This post is part of Japan: A Special Report for Investors.

"Japan's tsunami has struck worldwide," says Richard Moroney, the editor of Dow Theory Forecasts, which has maintained a model portfolio of blue chip stocks for over 50 years.

Here, he reviews a number of the top buy recommendations in the newsletter's portfolios to determine the potential risk posed by the recent tragic developments in Japan.

Stocks cited as "Focus List Buys" are are those issues that the service expect to significantly outperform the market over the next 12 months.

Continue reading Japan: Dow Theory's Blue Chip Portfolio Review

Japan: Dow Theory's Blue Chip Portfolio Review originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• First Solar (FSLR) to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• NYSE Euronext (NYX) to outperform from market Perform at Wells Fargo.
• GSI Commerce (GSIC) and Cabela's (CAB) to overweight from neutral, as well as NovaMed (NOVA) to neutral from underweight, at Piper Jaffray.

Analyst Downgrades

• St. Jude Medical (STJ) to market perform from outperform at Wells Fargo.
• OmniVision (OVTI) to neutral from outperform at RW Baird.
• J & J Snack Foods (JJSF) to neutral from buy at Janney Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CAB, DANG, FLT, FSLR, NOVA, NYX, OVTI, STJ, WD ...

Analyst Calls: CAB, DANG, FLT, FSLR, NOVA, NYX, OVTI, STJ, WD ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• TCF Financial (TCB) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Exelon (EXC) to market perform from underperform at Wells Fargo.
• Nvidia (NVDA) and Boyd Gaming (BYD) upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Estee Lauder (EL) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Webster Financial (WBS) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Skilled Healthcare (SKH) to outperform from market perform at Morgan Keegan.
• Acorda Therapeutics (ACOR) to outperform from market perform at Leerink.
• NCR Corp. (NCR) to outperform from neutral at Wedbush.
• Barnes & Noble (BKS) to neutral from underperform and Pioneer Natural (PXD) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Autodesk (ADSK) to buy from neutral at Goldman.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AA, AAPL, ATHR, BKS, CL, CLX, EL, HBAN, NCR, NVDA, XRTX ...

Analyst Calls: AA, AAPL, ATHR, BKS, CL, CLX, EL, HBAN, NCR, NVDA, XRTX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Boeing (BA) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Alcoa (AA) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• BP (BP) to outperform from market perform at Raymond James.
• Office Depot (ODP) and Staples (SPLS) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• ON Semiconductor (ONNN) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Kennametal (KMT) and Polyone (POL) to buy from hold at KeyBanc.
• Airgas (ARG) to outperform from market perform at William Blair.
• EchoStar (SATS) to neutral from underperform at Macquarie.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AA, BA, BP, BSX, COH, GM, INTC, NSM, STJ, TIF, TSN, UA ...

Analyst Calls: AA, BA, BP, BSX, COH, GM, INTC, NSM, STJ, TIF, TSN, UA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Sapient (SAPE) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Kroger (KR) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Harman (HAR) to overweight from neutral and Deutsche Bank (DB) to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• Savient (SVNT) to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• LabCorp (LH) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Optimer Pharm (OPTR) and Landstar System (LSTR) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Essex Property Trust (ESS) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Tyson Foods (TSN) to neutral from sell at Goldman.
• Host Hotels (HST) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• SPX Corp. (SPW) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AXP, COF, DB, DFS, DNDN, HST, KR, ROC, SAFM, STJ, TSN ...

Analyst Calls: AXP, COF, DB, DFS, DNDN, HST, KR, ROC, SAFM, STJ, TSN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Goldman upgraded Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) to buy from neutral.
• Credit Suisse upgraded Pulte Group (PHM) to neutral from underperform. Note that Citigroup downgraded the stock.
• Ameristar Casinos (ASCA) was upgraded to neutral from sell at Merriman.
• Citigroup upgraded Kimco Realty (KIM) to hold from sell.
• Mistras (MG) was upgraded to buy from hold at KeyBanc.
• Devon Energy (DVN) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Garmin (GRMN) was upgraded to outperform from sector perform at PacCrest.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AAPL, AMGN, BIIB, BSX, CHK, DVN, EOG, GRMN, PHM, WPO ...

