Analyst Upgrades

• Home Depot (HD) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Delta Air Lines (DAL) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Heico (HEI) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• MB Financial (MBFI) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Quest Diagnostics (DGX) to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• Oshkosh (OSK) to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• Volterra (VLTR) and Silicon Laboratories (SLAB) to buy from neutral at Roth Capital.
• Ascena Retail Group (ASNA) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Cytec Industries (CYT) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: DAL, CIEN, DGX, HD, IMAX, LOW, OSK, PENN, RDS.A, SWK ...

Analyst Calls: DAL, CIEN, DGX, HD, IMAX, LOW, OSK, PENN, RDS.A, SWK ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Specialty vehicle maker Oshkosh Corp. (OSK), first discussed here on July 6, 2009, at a price of $21.48, has rebounded in the past five months to about $36, after declining in bear-hug fashion in the first half of 2010 to about $24.

And given the roller-coaster pattern, if you're in near $21.48 with OSK, now may be a good time to consider taking some profits.

Continue reading Oshkosh Rebounds from 2010 Low

Oshkosh Rebounds from 2010 Low originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Baird upgraded Oshkosh (OSK) to outperform from neutral, citing valuation as it believes post-Iraq U.S. military spending concerns are overdone. The firm keeps a $42 price target for shares.
• Goldman transferred coverage on CenturyTel (CTL) with a buy from a neutral and has a $42 price target on the stock. The firm believes CenturyTel could increase buybacks and or increase its dividend given free cash generation and low payout ratio.
• Lazard Capital upgraded Hatteras Financial (HTS) to buy from hold to reflect increased dividend projections. The firm has a $30 price target for shares.
• EOG Resources (EOG) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at Credit Suisse.
• Donaldson (DCI) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CTL, HTS, ISRG, MCD, MLM, OSK, RUTH, WMS, YUM ...

Analyst Calls: CTL, HTS, ISRG, MCD, MLM, OSK, RUTH, WMS, YUM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Defense firm Oshkosh Corporation (OSK) is wallowing in red ink, after Barron's published a downbeat article on the company over the weekend. After securing a $3 billion, five-year Army contract, the author warns that "Oshkosh may have won the battle but lost the war."

The main thrust of the article appears to be an argument against further price appreciation for OSK, which has "gained 448% over the past 12 months based on a booming military business," according to Barron's. Plus, Tom Harenburg, a longtime investor in the company, adds that profit margins on the Army deal "are meager."

Continue reading Oshkosh Smacked by Bearish Barron's Article

Oshkosh Smacked by Bearish Barron's Article originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Carter's Inc. (CRI), a retailer of children's apparel, reported Q3 earnings on Friday. The company delivered a nice increase in both sales and net income. It even beat earnings estimates. Yet, the stock is down over 3% as I write this. The market can be funny sometimes, huh?

The top line increased over 10%. Adjusted per-share profit came in at 84 cents. That represented a whopping increase over the adjusted 58 cents per share recorded one year ago. Carter's also experienced a good rise in comparable store sales; the statistic went up over 6%. The OshKosh segment didn't do so well with comps, however.

Continue reading Sales Increase in Third Quarter Drives Results for Carter's

Sales Increase in Third Quarter Drives Results for Carter's originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Buy Oshkosh, by gosh

Buy Oshkosh, by gosh originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE: BMY) Q1 profit fell despite strong sales of Plavix and Abilify.
• Check Point Software Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: CHKP) was downgraded based on its guidance.
• Domino's Pizza Inc. (NYSE: DPZ) strong Q1 results were boosted by early debt retirement.
• DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. (NYSE: DWA) strong Q1 results were driven by Madagascar 2.
• Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ENDP) Q1 results led to an analyst's downgrade.
• E*Trade Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: ETFC) widened its Q1 loss, sending shares sharply lower.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: P&G, DreamWorks, E*Trade, Netflix, Under Armour, Humana and more

Earnings highlights: P&G, DreamWorks, E*Trade, Netflix, Under Armour, Humana and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 02 May 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Oshkosh (OSK) stops paying dividend, reports huge loss

Oshkosh (OSK) stops paying dividend, reports huge loss originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Oshkosh (OSK) locks up $1.1B military truck contract originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Manufacturing bright spot: Pierce Manufacturing Inc. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The focus of last week's preview was on oil and energy companies, and we saw that big oil had a good week, reporting better-than-expected results and record profits driven by high prices in the third quarter. Energy-related companies are well represented again this week and expectations in general remain high.

