Analyst Upgrades

• Akamai (AKAM) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Las Vegas Sands (LVS) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Aetna (AET) to Outperform from market perform at Leerink.
• Hot Topic (HOTT) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Colonial Properties (CLP) upgraded to Outperform from market perform at FBR Capital and to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Altera (ALTR) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• American Reprographics (ARC), CarMax (KMX) and American Campus (ACC) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Zebra Tech (ZBRA) to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• IMAX (IMAX) to buy from hold at Canaccord.
• Basic Energy (BAS) to neutral from sell at Goldman.
• Mednax (MD) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• UTi Worldwide (UTIW) to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AET, AKAM, BBY, DVN, HOG, IMAX, LVS, RIMM, UNH, URBN ...

Analyst Calls: AET, AKAM, BBY, DVN, HOG, IMAX, LVS, RIMM, UNH, URBN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Molycorp (MCP) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Humana (HUM), HealthSpring (HS) and UnitedHealth (UNH) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Williams Cos. (WMB) to conviction buy from neutral and UBS (UBS) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• China Kanghui (KH) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Arthur J. Gallagher (AJG) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Armstrong World (AWI) to buy from hold at BB&T.
• Time Warner (TWX) to buy from hold at Benchmark Co.
• Calpine (CPN) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• 3M Company (MMM) to neutral from underperform and Kirby (KEX) to buy from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: DWA, HUM, MMM, MRVL, NOK, TWX, UBS, UNH, WMB ...

Analyst Calls: DWA, HUM, MMM, MRVL, NOK, TWX, UBS, UNH, WMB ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Aetna (AET) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Kellogg (K) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• PetSmart (PETM) to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• NetApp (NTAP) and Scripps Networks (SNI) to buy from hold at Wunderlich.
• Thoratec (THOR) to buy from hold at Auriga.
• ArcelorMittal (MT) to overweight from neutral at HSBC.
• Bristol-Myers (BMY) to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
• Eaton Vance (EV) to neutral from sell at Ticonderoga.
• Adtran (ADTN) to buy from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AET, BMY, DVN, GLW, K, MRK, MT, PETM, SPLS, WY ...

Analyst Calls: AET, BMY, DVN, GLW, K, MRK, MT, PETM, SPLS, WY ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

UnitedHealth Group's (UNH) stock is a little sick today. The shares are exchanging hands at a quote of $40.07 as of this writing, a price that represents a drop in value of 1.2%. Volume is active.

If you look at the latest earnings report, however, you can't help but shake your head in wonderment. The Associated Press says that adjusted Q4 net income of $1.05 per share beat the overall projection of 84 cents per share. Quite a difference. Furthermore, the company is sticking to its outlook for 2011.

Continue reading UnitedHealth Group Trading Lower After Earnings

UnitedHealth Group Trading Lower After Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Exxon Mobil (XOM) and BB&T (BBT) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• D.R. Horton (DHI) upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Meritage Homes (MTH), Old Dominion Freight (ODFL) and Heartland Payment (HPY) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Toll Brothers (TOL) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Hershey (HSY) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• UnitedHealth (UNH), Cigna (CI) and Allscripts (MDRX) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Nationwide Health (NHP) to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• Reynolds American (RAI) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Adtran (ADTN), PG&E (PCG) and Wisconsin Energy (WEC) to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BBT, CI, DG, DHI, HSY, NFLX, RAI, TOL, UNH, WAT, XOM ...

Analyst Calls: BBT, CI, DG, DHI, HSY, NFLX, RAI, TOL, UNH, WAT, XOM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Election Day Trades (MRK, PFE, WLP)

Election Day Trades (MRK, PFE, WLP) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• GC Financial upgraded Microsoft (MSFT) to buy from hold, citing expectations that the company will raise its quarterly dividend by 15%. The firm upped its target for shares to $30 from $29.
• JPMorgan upgraded Agrium (AGU) to overweight from neutral, citing valuation and strengthening agricultural fundamentals. The firm raised its target for shares to $75 from $70. Note JPMorgan downgraded Mosaic (MOS) this morning to neutral from overweight.
• Susquehanna upgraded Baker Hughes (BHI) to positive from neutral based on valuation. The firm has a $53 target on the stock.
• Target (TGT) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• CF Industries (CF) was upgraded to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Portugal Telecom (PT) was upgraded to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AGU, BHI, CP, GOOG, HUM, MOS, MSFT, TGT, VAL, YHOO ...

Analyst Calls: AGU, BHI, CP, GOOG, HUM, MOS, MSFT, TGT, VAL, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Illinois Tool Works (ITW) to buy from hold, citing valuation and the company's strong revenue performance. The firm has a $60 price target for shares.
• Goldman upgraded PPD Inc. (PPDI) to buy from hold and raised its price target to $31 from $28. The firm expects strong top line growth and bookings momentum for the upgrade.
• Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Insituform Technologies (INSU) to buy from hold based on higher estimates for sewer rehab and energy. The firm has a $31 target on the stock.
• Patterson-UTI Energy (PTEN) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Wisconsin Energy (WEC) and Northeast Utilities (NU) were upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Rockwell Collins (COL) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AON, AMED, C, GS, HEW, ITW, JPM, MS, PPDI, TLB, URBN ...

