BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: AMZN, CMCSA, FTO, HUM, MRX, PG, STX, WLP, WWW ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/02/28/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/02/28/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/02/28/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Analyst Upgrades

  • Medicis (MRX) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray, to outperform from market perform at Bernstein, to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital and to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
  • Wellpoint (WLP) to buy from neutral at Davenport.
  • Humana (HUM) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
  • Frontier Oil (FTO) to equal weight from underweight and Resources Connection (RECN) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMZN, CMCSA, FTO, HUM, MRX, PG, STX, WLP, WWW ...

Analyst Calls: AMZN, CMCSA, FTO, HUM, MRX, PG, STX, WLP, WWW ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Amazon.comAMZNanalyst upgradesBBGBill BarrettCMCSAComcastdowngradesEnergySolutionsESFrontier OilFTOHUMHumanainitiationsinthenewsIPGPMedicisMHGCMRXPGProcter and GambleQLIKRECNSeagateSempraSFYSRESTXTRLGTrue ReligionWellpointWLLWLPWolverine World WideWWWMon, 28 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: BA, BBBY, CI, CLWR, DFS, DLTR, ETN, MET, MO, WSM ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/12/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/12/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/12/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Analyst Upgrades

  • Goldman upgraded Eaton (ETN) to conviction buy from neutral.
  • AECOM Technology (ACM) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
  • Piper Jaffray upgraded Hologic (HOLX), Gen-Probe (GPRO) and Qiagen (QGEN) to overweight from neutral.
  • GeoMet (GMET) was upgraded to accumulate from neutral at Global Hunter.
  • Accretive Health (AH) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
  • Morgan Stanley upgraded Reinsurance Group (RGA) to overweight from equal weight.
  • BofA/Merrill upgraded Clearwire (CLWR) to neutral from underperform.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BA, BBBY, CI, CLWR, DFS, DLTR, ETN, MET, MO, WSM ...

Analyst Calls: BA, BBBY, CI, CLWR, DFS, DLTR, ETN, MET, MO, WSM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ACMAHAltriaanalyst upgradesBABBBYBed Bath and BeyondBoeingCICignaClearwireCLWRCOLBDFSDLTRDollar TreedowngradesDQEatonETNGMETGNWGPROHOLXHSinitiationsinthenewsLOLorillardMETMetLifeMONDSNNNNQGENRGAUPLVALWellpointWGWilliams-SonomaWLPWSMFri, 12 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Election Day Trades (MRK, PFE, WLP)]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/02/election-day-trades-mrk-pfe-wlp/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/02/election-day-trades-mrk-pfe-wlp/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/02/election-day-trades-mrk-pfe-wlp/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Today is election day. Currently, intrade.com is projecting a 97% chance that the Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives and a 48% chance that they will win the Senate. What could a landslide win for the Republican Party mean for the stock market?

Some observers are suggesting that gridlock in Washington, along with a more business friendly atmosphere, could be a catalyst for stock prices to rise. This, however, is offset by concerns about cuts in government spending. The private economy is sputtering, and near-term spending cuts could have a detrimental effect on the recovery. Therefore, instead of focusing on the broader market, investors may want to look at some specific sectors that may benefit from a Republican victory.

Three interesting areas are oil services, financials, and healthcare. The thinking is that some of the regulatory headwinds facing these sectors may be lifted if the political atmosphere in Washington D.C. changes. Some observers believe that a Republican-led House of Representatives will be able to chip away at some of the Obamacare legislation. This should benefit large pharmaceutical companies such as Merck (MRK) and Pfizer (PFE).

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BACDOGSinthenewsJPMMRKPFERIGUNHWLPTue, 02 Nov 2010 14:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Week in Preview: Election, QE2, Unemployment and More Earnings]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/31/week-in-preview-election-qe2-employment-and-more-earnings/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/31/week-in-preview-election-qe2-employment-and-more-earnings/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/31/week-in-preview-election-qe2-employment-and-more-earnings/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

earnings expectationsIt will be a busy week. Republicans are poised to gain control of the House of Representatives and gain governorships in Tuesday's mid-term elections. Also, the Federal Reserve is expected to announce another round of quantitative easing Wednesday, following the FOMC meeting. Major retailers are scheduled to report October same-store sales Thursday, while the October unemployment rate, announced on Friday, is expected to remain at 9.6%.

