sny posts
FeedPosted Nov 23rd 2009 10:00AM by Jim Cramer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Pfizer (PFE), Market matters, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), Merck and Co (MRK), Lilly (Eli) (LLY), Deere and Co (DE), Stocks to Buy, Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (POT)
TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says it looks like the patent worries aren't so dire after all. Now that we see that health care reform is not going to bring price caps or socialization of medicine, we are beginning to see some real expansion in the drug stocks, including Merck (
MRK) (
Cramer's Take), Bristol-Myers (
BMY) (
Cramer's Take) and Lilly (
LLY) (
Cramer's Take). But there is one drug stock that is continually met with skepticism -- Sanofi Aventis (
SNY) (
Cramer's Take), the French vaccine and pharmaceutical maker run by Christian Viehbacher. The resistance is obvious, as his biggest two drugs are coming off patent very soon, and his hope is that by 2013 the company might again reach 2008 levels.
Sounds like there's no reason to buy this one. Sounds like its 4% dividend isn't safe.
Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Sanofi has lots of upside catalysts
Posted Nov 16th 2009 11:40AM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Sprint Nextel Corp (S), Penney (J.C.) (JCP), Research in Motion (RIMM), Analyst initiations, Nordstrom, Inc (JWN)
Analyst upgrades:
- Credit Suisse upgraded Sprint Nextel (S) to outperform from neutral and raised its target to $6 from $4. The firm believes Sprint Nextel's core business is turning and that valuation is attractive. Credit Suisse also added Sprint Nextel to its Focus List.
- Goldman expects Nordstrom (JWN) to benefit from a recovery in the high-end consumer. The firm upgraded shares to buy from neutral and raised its target to $41 from $39.
- Deutsche Bank remains cautious on the Dry Bulk sector long-term but expects increased Q4 day rates. The firm upgraded Genco (GNK) to buy from hold and raised its target to $31 from $24; the firm also upgraded Eagle Bulk (EGLE) to hold from sell.
- Steelcase (SCS) was upgraded to buy from hold at BB&T.
- United Rentals (URI) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
- GLG Partners (GLG) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
- Ladish (LDSH) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DLTR, JCP, JWN, LEA, RIMM, S ...
Posted Nov 12th 2009 11:00AM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Analyst initiations
Analyst upgrades:
- Goldman upgraded Aeropostale (ARO) to neutral from sell. The firm, which has a $34 target on the stock, cites the recent sell-off in shares for the upgrade.
- Janney Montgomery upgraded Consolidated Water (CWCO) to buy from neutral on valuation and on expectations the company's earnings will recover in 2010. The firm has a $15 target on the stock.
- Wunderlich upgraded Transmontaigne Partners (TLP) to buy from hold on valuation as it believes the sell-off on the company's Q3 results is overdone. The firm keeps a $26.50 price target on the stock.
- Mobile TeleSystems (MBT) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.
- HSBC (HBC) was raised to buy from hold at Societe Generale.
- Redwood Trust (RWT) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ARO, AZN, BNI, BRCD, HBC, MRK, TIF ...
Posted Oct 17th 2009 10:30AM by Ted Allrich (RSS feed)
Filed under: Clorox Co (CLX), Verizon Communications (VZ), Comfort Zone Investing
Many investors need income, especially as they reach retirement. They look for ancillary cash flow to supplement their Social Security payments and any retirement benefits from a company for which they've worked. But those aren't the only investors who should be interested in income.
That's because studies show that dividends are a significant contributor to overall performance of a stock. When held for years, a stock's dividend can help diminish the volatility of a stock's price and keep returns reasonable, especially in down markets. Here are five stocks that have decent income as well as potential capital gains. All are exceptionally financially strong.
Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: Five stocks for income and growth
Posted Oct 14th 2009 11:30AM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Analyst initiations
Analyst upgrades:
- JPMorgan upgraded Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX) and Goldcorp (NYSE: GG) to Overweight from Neutral following its gold valuation analysis. The firm set a $54 price target on Barrick shares and a $47 price target on Goldcorp shares.
- Thomas Weisel upgraded EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC) to Overweight from Market Weight and raised its target to $24 from $15, citing the company's improving end market demand, competitive position, and valuation.
- Barclays upgraded AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR) to Overweight from Equal Weight, citing the company's improved liquidity position and what they believe to be the beginning of a multi-year profit cycle for the sector. Despite the upgrade, the firm lowered its target to $14 from $20.
- Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo.
- Toshiba (OTC: TOSBF) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.
- Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at UBS.
Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AMR, DT, HOG, JBLU, LULU, VLO ...
Posted Aug 28th 2009 11:30AM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Analyst initiations
Analyst upgrades:
- Pacific Sunwear (NASDAQ: PSUN) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral by Pali Capital, which cited low expectations, new CEO experience, and compelling risk/reward for the upgrade.
