buy from Neutral to reflect the company's international exposure and believes metal packaging companies should be better able to manage input inflation.

• UBS raised AmerisourceBergen (NYSE: ABC) to Neutral from Sell.
  
• Stephens raised its rating on Amedisys (NASDAQ: AMED) to Overweight from Equal Weight.
  
• Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN) and JC Penney (NYSE: JCP) were upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs.

Analyst upgrades: JWN, JCP, ZQK, OMTR and CCK originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Bear Stearns downgraded the European insurance industry to Market Weight from Overweight on concerns the companies are exposed to risky assets following the U.S. subprime mortgage collapse. In conjunction with the sector downgrade, Bear Stearns downgraded ING (NYSE: ING) to Underperform from Peer Perform and Prudential plc (NYSE: PUK) to Peer Perform from Outperform.
  
• JP Morgan downgraded shares of Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT) to Underweight from Neutral on concerns over increased competition and U.S. market risks.
  
• Jefferies downgraded shares of Aruba Networks (NASDAQ: ARUN) to Hold from Buy and lowered their target to $13 from $21, as they believe recent delays of 802.11n could impact FY09 sales and potential market share gains and that the valuation is rich at current levels.

• Lehman downgraded Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) to Equal Weight from Overweight.
  
• B. Riley downgraded Quiksilver (NYSE: ZQK) to Neutral from Buy.
  
• Marshall & Ilsley (NYSE: MI) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Merrill Lynch.

Analyst downgrades: Deutsche Telekom, Aruba Networks, European insurance industry originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Quiksilver sells Cleveland Golf -- Should Adams Golf be next?

Quiksilver sells Cleveland Golf -- Should Adams Golf be next? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• BMO Capital downgraded shares of Dominion Resources Inc. (NYSE: D) to Market Perform from Outperform citing the sale proceeds for its onshore U.S. E&P properties that were below expectations.
• Digene Corp. (NASDAQ: DIGE) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Ferris Baker Watts based on the acquisition by Qiagen (NASDAQ: QGEN). Digene was also downgraded at SummerStreet to Neutral from Buy, as the firm views the Qiagen's acquisition for $1.6B as reasonable.
• Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB) was downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at JP Morgan, as the firm sees better value in traditional credit-exposed banks.

• Norsk Hydro (NYSE: NHY) and BP PLC (NYSE: BP) were downgraded to Hold from Buy at Citigroup.
• Quiksilver Inc. (NYSE: ZQK) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Robert W Baird due to valuation.
  
• Banc of America downgraded shares of SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE: STI) to Neutral from Buy on valuation as they believe further sales of Coke may not be very accretive to EPS.
• LifePoint Hospitals Inc. (NASDAQ: LPNT) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies based on valuation.
• Clear Channel Outdoors Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CCO) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at DBAB on valuation.
• Matrix USA downgraded shares of Apollo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL) to Hold from Buy to reflect rising costs and lower enrollment rates.
• Matrix also downgraded True Religion Apparel Inc. (NASDAQ: TRLG) to Hold from Buy on valuation.

Analyst downgrades 6-4-07: BP, DB, D ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• UBS is positive on the ethylene cycle over the next two years and believes Dow Chemical (NYSE: DOW) can beat 2008 consensus estimates, initiating shares with a Buy rating.

• JMP Securities started Smart Modular (NASDAQ: SMOD) with a Strong Buy as a unit volume growth theme without much dependence on commodity memory chip pricing.

• Citigroup expects further upside given Wolverine World Wide's (NYSE: WWW) strong portfolio of brands, further growth opportunities through line extensions and international growth. The firm started Wolverine World Wide with a Buy rating and $33 target.

• Winn-Dixie Stores (NASDAQ: WINN) was started with a Market Perform rating, citing low levels of profitability and unproven ability to drive sustainable profitable sales.

• American Technology believes the valuation of Blue Nile (NASDAQ: NILE) leaves little room for upside, despite a highly attractive business model and strong fundamentals, and started shares with a Sell rating and $45 target...

• Susquehanna started King Pharma (NYSE: KG), Sepracor (NASDAQ: SEPR) with Neutral ratings and Sciele Pharma (NASDAQ: SCRX) with a Positive rating.

• Citigroup initiated shares of Quicksilver Inc (NYSE: ZQK) with a Hold rating.

