Analyst Upgrades

• Best Buy (BBY) was upgraded to top pick from outperform at RBC Capital, as the firm thinks the company's valuation is inexpensive while it will perform well during the holiday season.
• Credit Suisse upgraded CF Industries (CF) to outperform from neutral, citing favorable fundamentals in nitrogen and phosphate markets.
• Canadian Solar (CSIQ) was raised to buy from hold by Jefferies, which cited expectations for higher selling prices next year and cost savings from sourcing more components internally.
• BMO Capital upgraded RC2 Corp. (RCRC) to outperform from market perform as the firm believes that RC2's baby products are performing better than previously expected.
• Ericsson (ERIC) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merril.
• ProLogis (PLD) was upgraded to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.
• Constellation Energy (CEG) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ABC, BBY, CF, CSIQ, ERIC, MO, N, NAV, ORLY, PCAR, RCRC, SYY ...

Analyst Calls: ABC, BBY, CF, CSIQ, ERIC, MO, N, NAV, ORLY, PCAR, RCRC, SYY ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Canaccord believes growth in DigitalGlobe's (DGI) commercial business will be a catalyst for shares. The firm upgraded shares to buy from hold and has a $38 price target on the stock.
• Standpoint upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) to accumulate from hold based on valuation. The firm has a $47 target on the stock.
• Morgan Keegan upgraded Open Text (OTEX) to outperform from market perform based on the company's strong FY2011 EPS outlook.
• Devon Energy (DVN) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Magna (MGA) was upgraded to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• EnCana (ECA) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ANF, CRUS, DGI, EAT, EV, MELI, OTEX, PH, SIRI, WYNN ...

Analyst Calls: ANF, CRUS, DGI, EAT, EV, MELI, OTEX, PH, SIRI, WYNN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rival home improvement chains Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) and Lowe's Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) are scheduled to report quarterly results this week. Not surprisingly, given the ongoing housing slump, analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial on average expect both companies to post earnings lower than in the same period a year ago. For Home Depot, that's 61 cents per share, down 20.8%, and for Lowe's, 56 cents per share, down 16.4%. Meanwhile, cabinet maker American Woodmark Corp. (NASDAQ: AMWD), for whom Home Depot and Lowe's are major distributors, is also expected to report lower earnings: 11 cents per share, down 67.6%.

The presidential campaigns have prompted much discussion of energy policy and alternative energy sources. Some solar-energy-related concerns are scheduled to report this week, and expectations seem to be high. Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) is expected to report 81 cents per share earnings, up 67.9%; ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) is expected to post earnings of 32 cents per share, up 62.5%; and Suntech Power Holdings Co. (NYSE: STP) is expected to have earnings of 32 cents per share, up 21.9%. Even China Sunergy Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: CSUN) is expected to have swung to a profit of 3 cents per share, from a per-share loss of 14 cents a year ago.

Continue reading The week in preview: Expectations for home improvement, tech, apparel

The week in preview: Expectations for home improvement, tech, apparel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• PSS World Medical (NASDAQ: PSSI) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Robert W. Baird. Baird said the quarter was impacted by one-time items and that core operations remain strong while private label, home care and HCIT initiatives may contribute to substantial margin improvement.
  
• Friedman Billings added Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) to its Top Picks list based on valuation and growth drivers.
  
• Merrill Lynch upped shares of Open Text Corporation (NASDAQ: OTEX) to Neutral from Sell. Kaufman Brothers upgraded shares of the stock to Buy from Hold with a $27 target to reflect the company's better-than-expected Q4 results.
• Sanderson Farms Inc (NASDAQ: SAFM) was upgraded to Strong Buy from Strong Sell on valuation and accelerating sales of the company's poultry products.
  
• The firm upgraded shares of Mentor Corporation (NYSE: MNT) to Buy from Sell given the company's good performance and low risk.

• Cache Inc (NASDAQ: CACH) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral with a $19 target at First Albany and to Outperform from Market Perform at Piper Jaffray.
  
• Gabelli upgraded shares of Diageo (NYSE: DEO) to Buy from Hold.
  
• RBC Capital Markets raised shares of Knology Inc (NASDAQ: KNOL) to Outperform from Sector Perform.
  
• Goldman Sachs upgraded shares of Maxygen Inc (NASDAQ: MAXY) to Neutral from Sell.

Analyst upgrades 8-31-07: PSSI, ROK, OTEX, SAFM and MNT originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 31 Aug 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTABLE:

• Cabela's inc (NYSE: CAB) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $30 target. The firm is confident in Cabela's outlook given the company's substantial store expansion opportunities, encouraging operating environment and valuation.

• Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) was started with a Buy rating and $25 target at UBS.

• Benchmark initiated Open Text Corp (NASDAQ: OTEX) with a Sell rating.

• Tortoise Capital Resources (NYSE: TTO )was initiated by both Ferris Baker and Stifel with a Buy rating.

• CIBC initiated Volterra Semiconductor Corp (NASDAQ: VLTR) with a Sector Performer rating.

• Goldman initiated Savvis, Inc (NASDAQ: SVVS) with a Buy rating and $50 target.

• Cowen started Cogent Communications Group, Inc (NASDAQ: CCOI) with an Outperform rating.

• Avondale initiated Callaway Golf Co (NYSE: ELY) with a Market Outperform rating and $20 target.

• ThinkEquity started Adventrx Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NYSE: ANX) with a Buy rating and $5 target.

Analyst initiations 3-16-07: Cabela's, Time Warner & Callaway Golf initiated today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Mar 2007 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.