- RBC Capital raised Aruba Networks (NASDAQ: ARUN) to Outperform from Sector Perform, based on increased visibility into wireless networking products.
- J. Crew (NYSE: JCG) was upgraded to Hold from Underperform by Needham after the company reported better-than-expected Q2 report and guidance.
- RBC Capital raised Lundin Mining (NYSE: LMC) to Outperform from Sector Perform, citing updated copper forecasts and valuation.
- Netezza (NYSE: NZ) was upgraded to Buy from Accumulate by ThinkEquity.
- Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) was raised to Overweight from Neutral by JPMorgan.
- Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral by Goldman.
- Network Engines (NASDAQ: NENG) was raised to Buy from Hold by Cantor.
Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BP, DIS, JCG, MOS, POT, PSUN ...
Posted Jul 30th 2009 11:20AM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, General Electric (GE), McDonald's (MCD), Walt Disney (DIS), Analyst initiations
Analyst upgrades:
- Goldman upgraded General Electric (NYSE: GE) to Buy from Neutral and raised its target to $15 from $13 citing reports that U.S. House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank has indicated regulatory reform will not require a separation of GE Capital.
- Syntel (NASDAQ: SYNT) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform by Wells Fargo. The firm upgraded the stock following the company's much better than expected Q2 EPS.
- Canaccord upgraded USANA (NASDAQ: USNA) to Outperform from Market Perform citing the strong Q2 report and earnings momentum. The firm has a $40 target on the stock.
- Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Barclays.
- Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at FBR Capital.
- Tyco Electronics (NYSE: TEL) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
- Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DIS, GE, MCD, MON, USNA, YUM ...
Posted May 28th 2009 11:20AM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Estee Lauder (EL), Caterpillar (CAT), Abercrombie and Fitch (ANF), Electronic Arts (ERTS), Starwood Hotels Worldwide (HOT), Harley-Davidson (HOG), Analyst initiations, Nordstrom, Inc (JWN), SanDisk Corp (SNDK)
Analyst upgrades:
- Goldman upgraded SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) to Buy from Neutral and raised their target to $22 from $16 citing the renegotiated royalty agreement with Samsung.
- Goldman also upgraded Starwood Hotels (NYSE: HOT) to Buy from Sell and raised their target to $27 from $11 citing strong operating leverage as RevPAR recovers.
- KeyBanc upgraded Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ: WERN) to Hold from Underweight citing a recent improvement in freight demand.
- J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) was upgraded to buy from Underperform at Banc of America/Merrill.
- Savvis (NASDAQ: SVVS) was raised to Outperform from Perform at Oppenheimer.
- Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) was upgraded at Citigroup to Buy from Hold.
Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: SNDK, HOT, CAT, HOG, ANF, ERTS ...
Posted Apr 27th 2009 1:00PM by Melly Alazraki (RSS feed)
Filed under: Walgreen Co (WAG), Novartis AG ADS (NVS), Baxter Intl (BAX), CVS Corp (CVS), Hormel Foods (HRL), Tyson Foods'A' (TSN), Smithfield Foods (SFD), Gilead Sciences (GILD), Agriculture

I remember Toronto during SARS. As one of the harder hit areas, it was not a happy place. It was the end of winter, but that miserable, cold winter just didn't want to end. People walked the streets in a gloomy haze, afraid to take the subway and giving dirty looks to anyone brazen enough to cough in public. Worse, I couldn't even visit a friend in the hospital. All things considered though, in global pandemic terms, it was over relatively quickly. Let's hope swine flu will be the same.
In the meantime, let's put on our investors hats and see what's in store for some stocks:
Travel and tourist stocksThis is one of the worst hit areas, especially airlines, as people may cancel their travel plans. For example,
AMR Corp. (NYSE:
AMR) traded over 9 percent lower an hour after the open.
Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:
RCL) was down over 15 percent. In fact UBS downgraded these airlines and hotels this morning: AMR,
Continental Airlines (NYSE:
CAL),
Host Hotels and Resorts (NYSE:
HST),
Lasalle Hotel Properties (NYSE:
LHO),
Marriott (NYSE:
MAR),
United Airlines (NASDAQ:
UAUA),
US Airways (NYSE:
LCC).
Carnival Cruise Lines (NYSE:
CCL) also declined considerably. Best to stay away from the sector.
Continue reading Don't fear the swine flu . . . trade it
Posted Mar 23rd 2009 12:00PM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Aetna Inc (AET), Agilent Technologies (A), Corning Inc (GLW), Analyst initiations, BHP Billiton Ltd ADR (BHP)
Analyst upgrades:
- Citigroup upgraded shares of Corning (NYSE: GLW) to Buy from Hold as it believes LCD glass production and sales have bottomed and will pick-up in Q2. The firm raised its target price to $16 from $11.25.
- Thomas Weisel upgraded Celera (NASDAQ: CRA) to Overweight from Market Weight based on valuation and its strong business model.