• Longbow started Mips Tech (NASDAQ: MIPS) with a Buy rating and $12 target.

Analyst initiations 5-11-07: DOW, NILE, WINN and ZQK originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 May 2007 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Oppenheimer believes Jamba (NASDAQ: JMBA) is in the early stages of a solid top- and-bottom-line growth story and is one of the few opportunities today that offers sizable square foot growth, revenue and earnings growth, all with several years of visibility.

• Quiksilver Inc (NYSE: ZQK) was initiated with an Accumulate rating and $14 target at ThinkEquity.

• ThinkEquity also initiated shares of Volcom Inc (NASDAQ: VLCM) with a Buy rating.

• AG Edwards started Interactive Data Corp (NYSE: IDC) with a Buy rating.

• Merrill Lynch resumed coverage of Merck & Co, Inc (NYSE: MRK) with a Neutral rating.

• Matrix USA started coverage of Loral Space & Communications Ltd (NASDAQ: LORL) with a Strong Buy rating and $72 intrinsic value.

• AG Edwards initiated shares of Atheros Communications, Inc (NASDAQ: ATHR) with a Buy rating.

• Stifel initiated Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc (NASDAQ: PEET) with a Hold rating.

• Bear Stearns started Genworth Financial, Inc (NYSE: GNW) with an Outperform rating and $42 target.

• Morgan Stanley started Nova Chemicals Corp (NYSE: NCX) with an Equal Weight rating.

Analyst initiations 4-19-07: PEET, MRK, VCLM and ZQK initiated today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Prudential upgraded Tribune Co (NYSE: TRB) to Neutral from Underweight based on the company's decision to go private.

• Quicksilver Inc (NYSE: ZQK) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal-Weight with a $17 target at Morgan Stanley.

• F5 Networks Inc (NASDAQ: FFIV) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Kaufman Brothers.

• Raymond James upgraded Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) to Strong Buy from Market Perform.

• Keefe, Bruyette added Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) and Merrill Lynch & Co (NYSE: MER) to KBW's Best Ideas List.

• Jefferies upgraded Kinetic Concepts, Inc (NYSE: KCI) to Buy from Hold with a $60 target as the firm believes the final competitive bidding ruling on durable medical equipment eliminates the single greatest overhang on the stock.

• Wachovia upgraded Amerigroup Corp (NYSE: AGP) to Outperform from Market Perform, believing weakness related to AGP's $240M convertible and risks related to the ongoing whistle blower lawsuit are reflected in valuation.

• Credit Suisse added United Technologies Corp (NYSE: UTX) to its U.S. Focus List.

• JP Morgan upgraded Cadbury Schweppes plc (NYSE: CSG) to Neutral from Underweight.

Analyst upgrades 4-03-07: Tribune, Merrill and Johnson & Johnson upgraded today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Apr 2007 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Credit Suisse downgraded EchoStar Communications Corp (NASDAQ: DISH) to Underperform from Neutral based on valuation and lower probability of an acquisition by AT&T (NYSE: T).

• PeopleSupport Inc (NASDAQ: PSPT) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at both Piper Jaffray and Freidman Billings following disappointing Q4 earnings and guidance; JMP Securities cut PeopleSupport to Market Outperform from Strong Buy.

• Quicksilver (NYSE: ZQK) was downgraded by a host of firms: to Market Performer from Outperformer at Piper Jaffray, to Sector Performer from Outperformer at CIBC, to Hold from Buy at W.R. Hambrecht, to Neutral from Accumulate at Buckingham and to Sell from Hold at Wedbush.

• Freidman Billings downgraded Tercica, Inc (NASDAQ: TRCA) to Underperform from Market Perform on valuation.

• Prudential cut Cheesecake Factory Inc (NASDAQ: CAKE) to Underweight from Neutral citing soft industry sales trends which will impact Q1 and Q2 results.

• Raymond James downgraded Goldcorp Inc (NYSE: GG) to Outperform from Strong Buy.

• Lehman cut Sprint Nextel Corp (NYSE: S) to Equal-Weight from Overweight.

• UBS downgraded New Century Financial Corp (NYSE: NEW) to Reduce from Neutral.

• Stifel downgraded C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc (NASDAQ: CHRW) to Sell from Hold.

Analyst downgrades 3-09-07: Quicksilver, EchoStar, Cheesecake Factory all downgraded today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Mar 2007 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.