• BMO Capital upgraded Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) to Outperform from Market Perform based on valuation and the company's growth outlook. The firm has a price target of $125 on the stock.
• Morgan Keegan upgraded WESCO (WCC) to Outperform from Market Perform ahead of Thursday's earnings report based on valuation and expectations for stronger than expected sales.
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Bank of Marin (BMRC) to Outperform from Market Perform with a $40 price target following the company's Q2 results.
• BHP Billiton (BHP) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays.
• PPG Industries (PPG) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Schnitzer Steel (SCHN) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ICE, BHP, PETS, GLW, TEL, SFLY

Analyst Calls: ICE, BHP, PETS, GLW, TEL, SFLY originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There is a bill making rounds on Capitol Hill that would provide a tax break for up to $3,500 for pet expenses. Does Fido really deserve a tax deduction? Do we really need to subsidize pet ownership in this country?

The recession has been extra hard on pets as people have abandoned pets at shelters they are no longer able to properly care for them. Pet can be very expensive between food, visits to the vet and increased rent. Those of you who think dog food is expensive should try to feed a horse sometime!

Continue reading Does Fido deserve a tax break?

Does Fido deserve a tax break? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Piper Jaffray upgraded PetMed Express (NASDAQ: PETS) to Overweight from Neutral following the better-than-expected Q1 results. The firm raised its target on shares to $22 from $19.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded International Paper (NYSE: IP) and Packaging Corp. (NYSE: PKG) to Buy from Hold to reflect stabilization in the containerboard industry. The firm raised its target price on Packaging Corp. to $24 from $14, and on International Paper to $24 from $16.
• Bernstein upgraded Human Genome Sciences (NASDAQ: HGSI) to Outperform from Market Perform following the positive Phase III data for Benlysta in lupus.
• IBM (NYSE: IBM) was upgraded to Hold from Sell at Societe Generale.
• British Airways (OTC: BAIRY) was upgraded to Buy from Sell at Goldman.
• Continental AG (OTC: CTTAY) was upgraded to Hold from Sell at Citigroup.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CIEN, DLTR, EXPE, IBM, ZION ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CIEN, DLTR, EXPE, IBM, ZION ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• UBS upgraded Nokia (NYSE: NOK) to Buy from Neutral as it believes the company's product portfolio is recovering.
  
• Canaccord upgraded Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) to Buy from Hold and raised its target to $450 from $300. The analyst said industry checks indicate deteriorating search conditions have started to improve in late March and notes that the market is already pricing in a weak Q1.
  
• Wachovia upgraded CGI (NYSE: GIB) to Outperform from Market Perform. In addition to valuation, the firm cited the company's defensive profile, comfort with its fiscal 2009 estimates, and its expectation that the company will continue to have strong signings.
• Siliconware Precision (NASDAQ: SPIL) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at HSBC.
  
• Matrixx Initiatives (NASDAQ: MTXX) was lifted to Buy from Hold at Roth Capital.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: NOK, GOOG, IHG, PETS ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: NOK, GOOG, IHG, PETS ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Piper upgraded shares of PetMed Express (NASDAQ: PETS) to Neutral from Sell after the company's Q1 results topped estimates on strong new customer growth. Piper raised their target to $14 from $11.
  
• Oppenheimer raised Mindspeed (NASDAQ: MSPDD) to Outperform from Perform following the Q3 results, as they believe the company is hitting its stride in VoIP after years of investment and the stock is attractively valued.
  
• Citigroup upgraded QLogic (NASDAQ: QLGC) shares to Buy from Hold following the company's Q1 results and Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD)'s acquisition of Foundry Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: FDRY) to reflect its solid fundamentals and the strategic significance of its switch business. The firm raised their target to $20 from $18.

• Goldman added Amylin Pharma (NASDAQ: AMLN) to the Conviction Buy List.
  
• Cleco (NYSE: CNL) was raised to Buy from Hold at Soleil.
  
• Canadian National Oil (NYSE: CNI) was upgraded at TD Newcrest to Buy from Hold.

Analyst upgrades: PETS, MSPDD and QLGC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"One way to deal with a choppy market is to focus on steady performers with strong market positions in growing industries," says Richard Moroney.

In his Upside Stocks, a leading newsletter focused on small and mid-cap stocks,, he notes, "PetMed Express (NASDAQ: PETS), a leading nationwide pet pharmacy and retailer, fits the bill nicely." Here, the advisor offers his review.

"PetMed Express sells prescription (30% of fiscal 2007 revenue) and nonprescription medications and health products (70%) to retail customers ordering by phone, via the Internet, or through a catalog. The company's Web site generates nearly two-thirds of annual sales.

"Fiscal 2008 ending March should represent the firm's sixth consecutive year of at least 20% per-share profit growth. While earnings growth is expected to slow to about 10% in fiscal 2009, recent operating results suggest PetMed is capable of exceeding consensus expectations.

"PetMed is benefiting from strong market fundamentals and constructive trends. An estimated 63% of U.S. households own a pet, up from 56% in 1988. The U.S. dog and cat population is estimated at a staggering 163 million.

Continue reading PetMed Express (PETS): Puppy profits?

PetMed Express (PETS): Puppy profits? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Toyota has an opportunity for good PR

Toyota has an opportunity for good PR originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The earnings crunch is in full swing, and here are a few of the highlights of this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) swung to a profit on the strength of drug sales.
• AK Steel Holding Corp. (NYSE: AKS) swung to a fourth-quarter profit and easily beat estimates.
• Aladdin Knowledge Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ALDN) posted solid results and raised its forecast.
• Amdocs Ltd. (NYSE: DOX) reported a record quarter and reaffirmed its guidance.
• Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) beat exectations, but concerns remain about FDA scrutiny.
• Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) easily beat expectations and offered revised guidance (see live blog, transcript).
• Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) posted a solid quarter on strong international growth.
• Coach Inc. (NYSE: COH) beat estimates on strong direct-to-customer and same-store sales.
• ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) posted a strong fourth quarter due to rising oil prices.
• CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX) beat expectations as increased productivity offset increased fuel costs.
• Eaton Corp. (NYSE: ETN) posted solid fourth quarter results due to growth overseas.
• Equity LifeStyle Properties Inc. (NYSE: ELS) beat expectations in the fourth quarter and offered guidance.
• Franklin Resources Inc. (NYSE: BEN) reported solid results and increased its quarterly dividend.
• Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) posted a solid fourth quarter and affirmed its 2008 guidance.
• Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) posted strong results due in part to demand for Vista.
• Nintendo Co. (OTC: NTDOY) profit soared on demand for the Wii, and the company raised is sales outlook.
• Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) reported a strong fourth quarter and increased market share in handset sales.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Apple, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, Southwest, Caterpillar, and others

Earnings highlights: Apple, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, Southwest, Caterpillar, and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 26 Jan 2008 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Investors tired of getting whipsawed by the current stock market gyrations may wish to investigate a stable stock such as PetMed Express (NASDAQ: PETS). Americans currently spend in excess of $40 billion a year on their pets. That figure is expected to rise 12% annually for the next few years as pets fill the void in empty-nester baby boomer households. PetMed Express is sitting on $55 million in cash and NO debt.

At just under $12 per share, PetMed is near its 52-week low. The company recently instituted a $20 million stock buyback program. Latest quarterly and YTD numbers look great. Net sales in 3Q increased 19% to $37.3 million. YTD net sales are up 18% to $148 million. 3Q net income is up a huge 60% to $4.4 million. YTD net income increased 40% to $14 million.

65% of all company orders are placed through the company's website, and online sales continue to increase by volume. Reorder sales increased 28%, meaning more and more pet owners are perfectly comfortable ordering their pets' medication via the internet, just as they do their own.

PetMed Express (PETS) net income up 60% originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading IDEXX Labs demonstrates there's rarely a recession in pet care

IDEXX Labs demonstrates there's rarely a recession in pet care originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: 'Tis the season to boycott: Would Christmas by any other name be so controversial?

Continue reading Lowe's, PetSmart targeted by conservatives battling the 'war on Christmas'

Lowe's, PetSmart targeted by conservatives battling the 'war on Christmas' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Investors searching the stock universe for a defensive play in today's uncertain, sluggish market may want to consider MWI Veterinary Supply Inc. (NASDAQ: MWIV).

MWI Veterinary is looking at sales gains of its flea/tick product, as a result of fewer distributors in this pet care segment. Behind regular physicals and vaccinations, flea & tick control medication is the most common service received at veterinary clinics, with about 40% of U.S. dogs receiving treatment.

Another positive: MWIV's footprint is large -- it serves more than 15,000 veterinary clinics.

Also significant is MWIV's sector: pet care. Historically, pet care as a sector has held its own during sluggish economic conditions. The sector exhibits defensive qualities because pet care, like the purchase of clothes, soap, shampoo and cereal, is an area Americans historically don't cut back during tougher economic conditions.

MWIV currently trades around $36. The Reuters 2007 and 2008 EPS consensus estimates are $1.39 and $1.62.

MWI Veterinary Supply (MWIV): Worth the scratch? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So maybe the pet food scare can't be blamed on China after all. The FDA announced that melamine, the same ingredient found in tainted kibble from China, has been used in animal feed ingredients made by a U.S. company. The ensuing recall involved feed made by Tembec BTLSR Inc. of Toledo, Ohio and used by Uniscope Inc. of Johnstown, Colorado.

Officials said that the melamine in animal feed does not pose any threat to human health, but this is still a very interesting development in the pet food scare. It was previously thought to be limited to China, and many people have been blaming the Chinese for inadequate labeling and quality control practices.

When the use of melamine in pet food was discovered in China, it was though that it had been added to show higher protein levels in the food. The American manufacturers are thought to have been using it to bind feed for cattle, sheep and goats.

Melamine has numerous industrial uses. It can be used as a binding agent, flame retardant, and is used in fertilizer in some countries.

Poisoned pet food found in U.S. animal feed originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 31 May 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.