Toyota's (TM) fiscal second-quarter results will be one of the highlights on the earnings front this week. After three periods of way underestimating Toyota's earnings, have the analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters got it right this time? The stock sure could use a boost. Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA) is in a similar situation; i.e., high expectations for this week's quarterly results but a stock in need of a boost. Marathon (MRO) and Starbucks (SBUX) are also expected to post strong earnings growth this week, but both stocks are riding high.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Election, QE2, Unemployment and More Earnings

Week in Preview: Election, QE2, Unemployment and More Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ADMAETanalyst forecastsBPCBSCLWRCLXCVSCVXDTVDVNearningsearnngs previewseconomic dataERTSfeaturedFederal ReserveFOMCFordGLWHMCISMKKFTMAMarathonMRONEMPFEPRUQCOMQE2quantitative easingRIGSAMSBUXSIRISMGStarbucksTAPTEVATMToyotaTSLATWXunemployment rateVMCWFMIWINNWLPWPIWPOWYNNXOMSun, 31 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: CTV, CVX, EAT, FCX, ICE, MAR, MW, TRV, WLP ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/26/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/26/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/26/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Analyst Upgrades
  • Verisk (VRSK) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
  • Marriott (MAR) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.
  • Jefferies upgraded Teekay (TK) and Tsakos Energy (TNP) to Buy from Hold.
  • Cadence Design (CDNS) was upgraded to sector perform from underperform at RBC Capital.
  • BofA/Merrill upgraded NV Energy (NVE) to buy from underperform and Education Realty Trust (EDR) to neutral from underperform.
  • Men's Wearhouse (MW) was upgraded to buy from hold at Stifel.
  • William Blair upgraded Atheros (ATHR) to outperform from market perform.
  • Freeport McMoran (FCX) was upgraded to buy from hold at Argus.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CTV, CVX, EAT, FCX, ICE, MAR, MW, TRV, WLP ...

Analyst Calls: CTV, CVX, EAT, FCX, ICE, MAR, MW, TRV, WLP ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AGUanalyst upgradesATHRBrinkerCDNSChevronCintasCommScopeCTASCTVCVSCVXdowngradesDRHEATEDRELONESRXEXPDFCXFreeport McMoranFRTICEinitiationsIntercontinental ExchangeinthenewsLCAPALSTZAMARMarriottMedcoMens WearhouseMHSMWNATNordic American TankerNVEPaneraPNRAQUADSFLTeekayTKTNPTravelersTRVVRSKWellpointWLPTue, 26 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: AGU, BHI, CP, GOOG, HUM, MOS, MSFT, TGT, VAL, YHOO ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/08/17/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/08/17/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/08/17/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AGUATHNAWHBHICanadian PacificCBECFCNCCNICPCPIXdowngradesGOOGGoogleHNTHUMinitiationsinthenewsMicrosoftMosaicMSFTPTSTRTargetTGTUNHVALWellPointWLPYahooYHOOTue, 17 Aug 2010 11:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: AON, AMED, C, GS, HEW, ITW, JPM, MS, PPDI, TLB, URBN ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/07/13/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/07/13/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/07/13/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AETAMEDanalyst upgradesAONASCAATPGBBTCitigroupCOLCPNOdowngradesFITBFMCGCOGSHEWHNTinitiationsINSUinthenewsITWJPMMSNUPPDIPTENTLBUNHURBNWECWLPTue, 13 Jul 2010 11:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: CIT, CRS, DLM, DRIV, HP, NVO, OXGN, SAI, WLP ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/31/analyst-calls/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/31/analyst-calls/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/31/analyst-calls/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Analyst Upgrades

  • FBR Capital upgraded Digital River (DRIV) to outperform from market perform on expectations the company's business activity is improving. The firm raised its price target for shares to $36 from $25.
  • Cowen upgraded Carpenter Technology (CRS) to outperform from neutral, citing expectations for a restocking turnaround for the upgrade.
  • Och-Ziff Capital (OZM) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at William Blair.
  • Wellpoint (WLP) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.
  • Kohlberg Capital (KCAP) was upgraded to hold from sell at Stifel Nicolaus.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CIT, CRS, DLM, DRIV, HP, NVO, OXGN, SAI, WLP ...

