urs posts
FeedPosted Jan 21st 2011 12:00PM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst Reports, Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Analyst Initiations, Freep't McMoRan Copper (FCX)
Analyst Upgrades
- Heico (HEI) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
- Eaton (ETN), Silgan Holdings (SLGN), MYR Group (MYRG) and Shaw Group (SHAW) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
- Infosys (INFY) to buy from Neutral at Nomura.
- Isle of Capri (ISLE) to buy from neutral at Merriman.
- NovaGold (NG) to sector perform from underperform at RBC Capital.
- CarMax (KMX) and Rockwell Collins (COL) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
- DHT Holdings (DHT) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
- Cabot Oil & Gas (COG) to overweight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
Continue reading Analyst Calls: CB, COL, ETN, FCX, FRO, INFY, KMX, NAT, SHAW, SON ...
Posted Dec 1st 2010 5:30PM by Joseph Lazzaro (RSS feed)
Filed under: Stocks to Buy

The shares of professional engineering/construction services provider URS Corporation (
URS), first discussed
on June 5, 2009 at a price of $51.56, have cleared the danger zone I wrote about
earlier this fall, so now would be a decent time to consider scooping-up some shares. URS should trade above $50 in 2011, according to my analysis
Look for URS to post a modest 2-3% revenue increase in 2010, followed by a 10-15% rise in 2011. Long-term, both federal government-related and private sector (industrial and commercial) work should gradually attract more institutional investors (IIs) back to the stock in 2011, after a portion of the less-patient IIs exited their URS position this year.
The Thomson Reuters First Call FY2010/FY2011 EPS estimates for URS
are $3.69 to $3.68. That FY2011 EPS estimate looks about 5% low, according to my analysis.
Continue reading Is URS Corp Undervalued?
Posted Oct 5th 2010 2:40PM by Joseph Lazzaro (RSS feed)
Filed under: Stocks to Sell

Talk about disappointing seasons. The shares of professional engineering/construction services provider URS Corp. (
URS), first discussed
on June 5, 2009 at a price of $51.56, swooned this summer, hitting a low of about $35.
If you managed to survive the plunge, there is modest good news: shares have rebounded, but by no means has URS registered a trend reversal yet of its bear-hug pattern.
One culprit in URS's plunge is the company's likely, modest, 2-3% revenue increase in 2010. Longer term, both federal government-related and private sector (industrial and commercial) work should gradually improve in 2011, but it appears a portion of institutional investor community weren't willing to wait that long, and exited their positions.
Continue reading Is the Selling Over with URS Corp?
Posted Sep 14th 2010 6:00PM by Wade Hansen (RSS feed)
Filed under: Stocks to Buy, Stocks to Sell
Option traders appear to be setting up for a bullish move on Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. (
PTEN). Traders plowed into 3,378 new
call option contracts -- 10.21 times the average volume -- on the stock on Tuesday. And we know that traders were eager to get into this trade because 94% of the trades came in on the ask price.
Patterson-UTI faces resistance just below $17. The stock closed Tuesday at $16.19, up 9.42% during the past month.
Option traders also look like they are preparing for a bearish move on iShares iBoxx $ Invest Grade Corp Bond (
LQD). Traders bought 10,043.00 new
put option contracts -- 7.92 times the average volume -- on the stock. A full 100% of these trades also came in on the ask price.
The stock closed Tuesday at $111.52, up 1.09% during the past month.
Continue reading Patterson-UTI Calls and iShares Investment-Grade Corporate Bond Puts Heating Up
Posted May 25th 2010 4:30PM by Joseph Lazzaro (RSS feed)
Filed under: Stocks to Buy

The shares of professional engineering/construction services provider URS Corp. (
URS), first discussed
on June 5, 2009 at a price of $51.56, have pulled-back with the Dow's recent retreat, but just view that as an opportunity to scoop-up shares at a decent price.
Look for URS's 2010 revenue to increase 3-5% in 2010, on the prospect of increased infrastructure work; industrial and commerce power project activity will likely moderate, however.
Continue reading URS Corp: Over-Correction Creates an Opportunity
Posted Mar 9th 2010 11:00AM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst Reports, Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Yum Brands (YUM), Analyst Initiations, United Technologies (UTX)
Analyst Upgrades
- UBS upgraded Yum! Brands (YUM) to buy from neutral, citing valuation, improving momentum and stabilizing China fast-food sales. The firm raised its target to $44 from $38.
- United Technologies (UTX) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
- Needham upgraded Arris (ARRS) to buy from hold, citing valuation and positive near-term business trends. The firm has a $16 price target on shares.
- Warnaco (WRC) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
- Aetna (AET) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
- Nestle (NSRGY) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
Continue reading Analyst Calls: AET, ARRS, BIIB, CMA, CP, ENER, FSLR, UTX, YUM ...
Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:40PM by Joseph Lazzaro (RSS feed)
Filed under: Stocks to Buy