- ThinkEquity upgraded Varian Semi (NASDAQ: VARI) to Buy from Accumulate and raised its target to $32 from $20 based on valuation and weakness at its sole competitor.
- Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) was upgraded to Hold from Underperform at Jefferies.
- Agilent (NYSE: A) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
- Liberty Interactive (NASDAQ: LINTA) was upgraded at JP Morgan to Neutral from Underweight.
Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GLW, A, BHP, MJN, AET ...
Posted Jan 26th 2009 12:55PM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Bed Bath and Beyond (BBBY), Chevron Corp (CVX), Lennar Corp'A' (LEN), Analyst initiations
Analyst upgrades:
- Citigroup upgraded shares of Lennar (NYSE:LEN) to Buy from Hold on valuation as they believe the recent sell-off on concerns of fraud is overdone. The firm thinks the allegations made by Barry Minkow/Fraud Discovery Institute are unfounded and has an $11 target on shares.
- Merriman upgraded Nautilus Group (NYSE:NLS) to Neutral from Sell after meeting with management to reflect increased optimism on the company's turnaround.
- Baird upgraded Leap Wireless (NYSE:LEAP) to Outperform from Neutral based on valuation and strong subscriber trends.
- Transocean (NYSE:RIG) was added to Goldman's Conviction Buy List.
- Pearson PLC (NYSE:PSO) was raised to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan.
- Smith & Nephew (NYSE:SNN) was lifted to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
Analyst downgrades:
- JP Morgan downgraded Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ:BBBY) to Underweight from Neutral and lowered their target to $20 from $26 as they believe potential benefits from the Linens' N Things closing are being overstated and that the risk/reward is unfavorable at current levels.
- Keefe Bruyette downgraded Citizens Republic (NASDAQ:CRBC) to Market Perform from Outperform and cut their target to $3 from $7 to reflect the company's lower capital position.
- UBS downgraded Energizer (NYSE:ENR) to Sell from Neutral and lowered their target to $40 from $48 citing signs of a battery price war, Wal-Mart's (NYSE:WMT) reduction in space allocation, and the company's cuts in investment.
- Chevron (NYSE:CVX) was removed from Goldman's Conviction Buy List.
- MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS) was lowered to Sector Perform from Outperform at RBC Capital.
- Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) was cut to Sell from Neutral at Piper Jaffray.
Analyst initiations:
- Global Hunter believes Pep Boys (NYSE:PBY) is well-positioned to benefit from increased demand for replacement parts and maintenance services as new car purchases are deferred. Shares were initiated with a Buy rating and $5.50 target.
- Jefferies started Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE:SNY) with an Underperform rating and sees downside risk to the stock from the potential introduction of Lovenox generics in the U.S.
- Merriman assumed Alter Nrg (NYSE:ANRGF) with a Neutral rating and recommends waiting on the sidelines pending increased visibility on the company's gasification projects.
- JP Morgan (NYSE:JPM) was re-initiated with a Buy rating at Goldman. Shares were also added to Goldman's Conviction Buy List.
- Hudson City Bancorp (NYSE:HCBK) was assumed with an Overweight rating and $15 target at Barclays.
- DG FastChannel (NASDAQ:DGIT) was initiated at BWS Financial with a Strong Buy rating and $30 target.
Posted Nov 24th 2008 10:57AM by Laurie Pasternack (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Motorola (MOT), New York Times'A' (NYT), Analyst initiations, Rio Tinto plc ADS (RTP), Suntech Power Hldgs ADS (STP)
Analyst upgrades:
- Jefferies upgraded Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD) to Buy from Hold on valuation with the stock down 65% in two months as they believe the company has a "best-in-class fundamental story." The firm lowered its target to $25 from $30.
- Morgan Stanley upgraded Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) to Overweight from Equal Weight on valuation and believes near-term cost reductions could provide a positive catalyst.
- Citigroup upgraded New York Times (NYSE: NYT) to Hold from Sell and lowered its target to $5.50 from $7 on valuation and believes the dividend cut will boost the company's liquidity.
- Pantry (NASDAQL PTRY) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Friedman Billings.
- LECG Corp (NASDAQ: XPRT) was raised to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
- Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI) was upgraded at RBC Capital to Outperform from Sector Perform.
Analyst downgrades:
- Jefferies downgraded Suntech (NYSE: STP) to Hold from Buy and lowered its target to $6 from $25 as they believe concerns about a convert refinancing in February 2010 will continue to weigh on the stock.
- Credit Suisse cut Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) to Underperform from Outperform due to expectations for a decline in wireless infrastructure spending.
- ING downgraded shares of Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP) to Hold from Buy as they believe it will be challenging for the company to execute asset sales planned at reducing debt in the current environment.
Continue reading Analyst calls: BWLD, SNY, NYT, STP, ERIC, RTP, KTOS, ZGEN
Next Page >