Early in the week, analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial anticipate that the big earnings gainers will include EOG Resources Inc. (NYSE: EOG), Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: APC), and Cimarex Energy Co. (NYSE: XEC), which are expected to post profits of $2.24 per share (up 64.7% from a year ago), $1.48 per share (up 52.7%) and $2.26 per share (up 61.1%) respectively. All three of them have offered positive surprises in recent quarters, and analysts on average recommend buying EOG and Anadarko. Other expected big earnings gainers early in the week include Forest Oil Corp. (NYSE: FST), Pioneer Natural Resources Co. (NYSE: PXD), Comstock Resources Inc. (NYSE: CRK), and MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA). The earnings of phosphates producer Innophos Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: IPHS) are expected to have risen 92.3% to $3.37 per share. Innophos beat estimates in the previous quarter by a whopping 210%, and analysts have been impressed with Innophos's lack of debt and pricing gains despite the slowing economy, so, on average, they recommend buying IPHS.

Also early in the week, analysts expect Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE: GT), Kaiser Aluminum Corp. (NASDAQ: KALU), and Oshkosh Corp. (NYSE: OSK) to report that their profits fell 52.9% to $0.33 per share, 45.1% to $0.67 per share, and 41.2% to $0.67 per share, respectively. These companies have tended to beat estimates in recent quarters, and the consensus recommendations of analysts are to buy them. However, PMI Group Inc. (NYSE: PMI), one of the largest private mortgage insurance providers in the U.S., is expected to take another hit as the housing slump drags on. The California-based company is expected to have widened its net loss from $1.04 per share a year ago to $2.43 per share in the most recent quarter. Its shares are down 84.5% from a year ago, and have been trading recently near their 52-week low.

Continue reading The week in preview: Expectations remain high for energy and oil

The week in preview: Expectations remain high for energy and oil originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of our Big Company, Small Town series, featuring large companies and the small towns in which they are headquartered.

Oshkosh B'Gosh, the well-known children's clothing manufacturer, was founded in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in 1895. As are most of the cities in Wisconsin's Fox River Valley, Oshkosh was incubated first on the fur trade in the early 1800s, then was built upon the railroads and the lumber industry, and finally, it rests on light and medium manufacturing and the pursuit of higher education and culture. Currently, Oshkosh has a population in the neighborhood of 65,000, and it covers more than 24 square miles.

Oshkosh B'Gosh is probably the best-known namesake of its home city. Though the company's manufacturing operations have been moved away, it still maintains its corporate headquarters there. The company began as a manufacturer of sturdy clothes for working people, most especially its trademark overalls. It wasn't until the mail-order company Miles Kimball featured Oshkosh B'Gosh overalls in one of its catalogs that the company moved its products into retail stores. At that time, Oshkosh B'Gosh expanded its children's clothing line, which would eventually become the company's mainstay.

Two other companies have carried the name Oshkosh to great heights in the business world. One is Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK), formerly called Oshkosh Truck, and the other was Chief Oshkosh Beer. However, perhaps the most renowned feature of Oshkosh is the yearly Experimental Aircraft Association Airventure air show (EAA). During that annual event, Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, becomes the busiest airport in the world.

Continue reading Big company, small town: Oshkosh B'Gosh, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Big company, small town: Oshkosh B'Gosh, Oshkosh, Wisconsin originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• According to people familiar with the matter, The Bear Stearns Companies Inc (NYSE: BSC) CEO James Cayne is expected to step down, but is expected to remain as chairman, the Wall Street Journal reported.
• Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), in a bid to diversify as a aerospace and naval contractor, is teaming with Oshkosh Truck Corporation (NYSE: OSK) to bid on a contract to build Humvees for the Army and Marine Corps, reported the Wall Street Journal.