Analyst Calls: CIT, CRS, DLM, DRIV, HP, NVO, OXGN, SAI, WLP ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AECanalyst upgradesBNPQYCITDLMdowngradesDRIVinitiationsinthenewsKCAPNVOOXGNOZMPEGPSYSWLPWPCWed, 31 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[What Is Warren Buffett Telling You?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/02/19/what-is-warren-buffett-telling-you/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/02/19/what-is-warren-buffett-telling-you/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/02/19/what-is-warren-buffett-telling-you/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Warren BuffetAs 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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>13FBerkshire HathawayBNIBRK.ACOPfeaturedJNJKFTKMXsell offUNHWarren BuffettWLPWMTXOMFri, 19 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Health Insurers Get Brief Relief on Proposed Tax]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/21/health-insurers-get-brief-relief-on-proposed-tax/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/21/health-insurers-get-brief-relief-on-proposed-tax/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/21/health-insurers-get-brief-relief-on-proposed-tax/#commentsFiled under: ,

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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boston scientificBSXdrugsGoldman Sachs GroupGShealth carehealth insuranceinsuranceinthenewsmdtmedical devicesMedtronicpfepfizerUNHUnitedHealthWellpointWLPMon, 21 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: Pelosi can't kill the health care sector ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/09/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-pelosi-cant-kill-the-health-care-sect/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/09/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-pelosi-cant-kill-the-health-care-sect/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/09/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-pelosi-cant-kill-the-health-care-sect/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says the Senate is filled with more-savvy politicians, and the upside for beaten-down names is huge.

Nancy Pelosi has now said her piece. The most unpopular Speaker of the House in the history of Wall Street has gotten her precious health care legislation through the House after ramming through a stimulus package that had far too little infrastructure and far too much pay raise for municipal and state workers, the most powerful interest group in the country.

But this time the Senate sees through it, and the politicians -- despite Pelosi's insistence that Tuesday's election went her way -- know better. There are pages after pages after pages in this bill that look threatening. But here's the rub: This bill's public option, the one that is supposed to be a killer to everything health care, should affect no more than 6 million people over a 10-year period, according to the Congressional Budget Office. In order to get 60 votes in the Senate, even that may prove to be too powerful an option.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Pelosi can't kill the health care sector

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Pelosi can't kill the health care sector originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abtaetcelgcifeaturedgildhumjim cramerJimCramersykwlpMon, 09 Nov 2009 10:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: All I'm asking for is rigor ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/05/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-all-im-asking-for-is-rigor/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/05/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-all-im-asking-for-is-rigor/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/05/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-all-im-asking-for-is-rigor/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says you can be bearish, but you have to admit when you're wrong.

Oh boy, I hit a nerve. My last two days of donning the bear suit and imitating the bears has brought on a cacophony of critics, all of whom think that I am attacking them personally! That's right, they think I have read them, seen them and heard them and that I am spoofing them or making fun of them.

Moreover, they think that I am wildly bullish and that I am mocking them for not wanting to buy things here.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: All I'm asking for is rigor

Cramer on BloggingStocks: All I'm asking for is rigor originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cbeemrfeaturedjim cramerJimCramerwlpThu, 05 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: Stunning elections put health care names back in play ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/04/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-stunning-elections-put-health-care-nam/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/04/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-stunning-elections-put-health-care-nam/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/04/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-stunning-elections-put-health-care-nam/#commentsFiled under: , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says stocks like WellPoint are buys again because the months of rhetoric will end.

Buy WellPoint (NYSE: WLP) (Cramer's Take). Right now. That's what I thought the moment I saw Chris Christie's shocking triumph in my home state last night. It was a stunning referendum of the anti-jobs nature of health care and how the Democrats are now being tagged with job losses and a health care obsession that hurts hiring.