As noted in
December 2009, the stock of professional engineering/construction services provider URS Corp (
URS), first discussed here
on June 5, 2009 at a price of $51.56, put in a bottom last fall, on the prospect of increased industrial and commerce power project activity, and new work from government at all levels.
Also, margins should widen in 2010, and URS's balance sheet remains strong. One potential speed-bump: a shortage of skilled engineers, if the U.S. economic recovery accelerates; there is no shortage now, with U.S. unemployment at 9.7%, nor should one appear before late 2010.
Continue reading As Expected, URS Corp Swings to the Upside
Posted Dec 11th 2009 12:20PM by Joseph Lazzaro (RSS feed)
Filed under: Stocks to Buy
URS Corporation's (URS) stock continues to correct -- it's down about 20% since the June buy call -- but investors should view the pull-back as a buy opportunity, and I'm reiterating my recommendation at $51.56 on June 6, 2009. Here's why:
URS Corp's likely stock trend is higher because industrial and commerce power project activity should bottom in the quarters ahead, and that fact, combined with a lack of project cancellation by state and local governments, and new federal projects, should convince institutional investors (IIs) that URS's revenue growth will accelerate in FY2010. The First Call FY2009/FY2010 EPS estimates for URS are $3.09 to $3.26.
Continue reading URS Corporation is undervalued
Posted Jun 5th 2009 4:50PM by Joseph Lazzaro (RSS feed)
Filed under: Stocks to Buy
Put planning/construction management company URS Corp. (NYSE: URS) in that category of companies that have been rudely treated by Wall Street. From the way, institutions dumped the stock in October 2008, one would think that the United States would not build or repair another electric or water system or build another public facility. From a high over $60, the Street hammered shares to a low around $20. Or, as a CEO friend of mine says when he sees irrational behavior in a corporate environment, "It was a totally unacceptable thought process."
Wall Street's fits-and-starts continued over the winter, hence a Buy rating was delayed here regarding URS until it cleared the $50 mark, and now that the psychologically important "5-0" has been breached, look for shares to continue their upward movement.
Continue reading URS Corp. knows the rebuilding in the U.S. has just begun
Posted Mar 1st 2009 12:30PM by Trey Thoelcke (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings Reports, Forecasts, Economic Data
While the release of economic data doesn't stop next week (see economic schedule highlights below), the earnings season does wind down dramatically. Most of the S&P 500 companies already have reported on the past quarter, which means dismal earnings news is largely behind us, at least for a while. About the only companies of note expected by analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters to report falling earnings this week are Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST), Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc. (NYSE: WEN), Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL), Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO), and Steinway Musical Instruments Inc. (NYSE: LVB).
While PetSmart Inc. (NASDAQ: PETM) and Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) quarterly profits are expected to be about the same as a year ago, Liz Claiborne Inc. (NYSE: LIZ), Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. (NYSE: KCP), Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN), and Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) are expected to have swung to losses in the most recent quarter.
Continue reading The week in preview: Earnings season winds down
Posted Jan 5th 2009 12:30PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Commodities, Stocks to Buy, Best Stocks for 2009
This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.
"Infrastructure is a clear priority for President-elect Obama," says Bill Wilton, editor of Zacks Growth Trader looks to construction management firm, URS Corp. (NYSE URS) as his top idea for 2009.
"Typically, as we get down to the last page on the calendar, most market participants have a concrete opinion on what the next 12 months will bring.
"This year we have the benefit of the soon-to-be president of the United States telling us what to plan for, given his stated plans to focus on the nation's infrastructure.
"URS Corp provides a wide range of construction management and technical services for several industries that should benefit from the Obama's plan.
"The particularly relevant sectors include transportation, general building, and utilities. The company services government entities as well as private and institutional clients.
Continue reading Top Stock Picks '09: URS Corp. (URS)
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