Analyst Upgrades

• Bunge (BG) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Textron (TXT) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• CSX (CSX) to buy from neutral and Pulte Group (PHM) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Aol (AOL) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Kohlberg Capital (KCAP) to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• Owens Corning (OC) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Jefferies (JEF) to buy from neutral at Ticonderoga.
• Harris (HRS) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AOL, BG, CCL, CP, CSX, HRS, NE, OC, PHM, RIG, SBUX, TXT ...

Analyst Calls: AOL, BG, CCL, CP, CSX, HRS, NE, OC, PHM, RIG, SBUX, TXT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Netflix (NFLX) and Zions Bancorp (ZION) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Akamai (AKAM) to buy from neutral at Merriman.
• CSX (CSX) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Nordstrom (JWN) to buy from neutral, WellCare (WCG) to conviction buy from buy and Humana (HUM) to neutral from sell at Goldman.
• E-Commerce China Dangdang (DANG) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• VMware (VMW) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Celanese (CE) to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ADM, AKAM, ALL, CP, CSX, HRL, HUM, JWN, NFLX, NSRGY ...

Analyst Calls: ADM, AKAM, ALL, CP, CSX, HRL, HUM, JWN, NFLX, NSRGY ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

Continue reading China Signs a Deal to Buy Soybeans from U.S. Companies

China Signs a Deal to Buy Soybeans from U.S. Companies originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bunge Ltd. (BG) reported Thursday morning that its third-quarter profit dipped 8.6% due to charges, even as revenue for the period rose 2.9% year-over-year. The agribusiness baron raked in a profit of $212 million, or $1.36 per share, on revenue of $11.66 billion.

Excluding one-time items, BG's net income of $2.26 per share easily exceeded analysts' consensus estimate for a profit of $1.57 per share. However, the firm's quarterly revenue fell short of Wall Street's forecast for $12.48 billion.

Continue reading Bunge Tops Q3 Earnings Estimates, but Falls Short on Revenue

Bunge Tops Q3 Earnings Estimates, but Falls Short on Revenue originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (MOO) offers a great opportunity to capitalize on the move in the sector; the fund focuses on the 40 most actively traded companies in the agriculture chemical and product business," says Jim Farrish.

The exchange-traded fund specialist and editor of SectorExchange.com explains, "Below, we review the ETF as well as some individual agriculture-based stocks poised to break out on the upside.

"The agriculture stocks have been moving up aggressively since the end of June. The initial push came on the drought issues in Russia and wheat production.

Continue reading Agribusinesses ETF (MOO): Farming Favorites

Agribusinesses ETF (MOO): Farming Favorites originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• FBR Capital upgraded Noble Corporation (NE) to outperform from market perform as it finds the company's acquisition of Frontier Drilling as smart and strategic. The firm upped its target price for shares to $42 from $36.
• Citigroup upgraded Ameriprise (AMP) to buy from hold, citing potential margin expansion from the Columbia acquisition. The firm maintains a $50 price target for shares.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded Jabil Circuit (JBL) to overweight from market weight, citing valuation and the company's growth prospects. The firm raised its target for shares to $20 from $18.
• Blackrock (BLK) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Disney (DIS) and News Corp (NWS) were upgraded to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Portland General Electric (POR) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AH, AMP, BDX, DIS, ETH, JBL, MRK, NE, NWS, TWX, VIA ...

Analyst Calls: AH, AMP, BDX, DIS, ETH, JBL, MRK, NE, NWS, TWX, VIA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Agribusiness Favorites: Monsanto (MON) & Bunge (BG)

Agribusiness Favorites: Monsanto (MON) & Bunge (BG) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Bunge Approves $700M Buyback Plan

Bunge Approves $700M Buyback Plan originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Susquehanna upgraded Yahoo! (YHOO) to positive from neutral. The firm, which has a $19 price target on the stock, cites the steep decline in shares for the upgrade.
• UBS upgraded Time Warner Cable (TWC) to buy from neutral. The firm believes fears regarding FCC reclassification of broadband are "overblown" and that industry fundamentals are bullish. The firm has a $57 target on the stock.
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Stifel Financial (SF) to outperform from market perform on valuation following the recent pullback in shares. The firm has a $64 price target for the stock.
• Boeing (BA) was upgraded to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• RBC Capital upgraded Southern Union (SUG) to sector perform from underperform.
• Rubicon Technology (RBCN) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BA, GR, MCO, RAX, SF, SSNC, SXE, TWC, WAG, YHOO ...

