Analyst Upgrades

• Parker-Hannifin (PH) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• JDSU (JDSU) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Noble Corp. (NE) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Cerner (CERN) to buy from hold at Auriga.
• Cintas (CTAS) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• American States Water (AWR) to buy from hold at Brean Murray.
• National Semiconductor (NSM) and Texas Instruments (TXN) to positive from neutral at Susquehanna.
• Lululemon (LULU) to buy from hold at ThinkEquity.
• DuPont Fabros (DFT) to top pick from outperform at RBC Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CERN, DFT, LVS, NE, NSM, OPEN, PH, QCOM, SHAW, TXN ...

Analyst Calls: CERN, DFT, LVS, NE, NSM, OPEN, PH, QCOM, SHAW, TXN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Tyson Foods (TSN) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Carmike Cinemas (CKEC) to buy from neutral at Merriman.
• Ambow Education (AMBO) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Johnson Controls (JCI) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Dynex Capital (DX) to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• Ensco (ESV) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• York Water (YORW) to buy from hold at Brean Murray.
• Mid-America Apartment (MAA) to market perform from underperform at FBR Capital.
• Cheniere Energy Partners (CQP) to hold from sell at Citigroup.
• Forest Oil (FST) to positive from neutral at Susquehanna.
• Tractor Supply (TSCO) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: DISH, DTV, JCI, LULU, MOS, MTN, POT, RIG, TSCO, TSN ...

Analyst Calls: DISH, DTV, JCI, LULU, MOS, MTN, POT, RIG, TSCO, TSN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Chesapeake (CHK) to buy from hold at Canaccord.
• Biogen (BIIB) and Regeneron (REGN) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Caribou Coffee (CBOU) to outperform from neutral and Encore Energy (ENP) to neutral from underperform at RW Baird.
• Fluor (FLR) to market perform from underperform at BMO Capital.
• Hornbeck Offshore (HOS) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Saks (SKS) and Zale (ZLC) to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BIIIB, CBOU, CELG, CHK, CIEN, HOS, LULU, RHT, SKS, ZLC ...

Analyst Calls: BIIIB, CBOU, CELG, CHK, CIEN, HOS, LULU, RHT, SKS, ZLC ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: The Burst of the Pessimism Bubble (AA, ITT, JPM, LULU, NVDA, ZLC)

Closing Bell: The Burst of the Pessimism Bubble (AA, ITT, JPM, LULU, NVDA, ZLC) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

U.S. stock futures are higher this morning as investors await the Federal Reserve's report on present economic conditions. Portuguese government debt sold bonds worth €1.25 billion ($1.62 billion) in an auction. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 56 points to 11,672.00 and S&P 500 futures gained 6.90 points to 1,277.30. Nasdaq 100 futures rose 11.75 points to 2,297.25.

U.S. stocks closed higher yesterday, with the blue-chip Dow index gaining 34.43 points, or 0.30%.

U.S. data on December import prices will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET. The Fed is scheduled to release its Beige Book on present economic conditions at 2 p.m. ET.

Continue reading U.S. Stock Futures Up After Portuguese Government Debt Auction

U.S. Stock Futures Up After Portuguese Government Debt Auction originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Procter & Gamble (PG) upgraded to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Capital One (COF) upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Airgas (ARG) upgraded to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Broadcom (BRCM) upgraded to positive from neutral at Susquehanna.
• Lululemon (LULU) upgraded to hold from underperform at Jefferies.
• DryShips (DRYS) upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AVB, BRCM, COF, DRYS, IFF, LULU, NSM, OII, OSG, PG ...

Analyst Calls: AVB, BRCM, COF, DRYS, IFF, LULU, NSM, OII, OSG, PG ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lululemon Athletica (LULU) will take its turn in the earnings confessional bright and early tomorrow morning, Dec. 9. Analysts are expecting the athletic apparel firm to report a third-quarter profit of 25 cents per share, up from 20 cents per share in the year-ago period. LULU has an impressive track record in the earnings spotlight, having exceeded Wall Street's consensus profit expectations in each of the past four quarters.

The stock has also established itself as a technical outperformer, with LULU rising 82.5% so far in 2010. This impressive ascent has been underlined by reliable support at the stock's 10-week, 20-week, and 50-week moving averages, which have guided LULU higher since July 2009.

