Continue reading Stock Futures Lower Following Japan's Quake

Stock Futures Lower Following Japan's Quake originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What good are analysts who are consistently wrong? For instance, take Arena Pharmaceuticals (ARNA) after FDA Panel Votes Against Arena's Diet Drug Lorcaserin. How much money did their clients lose? Not all analysts work for brokerage houses, but many do, and their pay is not determined by the accuracy of their calls but the increase in sales.

How do they explain their backpedaling? One day they are pushing the stock and the next they are running for cover. Clearly they have to change their opinions based on new information, but perhaps there was too much wild speculation to begin with. More likely, they made too many false assumptions, which they love to do in a crowd so as not to be the lone incompetent.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Analysts' Bad Advice on Arena

Chasing Value: Analysts' Bad Advice on Arena originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Little Action on Less Care (RIMM, ORCL, JNJ, STU, C and ARNA)

Closing Bell: Little Action on Less Care (RIMM, ORCL, JNJ, STU, C and ARNA) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Baird upgraded Oshkosh (OSK) to outperform from neutral, citing valuation as it believes post-Iraq U.S. military spending concerns are overdone. The firm keeps a $42 price target for shares.
• Goldman transferred coverage on CenturyTel (CTL) with a buy from a neutral and has a $42 price target on the stock. The firm believes CenturyTel could increase buybacks and or increase its dividend given free cash generation and low payout ratio.
• Lazard Capital upgraded Hatteras Financial (HTS) to buy from hold to reflect increased dividend projections. The firm has a $30 price target for shares.
• EOG Resources (EOG) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at Credit Suisse.
• Donaldson (DCI) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CTL, HTS, ISRG, MCD, MLM, OSK, RUTH, WMS, YUM ...

Analyst Calls: CTL, HTS, ISRG, MCD, MLM, OSK, RUTH, WMS, YUM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Arena Pharmaceuticals (ARNA) is taking a serious beating, with the stock down about 40% at last look. Traders are reacting to new concerns raised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over Arena's experimental obesity drug, lorcaserin. Following an initial review, FDA staff cited "three noteworthy safety issues" with lorcaserin: heart valve disease, psychiatric and memory problems, and excessive tumors in rats.

The drug met one of the FDA's effectiveness standards "by a slim margin," with 47% of study participants shedding 5% or more of their body weight -- but lorcaserin fell short on another measure of effectiveness. Patients treated with lorcaserin in a study experienced just 3% greater weight loss than patients treated with a placebo, falling short of the FDA's 5% benchmark.

Continue reading Arena Pharmaceuticals Hammered by FDA Concerns

Arena Pharmaceuticals Hammered by FDA Concerns originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Arena Shares Continue to Soar

Arena Shares Continue to Soar originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading FDA Rejection Crushes Vivus

FDA Rejection Crushes Vivus originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Put Volume Spikes on Arena Pharmaceuticals

Put Volume Spikes on Arena Pharmaceuticals originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Goldman Sachs upgraded BJ's Wholesale (BJ) to neutral from sell and has a $43 target on the stock. Note that private equity firm Green Equity took a 9.5% stake in the company. Shares were also upgraded at Jefferies to buy from hold.
• Stephens upgraded Covenant Transportation (CVTI) to overweight from equal weight after the company positively preannounced Q2 results. The firm raised its target for shares to $12 from $5.
• Leerink upgraded Arena Pharmaceuticals (ARNA) to outperform from market perform after the company signed a partnership deal with Eisai for U.S. commercialization rights to lorcaserin. The firm believes the deal removes a major concern and upped its target for shares to $6 from $5.
• Fortune Brands (FO) was upgraded to hold from sell at Citigroup.
• KeyBanc upgraded NiSource (NI) to buy from hold.
• Akzo Nobel (AKZOY) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ARNA, ATLS, BJ, CTVI, FO, GRMN, IRET, NI, NS, SWN, VMI ...

Analyst Calls: ARNA, ATLS, BJ, CTVI, FO, GRMN, IRET, NI, NS, SWN, VMI ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: A Day Better Than the Market Deserved

Closing Bell: A Day Better Than the Market Deserved originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Honeywell (HON) closed at $45.27 after HON said, "The strong productivity actions taken last year are continuing to benefit the company, and along with improving economic conditions, we now expect our earnings to be near the high-end of our full-year guidance range of $2.20 - 2.40." The 2010 consensus EPS estimate is $2.40. April put option implied volatility is at 21, May and June is at 24, September is at 27; verses its 26-week average of 28 according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing near-term price movement.

