Analyst Upgrades

• Micron (MU) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Baker Hughes (BHI) to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.
• PDL BioPharma (PDLI) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Fluor (FLR) and Rush Enterprises (RUSHA) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Camden Property (CPT) to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Pinnacle Financial (PNFP) to buy from hold at Wunderlich.
• Linear Technology (LLTC) to neutral from reduce at Nomura.
• Hologic (HOLX) and Illumina (ILMN) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• F5 Networks (FFIV) to buy from neutral at Gleacher.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ALTR, BHI, CL, CLX, FFIV, GS, HCBK, LLTC, PG, STT, TYC ...

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Analyst Upgrades

• JPMorgan upgraded Tupperware (TUP) to overweight from neutral, but lowered its price target to $57 from $58. The firm cites valuation and organic growth for the upgrade.
• William Blair upgraded Computer Programs (CPSI) to outperform from market perform. The firm noted that the company's Systems bookings have significantly exceeded its Systems revenue in recent quarters while the firm thinks the company will benefit from accelerated EHR adoption by small hospitals in coming years.
• RBC Capital upgraded Questar (STR) to outperform from sector perform and raised its price target to $49 from $52. The firm believes the separation of QEP Resources from Questar will create shareholder value.
• Pinnacle Financial (PNFP) was upgraded to buy from hold at Wunderlich.
• Power Integrations (POWI) and Volterra (VLTR) were upgraded to strong buy from buy at Needham.
• Realty Income (O) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at Baird.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CPSI, JOYG, MAKO, POWI, PXD, RIMM, STR, TUP, ...

Analyst Calls: CPSI, JOYG, MAKO, POWI, PXD, RIMM, STR, TUP, ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Barclays upgraded Schlumberger (SLB) to overweight from equal weight based on its deep management team, financial strength and increased exploration activity. The firm raised its target to $73 from $64.
• ThinkEquity upgraded SanDisk (SNDK) to buy from hold based on expectations for a solid 2010 with better NAND pricing trends, leaner channel inventories and lack of new fabs slated in 2010, among other reasons. The firm has a $35 target on the stock.
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Pinnacle Financial (PNFP) to outperform from market perform, citing the company's strong management and balance sheet. The firm has a $16.50 price target on the stock.
• Watson Pharma (WPI) was raised to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• New York Times (NYT) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at Wells Fargo.
• Tenet Healthcare (THC) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Leerink.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AOL, DG, NYT, POT, SLB, SNDK, XOM, YHOO ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AOL, DG, NYT, POT, SLB, SNDK, XOM, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Citigroup upgraded Emergency Medical Services (NYSE: EMS) to Hold from Sell as it believes earnings estimates and valuation multiples could expand should Congress extend insurance coverage to the currently uninsured. The firm raised its target on shares to $38 from $29.
• JPMorgan upgraded Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB) to Neutral from Underweight on expectations the company's fixed income business will drive earnings.
• KeyBanc expects U.S. Steel (NYSE: X) to benefit from a global recovery in flat-rolled products and a potential stabilization in energy end markets. The firm upgraded shares to Buy from Hold.
• Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Soleil.
• Pinnacle Financial (NASDAQ: PNFP) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Stephens.
• BP Plc (NYSE: BP) was raised to Buy from Hold at ING Group.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BP, DB, NUE, TLB, X, YHOO ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BP, DB, NUE, TLB, X, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• KeyBanc upgraded Greenbrier (NYSE: GBX) to Buy from Hold as it believes the company has options to forestall covenant violations or bankruptcy, event if conditions deteriorate further.
  
• Friedman Billings upgraded Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFMI) to Market Perform from Underperform citing low expectations, favorable FTC settlement, progress on cost cutting, and valuation.
  
• JP Morgan believes First Merit (NASDAQ: FMER) is one of the best positioned Midwest banks to weather the storm and notes its compelling valuation and capital levels. The firm upgraded shares to Overweight from Neutral.
• Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE: CCE) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
  
• Newell Rubbermaid (NYSE: NWL) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Banc of America/Merrill.
  
• Compass Minerals (NYSE: CMP) was lifted to Outperform from Perform at Oppenheimer.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: WFMI, CCE, S, XOM, JPM ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: WFMI, CCE, S, XOM, JPM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Citigroup upgraded Tyco (NYSE: TYC) shares to Buy from Hold on valuation as they believe the recent weakness has created an attractive entry point. The firm lowered its target price to $25 from $26.
  
• Deutsche Bank raised SAP (NYSE: SAP) to Buy from Hold on valuation as it finds the risk/reward attractive at current levels.
  