Analyst Calls: BA, GR, MCO, RAX, SF, SSNC, SXE, TWC, WAG, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 May 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the Bell: Futures Higher as Santa Rally Set to Continue

Before the Bell: Futures Higher as Santa Rally Set to Continue originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL) was upgraded to Buy at Citigroup. The firm views the recent sell-off in home building stocks as a buying opportunity and thinks Toll Brothers offers the best risk/reward in its coverage universe. Citi keeps a $23 price target on the stock.
• Kellogg (NYSE: K) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup following the Q3 results, as it believes the company's reduced spending and share buyback will serve as catalysts. The firm raised its price target on shares to $63 from $50.
• Rogers Communications (NYSE: RCI) and Telus (NYSE: TU) were upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital, which said the CRTC unexpectedly denied Globalive's wireless application. The analyst said Globalive was potentially the biggest of new wireless competitors and the decision removes a big threat to the group. Rogers price target was raised to $40 from $33; Telus to $44 from $36.
• Stanley (NYSE: SXE) was upgraded at Wells Fargo to Outperform from Market Perform after the company reported better-than-expected Q3 results and raised its FY10 guidance.
• Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) was upgraded at Bernstein to Outperform from Market Perform. The analyst believes Texas Instruments' core business earnings power is underappreciated and valuation is attractive. Target raised to $30 from $28.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: JCG, K, MON, TOL, TXN ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: JCG, K, MON, TOL, TXN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) kicked off the new season with a larger-than-expected loss due to the economic slump.
• Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions (NASDAQ: MDRX) reported better-than-expected Q2 earnings.
• Apollo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL) share price soared after its strong Q1 earnings and guidance.
• Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) earnings prospects without CEO Steve Jobs led to an analyst's downgrade.
• Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) lowered its guidance as business slows at an unprcedented rate.
• Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) reported terrible Q4 results and receivbed additional TARP money.
• Bunge Ltd. (NYSE: BG) lowered its 2008 earnings estimate due to soft soybean commodity markets.
• Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) posted a much bigger-than-expected loss and said it would split in two.
• Coventry Health Care Inc. (NYSE: CVH) offered full-year guidance that was less than analysts expectations.
• CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX) forecast Q4 earnings would come in below analysts' expectations.
• CVS Caremark Corp. (NYSE: CVS) increased its quarterly dividend despite the recent lowered guidance.
• Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB) reported a net loss for Q4 and the full year, dragging down the sector.
• Genentech Inc. (NASDAQ: DNA) revenue and earnings surged but were lower than analysts estimated.
• Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) Q4 results were in line with low expectations as the gross margin declined.
• JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) reported a huge drop in Q4 earnings but it stayed in the black.
• Lexmark International Inc. (NYSE: LXK) slashed its Q4 outlook and announced job cuts.
• Pentair Inc. (NYSE: PNR) efforts to limit an earnings decline led to a buy recommendation.
• Precision Cast Corp. (NYSE: PCP) earnings prospects following the recent rally led to an analyst's downgrade.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Citigroup, Intel, JPMorgan, Alcoa, Apple and others

Earnings highlights: Citigroup, Intel, JPMorgan, Alcoa, Apple and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 17 Jan 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With banking stocks getting crushed in the first few trading days of 2009, is there anywhere to hide?

For those looking to buy stocks, I provided a list of Top 10 Stocks for 2009. You won't find any financial stocks on the list.

Instead, I targeted a few themes that I believed would do well for varying reasons. One theme that I am particularly keen on is agriculture.

In a world that is full of fraud, bank collapses and historically low interest rates, I want to have some defense in any long recommendation.

The thing that makes agriculture so attractive is that the hedge fund maniacs turned this once boring space into the thrill ride of a lifetime. After a roller-coaster year, many great names in the space can be had for cheap prices.

One of the names on the list just got a whole lot cheaper.