Continue reading Can Lululemon Athletica Top Earnings Estimates Again?

Can Lululemon Athletica Top Earnings Estimates Again? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: The Bulls Return (AGAM, ABK, AIG, C, DV, LULU, STX)

Closing Bell: The Bulls Return (AGAM, ABK, AIG, C, DV, LULU, STX) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: A Pleasant and Quiet Friday (ALTH, BP, CBAK, LULU, PM, PCG, DELL)

Closing Bell: A Pleasant and Quiet Friday (ALTH, BP, CBAK, LULU, PM, PCG, DELL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The shares of Lululemon Athletica (LULU) gapped higher right out of the gate this morning, as Wall Street cheered the athletic apparel company's latest earnings report. Lululemon raked in a second-quarter profit of $21.8 million, or 30 cents per share -- more than doubling its year-ago results of $9.2 million, or 13 cents per share. Revenue for the period climbed 56% to $152.2 million.

The results handily surpassed consensus expectations. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had been anticipating a slimmer second-quarter profit of 24 cents per share on $146 million in revenue.

Continue reading Lululemon Athletica Soars After Strong Q2 Report

Lululemon Athletica Soars After Strong Q2 Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• BMO Capital upgraded Noble Energy (NE) to outperform from market perform and raised its target to $85 from $78. The firm upgraded Noble based on Niobrara field potential and record-breaking reserve potential at the Leviathan prospect.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Raytheon (RTN) to outperform from market perform based on relative valuation, strong balance sheet and International sales exposure.
• ThinkEquity upgraded Cerner (CERN) to buy from hold based on valuation and EMR momentum. The firm raised its price target on shares to $86 from $80.
• Sanofi-Aventis (SNY) was upgraded to buy from hold at Societe Generale.
• Cavium Networks (CAVM) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• CSG Systems (CSGS) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AZO, CERN, CIS, INTC, LMT, LULU, NE, RTN, SNY, TXN ...

Analyst Calls: AZO, CERN, CIS, INTC, LMT, LULU, NE, RTN, SNY, TXN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Berstein upgraded Diamond Offshore (DO) to market perform from underperform based on valuation. The firm has a $69 price target on the stock.
• Jefferies upgraded Patterson-UTI Energy (PTEN) to buy from hold, citing leverage to higher land rig pricing. The firm raised its price target to $21 from $17.
• Wunderlich upgraded Renasant (RNST) to buy from hold following the company's acquisition of Crescent Bank. The firm raised its target for shares to $20 from $15.
• AT&T (T) was upgraded to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Blackstone (BX) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Scripps Networks (SNI) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BX, CBOE, DO, EL, INTU, ITT, PTEN, RNST, T, TEVA ...

Analyst Calls: BX, CBOE, DO, EL, INTU, ITT, PTEN, RNST, T, TEVA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Lululemon Athletica: Recipe for Success

Lululemon Athletica: Recipe for Success originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Stifel views shares of DreamWorks (DWA) as oversold and believes investors are too pessimistic on recent films. The firm upgraded shares to buy from hold and has a $35 target on the stock.
• JPMorgan upgraded Consolidated Edison (ED) to neutral from underweight based on EPS visibility. The firm raised its price target to $45 from $37.
• Soleil upgraded PPL Corp. (PPL) to buy from hold following the 90M share secondary last night that was priced at $24. The firm sees improving earnings visibility and a removal of the equity overhang for the upgrade. The firm has a $29 price target on the stock.
• Unilever (UL) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at Credit Suisse.
• Holly (HOC) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Bebe Stores (BEBE) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at Cowen.
• Oppenheimer upgraded Monster Worldwide (MWW) to outperform from perform.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CVC, DWA, ED, EW, LULU, MWW, NRGY, PPL, TYN, UL ...

Analyst Calls: CVC, DWA, ED, EW, LULU, MWW, NRGY, PPL, TYN, UL ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• JPMorgan upgraded Anadarko Petroleum (APC) to overweight from neutral on valuation as it views the recent pullback in shares as excessive. Despite upgrading, the firm lowered its target for shares to $82 from $90.
• Oppenheimer upgraded Office Depot (ODP) to perform from underperform and upped its target for shares to $7 from $3 after raising its estimates for companies in the Office Products Retail space. The firm expects trends to accelerate for the sector due to moderating unemployment pressures. In conjunction with the upgrade, Opco raised its target for OfficeMax (OMX) to $26 from $21 and target for Staples (SPLS) to $30 from $28. Both stocks remain outperform rated.
• C.K. Cooper upgraded iRobot (IRBT) to buy from hold with a $30 price target following the company's analyst day.
• Seadrill (SDRL) was upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Vodafone (VOD) was upgraded to neutral from reduce at Nomura.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: APC, ODP, IRBT, NFLX, POM, MMSI, NTAP, LULU, LNCE ...