• Oppenheimer upgraded Onlin Corp (NYSE: OLN) to Outperform from Perform on valuation as it sees strong support at $10 and potential upside to $20. The firm has a $20 target on the stock.
• JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM) and Blackstone (NYSE: BX) were upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.
  
• Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) was raised to Neutral from Sell at UBS.
  
• Goldman added AT&T (NYSE: T) to the Conviction Buy List.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: TYC, STT, PNFP ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: TYC, STT, PNFP ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• HSBC upgraded Royal Bank of Scotland (NYSE: RBS) to Overweight from Neutral as it believes the risk of immediate nationalization has been removed.
  
• JP Morgan upgraded DTS Inc (NASDAQ: DTSI) to Overweight from Neutral to reflect accretion from the Neural acquisition and its expectation the company can generate strong cash flow during the downturn. The firm raised its target to $18.
  
• Cowen upgraded Coach (NYSE: COH) to Outperform from Neutral citing the recent sell-off in shares.
  
• BJ's Wholesale (NYSE: BJ) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
  
• First Horizon (NYSE: FHN) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
  
• Spartech (NYSE: SEH) was raised to Hold from Underweight at KeyBanc.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: RBS, COH, BJ, QCOM, SNDK, MAT, MGM ...

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Analyst upgrades:

• Goldman upgraded shares of Novartis (NYSE: NVS) to Buy from Neutral as they believe the Alcon (NYSE: ACL) acquisition has diversified the company's business.
  
• Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight on valuation.
  
• JP Morgan raised Albermarle (NYSE: ALB) to Overweight from Neutral.
  
• BMO Capital upgraded Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN) to Outperform from Market Perform.
  
• Synovus Financial (NYSE: SNV) was lifted to Buy from Hold at Sterne Agee.

• Morgan Stanley downgraded Reynolds American (NYSE: RAI) to Underweight from Equal Weight based on the impact from Altria's (NYSE: MO) purchase of competitor UST (NYSE: UST), which may result in pricing pressure.
  
• Goldman downgraded AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) to Sell from Neutral as they believe shares do not support near-term fundamentals.
• Max Capital (NASDAQ: MXGL) was downgraded to neutral from Buy at Banc of America.
  
• AudioCodes (NASDAQ: AUDC) was lowered at Merrill to Neutral from Buy.
  
• Pinnacle Financial (NASDAQ: PNFP) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Baird.

Continue reading Analyst calls: NVS, TSN, WYNN, RAI, AZN, HAIN, TEVA, SYMC ...

Analyst calls: NVS, TSN, WYNN, RAI, AZN, HAIN, TEVA, SYMC ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Volunteer State is the home of Elvis Presley and the Grand Old Opry, former Vice President Al Gore, presidential candidate Fred Thompson, and the NFL's Tennessee Titans. Economically, Tennessee is the home of textiles, cotton, cattle, and electricity production, as well as mega corporations such as FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and International Paper Co. (NYSE: IP). And it is also the home of four companies from Fortune's 2007 list of the fastest growing public companies in the U.S.: Psychiatric Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: PSYS), Pinnacle Financial Partners (NASDAQ: PNFP), Miller Industries Inc. (NYSE: MLR), and First Acceptance Corp. (NYSE: FAC).

At number 49 on Fortune's list was Psychiatric Solutions (PSI), the Franklin-based health care provider, which has grown in part through acquisitions. It has 900 psychiatric hospitals in 30 states, and operates in-patient facilities for other hospitals and government organizations. PSI's three-year revenue growth was 50%; three-year earnings per share growth at 76%. In July, PSI reported a record second quarter and a Lehman Brothers analyst expects PSI to meet or beat expectations in the current quarter. The consensus of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial is that PSI is a buy, but Standard & Poor's is among those that consider PSI a strong buy. The share price was $39.90 on at the close on Friday.

Nashville-based Pinnacle Financial Partners is the holding company for Pinnacle National Bank, and holds assets of more than $2 billion. Pinnacle's three-year revenue growth was 81%, and its three-year earnings per share growth was 46%. Despite a strong second quarter report, the share price dropped to a 52-week low of $21.62 in August, but has bounced back since to $30.63 at the close on Friday. In September, a Pinnacle director bought 5,000 common shares of PNFP, and Pinnacle was among southern regional banks considered good bets despite the current credit climate. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial consider Pinnacle Financial a buy.

Continue reading Investing in Tennessee: Pinnacle Financial (PNFP), Miller Industries (MLR), and others

Investing in Tennessee: Pinnacle Financial (PNFP), Miller Industries (MLR), and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 07 Oct 2007 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.