Analyst Calls: AAPL, AMGN, BIIB, BSX, CHK, DVN, EOG, GRMN, PHM, WPO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• JMP Securities upgraded Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) to outperform from market perform based on valuation and checks that indicate strength in enterprise PCs, high growth geographies and light laptops. The firm has a $50 target on the stock.
• RBC Capital upgraded Rio Tinto (RTP) to outperform from sector perform, citing the company's improving growth plans and attractive risk profile.
• Goldman upgraded FormFactor (FORM) to neutral from sell, but lowered its price target to $6 from $10. The firm cites valuation for the upgrade.
• MCG Capital (MCGC) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• CRH (CRH) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• Melco Crown (MPEL) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BSX, FORM, HPQ, JACK, MCO, NFLX, PPL, RTP, VALE ...

Analyst Calls: BSX, FORM, HPQ, JACK, MCO, NFLX, PPL, RTP, VALE ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Jefferies upgraded St. Jude (STJ) to buy from hold and raised its target to $49 from $39. The firm cites valuation and the positive impact from the Boston Scientific (BSX) ICD recall for the upgrade. Shares were also upgraded to neutral from sell at Goldman, as the firm sees upside for shares into Q1 results.
• RBC Capital upgraded EMC Corp. (EMC) to outperform from sector perform and raised its target to $22 from $21. The firm upgraded shares based on valuation and believes the company can meet or modestly beat March quarter expectations.
• Auriga upgraded MetroPCS (PCS) to buy from hold as it believes customer migration away from postpaid to prepaid may be accelerating. The firm raised its target for shares to $9 from $7.
• Caterpillar (CAT) was raised to outperform from neutral at Baird.
• Best Buy (BBY) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at FBR Capital.
• Expedia (EXPE) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BBY, CAT, EMC, EXPE, FCX, ICE, NTAP, PCE, STJ, VRTX ...

Analyst Calls: BBY, CAT, EMC, EXPE, FCX, ICE, NTAP, PCE, STJ, VRTX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded CME Group (CME) to Buy from Hold and has a $330 target on the stock. The firm believes increased regulatory concerns have created a buying opportunity and notes that CME Group's fundamentals are stable-to-improving.
• Susquehanna upgraded Priceline.com (PCLN) to Positive from Neutral and has a $230 target on the stock. The firm believes Priceline.com likely outperformed expectations in Q4.
• Citigroup upgraded AutoZone (AZO) to Buy from Hold citing an attractive valuation, favorable industry trends, and the potential for margin expansion. The firm raised its target price on shares to $188 from $176.
• Genzyme (GENZ) was raised to Sell from Conviction Sell at Goldman.
• Disney (DIS) was upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan.
• Exxon Mobil (XOM) was upgraded at Collins Stewart to Buy from Hold.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: CME, AZO, XOM, DNB, GENZ ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: CME, AZO, XOM, DNB, GENZ ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) reported a surprise Q3 profit due to cost cutting; revenue topped estimates as well.
• Avis Budget Group Inc. (NYSE: CAR) said a proposed offering of $250 million in notes could reduce earnings.
• Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) earnings prospects garnered it an upgrade from one analyst.
• Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) earnings prospects resulted in an upgrade from one analyst.
• Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) lower Q4 earnings topped analysts' expectations, lifting shares.
• Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO) higher Q4 earnings beat analysts' estimates but sales were just OK.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Alcoa, Costco, Family Dollar, Marriott, PepsiCo, Yum! Brands ...

Earnings highlights: Alcoa, Costco, Family Dollar, Marriott, PepsiCo, Yum! Brands ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) to Buy from Hold on expectations that stable volumes and a better outlook for currency and commodities will lead to higher earnings visibility. The firm raised its price target on shares to $62 from $52.
• FBR Capital upgraded Goodrich (NYSE: GR) to Outperform from Market Perform as it finds the stock's valuation compelling following the recent pullback. The firm raised its target on shares to $65 from $46.
• William Blair upgraded Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) to Outperform from Market Perform after channel checks indicated demand is accelerating as the firm finds the stock's valuation compelling at current levels.
• Robbins & Myers (NYSE: RBN) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Baird.
• Disney (NYSE: DIS) and Viacom B (NYSE: VIA.B) were upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at BofA/Merrill, while News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWS) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ANN, DIS, CSCO, KO, NWS, PETM, ULTA ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ANN, DIS, CSCO, KO, NWS, PETM, ULTA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Congress Strengthens Bank Pay Limits
• Cramer: Sell the Tech Rally

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: This time around, bad is just bad

Cramer on BloggingStocks: This time around, bad is just bad originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Barclays upgraded Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) to Overweight from Equal Weight and raised their target to $35 from $28 citing the company's earnings power and free cash flow generation.
  
