Analyst Upgrades

• Interpublic Group (IPG) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Radware (RDWR) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Fluor (FLR) and Waddell & Reed (WDR) to buy from hold, as well as AllianceBernstein (AB) to hold from sell, at Citigroup.
• MetroCorp (MCBI) and American Capital (AGNC) to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• International Flavors (IFF) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• BioCryst (BCRX) and Southern Company (SO) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Bunge (BG) to overweight from neutral at HSBC.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AB, BG, CMG, CSCO, DF, EXPE, JLL, MU, NLSN, S, SO ...

Analyst Calls: AB, BG, CMG, CSCO, DF, EXPE, JLL, MU, NLSN, S, SO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Goldman upgraded Potash (POT) to conviction buy from buy and said a "near-worst-case" scenario on 2010 potash pricing is reflected in potash valuations and that they continue to expect a fundamental potash demand recovery in 2010. Note that the firm also upgraded Mosaic (MOS) to buy from neutral. Potash's price target is $138.
• Morgan Stanley upgraded Alcoa (AA) to overweight from equal weight based on expectations for alumina to continue to rally in 2H10. The firm has a $22 target on the stock.
• Baird upgraded Seagate (STX) to outperform from neutral and raised its target to $25 from $22 based on expectations that IT hardware spend will continue to accelerate through 2010, HDD supply conditions will continue to be constrained at least into the March quarter, and that enterprise strength and favorable supply conditions will drive shares higher in 2010.
• Intel (INTC) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Resource Capital (RSO) was raised to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Palm (PALM) was upgraded to hold from sell at Morgan Joseph.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AA, D, H, INTC, NOK, PALM, POT, STX, V ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AA, D, H, INTC, NOK, PALM, POT, STX, V ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Earnings working against stocks (BCRX, DELL, DHI, INTC, LEAP, PCS)

Closing Bell: Earnings working against stocks (BCRX, DELL, DHI, INTC, LEAP, PCS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: The dollar-stock relation cuts both ways (AMZN, BCRX, XOM, FNM, FITB, GLD)

Closing Bell: The dollar-stock relation cuts both ways (AMZN, BCRX, XOM, FNM, FITB, GLD) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: BCRX) was on the move Tuesday after inking letters of intent with three partners, who will take the lead on stockpiling, marketing, and distribution efforts for the company's influenza treatment in four countries. Marketing and distribution will be contingent upon local regulatory approval, but all three partners will immediately begin discussing stockpiling opportunities with the appropriate government officials.

Moksha8 Pharmaceuticals will be BioCryst's representative in Brazil and Mexico, which together account for 75% of the Latin American pharmaceutical market. Meanwhile, NT Pharma Co. is the company's Chinese partner, and Neopharm Group is taking the reins in Israel.

Continue reading BioCryst Pharma rallies after lining up three flu partners

BioCryst Pharma rallies after lining up three flu partners originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: When news and earnings exhaustion occurs (BCRX, BAC, CIT, GE, GOOG, SU, YHOO, MSFT)

Closing Bell: When news and earnings exhaustion occurs (BCRX, BAC, CIT, GE, GOOG, SU, YHOO, MSFT) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Don't fear the swine flu . . . trade it

Don't fear the swine flu . . . trade it originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Friedman Billings downgraded Aventine Renewable Energy (NYSE: AVR) and Pacific Ethanol Inc (NASDAQ: PEIX) to Underperform and VeraSun Energy Corporation (NYSE: VSE) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform. The firm said the ethanol market has become increasingly challenging as spot market prices have declined by 30% in the past few months and expect pressure to remain through 2008 as the industry's growing pains continue.
  
• Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of BT Group (NYSE: BT) to Underweight from Equal Weight on valuation and regulation uncertainty ahead of Ofcom's first consultation document next week.
  
• AMR Corporation (NYSE: AMR) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Goldman to reflect the company's U.S. exposure as they expect the U.S. economy to slow.
  
• Banc of America downgraded shares of Kyphon Inc (NASDAQ: KYPH) to Neutral from Buy on valuation as the spread on the acquisition by Medtronic Inc (NYSE: MDT) has now narrowed.

• Pepsi Bottling Group Inc (NYSE: PBG) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Bernstein.
  
• Oppenheimer downgraded Signature Bank (NASDAQ: SBNY) to Neutral from Buy.
  
• ThinkEquity downgraded BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: BCRX) to Accumulate from Buy.
  
• Merrill Lynch downgraded Luxottica Group (NYSE: LUX) to Neutral from Buy.

Analyst downgrades: Ethanol sector, BT, AMR and KYPH originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Sep 2007 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.