Option traders appear to be setting up for a bullish move on Janus Capital Group (JNS). Traders plowed into 1,010 new call option contracts -- 7.77 times the average volume -- on the stock on Friday. And we know that traders were eager to get into this trade because 99% of the trades came in on the ask price.

Janus Capital closed Thursday at $9.51. The stock has dropped 9.86% during the past month and is currently sitting above support at $9.

Continue reading Option Traders Buy Janus Capital Calls and Interpublic Group Puts

Option Traders Buy Janus Capital Calls and Interpublic Group Puts originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:10:00 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:

• Citigroup upgraded Talbots (NYSE: TLB) to Buy from Hold on expectations the company's sales and margins are at an inflection point. The firm expects comps to turn positive in the next six months and raised its target on shares to $9.50 from $5.
• JMP Securities believes that Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) incoming iPod product cycle, geographic expansion of iPhones, and market expansion led by new products will result in "significant" outperformance. The firm upgraded shares to Outperform from Market Perform and has a $200 target on the stock.
• Credit Suisse upgraded Tiffany (NYSE: TIF) to Outperform from Neutral citing productivity comps and gross margin upside, leading to potential upside to 2010 Street estimates. The firm raised its target to $45 from $20.
• Brady (NYSE: BRC) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at KeyBanc.
• Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
• RadioShack (NYSE: RSH) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AAPL, BP, PFE, QCOM, TIF, TLB, TWX ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AAPL, BP, PFE, QCOM, TIF, TLB, TWX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Bernstein upgraded Merck (NYSE: MRK) to Outperform from Market Perform and raised its target to $30 from $27 citing valuation and its decision to buy Schering-Plough, at what appears to be a reasonable price.
  
• RBC Capital upgraded Palm (NASDAQ: PALM) to Outperform from Sector Perform and raised its target to $12 from $5 as it believes webOS has increased its chances for Smartphone leadership and will increase its attractiveness as an acquisition target.
  
• RW Baird upgraded Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) to Outperform from Neutral on valuation as it believes balance sheet risks are overly discounted in the stock, creating a buying opportunity. The firm has a $3 target on shares.
• Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) was raised to Buy from Hold at Argus.
  
• France Telecom (NYSE: FTE) was upgraded at Morgan Stanley to Equal Weight from Underweight.
  
• Foster Wheeler (NASDAQ: FWLT) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Neutral at Goldman.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: MRK, PALM, DNA, WMT, TEVA ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: MRK, PALM, DNA, WMT, TEVA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• CIBC upgraded Sunlife Financial (NYSE:SLF) to Sector Outperformer from Sector Performer.
  ProLogis (NYSE:PLD) was raised to Outperform from Underperform at Wachovia.

• Friedman Billings downgraded shares of Cameco (NYSE:CCJ) to Market Perform from Outperform and lowered their target to $13 from $48 to reflect their lower uranium price outlook.
  
• B. Riley downgraded S&T Bancorp (NASDAQ:STBA) to Neutral from Buy on valuation and asset quality concerns.
  
• Gabelli downgraded KV Pharmaceutical (NYSE:KV.A) to Hold from Buy after the company said it was indefinitely suspending distribution of all tablet products due to manufacturing and quality assurance concerns.
  
• AMAG Pharma (NASDAQ:AMAG) was cut to Underperform from Neutral at Merrill Lynch.

Analyst upgrades and downgrades originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• JP Morgan lowered its 2009 North American light vehicle production estimate by 13% to 11.2M and Europe by 10% to 19M. The firm upgraded Borg-Warner (NYSE: BWA) to Overweight from Neutral citing balance sheet and revenue growth.
  
• Jefferies upgraded shares of Kroger (NYSE: KR) to Buy from Hold and raised its target to $32 from $28 as they expect the company's value image to benefit in the current environment.
  
• Leerink upgraded AMAG Pharma (NASDAQ: AMAG) to Outperform from Market Perform on valuation as they believe current data is sufficient for some form of first cycle approval of Ferumoxytol.
• Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE: CCE) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Merrill Lynch.
  
• Watsco (NYSE: WSO) was raised to Perform from Underperform at Oppenheimer.
  
• UBS upgraded Invitrogen (NASDAQ: IVGN) to Buy from Neutral.

• Jefferies downgraded shares of Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFMI) to Underperform from Buy and lowered its target to $9.50 from $23 on the worsening macro environment, which they believe is "overwhelming" the company's ability to drive even flat comps in Q4 and FY09.
  
• Deutsche Bank cut Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) to Hold from Buy and lowered its target to $19 from $28 following the company's worse-than-expected outlook, as they expect shares to be range bound.
  
• Banc of America downgraded the Dry Bulk Shipping sector to Equal Weight from Overweight to reflect the "depressed" charter rate environment, tighter credit markets and the weakening macroeconomic outlook. The firm downgraded Britannia Bulk (NYSE: DWT), Navios Maritime (NYSE: NM) and TBS International (NASDAQ: TBSI) to Neutral from Buy.
• Eaton (NYSE: ETN) was lowered to Underperform from Neutral at Merrill Lynch.
  
• AXA (NYSE: AXA) was downgraded at JP Morgan to Neutral from Overweight.
  
• Aracrus (NYSE: ARA) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: KR, CCE, WFMI, TWC, ANN ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: KR, CCE, WFMI, TWC, ANN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Websense (NASDAQ: WBSN) is up almost 5% on news it beat street estimates.

Mitcham Industries (NASDAQ: MIND) is trading higher by over 4% on announcement of strong quarterly numbers.

FormFactor (NASDAQ: FORM) is off over 8% on job cuts and a poor quarter.

AMAG Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AMAG) one day after its CEO sold a number of shares.

Stocks may trade differently in the pre-market than they do in the regular session.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Pre-market movers: WBSN, FORM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Baird initiated Amag Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AMAG) with an Outperform rating and believes concerns regarding ferumoxytol approvability are misplaced.
• JP Morgan assumed coverage of Corn Products (NYSE: CPO) with an Overweight rating and points to the company's growth in emerging markets and improved business economics in its core U.S. market.
• RBC Capital is positive on Alpharma's (NYSE: ALO) Flector opportunity in the U.S. topical NSAID market. The firm started shares with an Outperform rating and $28 target.

• Merrill resumed coverage of Baxter (NYSE: BAX) with a Buy rating.
• Goldman initiated Teradyne (NYSE: TER) with a Neutral rating and $11 target.
• Allianz AG (NYSE: AZ) was initiated with a Buy rating at Societe Generale.

Analyst initiations: AMAG, CPO and ALO originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Volatility Index S&P 500 Options-VIX down 1.47 to 13.06

Advanced Magnetics Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAG) April implied volatility at 73, May at 63 into 4/11 data. AMAG, a developer of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles used in pharmaceutical products, is recently up $1.49 to $63.10. Jeffries says "AMAG remains a top-pick ahead of upcoming P3 ferumoxytol data at the NKF meeting (April 11th, after the market close). Compared to FDA approved 4 iron products, we believe ferumoxytol has the potential to show superior safety, efficacy, and convenience." AMAG April option implied volatility of 73 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price risks.

Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) April implied volatility of 36 suggests slight risk into 4/3 EPS. BBY is expected to report EPS of $1.52 on 4/3 according to Thomson Financial. Soleil Securities says "macroeconomic data has been varied over the last few months; several data sources suggest strength for the consumer electronics retailers. We therefore expect a solid quarter for BBY." BBY April option implied volatility of 36 is above its 26-week average of 32 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risks.

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

Option update 4-3-07: BBY volatility suggests slight risk originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Apr 2007 13:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.