Three stocks with IV rise on March 31; Liberty Property Trust (LRY) +3%, Arena Pharma (ARNA) +7%, Garmin (GRMN) +5% according to IVolatility.

CBOE Volatility Index-VIX at 17.59; 10-day moving average is 17.28, 50-day is 20.53, 200-day moving average is 23.26.

Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Options Update: Honeywell April Volatility Low as Shares Trend Higher originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Options and index re-balance aid bulls (ARNA, AMR, PALM, SIRI, VVUS)

Closing Bell: Options and index re-balance aid bulls (ARNA, AMR, PALM, SIRI, VVUS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Wells Fargo transferred coverage of Cooper Industries (NYSE: CBE) with an Outperform rating, upgraded from the previous analysts' Market Perform rating. The firm believes commercial construction will be of less of a headwind for the company than the Street thinks, and has a $38-$41 valuation range on the stock.
• Kaufman Bros. upgraded SuccessFactors (NASDAQ: SFSF) to Buy from Hold after channel checks indicated demand trends picked up in July. The firm raised its target on shares to $15 from $12.
• UBS upgraded eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) to Buy from Neutral and believes Marketplace transaction growth is "turning the corner." Additionally, the firm believes the secondary market represents a long-term opportunity for the company. The firm raised its target to $28 from $24.
• Novartis (NYSE: NVS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies.
• Arcelor Mittal (NYSE: MT) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
• Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
• Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform AMC Monday at Bernstein.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CCL, CSX, EBAY, GLW, NFLX, YHOO ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CCL, CSX, EBAY, GLW, NFLX, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded American Express (NYSE: AXP) to Outperform from Market Perform to reflect improving credit trends following the July monthly data. The firm raised its target price on shares to $37.
• Oppenheimer upgraded Corning (NYSE: GLW) to Outperform from Perform as it believes 2010 estimates are achievable and concerns over falling LCD demand are overdone. The firm set a $19 price target on the stock.
• JPMorgan upgraded International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) to Overweight from Neutral on valuation and expectations domestic replacement orders will pick up. The firm has a $23 price target on shares.
• Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Pali Capital.
• Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
• Mechel Steel (NYSE: MTL) was upgraded to Neutral from Reduce at Nomura.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AXP, CHL, FLOW, GLW, GS ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AXP, CHL, FLOW, GLW, GS ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Should you invest in low priced biotech stocks like Dendreon?

Should you invest in low priced biotech stocks like Dendreon? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Banc of America upgraded shares of Arena Pharma (NASDAQ:ARNA) to Buy from Neutral on valuation following the recent weakness and would-be buyers ahead of the Lorcaserin 12 month echocardiogram Data Safety Monitoring Committee review expected in March.
  
• Jefferies named Windstream (NYSE:WIN) their Tuesday Value Pick and upgraded shares to Buy from Hold, as they find the current valuation attractive and believe the company can improve operating results over the next 12 months through realization of acquisition synergies, cost cutting, top-line growth initiatives and additional M&A.
  
• Credit Suisse raised StatoilHydro (NYSE:STO) to Outperform from Neutral as they believe the company has addressed issues with growth and capital expenditure and set more conservative targets.

• JP Morgan added Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) to its Focus List.
  
• Bernstein upgraded the U.S. Life Insurance sector to Overweight from Market Weight and upgraded MetLife (MET) to Outperform from Market Perform.
  
• Citigroup upgraded M&T Bank (NYSE:MTB) to Hold from Sell.
  
• Goldman added Pride International (NYSE:PDE) to its Conviction Buy List.

Analyst upgrades: ARNA, WIN and STO originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) and JA Solar Holdings (NASDAQ: JASO) were initiated with Buy ratings and targets of $160 and $61 at Collins Stewart. Collins Stewart sees room for margin expansion and is positive on First Solar after channel checks; the firm expects JA Solar to expand capacity given its long-term supply agreements with four wafer suppliers.
  
• Merrill Lynch started shares of Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) with a Sell rating, citing a lack of revenue growth prospects.
  
• The firm also started shares of Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) with a Buy rating, as they believe the company's share gains and margin expansion will continue.
  