Analyst Calls: AON, AMED, C, GS, HEW, ITW, JPM, MS, PPDI, TLB, URBN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the Bell: Futures Advance on Strong Earnings

Before the Bell: Futures Advance on Strong Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Oppenheimer upgraded ConocoPhillips (COP) to outperform from perform after the company sold its stake in Syncrude. The firm has a $70 price target for shares.
• Leerink upgraded UnitedHealth (UNH) to outperform from market perform. The firm sees upside to the company's 2010 guidance and finds shares attractively valued at currently levels.
• Citigroup upgraded both Mirant (MIR) and RRI Energy (RRI) to hold from sell after the two companies agreed to merge.
• Cooper Companies (COO) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Expedia (EXPE) was upgraded to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• A123 Systems (AONE) was upgraded to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AA, COP, GWW, HAS, HOG, NATL, PCLN, UNH, UTX ...

Analyst Calls: AA, COP, GWW, HAS, HOG, NATL, PCLN, UNH, UTX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• UBS upgraded Starbucks (SBUX) to buy from neutral, citing expectations for sales momentum. The firm raised its price target to $29 from $27.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Sonic (SONC) two notches to overweight from underweight on expectations the company's sales and margin trends are set to improve. The firm raised its target price for shares to $12 from $8.
• BMO Capital upgraded Chicago Bridge & Iron (CBI) to outperform from market perform, citing its outlook for earnings growth. The firm has a $30 target on the stock.
• Clorox (CLX) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Alexion Pharma (ALXN) was upgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• Compellent (CML) was upgraded to buy from hold at ThinkEquity.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CBI, CLX, PBR, PSYS, SWSI, SONC, SBUX, UNH, VRUS, WU ...

Analyst Calls: CBI, CLX, PBR, PSYS, SWSI, SONC, SBUX, UNH, VRUS, WU ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As always, there is a volume of speculation after the much anticipated release of the quarterly changes in holdings report from Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A). While leaving all the deep analytical number crunching for greater minds than my own, I'd like to take a look at what Warren Buffett could be telling us through his company's latest form 13F.

Why has Warren Buffett swallowed Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNI) while letting go of Norfolk Southern (NSC) and Union Pacific (UNP)? Being the master of due diligence, Mr. Buffett has most likely determined that BNI is the most attractive of the three. The future of rail transport is all but guaranteed to shine, and I believe that Mr. Buffett has exited the other two rail companies simply to avoid conflict of interest issues.

Continue reading What Is Warren Buffett Telling You?

What Is Warren Buffett Telling You? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks List Shrinks from 26 to 21

Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks List Shrinks from 26 to 21 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Still Cheap Market -- 35 Stocks + Yields & Growth

Serious Money: Still Cheap Market -- 35 Stocks + Yields & Growth originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the Bell: Futures Lower After Jobs Report

Before the Bell: Futures Lower After Jobs Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Baird upgraded Intel (INTC) to outperform from neutral and has a $26 target on the stock. The firm's checks indicate tier-one PC OEMs have raised their 1H10 procurement forecasts, which could lead to Intel outperformance.
• Citigroup upgraded UnitedHealth (UNH) to buy from hold on expectations the company will benefit from a sector rotation into Managed Care in 2010. The firm raised its price target on shares to $39 from $30.
• UBS upgraded Morgan Stanley (MS) to buy from neutral based on strong capital and liquidity positions, building investment banking pipelines, and expectations for a turn in EPS/ROE, among other reasons.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded the U.S. Refining group as it believes demand is improving and margins could expand in 2010. The firm raised its rating on Sunoco (SUN) to hold from sell and its target on shares to $25 from $18, and upgraded Tesoro (TSO) and Frontier Oil (FTO) to buy from hold.
• Boeing (BA) was raised to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Wynn Resorts (WYNN) was upgraded at UBS to buy from neutral.
• Investors Bancorp (ISBC) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Janney Montgomery.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: BA, BMY, EAT, INTC, MS, UNH, WYNN ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: BA, BMY, EAT, INTC, MS, UNH, WYNN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Jefferies (JEF) to outperform from market perform based on valuation and improved M&A advisory and underwriting prospects. The firm has a $30 target on the shares.
• JPMorgan upgraded Cosan (CZZ) to overweight from neutral based on valuation.The firm has a $10 target on shares.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded CTC Media (CTCM) to buy from hold, citing better-than-expected operational performance and the impact of recent ad law changes. The firm has a $17 target on shares.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: CSTR, CTCM, CZZ, JEF, ONB, UNH ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: CSTR, CTCM, CZZ, JEF, ONB, UNH ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Insurance companies just bought themselves a year. Claiming that a proposed tax on health insurance would force them to charge higher premiums, carriers were able to convince senators to defer this particular measure for a year.

This comes as a benefit to UnitedHealth Group (UNH), WellPoint (WLP) and smaller companies writing health insurance policies. Manufacturers of medical devices have won some relief, as well, though the drug business didn't. An earlier plan to tax cosmetic medical procedures was also scrapped.

Continue reading Health Insurers Get Brief Relief on Proposed Tax

Health Insurers Get Brief Relief on Proposed Tax originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

UnitedHealth (UNH) closed at $29.08 Friday, near one-year high. UnitedHealth is hosting an investor meeting on December 2. December option implied volatility is at 40; January is at 42; below its 26-week average of 48 according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Semiconductor Holders Trust - SMH overall volatility at 29; 26-week average is 33.

Russell 2000 - IWM overall implied volatility at 27; 26-week average is 33.

Financial Select Sector - XLF overall volatility at 34; 26-week average is 40.

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

Options Update: UnitedHealth volatility at 16-month lows originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: The Yo-Yo market (ENER, ITT, F, GS, UNH, RA, FIG)

Closing Bell: The Yo-Yo market (ENER, ITT, F, GS, UNH, RA, FIG) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.