• The New York Times reported that court records have shown that troubled mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corporation (NYSE: CFC) fabricated documents related to a Pennsylvania homeowner bankruptcy case.
• Alleging that its lending practices discriminated against minorities, leading to foreclosures, the Baltimore City Council is suing Wells Fargo Bank and Company (NYSE: WFC), the New York Times reported.

Newspaper wrap-up: Bear Stearns CEO expected to step down originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• In the trucking industry, FTN Midwest initiated shares of Cummins Inc (NYSE: CMI) and Navistar International Corp (NASDAQ: NAVZ) with Hold Ratings and Oshkosh Truck Corp (NYSE: OSK) and PACCAR Inc (NASDAQ: PCAR) with Buy ratings.
• ROO Group (NASDAQ: RGRP) was initiated with a Buy rating and a $3.75 target at Think Equity, which believes RGRP is positioned to capitalize as the Internet continues to grow as a broadcast medium for video.
• Soleil initiated shares of Accuray Inc. (NASDAQ: ARAY) with a Buy rating and $30 target. The company is Soleil's top pick in radiation oncology.
• Soleil also initiated shares of TomoTherapy Inc. (NASDAQ: TTPY) with a Buy rating and $25 target, as the firm believes all-in-one imaging and radiation oncology system in HiArt could become the new standard of care.

• Elan Corp (NYSE: ELN) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $40 target at Leerink Swann, which added shares to the firm's Focus List as it is positive on the Tysabri opportunity.
• Cree Inc (NASDAQ: CREE) was initiated with a Buy rating and $50 target at Amtech, as the firm believes the time for LED adoption has finally arrived and will accelerate in the future.
• Nollenberger initiated shares of ZipRealty (NASDAQ: ZIPR) and Move, Inc (NASDAQ: MOVE) with Neutral ratings.
• CIBC World Markets initiated shares of Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ: WFMI) with a Sector Underperformer rating and $38 target, expecting the company to be impacted by increasing competition.
• BMO Capital Markets initiated shares of Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) with an Outperform rating and $10 target.

Analyst initiations 6-1-07: WFMI, INTC, Oshkosh ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Oshkosh Truck Corporation (NYSE:OSK) makes heavy-payload tactical trucks for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and has recently acquired Jerr-Dan, the towing equipment manufacturer, from Littlejohn & Co. for a reported $80 million.

Oshkosh truck is currently trading at about $44 and has a recorded 52-week range of $42.10 to $65.69. We'll need to watch carefully how the changes in the way our government does business will affect this company. The company has a very strong history, but as the Bush administration's military industrial machine has taken such a severe hit in this midterm election, we must also consider the effects on "defense contractors."

Continue reading Oshkosh Truck -- one for the long haul

Oshkosh Truck -- one for the long haul originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Nov 2006 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Home Depot (HD), Amazon.com (AMZN) and General Electric (GE) top today's massive downgrade list.

• Goldman Sachs downgraded Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) to Neutral from Buy citing recent management departures and need for reinvestment for the downgrade. Target to $40 from $41.
• ThinkEquity downgraded Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) to Source of Funds from Accumulate. The firm cites disappointment in Amazon's Unbox and need for further investment in order to compete with competitors who appear to offer easier downloads. ThinkEquity also lowered their target of Amazon.com to $30 from $36.
• General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) was downgraded by Merrill Lynch to Neutral from Buy on valuation.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• A.G. Edwards downgraded American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: AEOS) to Hold from Buy, citing relative valuation and expectations for decelerated earnings growth. Goldman Sachs downgraded Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B). Goldman lowered Viacom\'s long-term growth rate given the lack of visibility into Paramount\'s turnaround. The broker sees more upside in News Corp (NWS) shares. Robert W.
• Baird downgraded Oshkosh Truck Corp (NYSE: OSK) to Neutral from Outperform based on expectations that investors will react cautiously to the JLG acquisition due to increased financial risk.
• And finally, Merrill Lynch removed Adobe Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) from their Focus 1 list.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

Analyst downgrades 10-16-06: Home Depot, Amazon.com, GE, downgraded originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Oct 2006 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.