• Merrill also resumed coverage of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) with a Neutral rating, expecting high single digit earnings and share growth, but not enough for a Buy rating.

• Goldman initiated the trucking and railroad sectors with Neutral ratings.
  
• Wachovia initiated Isis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ISIS), BioMarin and Molecular Insight (NASDAQ: MIPI) with Outperform ratings and Bioenvision (NASDAQ: BIVN), Dendreon Corporation (NASDAQ: DNDN), Arena Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARNA) and Neurocrine Biosciences (NASDAQ: NBIX) with Market Perform ratings.

Analyst initiations: FSLR, JASO, ALU, NOK and ERIC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• BMO Capital initiated coverage on Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ARNA) and Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) with Outperform ratings and a $16 target and $51 target and Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ: CELG) and Genentech Inc. (NYSE: DNA) with Market Perform ratings and a $69 target and $85 target.
  
• CIBC initiated shares of WESCO International Inc. (NYSE: WCC) with a Sector Outperformer rating and $46 target. The firm believes lower estimates are already priced into shares and that the company's operating initiatives increase the chances for more stable margins in this environment.
  
• Deutsche Bank started shares of Wyndham Worldwide Corp. (NYSE: WYN) with a Buy rating and $41 target. The firm believes stability of the timeshare industry, international expansion and improved transparency will serve as catalysts for shares.
  
• Century Casinos Inc. (NASDAQ: CNTY) was initiated at Nollenberger with a Neutral rating, citing the underperformance of new properties and concerns from the smoking ban in Colorado; however, the firm believes the company is headed in the right direction.

• Soleil started shares of Sunoco Inc. (NYSE: SUN) and Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE: VLO) with Buy ratings and targets of $96 and $88, and initiated shares of Tesoro Corp. (NYSE: TSO) with a Hold rating and $55 target.
  
• Rodman & Renshaw started shares of Labopharm Inc. (NASDAQ: DDSS) with a Market Perform rating.
  
• UBS resumed coverage on Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) with a Buy rating and $34 target.

Analyst initiations: Biotech, WCC, WYN, CNTY, VLO, KR originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS

• According to people familiar with the matter, Home Depot Inc (NYSE: HD) was close to accepting about $1.2B less for the sale of its wholesale distribution business to three private-equity firms, but there was uncertainty about whether the deal would close by last night's deadline, reported the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).
• Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) CEO Alan Mulally urged the Federal Reserve to stimulate the economy and focus on economic growth, reported the Financial Times (subscription required).

• British energy company BP plc (NYSE: BP) is warning that a fierce environmental campaign may force it to scrap a $3.8B expansion at one of America's biggest oil refineries, reported the U.K. Times.
• From BusinessWeek's "Inside Wall Street" column:
  
• Spirits company Diageo plc (NYSE: DEO) may be the perfect tonic for jittery markets, and could appreciate 20% to 25% annually for several years, said Randy Haase of Baron Fifth Avenue Growth Fund.
  
• As household budgets get squeezed, consumers are likely to spend more at discount retailers - and TJX Companies Inc (NYSE: TJX), owner of T.J . Maxx, is one of the best bets.
• In September, Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: ARNA) will announce 6-month safety review for its lead drug, lorcaserin, an obesity drug, which is in a large phase III test.

Newspaper wrap-up: Home Depot (HD) unit sale in limbo originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 24 Aug 2007 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Friedman Billings started Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) with an Outperform rating and $53 target.

• Teekay Offshore (NYSE: TOO) was initiated with a Hold rating and $30 target by Deutsche Bank based on valuation.

• Banc of America noted that if approved, Auxilium Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ: AUXL) lead candidate, AA4500, could become a first-in-class therapy, with an over-$800M sales potential in niche markets, with no competition. Bank of America started AUXL with a Buy rating and $22 target.

• Northwest Airlines (OTC: NWACQ) was initiated at Morgan Stanley with an Equal Weight rating...

• Banc of America assumed coverage of Gilead Sciences, Inc (NASDAQ: GILD) with a Buy rating and increased its target to $94 from $90. Banc of America also started Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ: ARNA), Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ: AMLN) and Celgene Corp (NASDAQ: CELG) with Neutral ratings.

• Credit Suisse assumed coverage of RF Micro Devices, Inc (NASDAQ: RFMD) with an Outperform rating.

Analyst initiations 5-25-07: AMLN, CELG, HPQ and RFMD originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 May 2007 11:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.