• William Blair upgraded St. Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ) to Outperform from Market Perform following the company's Q4 results on valuation and the company's "steady growth."
  
• Wunderlich upgraded Liberty Interactive (NASDAQ:LINTA) to Buy from Hold as they believe debt concerns are overdone. The firm thinks that language in the proxy statement for the Liberty Entertainment hard spin suggests that cash and cash flow from the stub Entertainment tracker could be used to provide inter-company support to Interactive. The firm raised their target to $5 from $4.25.
• Lloyds TSB Group (NYSE:LYG) was raised to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
  
• BB&T (NYSE:BBT) was removed from Goldman's Conviction Sell List.
  
• Patni Computer (NYSE:PTI) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at KeyBanc.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BBY, LYG, XOM, BIDU

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BBY, LYG, XOM, BIDU originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a series featuring bargain stocks that are worth a look now. See more Cheap Stocks.

You've probably heard that heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. I don't mean to be a total downer in bringing up this bit of trivia; in fact, the prevalence of cardiac-related illnesses is actually a boon for Minnesota-based St. Jude Medical (NYSE: STJ). The company is engaged in the design, manufacture, and distribution of various cardiovascular medical devices, including pacemakers, replacement valves, and many more.

In mid-October, St. Jude reported higher-than-expected third-quarter sales. The medical-device firm also tightened up its full-year outlook, primarily due to the effects of currency fluctuations. However, Chief Financial Officer John Heinmiller said STJ is "confident" it can meet or exceed Wall Street's 2009 earnings estimates.

St. Jude also believes it's well-insulated from macroeconomic turmoil. CEO Daniel Starks observed that his company's products address "key health concerns," which means they're hardly discretionary items. "We expect very minimal impact from the broader and economic dynamics, and think we're in a good defensive position that way," Stark noted.

Continue reading Cheap Stocks: St. Jude Medical

Cheap Stocks: St. Jude Medical originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• UBS upgraded Pacific Sunwear (NASDAQ: PSUN) to Neutral from Sell and said liquidity is no longer a near-term concern. The firm lowered Pacific Sunwear's target to $1.50 from $3. Citigroup upgraded shares to Hold from Sell on valuation following the recent weakness and believes Pacific Sunwear has sufficient liquidity to remain a going concern.
  
• Calyon believes Reliant Energy (NYSE: RRI) will be successful in unwinding the Merrill Lynch Retail credit sleeve and obtaining alternative collateral. The firm upgraded shares to Buy from Add.
  
• JP Morgan said Cogent's (NASDAQ: COGT) position in homeland security and the defense markets make it less sensitive to an economic downturn, making valuation attractive. JP Morgan upgraded shares to Overweight from Neutral and raised its target to $13 from $10.50.
• Goldman added Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) to its Conviction Buy List and removed Riverbed (NASDAQ: RVBD) from the Conviction Sell List.
  
• J.M. Smucker (NYSE: SJM) was raised to Buy from Underperform at Merrill Lynch.

Continue reading Analyst calls: RIMM, HBC, CSCO, PSUN, ACE, SUN . . .

Analyst calls: RIMM, HBC, CSCO, PSUN, ACE, SUN . . . originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

St. Jude Medical (NYSE: STJ) designs, manufactures, and distributes medical devices for heart-related and neurological conditions. The firm's Cardiac Rhythm Management segment makes pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators, to regulate heart rhythm. The Neuromodulation unit develops pacemaker-like implantable systems to treat chronic, intractable pain, and other nervous system disorders. The Cardiovascular division offers therapies and technologies for treating people with cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease. The Atrial Fibrillation segment develops products to diagnose, treat, and seek a cure for atrial fibrillation. Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) is a major competitor.