Not everyone has a seat as safe as Nancy Pelosi. Many have seats thought to be as safe as Corzine's. They have to be shaking today.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Stunning elections put health care names back in play

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Stunning elections put health care names back in play originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredjim cramerJimCramerwellpointwlpWed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Earnings highlights: Aflac, Avon, BP, Hershey, Kellogg, Nintendo, P&G, Sprint ... ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/31/earnings-highlights-aflac-avon-bp-hershey-kellogg-nintendo/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/31/earnings-highlights-aflac-avon-bp-hershey-kellogg-nintendo/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/31/earnings-highlights-aflac-avon-bp-hershey-kellogg-nintendo/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

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

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Aflac, Avon, BP, Hershey, Kellogg, Nintendo, P&G, Sprint ...

Earnings highlights: Aflac, Avon, BP, Hershey, Kellogg, Nintendo, P&G, Sprint ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AFLAflacAvonAVPBPCorningDAIDaimlerearningsExxon MobilGDGeneral DynamicsHersheyHSYJim CramerKelloggMcGraw-HillMHPNintendoNTDOYPGProcter and GambleSAPSNESonySprint NextelTootsie RollTRU.S. SteelWashington PostWellPointWiiWLPWPOXOMSat, 31 Oct 2009 10:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Aetna, Aflac, WellPoint rise following earnings releases]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/29/aetna-aflac-wellpoint-rise-following-earnings-releases/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/29/aetna-aflac-wellpoint-rise-following-earnings-releases/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/29/aetna-aflac-wellpoint-rise-following-earnings-releases/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Even as the battle over health care reform rages on Capitol Hill, we are seeing a flurry of third quarter reports from insurers.

Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET) reported Thursday that its third-quarter profit rose 18% from a year ago to $308.2 million, or $0.69 per share, topping Wall Street's expectations. Revenue came in at $8.72 billion, versus the consensus of $8.68 billion. Aetna also said share repurchases totaled 3.9 million at a cost of $114 million in the third quarter of 2009.

Continue reading Aetna, Aflac, WellPoint rise following earnings releases

Aetna, Aflac, WellPoint rise following earnings releases originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AETAetnaAFLAflacearningsinthenewsMETMetLifeTMKTorchmarkWellPointWLPThu, 29 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Consider Express Scripts, unless you think health care reform will lead to fewer Americans with insurance]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/02/consider-express-scripts-unless-you-think-health-care-reform-wi/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/02/consider-express-scripts-unless-you-think-health-care-reform-wi/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/02/consider-express-scripts-unless-you-think-health-care-reform-wi/#commentsFiled under:

I'm Reiterating my Buy rating for Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX), first recommended on June 9, 2009 at a price of $63.64, and the reason isn't the stuff of rocket science.

An aging populace, plus a likely renewed emphasis on health and wellness in the United States, and the probability of federal health care reform legislation bodes well for many health care players, including pharmacy benefits managers like ESRX. If you bought the shares on June 9, you're up about 20%.

Continue reading Consider Express Scripts, unless you think health care reform will lead to fewer Americans with insurance

Consider Express Scripts, unless you think health care reform will lead to fewer Americans with insurance originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ESRXExpress ScriptswlpFri, 02 Oct 2009 14:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ADBE, GIS, MAR, S, TTWO, VZ ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/09/16/analyst-upgrades-downgrades-and-initiations/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/09/16/analyst-upgrades-downgrades-and-initiations/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/09/16/analyst-upgrades-downgrades-and-initiations/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Analyst upgrades:

  • Deutsche Bank upgraded Garmin (NASDAQ: GRMN) to Hold from Sell as it believes the company's second half of 2009 is tracking better than expected due to retailer restocking. Deutsche raised its target on shares to $33 from $15 but thinks Garmin's long-term trends remain unfavorable.
  • Goldman upgraded Fortune Brands (NYSE: FO) to Buy from Neutral citing potential EPS improvement driven by the Home division. Fortune Brands price target to $49 from $45. Note that the firm downgraded General Mills to Neutral from Buy.
  • Oppenheimer upgraded FPIC Insurance (NASDAQ: FPIC) to Outperform from Perform to reflect the company's acquisition of Advocate MD and management's commitment to share repurchases. The firm set a $49 price target on the stock.
  • PPG Industries (NYSE: PPG) and Olin Corp. (NYSE: OLN) were upgraded to Neutral from Sell at UBS.
  • Synovus (NYSE: SNV) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at BofA/Merrill.
  • Take-Two (NASDAQ: TTWO) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at Piper Jaffray.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ADBE, GIS, MAR, S, TTWO, VZ ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ADBE, GIS, MAR, S, TTWO, VZ ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ADBEAdobeanalyst upgradesARDdowngradesEMSFOFPICGeneral MillsGISGRMNHOTHSTinitiationsLHOMARMarriottMSOOLNOMTRPPGPPSSHOSNVSprint NextelTTWOVerizonVZWLPZUMZWed, 16 Sep 2009 10:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Reconciliation is a nasty word for healthcare stocks (UNH, WLP and HUM)]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/08/20/reconciliation-is-nasty-word-for-unh-wlp-and-hum/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/08/20/reconciliation-is-nasty-word-for-unh-wlp-and-hum/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/08/20/reconciliation-is-nasty-word-for-unh-wlp-and-hum/#commentsFiled under: ,

Unless you've been spending your summer vacation on a tropical beach with no television or internet access, you have seen that the public reception to Congress' proposals for heathcare reform have not exactly been well accepted. I mean, nut jobs showing up to town hall meetings with guns strapped to their legs isn't really the norm.

So you would think that the Republicans who are against a public insurance plan are in control, right? Not so fast.

Congressional Democrats are now talking about splitting the healthcare bills into two parts so they can take advantage of a loophole called reconciliation.

Continue reading Reconciliation is a nasty word for healthcare stocks (UNH, WLP and HUM)

Reconciliation is a nasty word for healthcare stocks (UNH, WLP and HUM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>healthcarehealthcare stockshealthcarereformHealthcareStockshumunhwlpThu, 20 Aug 2009 18:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: The health care bargain ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/27/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-the-health-care-bargain/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/27/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-the-health-care-bargain/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/27/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-the-health-care-bargain/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says health care has never been this cheap relative to the market in its history.

Health care's not done rallying. As President Obama prepared himself for claiming a great political victory, we are all recognizing that the single-payer, socialized medicine covering cradle-to-grave, 100% paid for by the rich, the fear that left all things health care in the P/E dustbin, is dead. That's not going to happen.

That leaves us with the biggest bargains the market has to offer.

Health care has never been this lowly valued relative to the market in its history. Remember, 98% of the time it trades at a meaningful premium. I think that many believe some of these moves (like the Celgene (NASDAQ: CELG) (Cramer's Take) move) is because of gigantic new drug finds. In fact, I think they just got too cheap and the only thing really meaningful about the Celgene rally came because one of its Revlimid studies was stopped for good results, actually a predictable event given how well the drug works on many different kinds of cancers.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: The health care bargain

Cramer on BloggingStocks: The health care bargain originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abtbmycelgesrxfeaturedimajim cramerJimCramerjnjmhsmrkpfewlpMon, 27 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: No worries at JPMorgan ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/19/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-no-worries-at-jpmorgan/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/19/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-no-worries-at-jpmorgan/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/19/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-no-worries-at-jpmorgan/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says the bank has the least to worry about and can gain from new federal regulation.

Sometimes you just have to step back from the small-picture hubbub and make some assumptions about the new landscape if legislation passes.

If you look at the health care legislation you know that it is going to cut out some profitability for companies that have relied on the government for big profits, which means the companies that have the most Medicare exposure. So you go with the health maintenance company with the least Medicare exposure -- WellPoint (NYSE: WLP) (Cramer's Take). It simply can't get hit as badly as a Humana (NYSE: HUM) (Cramer's Take) or a UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH) (Cramer's Take) because it doesn't have the exposure.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: No worries at JPMorgan

Cramer on BloggingStocks: No worries at JPMorgan originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredhumjim cramerJimCramerjpmunhwlpFri, 19 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST