Analyst Upgrades

• Philip Morris (PM) to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• Peet's Coffee (PEET) to neutral from sell at Janney Capital.
• Cephalon (CEPH) to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• StoneMor Partners (STON) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Tibco (TIBX) to buy from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Apollo Group (APOL) to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: APOL, CEPH, DELL, GCI, GOLD, KSS, LEN, PEET, PM ...

Analyst Calls: APOL, CEPH, DELL, GCI, GOLD, KSS, LEN, PEET, PM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Marriott (MAR) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and Owens-Illinois (OI) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• FirstMerit (FMER) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Safeway (SWY) to hold from sell at Citigroup.
• Babcock & Wilcox (BWC) to buy from neutral, as well as Jacobs Engineering (JEC) and W. R. Berkley (WRB) to neutral from sell, at Goldman.
• Pioneer Natural (PXD) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Teekay Tankers (TNK) to buy from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BP, DGX, DNDN, MAR, PM, PXD, SWY, TNK, TRV ...

Analyst Calls: BP, DGX, DNDN, MAR, PM, PXD, SWY, TNK, TRV ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Things look to be pretty quiet on the economic calendar this week. Here are the highlights:

• Tuesday: Weekly chain-store sales
• Wednesday: Federal budget balance for January
• Thursday: Wholesale trade data in December
• Friday: Trade balance in December and the weekly inflation survey

However, three iconic companies -- Walt Disney (DIS), Coca-Cola (KO) and Hasbro (HAS) -- highlight this week's quarterly results. Here's a look at what analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are anticipating from these and others.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Coca-Cola, Disney and Hasbro Earnings

Week in Preview: Coca-Cola, Disney and Hasbro Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 06 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Diamond Offshore (DO) to conviction buy from sell and Baker Hughes (BHI) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Frontier Communications (FTR) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Syntel (SYNT) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo, to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank and to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Kulicke & Soffa (KLIC) and Fiserv (FISV) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• 3M (MMM) to neutral from underweight and Tyco (TYC) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Collective Brands (PSS) and Nordstrom (JWN) to overweight from equal weight, as well as Foot Locker (FL) to equal weight from underweight, at Morgan Stanley.
• Amazon.com (AMZN) to buy from hold at Lazard Capital.
• Yamana Gold (AUY) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: APC, AMZN, CME, DO, GPS, H, JCP, JWN, KSS, PM SYNT ...

Analyst Calls: APC, AMZN, CME, DO, GPS, H, JCP, JWN, KSS, PM SYNT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"We will leave the debate over the relative morality of the cigarette business to others," says Geoffrey Seiler, adding "Our view is simple: it is a legal product and Philip Morris International (PM) is one of the best operators in the segment."

The editor of BullMarket.com explains, "The Philip Morris value creation model is easy to understand. While organic volumes are still slipping, the tobacco industry continues to have great pricing power.

"Thus the simple formula for the company is to raise prices, use its prolific cash flow to buy back shares, make some accretive acquisitions, increase the dividend, and repeat.

Continue reading Philip Morris International (PM): A Simple Formula for Success

Philip Morris International (PM): A Simple Formula for Success originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Many growth and income investors will eventually need to start taking dividends to supplement other forms of cash flow," says Chuck Carlson, an expert in dividend reinvestment plans.

The editor of the DRIP Investor explains, "And many investors would like to receive those dividends on a regular basis. And, in fact, you can get monthly dividend check from a portfolio holding just three stocks.

Continue reading Monthly Dividends from a 3-Stock Growth Portfolio

Monthly Dividends from a 3-Stock Growth Portfolio originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One of our three value portfolios in the Buyback Letter is the Buyback Income Index, a 10-stock portfolio for those interested in income and growth. It features companies actively repurchasing their own stock that also pay relatively high dividends.

While our main emphasis is on buyback stocks, those stocks that both buy back AND pay a substantial and regular dividend are comforting to some investors who want to know that no matter what, at least they will be getting something back.

Continue reading David Fried's Buyback Income Index Portfolio

David Fried's Buyback Income Index Portfolio originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Wells Fargo upgraded PG&E (PCG) to outperform from market perform and raised its range for shares to $50 to $52 from $44 to $46, citing the proposed settlement in the company's 2011 General Rate Case.
• Jefferies upgraded Huntsman (HUN) to buy from hold and raised its price target for shares to $17 from $12, citing valuation and the likelihood for favorable earnings revisions.
• RBC Capital upgraded Jack in the Box (JACK) to outperform from sector perform with a $28 target, citing checks showing improved fast food sales in recent months and easy comps.
• Sonic (SONC) was upgraded to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital and $12 price target.
• Synaptics (SYNA) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan and $40 price target.
• Excel Maritime (EXM) was upgraded to buy from hold at Cantor and raised its price target to $7 from $5.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ALTR, ANR, BJRI, COP, HUN, JACK, OSG, PCG, PEP, PM, SONC ...

Analyst Calls: ALTR, ANR, BJRI, COP, HUN, JACK, OSG, PCG, PEP, PM, SONC ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Philip Morris International (PM), a holding on our Recommended Buy List, has caught fire with investors this summer, recently hitting a 52-week high," says Geoffrey Seiler.

The editor of BullMarket.com explains, "The company's CFO, Hermann Waldemer, was recently at an investor conference in New York, and below, we review his presentation and comments for this update on how the cigarette business has been doing outside of the U.S.

Continue reading Philip Morris International (PM): 'Solid Choice' for Income

Philip Morris International (PM): 'Solid Choice' for Income originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:00:00 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.

Continue reading Blue Chip Buys: The Timely Ten

Blue Chip Buys: The Timely Ten originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Philip Morris International Revises 2010 Guidance

Philip Morris International Revises 2010 Guidance originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Murphy Oil (MUR) to buy from hold following the company's analyst day. In addition, the firm raised its target for shares to $70 from $59.
• SunTrust upgraded Petroleum Development (PETD) to buy from neutral based on higher price realizations. The firm has a $31 target on the stock.
• Sterne Agee upgraded P.F. Chang's (PFCB) to buy from neutral, citing valuation and SSS momentum. The firm has a $54 target on the stock.
• Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at Credit Suisse.
• PepsiCo (PEP) was upgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• Baytex Energy Trust (BTE) was upgraded to buy from speculative buy at Canaccord.
• Disney (DIS) was upgraded to hold from sell at Citigroup.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: APC, ATMI, DCAI, DIS, INTC, MUR, PEP, PETD, RBS, TXN ...

Analyst Calls: APC, ATMI, DCAI, DIS, INTC, MUR, PEP, PETD, RBS, TXN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 May 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Apollo Group Inc. (APOL) second quarter EPS guidance fell short of analysts' estimates, sending shares lower.
• CBS Corp. (CBS) higher Q4 earnings were in line with analysts' expectations but free cash flow declined.
• Deere & Co. (DE) posted higher Q1 earnings that easily topped expectations, sending shares sharply higher.
• Gap Inc. (GPS) received a downgrade from an analyst that foresees contracting earnings, returns and margins.
• Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) better-than-expected Q1 results were accompanied by a better-than-expected outlook.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: CBS, Deere, HP, Kraft, MGM, Walmart, Whole Foods ...

Earnings Highlights: CBS, Deere, HP, Kraft, MGM, Walmart, Whole Foods ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 20 Feb 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Auriga upgraded Intel (INTC) to buy from hold to reflect the stock's relative valuation after channel checks indicated PC shipment plans continue to be solid. The firm raised its target price on shares to $24 from $20.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded RenaissanceRE (RNR) to buy from hold on valuation and believes stock buybacks and reserve releases will drive the company's growth. The firm raised its target price on shares to $65 from $59.
• UBS upgraded Philip Morris (PM) to buy from neutral based on increased confidence in its earnings outlook and relative valuation. The firm raised its target to $54 from $49.
• Chevron (CVX) was raised to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.
• Barnes & Noble (BKS) was upgraded to sell from conviction sell at Goldman Sachs.
• Deutsche Bank (DB) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: ADI, CI, COP, CVX, DB, INTC, JCP, PM ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: ADI, CI, COP, CVX, DB, INTC, JCP, PM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The editor of IQ Trends -- and author of the just-released book Dividends Still Don't Lie -- explains, "To that end we believe that high-quality stocks purchased at historically low-price-to-high-yield offers the best potential for downside protection and upside appreciation.

Continue reading Quality Yields: IQ Trend's Timely Ten

Quality Yields: IQ Trend's Timely Ten originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded U.S. Steel (X) to buy from hold after raising its steel forecasts and upped its target price on shares to $77 from $44. Note, the firm also downgraded AK Steel.
• Credit Suisse upgraded Philip Morris (PM) to outperform from neutral based on a better international outlook.
• JPMorgan upgraded ev3 Inc. (EVVV) to overweight from neutral. The firm sees upside potential to ev3's consensus estimates for 2010 and raised its target price on shares to $19 from $15.
• Vale (VALE) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Xilinx (XLNX) was raised to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Shuffle Master (SHFL) was upgraded at KeyBanc to buy from hold.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AKS, EVVV, PEB, PM, PWR, S, X ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AKS, EVVV, PEB, PM, PWR, S, X ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Philip Morris (PM) closed at $49.04. Philip Morris December option implied volatility is at 20, January is at 23, March is at 26; versus its 26-week average of 27 according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Carnival (CCL) closed at $31.83. Carnival is expected to report Q4 EPS on December 18. December option implied volatility is at 43; January is at 41; below its 26-week average of 48, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement after EPS.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Options Update: Philip Morris volatility of 23 near 16-month lows originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In Gordon Pape's Internet Wealth Builder, contributing analyst Tom Slee looks at "recession-resistant" global stocks. Here, he reviews Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) and PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP).

Slee explains, "Philip Morris continues to benefit from rising tobacco consumption and 'uptrading' as people in the emerging countries switch to more expensive products.

"Almost recession proof, the international tobacco industry is prospering thanks mainly to new markets, strong cash flows, and reduced litigation.

Continue reading Play defense with PepsiCo (PEP) and Phillip Morris Int'l (PM)

Play defense with PepsiCo (PEP) and Phillip Morris Int'l (PM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• It's Time to Trade Up to Dow Stocks
• Credit-Card Companies Become 'Deadbeats'

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Passing on the upside

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Passing on the upside originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.