Continue reading Don't get down on the farm -- Archer Daniels is a great buy

Don't get down on the farm -- Archer Daniels is a great buy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Stocks in the news: YHOO, DB, MS, C, BG, HBC, PFE, ORCL, SI ...

Stocks in the news: YHOO, DB, MS, C, BG, HBC, PFE, ORCL, SI ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: 2008 picks -- the last nail

Chasing Value: 2008 picks -- the last nail originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post was writtenby Minyanville contributor Ryan Krueger.

Looks like Verasun Energy Corp. (NYSE: VSE), a formerly popular ethanol stock and second largest producer, has won court permission to cancel contracts signed to purchase corn. It is now in bankruptcy. I'm also hearing about a lot of excess ethanol funded by your tax dollars being sold to other countries. That worked out well.

The mistaken policy and debates are endless, the trades are what I am chewing on instead. I think consumers of corn at lower prices are set up for some awfully tasty '09 comparisons for their bottom lines. Corn Products International, Inc. (NYSE: CPO), after Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG) backed away from its take-over, is a name I have re-entered from the long side after closing out my position just after the non-merger was announced and shares traded twice what they are now. They sweeten something you'll eat or drink in the next hour.

Longer term, however, I am even more interested in the ingredients, not the end products. But it's still early. I have been long gone from 2008 corn contracts for quite some time, but am starting to poke around out on the futures curve. On the same day this court ruling was announced abolishing artificial demand, quiet real demand emerged as Mexico was a big buyer of corn.

I'll take a few billion eaters over several million drivers any day.

What happened to ethanol? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analysts have been negative on the agri-business processing sector recently, but the stocks have been shedding value for two months and they may have to reconsider. Bunge Ltd. (NYSE: BG) is delivering 42% growth according to Smart Money.

The stock is down 16% from my original post recommending it for 2008 and it is trading down more this morning. However, I have not changed my opinion about the prospects of the company and my original rational has remained solid despite the wild swings in the stock over the past few months.

Last year when I posted Serious Money: ADM, Bunge, Potash Corp. -- it's a hungry world it looked like there was no downside, and even though it is disappointing to see the stock down now, all I can say is the investment opportunity is even better. As they are a leading producer of soy and soy products, how can one resist this level of growth at a P/E of 8, half the market average?

Continue reading Chasing Value: 40% growth, P/E 8 -- Bunge Ltd.

Chasing Value: 40% growth, P/E 8 -- Bunge Ltd. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After seven months of tracking my 2008 picks -- Wham! -- I went from beating the indices and Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B) to being humbled by the market. However difficult it is to display your failings, once again I will share all. This is the low point since I posted the original story Chasing Value: Final list -- 8 stocks for 2008.

Only Reliance Steel & Aluminum (NYSE: RS) remained in positive territory, down from five stocks that were up in the last report. Sometimes, the reasons for the downslide were more obvious than they were in the cases for my picks. The cutting in half of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO) has been reported often, as the largest independent oil refiner in North America has had its profit margins squeezed.

Loews Corporation (NYSE: L) has been hurt by its insurance interests and helped by its holdings -- a 51% stake in Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (NYSE: DO) that has been doing well as the world remains desperate for more oil and natural gas.

The gap between the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor's 500 Index and the technology heavy NASDAQ Composite Index is narrower than in the past.

Continue reading Chasing Value: 8 stocks for 2008 -- June/July, that sinking feeling

Chasing Value: 8 stocks for 2008 -- June/July, that sinking feeling originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We had the internet bubble and the real estate bubble and now, there is the ethanol bubble. Recently, I ran some numbers on ethanol and to my amazement realized that it is - too use a catch phrase from the environmental world -- not sustainable. Turning food into fuel is just plain silly; and when oil prices come down the ethanol bubble could pop big.

I ran did a little research and found some numbers:

• 47% of the Mexician' diet is corn
• it takes 2.4 pounds of corn a day to feed a hungry person
• it takes 22 pounds of corn to make one gallon of ethanol
• there are 42 gallons of refined gas in one barrel of oil

Continue reading World food shortage and the ethanol bubble

World food shortage and the ethanol bubble originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.