The company pleased investors last week, when it reported Q2 EPS of 60 cents and revenues of $1.14 billion. Analysts had been expecting 55 cents and $1.06 billion. The CEO noted that revenue exceeded guidance in every business category. Management also guided Q3 EPS to 56-58 cents (53 cent consensus) and FY08 EPS to $2.28-$2.33 ($2.19 consensus).

Continue reading St. Jude Medical (STJ): Shares define bullish 'flag' pattern

St. Jude Medical (STJ): Shares define bullish 'flag' pattern originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• B. Riley believes Pericom (NASDAQ: PSEM) is in the early stages of a product cycle-driven growth and feels shares are significantly undervalued at current levels. The firm started shares with a Buy rating and $18 target.
  
• Rodman & Renshaw started St. Jude Medical (NYSE: STJ) with a Market Outperform rating and $50 target. The firm is positive on St. Jude's recent investments in its CRM product portfolio and sales organization, which should increase competitiveness and facilitates continued market share gains.
  
• CDC Corp (NASDAQ: CHINA) was initiated at Cantor with a Buy rating and $6 target, as they believe the stock is significantly undervalued due to the complexity of the company's corporate structure and poor financial disclosure. The firm believes this gap will close after the company lists at least one of its subsidiaries this year.

• Kevin Dann initiated Orion Marine Group (NASDAQ: OMGI) with a Buy rating and $18 target.
  
• JP Morgan initiated Chimera Investment (NYSE: CIM) with a Neutral rating.
  
• Credit Suisse started Perrigo Company (NASDAQ: PRGO) with a Neutral rating and $40 target.

Analyst initiations: PSEM, STJ and CHINA originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Merrill initiated CTC Media (NASDAQ: CTCM) with a Buy rating, citing the company's healthy ad growth outlook and substantial barriers to entry.
  
• B. Riley initiated Callidus Software (NASDAQ: CALD) with a Buy rating and $7 target and believes the company's growing On-Demand offering is being overlooked by investors.
• Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: SGEN) was assumed with an Overweight rating at JP Morgan. The firm views the company as an attractive investment opportunity given the company's growing pipeline of differentiated antibody therapies and partnership with Genentech (NYSE: DNA).

• Cowen initiated Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) with a Neutral rating and St. Jude Medical (NYSE: STJ) with an Outperform rating.
  
• Lehman initiated UDR Inc (NYSE: UDR) with an Equal Weight rating.

Analyst initiations: CTCM, CALD and SGEN originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Two keys to St. Jude Medical's success: systole, diastole originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• RBC Capital is positive on News Corporation's (NYSE: NWS) strategy of investing cash flow away from mature enterprises to fund high-growth initiatives such as Sky Italia and Fox Interactive Media. The firm initiated shares with an Outperform rating and $26 target.
  
• Kaufman Brothers rates Limelight Networks Inc (NASDAQ: LLNW) a Sell based on a significant increase in the competitive environment with Akamai discounting on large deals, Level 3 Communications Inc (NASDAQ: LVLT) introducing a competitive offering in November 2007, Korean major-CD Networks becoming aggressive, and new entrants becoming aggressive with their value propositions.
  
• Deutsche Bank initiated Corning Inc (NYSE: GLW) with a Buy rating and $31 target as they believe shares are fundamentally undervalued given the company's strong fundamentals and promising outlook.
  
• Carmike Cinemas Inc (NASDAQ: CKEC) was started at JP Morgan with an Overweight rating. The firm said the company is the most exposed to 3-D, which could lead to potential upside due to low margins and leverage capital structure.

• UBS started shares of St. Jude Medical Inc (NYSE: STJ) with a Sell rating and $43 target and shares of Medtronic Inc (NYSE: MDT) with a Buy rating and $64 target.
  
• Bear Stearns initiated shares of TJX Companies Inc (NYSE: TJX) and Ross Stores Inc (NASDAQ: ROST) with Peer Perform ratings.
  
• KeyBanc initiated shares of LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO) with a Hold rating.
  
• Caris started shares of Acme Packet Inc (NASDAQ: APKT) with an Above Average rating and $17 target.

Analyst inititations: NWS, LLNW, GLW and CKEC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.