Analyst Calls: APC, ODP, IRBT, NFLX, POM, MMSI, NTAP, LULU, LNCE ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 14 May 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading 'Ben Graham' Buys: Six-Pack of Foreign Value Stocks

'Ben Graham' Buys: Six-Pack of Foreign Value Stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE) reported that Q1 revenue was up but earnings declined sharply, and it offered guidance.
• Best Buy Inc. (BBY) shares rallied after it topped Q4 earnings expectations and offered encouraging guidance.
• Brinker International Inc. (EAT) raised its outlook for fiscal 2010 and also increased its quarterly dividend.
• China Automotive Systems Inc. (CAAS) reported that its revenue had doubled and it beat earnings expectations.
• ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG) Q3 earnings matched estimates and revenue was flat, and it reaffirmed its outlook.
• Finish Line Inc. (FINL) shares rallied after it reported that Q4 earnings came in better than analysts' expected.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Adobe, Best Buy, General Mills, Oracle, Tiffany, Walgreen ...

Earnings Highlights: Adobe, Best Buy, General Mills, Oracle, Tiffany, Walgreen ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The coming week will bring late-season earnings reports from Best Buy Inc. (BBY), ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG), Oracle Corp. (ORCL) and Walgreen Co. (WAG), all of which are expected to post earnings and revenue growth, according to analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters. Below is a closer look at a few other companies reporting this week for which expectations are high.

In the three months that ended in January, Williams-Sonoma (WSM) saw strong holiday sales, declared a quarterly dividend, and announced the retirement of its CEO. Analysts expect the San Francisco-based home products retailer to report that fiscal fourth-quarter earnings more than doubled from the same period of last year to $0.74 per share. Revenue for the period is expected to be 6.2% higher to $1.1 billion. For the full year, the forecast calls for earnings of $0.81 per share (+56.8%) on $3.1 billion in revenue (-8.3%). Williams-Sonoma earnings results have been better than expected in recent quarters -- beating consensus estimates by more than 200% in the third quarter.

Continue reading The Week in Preview: Eye on General Mills, Tiffany, Williams-Sonoma and more

The Week in Preview: Eye on General Mills, Tiffany, Williams-Sonoma and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded CME Group (CME) to Buy from Hold and has a $330 target on the stock. The firm believes increased regulatory concerns have created a buying opportunity and notes that CME Group's fundamentals are stable-to-improving.
• Susquehanna upgraded Priceline.com (PCLN) to Positive from Neutral and has a $230 target on the stock. The firm believes Priceline.com likely outperformed expectations in Q4.
• Citigroup upgraded AutoZone (AZO) to Buy from Hold citing an attractive valuation, favorable industry trends, and the potential for margin expansion. The firm raised its target price on shares to $188 from $176.
• Genzyme (GENZ) was raised to Sell from Conviction Sell at Goldman.
• Disney (DIS) was upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan.
• Exxon Mobil (XOM) was upgraded at Collins Stewart to Buy from Hold.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: CME, AZO, XOM, DNB, GENZ ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: CME, AZO, XOM, DNB, GENZ ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• JPMorgan upgraded Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX) and Goldcorp (NYSE: GG) to Overweight from Neutral following its gold valuation analysis. The firm set a $54 price target on Barrick shares and a $47 price target on Goldcorp shares.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC) to Overweight from Market Weight and raised its target to $24 from $15, citing the company's improving end market demand, competitive position, and valuation.
• Barclays upgraded AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR) to Overweight from Equal Weight, citing the company's improved liquidity position and what they believe to be the beginning of a multi-year profit cycle for the sector. Despite the upgrade, the firm lowered its target to $14 from $20.
• Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo.
• Toshiba (OTC: TOSBF) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.
• Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at UBS.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AMR, DT, HOG, JBLU, LULU, VLO ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AMR, DT, HOG, JBLU, LULU, VLO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.