Analyst Upgrades

• Citigroup (C) to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.
• Cubist Pharma (CBST) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Pentair (PNR) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Heritage Financial (HFWA) to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• SL Green Realty (SLG) and Digital Realty (DLR) to market perform from underperform at FBR Capital.
• MGM Resorts (MGM) to neutral from Sell at Janney Capital.
• Ciena (CIEN) to buy from neutral and Olin (OLN) to buy from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Mellanox (MLNX) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• ConocoPhillips (COP) and Canadian Natural (CNQ) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• IDEX (IEX) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Ctrip.com (CTRP) to positive from neutral at Susquehanna.
• Linear Technology (LLTC) and Analog Devices (ADI) to hold from sell at Auriga.
• Quicksilver (KWK) to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ADI, BRCM, C, CIEN, COP, INTC, MGM, OXY, QCOM, TXN ...

Analyst Calls: ADI, BRCM, C, CIEN, COP, INTC, MGM, OXY, QCOM, TXN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• NYSE Euronex (NYX) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• General Dynamics (GD) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Deere (DE), Parker-Hannifin (PH) and ExlService (EXLS) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Aflac (AFL) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Wynn Resorts (WYNN) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Amdocs (DOX) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Juniper (JNPR) to buy from hold at ThinkEquity.
• Rudolph Tech (RTEC) and KLA-Tencor (KLAC) to perform from underperform at Oppenheimer.
• Hershey (HSY) and Pinnacle Entertainment (PNK) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Spirit AeroSystems (SPR) to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• Micron (MU) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AFL, DE, DOX, GD, GS, HSY, ITT, MS, NYX, TXN, UBS, WYNN ...

Analyst Calls: AFL, DE, DOX, GD, GS, HSY, ITT, MS, NYX, TXN, UBS, WYNN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Option traders appear to be setting up for a bullish move on Cobalt International Energy, Inc. (CIE). Traders plowed into 1,553 new call option contracts -- 4.65 times the average volume -- on the stock on Monday. And we know that traders were eager to get into this trade because 98% of the trades came in on the ask price.

Cobalt just bounced up off of support at $7. The stock closed Monday at $8.25, down 1.32% during the past month.

Continue reading Option Traders Buy Cobalt International Energy Calls and Mirant Puts

Option Traders Buy Cobalt International Energy Calls and Mirant Puts originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post was written by Minyanville contributor Sean Udall.

Broadcom (NASDAQ: BRCM) reports tonight and it is getting hit due to the poor report from Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM). QCOM lowered guidance quite a bit -- in fact, enough that I likely may not have to worry much about QCOM for the next couple quarters. Low $30's would present solid value.

Getting back to BRCM, I still feel it is one of the few must own chip names. I think it has enough innovation and diversification to avoid the 35-40% sequential reductions I am seeing from many in the chip space. However, I also think a lowering of the bar is priced into BRCM's shares and anything less than a disaster should keep the stock above $16.50 (assuming we avoid another shock down to the whole market). Anything around that level ($16.50) and lower would have me adding the shares. I've taken gains recently in trading shares and am hoping to add BRCM back on just a bit more weakness.

Continue reading Chipmaker earnings and other top tech news

Chipmaker earnings and other top tech news originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Horace Mann, Sonus Networks and Mellanox were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Keefe Bruyette views Horace Mann (NYSE: HMN) as fairly valued and expects the competitive personal lines environment and deteriorating loss trends to act as strong headwinds. Shares were assumed with a Market Perform rating and $19 target.
  
• Thomas Weisel initiated Sonus Networks (NASDAQ: SONS) with a Market Weight rating and $3.50 target and believes management's expectation for 20% FY08 revenue growth is too aggressive.
  
• Susquehanna expects Mellanox (NASDAQ: MLNX) to benefit from the growing end markets for InfiniBand technology, and started shares with a Positive rating and $20 target.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Jefferies initiated McKesson (NYSE: MCK) with a Buy rating and $67 target.
  
• Philip Morris (NYSE: PM) was initiated at JP Morgan with an Overweight rating and $62 target, and added to the firm's Analyst Focus List.
  
• Baird started Pharmasset (NASDAQ: VRUS) with a Neutral rating and $21 target.
  

Analyst initiations: Horace Mann, Sonus Networks, Mellanox originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Merriman believes Synthesis Energy Systems Inc (NASDAQ: SYMX) is well-positioned as it begins to leverage its exclusive global license for U-GAS technology and commences the deployment of its coal-to-methanol production facilities in China. The firm started shares with a Buy rating.
• Lamar Advertising Company (NASDAQ: LAMR) was initiated with a Buy rating and $51 target at Jefferies, as they believe shares are oversold at current levels.
• William Blair believes Urban Outfitters Inc (NASDAQ: URBN) will benefit from both strong sales and a steep margin recovery in the coming two years. The firm assumed coverage of Urban with an Outperform rating.

• Lehman started United Rentals Inc (NYSE: URI) with an Equal Weight rating and $22 target.
• Credit Suisse assumed coverage of Mellanox Technologies (NASDAQ: MLNX) with a Neutral rating.
• EPIQ Systems Inc (NASDAQ: EPIQ) was initiated with a Market Perform rating at Wachovia.

Analyst initiations: Synthesis Energy, Lamar Advertising, Urban Outfitters originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.