Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Suntech (STP) (HSOL) (FSLR) (YGE) Margins Under Pressure

Suntech (NYSE:STP), Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ:HSOL), First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Yingli Green Energy (NYSE:YGE) will be among those solar companies struggling because of the eroding margins in solar modules, according to Maxim Group’s Aaron Chew.

Chew wrote in a note to clients, “Module maker margins remain firmly 20 percent, with cell/wafer makers struggling to break even.”

The third quarter average selling prices will drop to $1.25 to $1.30 [per watt], on average, even as polysilicon costs remain at around $50 to $55, he wrotes. Suntech Power Holdings (STP), and other solar company margins could drop as low as 10 percent to 12 percent, said Chew.

Even so, according to PVinsights.com, the price of silicon-based solar modules of has already dropped to $1.18 per watt, on average.

Chew has a "Sell" rating on Suntech and First Solar, and a "Hold" rating on Yingli Green Energy (YGE). He maintains a "Buy" rating on Trina Solar and STR Holdings.

Solar producers with higher costs will be the companies with the most risk, added Chew. He sees JinkoSolar (NYSE:JKS), Trina and Yingli as having valuations which should provide the companies with some protection from further share price erosion.

Trends for Qualcomm (QCOM) Look Solid

According to ThinkEquity’s Mark McKechnie, trends for Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) look strong even with the overall global economic concerns.

McKechnie wrote in a note to clients, “Despite the economic concerns, our industry checks suggest smart phone demand remains intact and channel inventory appears at the lower end of normal. We believe the burn of Nokia’s (NYSE:NOK) feature phone inventory in Europe will be largely complete by quarter-end setting the industry up for a strong December quarter.”

Also pushing the share price up will be Samsung Electronics (SSNLF), Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) ”iPhone 5,” and from Research in Motion’s (NASDAQ:RIMM) new Blackberry's.

Qualcomm was trading at $51.47, gaining $0.23, or 0.45 percent, as of 12:17 PM EDT.

McKechnie has a price target of $75 and a "Buy" rating on the company.

Alcoa (AA), Caterpillar (CAT) Push Dow Up

After solid reports from the Chicago purchasing managers' index and factory orders, shares of Alcoa (NYSE:AA) and Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) helped push the Dow up, as it moved slightly into positive territory on the year.

In early trading the S&P 500 (SPX) climbed 10 points, or 0.9%; and the Nasdaq Composite (COMP) was up 21 points, or 0.8%.

On Friday the August report for jobs will be released, with expectations of the economy adding about 80,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate should remain at 9.1 percent.

It also appears there will be another round of quantitative easing, with the question apparently only what form it'll take, not if it'll be implemented. That will put downward pressure on the U.S. dollar and push gold and other commodities up.

Alcoa was trading at $12.77, up $0.41, or 3.32 percent, as of 11:59 AM EDT. Caterpillar was at $91.70, jumping $1.87, or 2.08 percent.

Zimmer (ZMH) (VDSI) (ABT) (COV) (DG) (GOL) (MDT) (NVLS) (SYK) Ratings Reiterated

Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ZMH), VASCO Data Security International, Inc. (NASDAQ: VDSI), Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT), Covidien plc (NYSE: COV), Dollar General (NYSE: DG), Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA (NYSE: GOL), Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), Novellus Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVLS) and Stryker (NYSE: SYK) had their ratings reiterated by analysts.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) reiterated its "Sell" rating on Abbott Laboratories (ABT).

Citigroup reiterated its "Buy" rating on Covidien plc (COV).

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) reiterated its "Equal Weight" rating on Dollar General (DG).

Lazard Capital reiterated its "Sell" rating on Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA (GOL).

Citigroup reiterated its "Buy" rating on Medtronic, Inc. (MDT).

Citigroup reiterated its "Hold" rating on Novellus Systems, Inc. (NVLS).

Citigroup reiterated its "Hold" rating on Stryker (SYK).

Wunderlich reiterated its "Buy" rating on VASCO Data Security International, Inc. (VDSI).

Citigroup reiterated its "Hold" rating on Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (ZMH).

NVR (NVR) (EXP) (JNY) (KBH) Upgraded

NVR, Inc. (NYSE: NVR), Eagle Materials, Inc. (NYSE: EXP), Jones Apparel Group, Inc. (NYSE: JNY) and KB Home (NYSE: KBH) upgraded by analysts.

NVR, Inc. (NVR) was upgraded by Susquehanna from a “Neutral” rating to a “Positive” rating.

Eagle Materials, Inc. (EXP) was upgraded by Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $27.00 on the company, down from $28.00.

Jones Apparel Group, Inc. JNY) was upgraded by Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $14.00 on the company.

KB Home (KBH) was upgraded by Susquehanna to a “Neutral” rating.

PulteGroup (PHM) (MIPS) (BA) (BBT) (COCO) Upgraded

PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE: PHM), MIPS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MIPS), The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA), BB&T (NYSE: BBT) and Corinthian Colleges, Inc. (NASDAQ: COCO) upgraded by analysts.

PulteGroup, Inc. (PHM) was upgraded by Ticonderoga Securities from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $6.50 on the company. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

MIPS Technologies, Inc. (MIPS) was upgraded by Capstone from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating.

The Boeing Company (BA) was upgraded by Nomura from a “Reduce” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

BB&T (BBT) was upgraded by Macquarie from an “Underperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Corinthian Colleges, Inc. (COCO) was upgraded by Gabelli to a “Buy” rating.

Toll (TOL) (AMCX) (TXI) (ATW) (RBS) (AUQ) Upgraded

Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE: TOL), AMC Networks (NASDAQ: AMCX), Texas Industries (NYSE: TXI), Atwood Oceanics, Inc. (NYSE: ATW), Royal Bank Scotland (NYSE: RBS) and Aurioo Gold Inc (NYSE: AUQ) upgraded by analysts.

Toll Brothers, Inc. (TOL) was upgraded by Susquehanna from a “Neutral” rating to a “Positive” rating.

AMC Networks (AMCX) was upgraded by Barclays Capital from an “Underweight” rating to an “Equal Weight” rating. They have a price target of $32.00 on the company.

Texas Industries (TXI) was upgraded by Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $39.00 on the company, down from $43.00.

Atwood Oceanics, Inc. (ATW) was upgraded by Macquarie from a “Neutral” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Royal Bank Scotland (RBS) was upgraded by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Aurioo Gold Inc. (AUQ) was upgraded by CIBC from a “Sector Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Northgate (NXG) (CMS) (EMR) (LDK) (NSRGY) Downgraded

Northgate Minerals Co. (NYSE: NXG), CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE: EMR), LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK) and Nestle (NASDAQ: NSRGY) downgraded by analysts.

Northgate Minerals Co. (NXG) was downgraded by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) from an “Outperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

CMS Energy (CMS) was downgraded by ISI Group to a “Hold” rating. They have a price target of $19.50 on the company.

Emerson Electric Co. (EMR) was downgraded by Argus from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating.

LDK Solar (LDK) was downgraded by Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC) from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Underperform” rating.

Nestle (NSRGY) was downgraded by Sanford C. Bernstein from an “Outperform” rating to a “Market Perform” rating.

Transocean (RIG) (AEO) (SNE) (BOBE) (CBRL) (CLMS) Downgraded

Transocean (NYSE: RIG), American Eagle (NYSE: AEO), Sony Co. (NYSE: SNE), Bob Evans Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ: BOBE), Cracker Barrel (NASDAQ: CBRL) and Calamos Asset Management, Inc (NASDAQ: CLMS) downgraded by analysts.

Transocean (RIG) was downgraded by Macquarie from an “Outperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

American Eagle (AEO) was downgraded by Citigroup (NYSE:C) from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating. They have a price target of $12.00 on the company.

Sony Co. (SNE) was downgraded by Macquarie from an “Outperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Bob Evans Farms, Inc. (BOBE) was downgraded by SunTrust (NYSE:STI) from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Cracker Barrel (CBRL) was downgraded by SunTrust from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Calamos Asset Management, Inc. (CLMS) was downgraded by KBW to a “Market Perform” rating. They have a price target of $14.00 on the company.

LDK Solar (LDK) (JDSU) (JNPR) (LCAPA) Price Targets Changed

LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK), JDS Uniphase Co. (NASDAQ: JDSU), Juniper Networks (NASDAQ: JNPR) and Liberty Media Capital (NASDAQ: LCAPA) had price targets adjusted by analysts.

LDK Solar (LDK) had its price target lowered by Kaufman Brothers from $6.00 to $5.00. They have a “Hold” rating on the company.

JDS Uniphase Co. (JDSU) had its price target raised by RBC Capital from $16.00 to $18.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Juniper Networks (JNPR) had its price target lowered by UBS AG (UBS) from $31.00 to $24.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Liberty Media Capital (LCAPA) had its price target lowered by Wunderlich from $95.00 to $84.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Novellus (NVLS) (GEDU) (IGTE) (IVR) Price Targets Changed

Novellus Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVLS), Global Education (NASDAQ: GEDU), iGATE Co. (NASDAQ: IGTE) and Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc (NYSE: IVR) price targets adjusted by analysts.

Novellus Systems, Inc. (NVLS) had its price target lowered by RBC Capital from $37.00 to $34.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Global Education (GEDU) had its price target lowered by Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) to $5.00.

iGATE Co. (IGTE) had its price target lowered by Kaufman Brothers from $23.00 to $18.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc. (IVR) had its price target lowered by FBR Capital from $24.00 to $20.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Tiffany (TIF) (AOSL) (CF) (SCHW) (COV) (ESRX) Price Targets Changed

Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF), Alpha and Omega Semi (NASDAQ: AOSL), CF Industries Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CF), Charles Schwab (NASDAQ: SCHW), Covidien plc (NYSE: COV) and Express Scripts, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESRX) had price targets adjusted by analysts.

Tiffany & Co. (TIF) had its price target raised by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) from $76.00 to $79.00. They have a “Hold” rating on the company.

Alpha and Omega Semi (AOSL) had its price target lowered by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) from $13.00 to $10.00. They have a “Hold” rating on the company.

CF Industries Holdings Inc. (CF) had its price target raised by Feltl & Co. from $211.00 to $218.25. They have a “Strong Buy” rating on the company.

Charles Schwab (SCHW) had its price target lowered by Stifel Nicolaus from $21.00 to $15.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Covidien (COV) had its price target raised by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS)to $60.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Express Scripts, Inc. (ESRX) had its price target lowered by JMP Securities to $69.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Peregrine (PPHM) (CBI) (CRZBY) (KFN) (MLM) Get New Coverage

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: PPHM), Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (NYSE: CBI), Commerzbank AG (NASDAQ: CRZBY), KKR Financial Holdings LLC (NYSE: KFN) and Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE: MLM) getting new coverage from analysts.

UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) initiated coverage on Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (CBI). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $41.00 on the company.

RBC Capital initiated coverage on Commerzbank AG (CRZBY). They placed a “Sector Perform” rating on the company.

Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) initiated coverage on KKR Financial Holdings LLC (KFN). They placed a “Hold” rating and a price target of $9.00 on the company.

Keybanc initiated coverage on Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (CBI). They placed a “Hold” rating on the company.

JMP Securities initiated coverage on Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc (PPHM). They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $5.00 on the company.

Suncoke (SXC) (TKLC) (ARLP) (STO) (BRY) (SNN) Get New Coverage

Suncoke Energy Inc (NYSE: SXC), Tekelec (NASDAQ: TKLC), Alliance Resource (NASDAQ: ARLP), Statoil (NYSE: STO), Berry Petroleum Comp (NYSE: BRY) and Smith & Nephew (NYSE: SNN) getting new analyst coverage.

Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) initiated coverage on Suncoke Energy Inc (SXC). They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target $19.00 on the company.

Northland Securities initiated coverage on Tekelec (TKLC). They placed a “Market Perform” rating and a price target of $8.50 on the company.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) initiated coverage on Alliance Resource (ARLP). The placed an “Overweight” rating and a price target of $82.00 on the company.

Howard Weil initiated coverage on Statoil (STO). They placed a “Market Perform” rating and a price target of $26.00 on the company.

RBC Capital initiated coverage on Berry Petroleum (BRY). They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target $67.00 on the company.

Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) initiated coverage on Smith & Nephew (SNN). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

Vulcan (VMC) (ABTL) (USCR) (AMCX) (TXI) (ANR) Get New Coverage

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC), Autobytel Inc. (NASDAQ: ABTL), US Concrete Inc (NASDAQ: USCR), AMC Networks (NASDAQ: AMCX), Texas Industries (NYSE: TXI) and Alpha Natural Resources (NYSE: ANR) getting new coverage from analysts.

Keybanc initiated coverage on Vulcan Materials Company (VMC). They placed a “Hold” rating on the company.

B. Riley initiated coverage on Autobytel Inc. (ABTL). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $1.40 on the company.

Keybanc initiated coverage on US Concrete Inc. (USCR). They placed a “Hold” rating on the company.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) initiated coverage on AMC Networks (AMCX). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $42.00 on the company.

Keybanc initiated coverage on Texas Industries (TXI). They placed a “Hold” rating on the company.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) initiated coverage on Alpha Natural Resources (ANR). They placed a “Neutral” rating and a price target of $39.00 on the company.

Owens Corning (OC) (PANL) (R) (TFM) Ratings Reiterated

Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), Universal Display Co. (NASDAQ: PANL), Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R) and The Fresh Market Inc (NYSE: TFM) had their ratings reiterated by analysts.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) reiterated a "Buy" rating on Owens Corning (OC).

Oppenheimer reiterated its "Market Perform" rating on Universal Display Co. (PANL).

Morgan Keegan reiterated an "Outperform" rating on Ryder System, Inc. (R).

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) reiterated a "Neutral" rating on The Fresh Market Inc. (TFM).

Anadarko (APC) (ZUMZ) (CISG) (CWEI) (MON) Ratings Reiterated

Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC), Zumiez (NASDAQ: ZUMZ), CNinsure Inc. (NASDAQ: CISG), Clayton Williams Energy Inc (NASDAQ: CWEI) and Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MON) had their ratings reiterated by analysts.

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) reiterated an "Overweight" rating on Zumiez (ZUMZ).

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) reiterated a "Buy" rating on Anadarko Petroleum (APC).

Piper Jaffray reiterated an "Underweight" rating on CNinsure Inc. (CISG).

Wunderlich reiterated a "Buy" rating on Clayton Williams Energy Inc (CWEI).

Piper Jaffray reiterated an “Overweight” on Monsanto Co. (MON).

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Citigroup (C) on (MSFT) (VMW) (CRM) (ADBE) (SYMC) and Macroeconomic Effect on Sector

Referencing the upcoming Technology Conference, Citigroup (NYSE:C) software analyst Walter Pritchard said one major concern for the sector is the macroeconomic situation, which is weakening, but not yet showing up in the outlook for software companies such as Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), VMWare (NYSE:VMW), Salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM), Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) and Symantec (NASDAQ:SYMC).

Pritchard said, “It may be a matter of time before the backdrop catches up with software companies,” as the probable fallout hasn't hit the estimates for the firms yet.

Among his favorites in the software sector are Taleo (NASDAQ:TLEO), Verisign (NASDAQ:VRSN), Symantec, and Check Point (NASDAQ:CHKP).

Other companies in the Conference will be Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK), BMC Software (NASDAQ:BMC), CA (NASDAQ:CA), Citrix Systems (NASDAQ:CTXS), Dassault Systems (OTC:DASTY), Fortinet (NASDAQ:FTNT) and SuccessFactors (NASDAQ:SFSF).

Starwood Hotels (HOT) (JNPR) (MHS) (PVH) EPS Estimates Changed

Starwood Hotels (NYSE:HOT), Juniper (NASDAQ:JNPR), Medco (NYSE:MHS) and PVH (NYSE:PVH) EPS estimates adjusted by analysts.

Starwood Hotels (HOT) EPS estimates were cut by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS). They have a price target of $64 and an "Outperform" rating on the company.

Juniper (JNPR) EPS estimates were cut by UBS (NYSE:UBS). They have a price target of $24 and a "Neutral" rating on the company.

Medco (MHS) EPS estimates were slashed through 2012 by JMP Securities. They have a "Market Outperform" rating on the company.

PVH (PVH) EPS estimates were raised by Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) through 2011. They have a price target of $75 and an "Overweight" rating on the company.

Nokia (NOK) (COV) (CVS) (DCI) (ESRX) EPS Estimates Changed

Nokia (NYSE:NOK), Covidien (NYSE:COV), CVS Caremark (NYSE:CVS), Donaldson (NYSE:DCI) and Express Scripts (NASDAQ:ESRX) had their EPS estimates adjusted by analysts.

Nokia (NOK) EPS estimates were raised by Oppenheimer through 2012. They have a "Market Perform" rating on the company.

Covidien (COV) had its EPS estimates raised by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS). They have a price target of $60 and a "Buy" rating on the company.

CVS Caremark (CVS) EPS estimates were increased through 2012 by JMP Securities. They have a "Market Outperform" rating on the company.

Donaldson (DCI) EPS estimates were boosted through 2013 by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS). They have a price target of $67 and an "Outperform" rating on the company.

Express Scripts (ESRX) EPS estimates were lowered by JMP Securities. They also cut their price target to $69, and have a "Market Perform" rating on the company.

Royal Gold Inc. (RGLD) (NICK) (ARG) (SFNC) (UBSI) (ESP) (EAT) Declare Dividends

Royal Gold Inc. (NASDAQ:RGLD), Nicholas Financial Inc. (NASDAQ:NICK), Airgas Inc. (NYSE:ARG), Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ:SFNC), United Bankshares Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI), Espey Manufacturing & Electronics Corp (AMEX:ESP) and Brinker International Inc. (NYSE:EAT)declare dividends.

The Board of Directors of Royal Gold Inc. (RGLD) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.11 per share payable 10/14/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/30/11.

The Board of Directors of Nicholas Financial Inc. (NICK) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.10 per share payable 9/20/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/13/11.

The Board of Directors of Airgas Inc. (ARG) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.32 per share payable 9/30/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/15/11.

The Board of Directors of Simmons First National Corporation (SFNC) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.19 per share payable 10/3/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/15/11.

The Board of Directors of United Bankshares Inc. (UBSI) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.30 per share payable 10/3/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/9/11.

The Board of Directors of Espey Manufacturing & Electronics Corp (ESP) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.225 per share payable 9/30/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/9/11.

The Board of Directors of Brinker International Inc. (EAT) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.16 per share payable 9/29/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/9/11.

Quicksilver (KWK) (KELYA) (MCRS) (OVTI) (SKX) (WTS) Price Targets Changed

Quicksilver Resources Inc (NYSE: KWK), Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA), Micros Systems Inc (NASDAQ: MCRS), OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OVTI), Skechers USA, Inc. (NYSE: SKX) and Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: WTS).

Kelly Services, Inc. (KELYA) had its price target lowered by Citigroup (NYSE:C) to $16.00.

Quicksilver Resources Inc. (KWK) had its price target lowered by Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) to $4.50.

Micros Systems Inc. (MCRS) had its price target lowered by Jefferies to $50.00.

OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (OVTI) had its price target lowered by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) to $36.50.

Skechers USA, Inc. (SKX) had its price target raised by Sterne Agee to $13.00.

Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (WTS) had its price target lowered by Wedbush to $32.00.

Zumiez (ZUMZ) (ARUN) (BAC) (ZQK) (BEBE) (CYBX) Price Targets Changed

Zumiez (NASDAQ: ZUMZ), Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), Quiksilver, Inc. (NYSE: ZQK), Bebe stores (NASDAQ: BEBE) and Cyberonics (NASDAQ: CYBX) price targets adjusted by analysts.

Zumiez (ZUMZ) had its price target lowered by Wedbush to $21.00.

Aruba Networks, Inc. (ARUN) had its price target lowered by Morgan Keegan to $30.00.

Bank of America (BAC) had its price target lowered by Sterne Agee to $9.00.

Quiksilver, Inc. (ZQK) had its price target lowered by Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) to $4.50.

Bebe stores (BEBE) had its price target lowered by Wedbush to $8.00.

Cyberonics (CYBX) had its price target lowered by Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) to $34.00.

Pandora (P) (ENDP) (HERO) (MAIL) (NVLS) (PANL) (PBI) (SIG) Ratings Reiterated

Pandora Media (NYSE: P), Endo Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ENDP), Hercules Offshore, Inc. (NASDAQ: HERO), Incredimail Ltd. (NASDAQ: MAIL), Novellus Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVLS), Universal Display Co. (NASDAQ: PANL), Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) and Signet Jewelers Ltd. (NYSE: SIG) had their ratings reiterated by analysts.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) reiterated an "Equal Weight" rating on Pandora Media (P).

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) reiterated an “Overweight” rating on Endo Pharmaceuticals (ENDP).

Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) reiterated a "Buy" rating on Hercules Offshore, Inc. (HERO).

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) reiterated a "Buy" rating on Incredimail Ltd. (MAIL).

Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a "Hold" rating on Novellus Systems, Inc. (NVLS).

Gabelli reiterated a "Buy" rating on Universal Display Co. (PANL).

BMC Equities Research reiterated a "Buy" rating on Pitney Bowes Inc. (PBI).

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) reiterated an “Overweight” rating on Signet Jewelers Ltd. (SIG).

SPX (SPW) (CSOD) (MSG) (DG) (PFE) (EBAY) Ratings Reiterated

SPX Corp (NYSE: SPW), Cornerstone OnDemand (NASDAQ: CSOD), Madison Square Garden, Inc. (NYSE: MSG), Dollar General (NYSE: DG), Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) and eBay, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) had their ratings reiterated by analysts.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) reiterated a "Hold" rating on SPX Corp. (SPW).

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) reiterated an "Overweight" rating on Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD).

Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a "Hold" rating on Madison Square Garden, Inc. (MSG).

Wedbush reiterated an "Outperform" rating on Dollar General (DG).

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) reiterated an "Overweight" rating on Pfizer Inc. (PFE).

Piper Jaffray reiterated a "Neutral" rating on eBay, Inc. (EBAY).

NIKE (NKE) (CCJ) (TDC) (BIG) (BKEP) (MCRS) Ratings Reiterated

Nike, Inc. (NYSE: NKE), Cameco Co. (NYSE: CCJ), Teradata Co. (NYSE: TDC), Big Lots, Inc. (NYSE: BIG), Blueknight Energy Partners L.P. (NASDAQ: BKEP) and Micros Systems Inc (NASDAQ: MCRS) had their ratings reiterated by analysts.

Oppenheimer reiterated an "Outperform" ratng on Teradata Co. (TDC).

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) reiterated a "Neutral" rating on Big Lots, Inc. (BIG).

Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a "Buy" rating on Nike, Inc. (NKE).

Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a “Buy” rating on Blueknight Energy Partners L.P. (BKEP).

Oppenheimer reiterated an "Outperform" ratng on Micros Systems Inc. (MCRS).

Gabelli reiterated a "Buy" rating on Cameco Co. (CCJ).

Apple (AAPL) (P) (VIA) (WPI) (QCOM) (ARUN) Ratings Reiterated

Apple, Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL), Pandora Media (NYSE: P), Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA), Watson Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NYSE: WPI), QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM) and Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN) had ratings on them reiterated by analysts.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) reiterated its "Overweight" rating on Pandora Media (P).

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) reiterated its "Buy" rating on Apple, Inc (AAPL).

Wunderlich reiterated its "Buy" rating on Viacom Inc. (VIA).

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) reiterated its "Overweight" rating on Watson Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (WPI).

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) reiterated its "Buy" rating on QUALCOMM, Inc. (QCOM).

Wedbush reiterated its "Outperform" rating on Aruba Networks, Inc. (ARUN).

Barnes (B) (AMR) (ORLY) (GVA) (ICE) Upgraded

Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE: B), AMR Co. (NYSE: AMR), O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORLY), Granite Construction Inc. (NYSE: GVA) and IntercontinentalExchange (NYSE: ICE) upgraded by analysts.

Barnes Group Inc. (B) was upgraded by BB&T (NYSE:BBT) from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating.

AMR Co. (AMR) was upgraded by Ticonderoga Securities from a “Sell” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (ORLY) was upgraded by ISI Group to a “Hold” rating.

Granite Construction Inc. (GVA) was upgraded by BB&T from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating.

IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) was upgraded by Credit Agricole from an “Underperform” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Roper (ROP) (SO) (FRO) (G) (PBY) (QLIK) Price Targets Changed

Roper Industries Inc (NYSE: ROP), Southern Co (NYSE: SO), Frontline Ltd. (NYSE: FRO), Genpact Limited (NYSE: G), Pep Boys (NYSE: PBY) and Qlik Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: QLIK) price targets adjusted by analysts.

Roper Industries Inc. (ROP) had its price target lowered by Longbow Research from $98.00 to $88.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Southern Co. (SO) had its price target raised by BMO Capital Markets to $42.00. They have a “Market Perform” rating on the company.

Frontline Ltd. (FRO) had its price target lowered by FBR Capital from $28.00 to $8.00. They have a “Market Perform” rating on the company.

Genpact Limited (G) had its price target lowered by Oppenheimer from $20.00 to $19.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Pep Boys (PBY) had its price target lowered by Argus from $17.00 to $13.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Qlik Technologies Inc. (QLIK) had its price target lowered by UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) from $37.00 to $26.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Adobe (ADBE) (UTI) (AKS) (TTEC) (BIG) (CVG) Price Targets Changed

Adobe Systems (NASDAQ: ADBE), Universal Technical Institute (NYSE: UTI), AK Steel Holding Co. (NYSE: AKS), TeleTech Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTEC), Big Lots, Inc. (NYSE: BIG) and Convergys Co. (NYSE: CVG) had price targets changed by analysts.

Adobe Systems (ADBE) had its price target lowered by UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) to $33.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE: UTI) had its price target lowered

by Argus from $24.00 to $20.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

AK Steel Holding Co. (AKS) had its price target lowered by Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) to $9.50. They have an “Underperform” rating on the company.

TeleTech Holdings, Inc. (TTEC) had its price target lowered by Oppenheimer from $23.00 to $22.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Big Lots, Inc. (BIG) had its price target raised by MKM Partners from $34.00 to $36.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Convergys Co. (CVG) had its price target lowered by Oppenheimer from $16.00 to $14.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Monsanto's (MON) Rootwork Resistance Under Question

Shares of Monsanto (NYSE:MON) took a hit Monday after news approximately 100,000 acres of corn located in Iowa and Nebraska had higher rootworm damage and populations than when using its BT-based product.

Monsanto claims it hasn't discovered any areas of resistance yet, only areas with more crop damage and rootworm populations than normal.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) analyst Robert Koort, said, “While we understand why this news might appear alarming to investors worried that Monsanto’s products are losing their efficacy, we would highlight that this seems to have occurred in very few instances.”

Other analysts concur, saying it should be considered a buying opportunity.

This was actually data extracted from publication close to a month ago. Even so, it is something that will need to be watched going forward.

Monsanto closed Monday at $69.78, dropping $0.90, or 1.27 percent.

BP (BP) (APC) (COP) (XOM) (RDS-A) (HAL) (CVX) (MRO) Jumped Monday

BP (NYSE:BP), Anadarko (NYSE:APC), Conoco (NYSE:COP), Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), Shell (NYSE:RDS-A), Halliburton (NYSE:HAL), Chevron (NYSE:CVX) and Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) all closed up Monday on news consumer spending was slightly up.

Crude for October delivery climbed $1.90 to $87.27 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest settlement since Aug. 17. Prices have dropped 4.5 percent this year.

Brent oil for October settlement jumped 52 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $111.88 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The European benchmark traded at a premium of $24.61 to U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures, compared with a record $26.21 on Aug. 19.

Marathon closed at $26.41, gaining $0.52. or 2.01 percent. Chevron closed at $98.74, jumping $1.89, or 1.95 percent. Halliburton ended the session at $42.81, climbing $1.35, or 3.26 percent. Royal Dutch Shell closed at $65.33, rising $1.11, or 1.73 percent. Exxon closed at $74.12, increasing $1.48, or 2.04 percent. Conoco closed the day at $67.78, up $2.27, or 3.47 percent. Anadarko closed at $71.75, gaining $2.48, or 3.58 percent. BP closed at $39.25, rising $1.06, or 2.78 percent.

Zillow (Z) (MITK) (PCYC) (SKUL) (SQI) Get New Coverage

Zillow Inc. (NYSE: Z), Mitek Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MITK), Pharmacyclics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCYC), Skullcandy Inc (NASDAQ: SKUL) and Sciquest Incorporated (NYSE: SQI) getting new analyst coverage.

William Blair initiated coverage on Mitek Systems, Inc. (MITK). They placed an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Leerink initiated coverage on Pharmacyclics, Inc. (PCYC). They placed an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Keybanc initiated coverage on Skullcandy Inc. (SKUL). They placed a “buy” rating and a price target of $20.00 on the company.

Barrington Research initiated coverage on Sciquest Incorporated (SQI). They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $18.25 on the company.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) initiated coverage on Zillow Inc. (Z). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $36.00 on the company.

Monday, August 29, 2011

AuRico Gold (AUQ) a Buy After (NXG) Bid?

After the bid by AuRico Gold (NYSE:AUQ) for Northgate Minerals (NYSE:NXG) for all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Northgate for 0.365 AuRico shares per Northgate share, a 45 percent premium for Northgate shareholders, shares of each company went in opposite directions.

AuRico Gold was getting hammered after paying the 45 percent premium, falling to $11.23, down $2.69, or 19.32 percent, as of 2:53 PM EDT. That suggests it may be a good time to look at the shares.

The new entity, if approved, would include five operating gold mines, with another one scheduled to begin production in 2012. There are also three other gold projects in development in Australia, Canada and Mexico.

Combined, the company would produce about 470,000 ounces of gold in 2011, an increase over the prior 280,000 ounces.

Northgate was trading at $3.9850, gaining $0.8350, or 26.51 percent, as of 2:57 PM EDT.

Qlik (QLIK) (SO) (AKS) (ADBE) Price Targets Changed

Qlik Technologies (NASDAQ:QLIK), Southern Company (NYSE:SO), AK Steel (NYSE:AKS) and Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) had their price targets adjusted by analysts.

Qlik Technologies (QLIK) had its price target raised by UBS (NYSE:UBS) to $26. They have a "Neutral" rating on the company.

Southern Company (SO) had its price target was raised at BMO Capital Markets to $42. They have a "Market Perform" rating on the company.

AK Steel (AKS) price target was cut by Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) to $9.50. They have an "Underperform" rating on the company.

Adobe (ADBE) estimates and price target were cut at UBS. They have a "Buy" rating and price target of $33 on the company.

Tiffany (TIF) (BBY) (NCR) (PFE) EPS Estimates Changed

Tiffany (NYSE:TIF), Best Buy (NYSE:BBY), NCR (NYSE:NCR) and Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) EPS estimates adjusted by analysts.

Tiffany (TIF) estimates were raised by Merriman Capital through 2012. They have a "Neutral" rating on the company.

Best Buy (BBY) estimates were cut by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS). They have a "Neutral" rating and a price target of $29 on the company.

NCR (NCR) EPS estimates were raised through 2013 at Goldman Sachs. They have a "Buy" rating and price target of $21 on the company.

Pfizer (PFE) EPS estimates were increased by Goldman Sachs through 2015. They have a "Buy" rating and a price target of $22 on the company.

Baidu (BIDU) (AMR) (ORLY) (RHI) (Z) Get Upgrades, Downgrades

Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU), AMR (NYSE:AMR), O'Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ: ORLY), Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI) and Zillow (NASDAQ:Z) get new upgrades and downgrades from analysts.

O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY) was upgraded by ISI Group from a "Sell" rating to a "Hold" rating. They have a price target of $64 on the company.

AMR (AMR) was upgraded by Ticonderoga Securities from a "Sell" to "Neutral" rating. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

Baidu (BIDU) was upgraded by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) from an "Underperform" to a "Neutral" rating. They have a price target of $135.50 on the company.

Robert Half International (RHI) was downgraded by Citigroup (NYSE:C) from a "Buy" rating to a "Hold" rating. They cut their price target from $40 to $25 on the company.

Citigroup initiated coverage on Zillow (Z). They started them with a "Buy" rating and a price target of $36.

Tenaris (TS) (ENR) (FTI) (HOGS) (HOT) (REGN) Downgraded

Tenaris (NYSE: TS), Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ENR), FMC Tech (NYSE: FTI), ZHONGPIN INC. (NASDAQ: HOGS), Starwood Hotels (NYSE: HOT) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: REGN) downgraded by analysts.

Tenaris (TS) was downgraded by Guggenheim from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Energizer Holdings, Inc. (ENR) was downgraded by Standpoint Research from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating.

FMC Tech (FTI) was downgraded by Guggenheim from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

ZHONGPIN INC. (HOGS) was downgraded by Global Hunter Securities from a “Neutral” rating to a “Reduce” rating.

Starwood Hotels (HOT) was downgraded by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) from an “Overweight” rating to an “Equal Weight” rating. They have a price target of $47.00 on the company, down from $71.00.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) was downgraded by Citigroup (NYSE:C) from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating. They have a price target of $60.00 on the company.

First Solar (FSLR) (BIDU) (CLD) (GEN) Upgraded

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR), Baidu.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU), Cloud Peak Energy (NYSE: CLD) and RRI Energy, Inc. (NYSE: GEN) upgraded by analysts.

Baidu.com, Inc. (BIDU) was upgraded by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) from an “Underperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Cloud Peak Energy (CLD) was upgraded by Dahlman Rose from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $24.00 on the company.

First Solar, Inc. (FSLR) was upgraded by Collins Stewart from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $132.00 on the company.

RRI Energy, Inc. (GEN) was upgraded by SunTrust (NYSE:STI) from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

VMware (VMW) (AHONY) (ARB) (RIMM) (ARUN) Upgraded

VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), Koninklijke Ahold (NASDAQ: AHONY), Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB), Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) and Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN) upgraded by analysts.

VMware, Inc. (VMW) was upgraded by Pacific Crest from a “Sector Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Koninklijke Ahold (AHONY) was upgraded by Citigroup (NYSE:C) from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating.

Arbitron Inc. (ARB) was upgraded by Gilford Securities to a “Buy” rating.

Research In Motion (RIMM) was upgraded by Sterne Agee from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $35.00 on the company.

Aruba Networks, Inc. (ARUN) was upgraded by BMO Capital Markets to a “Market Perform” rating.

Hartford (HIG) (IEX) (MT) (OVTI) Price Targets Changed

Hartford Financial (NYSE: HIG), IDEX Corp (NYSE: IEX), ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) and OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OVTI) price targets adjusted by analysts.

Hartford Financial (HIG) had its price target lowered by Argus from $36.00 to $26.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

IDEX Corp. (IEX) had its price target lowered by Oppenheimer from $55.00 to $50.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

ArcelorMittal (MT) had its price target lowered by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) from $38.50 to $24.50. They have a “Hold” rating on the company.

OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (OVTI) had its price target lowered by Needham & Company from $45.00 to $30.00. They have a “Strong Buy” rating on the company.

Seadrill (SDRL) (ENER) (PDCO) (GEOI) (HEI) Price Targets Changed

Seadrill Ltd (NASDAQ: SDRL), Energy Conversion Devices Inc (NASDAQ: ENER), Patterson Companies Inc (NASDAQ: PDCO), GeoResources, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEOI) and HEICO (NYSE: HEI) price targets adjusted by analysts.

Seadrill Ltd (SDRL) had its price target lowered by Dahlman Rose from $42.00 to $38.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (ENER) had its price target lowered by Ardour Capital from $1.00 to $0.50. They now have a “Reduce” rating on the company.

Patterson Companies Inc. (PDCO) had its price target lowered by analysts at Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) to $29.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

GeoResources, Inc. (GEOI) had its price target lowered by Rodman & Renshaw from $33.00 to $29.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

HEICO (HEI) had its price target raised by FBR Capital from $52.00 to $56.00. They have a “Market Perform” rating on the company.

IDEX (IEX) (JOYG) (OVTI) (PAG) (SDRL) (MDCO) Ratings Reiterated

IDEX Corp (NYSE:IEX), Joy Global (NASDAQ:JOYG), OmniVision (NASDAQ:OVTI), Penske Auto (NYSE:PAG), Seadrill Ltd (NYSE:SDRL) and The Medicines Co (NASDAQ:MDCO) had ratings on them reiterated by analysts.

Barrington Research reiterated its rating on IDEX Corp. (IEX). They have an "Outperform" rating on the company, and cut its price target from $55 to $45.

Barclays Capital reiterated its rating on Joy Global (JOYG). They have an "Overweight" rating on the company, and cut its price target from $114 to $112.

Needham reiterated its rating on OmniVision (OVTI). They have a "Strong Buy" rating on the company, and slashed their price target on them from $45 to $30.

Ticonderoga reiterated its rating on Penske Auto (PAG). They have a "Buy" rating on the company, and lowered their price target from $27 to $25.

Dahlman Rose reiterated its rating on Seadrill Ltd (SDRL). They have a "Buy" rating on the company, and lowered their price target from $42 to $38.

Argus reiterated its rating on The Medicines Co. (MDCO). They have a "Buy" rating on the company, and cut their price target on them from $25 to $20.

Waters (WAT) (ENER) (GEOI) (HIG) (HEI) Ratings Reiterated

Waters (NYSE:WAT), Energy Conversion (NASDAQ:ENER), GeoResources (NASDAQ:GEOI), Hartford Financial (NYSE:HIG) and HEICO (NYSE:HEI) had ratings on them reiterated by analysts.

Wedbush reiterated its rating on Waters (WAT). They have an "Neutral" rating on the company, and cut its price target from $$37 to $32.

Ardour Capital reiterated its rating on (ENER). They have a "Reduce" rating on the company, and cut its price target from $1 to $0.50.

Rodman & Renshaw reiterated its rating on GeoResources (GEOI). They have an "Outperform" rating on the company, and slashed their price target on them from $33 to $29.

Argus reiterated its rating on Hartford Financial (HIG). They have a "Buy" rating on the company, and lowered their price target from $36 to $26.

Wedbush reiterated its rating on HEICO (HEI). They have an "Outperform" rating on the company, and raised their price target from $55 to $57.

ZAGG (ZAGG) (DDD) (MT) (BAC) (BAX) (BIG) Ratings Reiterated

ZAGG (NASDAQ:ZAGG), 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD), Arcelor Mittal (NYSE:MT), Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), Baxter (NYSE:BAX) and Big Lots (NYSE:BIG) had rating on them reiterated by analysts.

Northland Securities reiterated its rating on ZAGG (ZAGG). They have an "Outperform" rating on the company, and raised its price target from $20 to $22.

Barclays Capital reiterated its rating on 3D Systems (DDD). They have an "Equal Weight" rating on the company, and cut its price target from $23 to $19.

Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) reiterated its rating on Arcelor Mittal (MT). They have a "Hold" rating on the company, and slashed their price target on them from $38.50 to $24.50.

RBC Capital Markets reiterated its rating on Bank of America (NYSE:BAC). They have an "Outperform" rating on the company, and lowered their price target from $12 to $10.

Ticonderoga reiterated its rating on Baxter (NYSE:BAX). They have a "Buy" rating on the company, and raised their price target from $60 to $62.

Waters (WAT) (PAG) (CIT) (TROW) (CNK) (DDD) Price Targets Changed

Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT), Penske Automotive (NYSE: PAG), CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT), T. Rowe Price (NASDAQ: TROW), Cinemark Holdings Inc (NYSE: CNK) and 3D Systems Co. (NYSE: DDD) price targets adjusted by analysts.

Waters Corporation (WAT) had its price target lowered by Wedbush from $37.00 to $32.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Penske Automotive (PAG) had its price target lowered by Ticonderoga from $27.00 to $25.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

CIT Group Inc. (CIT) had its price target raised by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) to $45.00.

T. Rowe Price (TROW) had its price target lowered by Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) to $58.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Cinemark Holdings Inc. (CNK) had its price target raised by Morgan Stanley to $23.00. They have an “Equal Weight” rating on the company.

3D Systems Co. (DDD) had its price target lowered by Barclays Capital from $23.00 to $19.00. They have an “Equal Weight” rating on the company.

ZAGG (ZAGG) (BAC) (YHOO) (BAX) (MDCO) (BIG) Price Targets Changed

ZAGG (NASDAQ: ZAGG), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO), Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX), The Medicines Company (NASDAQ: MDCO) and Big Lots, Inc. (NYSE: BIG) price targets adjusted by analysts.

ZAGG (ZAGG) had its price target raised by Northland Securities from $20.00 to $22.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Bank of America (BAC) had its price target lowered by RBC Capital from $12.00 to $10.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO) had its price target lowered by UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) to $14.75. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Baxter International Inc. (BAX) had its price target raised by Ticonderoga from $60.00 to $62.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

The Medicines Company (MDCO) had its price target lowered by Argus from $25.00 to $20.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Big Lots, Inc. (BIG) had its price target raised by Wedbush from $32.00 to $34.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Francesca’s (FRAN) (FRC) (INSU) (IRWD) (JAH) (JNS) Get New Coverage

Francesca’s (NASDAQ: FRAN), First Republic Bank (NYSE: FRC), Insituform Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: INSU), Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: IRWD), Jarden Co. (NYSE: JAH) and Janus Capital Group Inc. (NYSE: JNS) getting new coverage from analysts.

Wedbush initiated coverage on Francesca’s (FRAN). They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $28.00 on the company.

RBC Capital initiated coverage on First Republic Bank (FRC). They placed a “Sector Perform” rating and a price target of $28.00 on the company.

Boenning & Scattergood initiated coverage on Insituform Technologies, Inc. (INSU). They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $23.00 on the company.

Morgan Joseph initiated coverage on Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (IRWD). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

DA Davidson initiated coverage on Jarden Co. (JAH). They placed a “Neutral” rating and a price target of $31.00 on the company.

Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) initiated coverage on Janus Capital Group Inc. (JNS). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $8.00 on the company.

SonoSite (SONO) (BRCM) (SFSF) (DAN) (REN) (ECTE) Get New Coverage

SonoSite Inc (NASDAQ: SONO), Broadcom Corp (NASDAQ: BRCM), SuccessFactors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SFSF), Dana Holding Co. (NYSE: DAN), Resolute Energy Corp (NYSE: REN) and Echo Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ECTE) getting new coverage from analysts.

Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on SonoSite Inc. (SONO). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

ThinkEquity initiated coverage on Broadcom Corp. (BRCM). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) initiated coverage on SuccessFactors, Inc. (SFSF). They placed an “Overweight” rating on the company.

CRT Capital initiated coverage on Dana Holding Co. (DAN). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

Morgan Keegan initiated coverage on Resolute Energy Corp. (REN). They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $19.00 on the company.

Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Echo Therapeutics (ECTE). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

TreeHouse (THS) (ABCD) (WDR) (AFFX) (SQNM) (BLK) Get New Coverage

TreeHouse Foods Inc. (NYSE: THS), Cambium Learning Group (NASDAQ: ABCD), Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. (NYSE: WDR), Affymetrix, Inc. (NASDAQ: AFFX), Sequenom (NASDAQ: SQNM) and BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) getting new coverage from analysts.

Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC) initiated coverage on TreeHouse Foods Inc. (THS). They placed an “Outperform” rating on the company.

BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on Cambium Learning Group (ABCD). They placed an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) initiated coverage on Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. (WDR). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $34.00 on the company.

Mizuho initiated coverage on Affymetrix, Inc. (AFFX). They placed an “Outperform” rating on the company.

William Blair initiated coverage on Sequenom ( SQNM). They placed an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Jefferies initiated coverage on BlackRock, Inc. (BLK). They placed a “Hold” rating and a price target of $177.00 on the company.

Friday, August 26, 2011

First Solar (FSLR) (ARUN) (CLD) (GEN) (LII) (RIMM) (VMW) (WSO) Upgraded

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR), Aruba Networks (NASDAQ:ARUN), Cloud Peak Energy (NYSE:CLD), GenOn Energy (NYSE:GEN), Lennox International (NYSE:LII), Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM), VMware, (NYSE:VMW) and Watsco (NYSE:WSO) upgraded by analysts.

Aruba Networks (ARUN) was upgraded by Capital Markets to a "Market Perform" rating.

Cloud Peak Energy (CLD) was upgraded by Dahlman Rose from a "Hold" rating to a "Buy" rating. They placed a price target of $24 on the company.

First Solar (FSLR) was upgraded by Collins Stewart from a "Neutral" rating to a "Buy" rating. They placed a price target of $132 on the company.

GenOn Energy (NYSE:GEN) was upgraded by SunTrust (NYSE:STI) from a "Neutral" rating to a "Buy" rating.

Lennox International (LII) was upgraded by KeyBanc Capital Markets to a "Buy" rating.

Research In Motion (RIMM) was upgraded by Sterne Agee from a "Neutral" rating to a "Buy" rating.

VMware, (VMW) was upgraded by Pacific Crest from a "Sector Perform" rating to an "Outperform" rating.

Watsco (WSO) was upgraded by KeyBanc Capital Markets to a "Buy" rating.

BlackRock (BLK) (BRCM) (ECTE) (JNS) (SFSF) (SQNM) (SONO) (THS) (WDR) Get New Coverage

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK), Broadcom (NASDAQ:BRCM), Echo Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ECTE), Janus Capital (NYSE:JNS), SuccessFactors (NASDAQ:SFSF), Sequenom (NASDAQ:SQNM), SonoSite (NASDAQ:SONO), TreeHouse Foods (NYSE:THS) and Waddell & Reed (NYSE:WDR) getting new coverage from analysts.

Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) initiated coverage on BlackRock (BLK). They started them off with a "Hold" rating.

ThinkEquity initiated coverage on Broadcom (BRCM). They started them off with a "Buy" rating.

Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Echo Therapeutics (ECTE). They started them off with a "Buy" rating.

Jefferies initiated coverage on Janus Capital (JNS). They started them off with a "Buy" rating.

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) initiated coverage on SuccessFactors (SFSF). They started them off with a "Overweight" rating.

William Blair initiated coverage on Sequenom (SQNM). They started them off with a "Outperform" rating.

Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on SonoSite (SONO). They started them off with a "Buy" rating.

Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) initiated coverage on TreeHouse Foods (THS). They started them off with a "Outperform" rating.

Jefferies initiated coverage on Waddell & Reed (WDR). They started them off with a "Buy" rating.

Tech (CSCO) (INTC) (MSFT) Leading Markets Up

Tech is leading a rebound in the market today, with Cisco Systems(NASDAQ:CSCO), Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) topping the field.

Much of this is in response to Federal Reserve Chairman's Ben Bernanke saying at the next Fed meeting there will be discussion of more so-called "stimulus" measures in September.

Bernanke said, "In addition to refining our forward guidance, the Federal Reserve has a range of tools that could be used to provide additional monetary stimulus. We discussed the relative merits and costs of such tools at our August meeting. We will continue to consider those and other pertinent issues, including of course economic and financial developments, at our meeting in September, which has been scheduled for two days (the 20th and the 21st) instead of one to allow a fuller discussion. The Committee will continue to assess the economic outlook in light of incoming information and is prepared to employ its tools as appropriate to promote a stronger economic recovery in a context of price stability."

Intel was trading at $19.79, up $0.37, or 1.91, as of 12:00 PM EDT. Cisco was at $15.47, jumping $0.39, or 2.55 percent. Microsoft was at $25.25, climbing $0.68, or 2.77 percent.

Tiffany (TIF) (OVTI) (P) (CLWR) Make Big Moves

Shares of Tiffany (NYSE:TIF), OmniVision Technologies (NASDAQ:OVTI), Pandora Media (NYSE:P) and Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) are among the big movers today, with Pandora and Tiffany pushing up and Clearwire and OmniVision going in the opposite direction.

Pandora Media (P) was trading at $13.63, gaining $1.16, or 9.30 percent, as of 11:49 AM EDT. Better-than-expected second-quarter earnings is the catalyst here.

Tiffany (TIF) was trading at $67.53, up $4.42, or 7.00 percent. The catalyst for Tiffany was also strong quarterly results which beat analysts' expectations.

OmniVision Technologies (OVTI) is getting pummeled, plunging to $16.93, down $7.89, or 31.79 percent. Weak guidance for the current quarter is the reason for the huge drop in share price.

Clearwire (CLWR) was trading down at $2.74, losing $0.25, or 8.36 percent. Talks with Blackstone Group about restructuring options appears to be the catalyst with Clearwire

Nokia (NOK) Remains an "Outperform" at RBC

Saying Nokia (NYSE:NOK) will be strengthened by its dual SIM phones, RBC Capital Markets said today it maintains an "Outperform" rating on the company, with a price target of $9 in place.

According to RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Sue, units shipped in the current quarter will increase from his prior estimate of 89 million to 100 million, citing the dual SIM phones, which are popular in China and other markets, as the catalyst.

This should help the company during its transition to the Windows Phone 7 operating system, which may be on the first "N9" unit from Nokia when released in October.

In comparison to Symbian, developers are high on the simplicity connected to Mango.

Nokia was trading at $5.88, down $0.01, or 0.25 percent, as of 11:35 AM EDT.

Janus Capital (JNS) (REGN) (RIMM) (WDR) Ratings Changed

Janus Capital (NYSE:JNS), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:REGN), Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) and Waddell & Reed (NYSE:WDR) had their ratings adjusted by analysts.

Janus Capital (JNS) is now rated new Buy at Jefferies (NYSE:JEF). They have a price target of $8 on the company.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) was downgraded by Citigroup (NYSE:C) from "Buy" to "Hold." They have a price target of $60 on the company.

Research In Motion (RIMM) was upgraded by Sterne Agee from "Neutral" to "Buy." They have a price target of $35 on the company.

Waddell & Reed (WDR) was rated new Buy by Jefferies. They have a price target of $34 on the company.

First Solar (FSLR) (ARUN) (CLD) (BLK) (HOT) Ratings Changed

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR), Aruba Networks (NASDAQ:ARUN), Cloud Peak Energy (NYSE:CLD), BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) and Starwood Hotels (NYSE:HOT) had their ratings changed by analysts.

Aruba Networks (ARUN) was upgraded by BMO from "Underperform" to "Market Perform." They have a price target of $20 on the company. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

BlackRock (BLK) has a new "Hold" rating on them from Jefferies (NYSE:JEF). They have a price target of $177 on the company.

Cloud Peak Energy (CLD) upgraded by Dahlman Rose from "Hold" to "Buy." They have a price target of $24 on the company.

First Solar (FSLR) was upgraded by Collins Stewart from "Neutral" to "Buy" rating. They have a price target of $132 on the company. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

Starwood Hotels (HOT) was downgraded by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) from an "Overweight" to "Equal weight" rating. They have a price target of $47 on the company.

Pioneer (PXD) (GKSR) (MO) (SYY) (SSI) (CATO) (RGS) (MOCO) Declare Dividends

The Board of Directors of Pioneer Natural Resources Co. (NYSE:PXD) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.04 per share payable 10/14/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/30/11.

The Board of Directors of G & K Services (NASDAQ:GKSR) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.13 per share payable 9/29/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/22/11.

The Board of Directors of Altria Group Inc. (NYSE:MO) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.41 per share payable 10/11/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/15/11.

The Board of Directors of Sysco Corp. (NYSE:SYY) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.26 per share payable 10/28/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 10/7/11.

The Board of Directors of Stage Stores Inc (NYSE:SSI) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.09 per share payable 9/21/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/6/11.

The Board of Directors of Cato Corp. (NYSE:CATO) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.23 per share payable 9/26/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/12/11.

The Board of Directors of Regis Corp. (NYSE:RGS) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.06 per share payable 9/22/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/8/11.

The Board of Directors of MOCON Inc. (NASDAQ:MOCO) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.10 per share payable 11/18/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 11/4/11.

F5 (FFIV) (CCSC) (GAME) (PEI) (PVX) (QLTY) Upgraded

F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV), Country Style Cookin (NASDAQ: CCSC), Shanda Games (NASDAQ: GAME), Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (NYSE: PEI), Provident Energy Trust (NYSE: PVX) and Quality Distribution, Inc. (NASDAQ: QLTY) upgraded by analysts.

Country Style Cookin (CCSC) was upgraded by Cowen to an “Outperform” rating.

F5 Networks (FFIV) was upgraded by Stifel Nicolaus from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $84.00 on the company.

Shanda Games (GAME) was upgraded by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PEI) was upgraded by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc to an “Outperform” rating.

Provident Energy Trust (PVX) was upgraded by TD Newcrest from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Quality Distribution, Inc. (QLTY) was upgraded by Stifel Nicolaus from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $14.00 on the company.

Synchronoss (SNCR) (AEO) (VVR) (CAE) (RA) (CASY) Upgraded

Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNCR), American Eagle (NYSE: AEO), Invesco Van Kampen Senior Income Trust (NYSE: VVR), CAE, Inc. (NYSE: CAE), RailAmerica, Inc. (NYSE: RA) and Casey’s General (NASDAQ: CASY) upgraded by analysts.

Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (SNCR) was upgraded by Robert W. Baird from a “Neutral” rating to an “Outperform” rating. They have a price target of $36.00 on the company.

American Eagle (AEO) was upgraded by Lazard Capital from a “Sell” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Invesco Van Kampen Senior Income Trust (VVR) was upgraded by Stifel Nicolaus from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating.

CAE, Inc. (CAE) was upgraded by UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

RailAmerica, Inc. (RA) was upgraded by Stifel Nicolaus from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $15.00 on the company.

Casey’s General (CASY) was upgraded by Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $49.00 on the company.

Hanwha (HSOL) (PTI) (UTHR) (VE) Downgraded

Hanwha Solar (NASDAQ: HSOL), Patni Computer Systems Ltd (NYSE: PTI), United Therapeutics (NASDAQ: UTHR) and Veolia Environnement (NYSE: VE) downgraded by analysts.

Hanwha Solar (HSOL) was downgraded by Collins Stewart from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They have a price target of $4.00 on the company, down from $5.50.

Patni Computer Systems Ltd (PTI) was downgraded by UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) from a “Neutral” rating to a “Sell” rating.

United Therapeutics (UTHR) was downgraded by Auriga from a “Hold” rating to a “Sell” rating. They have a price target $45.00 on the company, down from $90.00.

Veolia Environnement (VE) was downgraded by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) to a “Neutral” rating.

China Sunergy (CSUN) (ECA) (HPQ) (MT) Downgraded

China Sunergy Co. Ltd (NASDAQ: CSUN), EnCana Co. (NYSE: ECA), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) and ArcelorMittal ADR (NYSE: MT) downgraded by analysts.

China Sunergy Co. Ltd (CSUN) was downgraded by Collins Stewart from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They have a price target of $1.60 on the company, down from $2.50.

EnCana Co. (ECA) was downgraded by The Benchmark Company from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating.

Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) was downgraded by RBC Capital from an “Outperform” rating to a “Sector Perform” rating. They have a price target of $30.00 on the company, down from $35.00.

ArcelorMittal (MT) was downgraded by Nomura from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Oracle (ORCL) (HMA) (MET) (MU) (N) Price Targets Changed

Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL), Health Management Associates (NYSE: HMA), MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), Micron Technology, Inc. (NYSE: MU) and NetSuite Inc. (NYSE: N) price targets adjusted by analysts.

Oracle (ORCL) had its price target lowered by Macquarie from $38.00 to $36.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Health Management Associates (HMA) had its price target lowered by Ticonderoga from $12.00 to $10.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

MetLife, Inc. (MET) had its price target lowered by Argus from $54.00 to $46.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) had its price target lowered by Wedbush from $12.50 to $9.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

NetSuite Inc. (N) had its price target lowered by Feltl & Co. from $42.00 to $36.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

EMC (EMC) (CYH) (EXPR) (GES) (HCA) Price Targets Changed

Community Health Systems (NYSE: CYH), EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC), Express, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPR), Guess Inc (NYSE: GES) and HCA Holdings Inc (NYSE: HCA) had price targets adjusted by analysts.

Community Health Systems (CYH) had its price target lowered by Ticonderoga from $30.00 to $23.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

EMC Corp. (EMC) had its price target lowered by RBC Capital from $33.00 to $28.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Express, Inc. (EXPR) had its price target lowered by Wedbush from $28.00 to $26.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Guess Inc. (GES) had its price target lowered by Brean Murray from $60.00 to $44.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

HCA Holdings Inc. (HCA) had its price target lowered by Ticonderoga from $36.00 to $25.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Seagate (STX) (GES) (SAP) (MU) (QCOR) ( PCAR) Price Targets Changed

Seagate (NYSE: STX), Guess Inc (NYSE: GES), SAP Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: SAP), Micron Technology, Inc. (NYSE: MU), Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOR) and PACCAR (NASDAQ: PCAR) price targets adjusted by analysts.

Seagate (STX) had its price target lowered by RBC Capital from $18.00 to $13.00. They have a “Sector Perform” rating on the company.

Guess Inc. (GES) had its price target lowered by Wedbush from $50.00 to $37.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

SAP Aktiengesellschaft (SAP) had its price target lowered by Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) from $67.00 to $60.00.

Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) had its price target lowered by Barclays Capital from $9.00 to $8.00. They have an “Equal Weight” rating on the company.

Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (QCOR) had its price target raised by Maxim Group from $32.00 to $37.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

PACCAR (PCAR) had its price target lowered by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) from $52.00 to $43.50. They have a “Hold” rating on the company.

Toll (TOL) (AEO) (NAV) (AMAT) (THC) (DAN) Price Targets Changed

Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE: TOL), American Eagle (NYSE: AEO), Navistar (NYSE: NAV), Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT), Tenet Healthcare Co. (NYSE: THC) and Dana Holding Co. (NYSE: DAN) had price targets adjusted by analysts.

Toll Brothers, Inc. (TOL) had its price target lowered by RBC Capital from $23.00 to $17.00. They have a “Sector Perform” rating on the company.

American Eagle (AEO) had its price target lowered by Barclays Capital from $12.00 to $11.00. They have an “Equal Weight” rating on the company.

Navistar (NAV) had its price target lowered by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) from $80.00 to $62.50. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) had its price target lowered by Barclays Capital from $16.00 to $15.00. They have an “Overweight” rating on the company.

Tenet Healthcare Co. (THC) had its price target lowered by Ticonderoga from $8.00 to $6.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Dana Holding Co. (DAN) had its price target lowered by Deutsche Bank from $22.00 to $20.50. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Aviat (AVNW) (UHS) (AEO) (VHS) (AMAT) (UTHR) Price Targets Changed

Aviat Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVNW), Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS), American Eagle (NYSE: AEO), Vanguard Health Systems (NYSE: VHS), Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) and United Therapeutics (NASDAQ: UTHR) had price targets adjusted by analysts.

American Eagle (AEO) had its price target lowered by Oppenheimer from $19.00 to $14.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Vanguard Health Systems (VHS) had its price target lowered by Ticonderoga from $21.00 to $17.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) had its price target lowered by Needham & Company from $16.00 to $13.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

United Therapeutics (UTHR) had its price target lowered by Oppenheimer from $77.00 to $53.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Aviat Networks, Inc. (AVNW) had its price target lowered by Needham & Company from $5.50 to $4.50. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Universal Health Services (UHS) had its price target lowered by Ticonderoga from $63.00 to $46.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Inhibitex (INHX) (RCKB) (LNN) (OVRL) (MXWL) (OILT) Get New Coverage

Inhibitex (NASDAQ: INHX), Rockville Financial Inc. (NASDAQ: RCKB), Lindsay Corp. (NYSE: LNN), Overland Storage (NASDAQ: OVRL), Maxwell Technologies (NASDAQ: MXWL) and Oiltanking Partners (NASDAQ: OILT)getting new analyst coverage.

Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on Inhibitex (INHX). They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $6.00 on the company.

Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Rockville Financial Inc. (RCKB). They placed a “buy” rating and a $12.00 price target on the company.

Keybanc initiated coverage on Lindsay Corp. (LNN). They placed a “Hold” rating on the company.

The Benchmark Company initiated coverage on Overland Storage (OVRL). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $4.00 on the company.

ThinkEquity initiated coverage on Maxwell Technologies (MXWL). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) initiated coverage on Oiltanking Partners (OILT). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

Manpower (MAN) (BMI) (SAP) (EC) (LEN) (FBNK) Get New Coverage

Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN), Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE: BMI), SAP Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: SAP), Ecopetrol S.A. (NYSE: EC), Lennar Co. (NYSE: LEN) and First Connecticut Bancorp Inc (NASDAQ: FBNK) getting new analyst coverage.

Avondale Partners initiated coverage on Manpower Inc. (MAN). They placed a “Market Perform” rating and a price target of $40.00 on the company.

Keybanc initiated coverage on Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI). They placed a “hold” rating on the company.

RBS initiated coverage on SAP Aktiengesellschaft (SAP). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

Tudor Pickering initiated coverage on Ecopetrol S.A. (EC). They placed a “Hold” rating on the company.

Keybanc initiated coverage on Lennar Co. (LEN). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $23.00 on the company.

Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on First Connecticut Bancorp Inc (FBNK). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $15.00 on the company.

Stemcells (STEM) (ACHN) (WETF) (AOLS) (VMI) (BECN) (SNSS) Get New Coverage

Stemcells Inc. (NASDAQ: STEM), Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ACHN), WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (NASDAQ: WETF), Aeolus Pharma (OTC:AOLS), Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE: VMI), Beacon Roofing Supply (NASDAQ: BECN) and Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNSS) getting new analyst coverage.

Roth Capital initiated coverage on Stemcells Inc. (STEM). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc. They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $9.00 on the company.

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) initiated coverage on WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (WETF). They placed an “Overweight” rating on the company.

Ladenburg Thalmann initiated coverage on Aeolus Pharma (OTC:AOLS). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $1.25 on the company.

Keybanc initiated coverage on Valmont Industries, Inc. (VMI). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $110.00 on the company.

Raymond James (NYSE:RJF) initiated coverage on Beacon Roofing Supply (BECN). They placed an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Roth Capital initiated coverage on Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (SNSS). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

Toll (TOL) (AEO) (UTHR) (AMAT) (SNI) (CVI) (GSM) (PRU) EPS Estimates Changed

Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE: TOL), American Eagle (NYSE: AEO), United Therapeutics (NASDAQ: UTHR), Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT), Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (NYSE: SNI), CVR Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CVI), Globe Specialty Metals, Inc. (NYSE: GSM) and Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) EPS estimates adjusted by analysts.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) lowered its EPS estimates on Toll Brothers, Inc. (TOL). They have a “Hold” rating and a price target of $23.00 on the company.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) lowered its EPS estimates on American Eagle (AEO). They have a “Buy” rating and a price target of $17.00 on the company.

Goldman Sachs lowered its EPS estimates on United Therapeutics (UTHR). They have a “Buy” rating and a price target of $52.00 on the company.

Goldman Sachs lowered its EPS estimates on Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT). They have a “Neutral” rating and a price target of $10.50 on the company.

UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) lowered its EPS estimates on Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI). They have a “Neutral” rating and a price target of $44.00 on the company.

Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) boosted its EPS estimates on CVR Energy, Inc. (CVI). They have an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $38.00 on the company.

Credit Suisse lowered its EPS estimates on Globe Specialty Metals, Inc. (GSM). They have an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $22.00 on the company.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) lowered its EPS estimates on Prudential Financial, Inc. (PRU). They have an “Overweight” rating and a price target of $67.00 on the company.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Applied Materials (AMAT) (CVI) (GES) (GSM) (LEN) (PRU) (SNI) (UTHR) Price Targets Changed

Applied Materials (AMAT), CVR Energy (CVI), Guess (GES), Globe Specialty Metals (GSM), Lennar (LEN), Prudential Financial (PRU), Scripps Networks (SNI) and United Therapeutics (UTHR) price targets adjusted by analysts.

Applied Materials (AMAT) had its price target cut by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) to $10.50. Goldman has a "Neutral" rating on the company.

CVR Energy (CVI) had its price target cut by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) to $38. They boosted its estimates and have an "Outperform" rating on the company.

Guess (GES) had its price target cut by Brean Murray to $44. They also lowered their estimates also cut and have a "Buy" rating on the company.

Globe Specialty Metals (GSM) had its price target cut by Credit to $22. They also cut their estimates and have an "Outperform" rating on the company.

Lennar (LEN) had its price target cut by Keybanc to $23. They also cut their estimates while having a "Buy" rating on the company.

Prudential Financial (PRU) had its price target cut by Morgan Stanley to $67. They lowered their Estimates and have an "Overweight" rating on the company.

Scripps Networks (SNI) had its price target cut by UBS (NYSE:UBS) to $44. They lowered their estimates and have a "Neutral" rating on the company.

United Therapeutics (UTHR) had its price target cut by Goldman Sachs to $52. They cut their estimates and have a "Buy" rating on the company.

Apple (AAPL) (WFC) (TOL) (AEO) (MU) (ORCL) Price Targets Changed

Apple (AAPL), Wells Fargo (WFC), Toll Brothers (TOL), American Eagle (AEO), Micron Technology (MU) and Oracle (ORCL) price targets adjusted by analysts.

Wells Fargo (WFC) had its price target lowered by Guggenheim. They have a price target $32. They have a "Buy" rating on the company.

Apple (AAPL) had its price target lowered by BMO to $445. They have an "Outperform" rating on the company.

Toll Brothers (TOL) had its estimates cut by Citigroup (NYSE:C) through 2012. They have a "Hold" rating and price target of $23 on the company.

American Eagle (AEO) had its price target reduced by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) to $17. They have a "Buy" rating on the company.

Micron Technology (MU) had its price target cut by Sterne Agee to $14. They have a "Buy" rating on the company.

Oracle (ORCL) had its price target lowered by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) to $36. They have an "Overweight" rating on the company.

Bove Says BofA (NYSE:BAC), Buffett Deal Sucks

According to Rochdale Securities analyst Dick Bove, the deal by Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) CEO Brian Moynihan allowing Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK-A) to invest $5 billion in the bank, harms both Moynihan and the giant bank.

Bove said, "He's gone back on his word. That is, I think, a big negative given his credibility is under such question. Now why did he do it? He did it because he needed to buy credibility." Its "a terrible, terrible deal," concludes Bove, "There's no way the bank can make money."

Essentially Bank of America is buying Buffett's endorsement for approximately $300 million annually. That doesn't include the warrants to acquire 700 million shares of Bank of America stock at just over $7.14 a share. Buffett could cash them in now for a nice profit, as the bank is trading at $7.69 a share, as of 12:38 PM EDT.

In response to Bove's criticism, Bank of America's Moynihan released a statement saying this:

"I remain confident that we have the capital and liquidity we need to run our business. At the same time, I also recognize that a large investment by Warren Buffett is a strong endorsement in our vision and our strategy."

My question is why didn't Moynihan just say right out that the bank has the capital and liquidity, not that he was "confident" they did?

Arbitron (ARB) (TDS) (RMCF) (CECE) (SPW) (GORO) Declare Dividends

The Board of Directors of Arbitron Inc. (NYSE:ARB) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.10 per share payable 10/3/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/15/11.

The Board of Directors of Telephone & Data Systems Inc. (NYSE:TDS) declared a third quarter common stock dividend of $0.1175 per share payable 9/30/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/16/11.

The Board of Directors of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (NASDAQ:RMCF) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.10 per share payable 9/16/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/6/11.

The Board of Directors of Ceco Environmental Corp. (NASDAQ:CECE) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.025 per share payable 9/30/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/15/11.

The Board of Directors of SPX Corp (NYSE:SPW) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.25 per share payable 10/4/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/14/11.

The Board of Directors of Gold Resource Corporation (AMEX:GORO) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.05 per share payable 9/23/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/12/11.

Brown Shoe (BWS) (JWN) (MDT) (SFL) (SWY) Declare Dividends

The Board of Directors of Brown Shoe Company Inc. (NYSE:BWS) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.07 per share payable 10/3/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/16/11.

The Board of Directors of Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE:JWN) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.23 per share payable 9/15/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/6/11.

The Board of Directors of Medtronic Inc. (NYSE:MDT) declared a second quarter common stock dividend of $0.2425 per share payable 10/28/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 10/7/11.

The Board of Directors of Ship Finance International (NYSE:SFL) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.39 per share payable 9/29/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/9/11.

The Board of Directors of Safeway Inc. (NYSE:SWY) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.145 per share payable 10/13/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 9/22/11.

Buffet's Berkshire (BRK-A) Props BoA (BAC)

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK-A) announced it has invested $5 billion in Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), in a deal similar to the one Warren Buffett made when he invested in Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS).

Some are spinning this as some type of patriotic move by Buffett, but that's a ridiculous and ignorant conclusion. Buffett knows the stock has been beaten down, and this is all about creating shareholder value and nothing else.

This is why Buffett likes to support the state interference in financial companies, as it makes it a sure bet to invest in when they are under pressure, knowing he is about as safe as he can be with the capital he invests.

Buffett's investment is in 50,000 shares of cumulative perpetual preferred stock, which will give a 6 percent annual dividend. Bank of America can acquire the stock back any time by paying a premium of 5 percent.

Berkshire also has the option of acquiring 700 million shares of Bank of America via warrant priced at about $7.14 a share. The company exercise the warrants any time over the next ten years.

Investors have been hammering Bank of America its mortgage loan portfolio, as it is believed the giant financial institution has billions left to deal with.

Bank of America was trading at $7.83, gaining $0.84, or 12.02 percent, as of 11:53 AM EDT.

Masimo (MASI) (HURN) (INN) (NDAQ) (PWRD) Upgraded

Masimo Corporation (NASDAQ: MASI), Huron Consulting Group (NASDAQ: HURN), Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. (NYSE: INN), NASDAQ OMX Group (NASDAQ: NDAQ) and Perfect World Co Ltd (NASDAQ: PWRD) upgraded by analysts.

Huron Consulting Group (HURN) was upgraded by Janney Montgomery Scott from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. (INN) was upgraded by Keybanc from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $9.00 on the company.

Masimo Corporation (MASI) was upgraded by Lazard Capital from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

NASDAQ OMX Group (NDAQ) was upgraded by UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $28.00 on the company.

Perfect World Co. Ltd (PWRD) was upgraded by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) from a “Neutral” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Saks (SKS) (ELN) (YSI) (FE) (FMCN) (FRT) Upgraded

Saks Inc (NYSE: SKS), Elan Corp. (NYSE: ELN), U-Store-It Trust (NYSE: YSI), FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), Focus Media (NASDAQ: FMCN) and Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT) upgraded by analysts.

Saks Inc (NYSE: SKS) was upgraded by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) from an “Underperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Elan Corp. (ELN) was upgraded by Credit Suisse (CS) from a “Neutral” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

U-Store-It Trust (YSI) was upgraded by BMO Capital Markets from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

FirstEnergy Corp. (FE) was upgraded by BMO Capital Markets from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Focus Media (FMCN) was upgraded by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT) was upgraded by Raymond James (NYSE:RJF) from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Inphi (IPHI) (CF) (FIS) (PSA) (PSUN) (RCL) Downgraded

Inphi (NASDAQ: IPHI), CF Industries Holdings Inc (NYSE: CF), Fidelity National Information Services (NYSE: FIS), Public Storage (NYSE: PSA), Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSUN) and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) downgraded by analysts.

CF Industries Holdings Inc. (CF) was downgraded by Chardan Capital Markets from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) was downgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) from a “Neutral” rating to an “Underweight” rating.

Inphi (IPHI) was downgraded by Stifel Nicolaus from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating.

Public Storage (PSA) was downgraded by BMO Capital Markets from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Underperform” rating.

Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. (PSUN) was downgraded by Oppenheimer from an “Outperform” rating to a “Perform” rating.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) was downgraded by Argus from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating.

Inphi (IPHI) (CF) (FIS) (PSA) (PSUN) (RCL) Downgraded

Inphi (NASDAQ: IPHI), CF Industries Holdings Inc (NYSE: CF), Fidelity National Information Services (NYSE: FIS), Public Storage (NYSE: PSA), Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSUN) and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) downgraded by analysts.

CF Industries Holdings Inc. (CF) was downgraded by Chardan Capital Markets from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) was downgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) from a “Neutral” rating to an “Underweight” rating.

Inphi (IPHI) was downgraded by Stifel Nicolaus from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating.

Public Storage (PSA) was downgraded by BMO Capital Markets from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Underperform” rating.

Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. (PSUN) was downgraded by Oppenheimer from an “Outperform” rating to a “Perform” rating.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) was downgraded by Argus from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating.

Thoratec (THOR) (OVTI) (PSUN) (RJF) (STJ) Price Targets Changed

Thoratec (NASDAQ: THOR), OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OVTI), Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSUN), Raymond James (NYSE: RJF) and St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE: STJ) price targets adjusted by analysts.

OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (OVTI) had its price target lowered by Wedbush from $45.00 to $38.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. (PSUN) had its price target lowered by Wedbush from $3.50 to $2.00. They have an “Underperform” rating on the company.

Raymond James (RJF) had its price target lowered by Ticonderoga from $37.00 to $34.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (STJ) had its price target lowered by Morgan Keegan from $60.00 to $53.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Thoratec (THOR) had its price target lowered by Morgan Keegan from $35.00 to $32.00. They have a “Market Perform” rating on the company.

HeartWare (HTWR) (EW) (GU) (JNJ) (LL) (MXIM) Price Targets Changed

HeartWare (NASDAQ: HTWR), Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE: EW), Gushan Environmental Energy Limited (NYSE: GU), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL) and Maxim Integrated Products Inc. (NASDAQ: MXIM) price targets adjusted by analysts.

Edwards Lifesciences (EW) had its price target lowered by Morgan Keegan from $97.00 to $91.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Gushan Environmental Energy Limited (GU) had its price target lowered by Ardour Capital from $4.00 to $2.00. They have a “Hold” rating on the company.

HeartWare (HTWR) had its price target lowered by Morgan Keegan from $83.00 to $73.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) had its price target lowered by Morgan Keegan from $70.00 to $68.00. They have a “Market Perform” rating on the company.

Lumber Liquidators (LL) had its price target lowered by Longbow Research from $28.00 to $22.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Maxim Integrated Products Inc. (MXIM) had its price target lowered by UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) from $27.00 to $23.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Newmont (NEM) (ANV) (STRA) (TSO) (ATRC) (CACI) Upgraded

Newmont Mining Co. (NYSE: NEM), Allied Nevada Gold Corp. (NYSE: ANV), Strayer Education, Inc. (NASDAQ: STRA), Tesoro Co. (NYSE: TSO), AtriCure (NASDAQ: ATRC) and CACI International Inc (NASDAQ: CACI) upgraded by analysts.

Newmont Mining Co. (NEM) was upgraded by RBC Capital from a “Positive” rating to an “Underperform” rating. They have a price target of $87.00 on the company, up from $67.00.

Allied Nevada Gold Corp. (ANV) was upgraded by RBC Capital from a “Positive” rating to an “Outperform” rating. They have a price target of $67.00 on the stock, up from $44.00.

Strayer Education, Inc. (STRA) was upgraded by Sterne Agee from a “Sell” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Tesoro Co. (TSO) was upgraded by The Benchmark Company from a “Sell” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $25.00 on the company.

AtriCure (ATRC) was upgraded by Morgan Keegan from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating. They have a price target of $13.00 on the company, down from $14.00.

CACI International Inc. (CACI) was upgraded by Jefferies (NYSE:JEF)from an “Underperform” rating to a “Hold” rating. They have a price target of $54.00 on the company, down from $56.00.

Randgold (GOLD) (ABT) (UTHR) (BHE) (SANM) (BSX) Downgraded

Randgold Resources Ltd. (NASDAQ: GOLD), Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT), United Therapeutics (NASDAQ: UTHR), Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: BHE), Sanmina-SCI Co. (NASDAQ: SANM) and Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) downgraded by analysts.

Randgold Resources Ltd. (GOLD) was downgraded by RBC Capital from an “Outperform” rating to a “Sector Perform” rating.

Abbott Laboratories (ABT) was downgraded by Morgan Keegan from an “Outperform” rating to a “Market Perform” rating. They have a price target of $57.00 on the company, down from $60.00.

United Therapeutics (UTHR) was downgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) from an “Overweight” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (BHE) was downgraded by RBC Capital from an “Outperform” rating to a “Sector Perform” rating. They have a price target of $13.00 on the company, down from $20.00.

Sanmina-SCI Co. (SANM) was downgraded by RBC Capital from a “Sector Perform” rating to an “Underperform” rating. They have a price target $5.00 on the company, down from $12.00.

Boston Scientific (BSX) was downgraded by Morgan Keegan from an “Outperform” rating to a “Market Perform” rating. They have a price target of $7.00 on the company, down from $8.00.

Trina Solar (TSL) (CCMP) (TIN) (COCO) (MDT) (DXCM) Price Targets Changed

Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL), Cabot Microelectronics Co. (NASDAQ: CCMP), Temple-Inland (NYSE: TIN), Corinthian Colleges, Inc. (NASDAQ: COCO), Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) and DexCom Inc (NASDAQ: DXCM) had their price targets adjusted by analysts.

Trina Solar (TSL) had its price target lowered by Ardour Capital from $30.00 to $24.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Cabot Microelectronics Co. (CCMP) had its price target lowered by Ticonderoga from $68.00 to $57.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Temple-Inland (TIN) had its price target lowered by Longbow Research from $35.00 to $27.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Corinthian Colleges, Inc. (COCO) had its price target lowered by FBR Capital from $4.00 to $1.75. They have an “Underperform” rating on the company.

Medtronic, Inc. (MDT) had its price target lowered by Morgan Keegan from $43.00 to $38.00. They have a “Market Perform” rating on the company.

DexCom Inc. (DXCM) had its price target lowered by Morgan Keegan from $18.00 to $15.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

RightNow (RNOW) (LPLA) (RIMM) (MFLX) (PIR) (MITT) Get New Coverage

RightNow Technologies (NASDAQ: RNOW), LPL Investment Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LPLA), Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM), Multi-Fineline Electronix, Inc. (NASDAQ: MFLX), Pier 1 Imports (NYSE: PIR) and AG Mortgage Investment Trust (NASDAQ: MITT) getting new analyst coverage.

Barrington Research initiated coverage on RightNow Technologies (RNOW). They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $35.50 on the company.

Ticonderoga initiated coverage on LPL Investment Holdings Inc. (LPLA). They placed a “Sell” rating and a price target of $22.00 on the company.

Brigantine initiated coverage on Research In Motion (RIMM). They placed a “Sell” rating and a price target of $20.00 on the company.

Rodman & Renshaw initiated coverage on Multi-Fineline Electronix, Inc. (MFLX). They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $22.00 on the company.

Longbow Research initiated coverage on Pier 1 Imports (PIR). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $13.00 on the company.

Wunderlich initiated coverage on AG Mortgage Investment Trust (MITT). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $22.00 on the company.

TechTarget (TTGT) (HLIT) (THG) (ICLR) (SUI) (IRF) Get New Coverage

TechTarget Inc (NASDAQ: TTGT), Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE: THG), ICON plc (NASDAQ: ICLR), Sun Communities Inc (NYSE: SUI) and International Rectifier (NYSE: IRF) getting new analyst coverage.

Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on TechTarget Inc. (TTGT). They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $8.00 on the company.

ThinkEquity initiated coverage on Harmonic (HLIT). They placed a “Hold” rating on the company.

Sterne Agee initiated coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (THG). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $44.00 on the company.

BB&T (NYSE:BBT) initiated coverage on ICON plc (ICLR). They placed a “Hold” rating on the company.

Ladenburg Thalmann initiated coverage on Sun Communities Inc. (SUI). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $43.00 on the company.

The Benchmark Company initiated coverage on International Rectifier (IRF). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $25.00 on the company.

Google (GOOG) (VCLK) (BBBY) (EPM) (UHS) (EW) Get New Coverage

Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), ValueClick Inc (NASDAQ: VCLK), Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY), Evolution Petroleum Co. (NYSE: EPM), Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS) and Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE: EW) getting new analyst coverage.

Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on Google Inc. (GOOG). They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $650.00 on the company.

Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on ValueClick Inc. (VCLK). They placed a “neutral” rating and a price target of $17.00 on the company.

Longbow Research initiated coverage on Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (BBBY). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $64.00 on the company.

MLV Capital initiated coverage on Evolution Petroleum Co. (EPM). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $9.00 on the company.

Auriga initiated coverage on Universal Health Services (UHS). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $45.00 on the company.

Wunderlich initiated coverage on Edwards Lifesciences (EW). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $75.00 on the company.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Stunning: Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs Resigns

In a stunning announcement that will surely impact the company and its share price in the short term, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs announced he is stepping down as CEO of the tech giant, after 14 years at the helm of the company.

Jobs said in a letter, "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come."

The news had been communicated before Jobs' announcement, as trading on the company was suspended prior to the public announcement. Shares were trading down after hours.

A expected, current COO Tim Cook will replace Jobs as CEO. The change is effective immediately, generating questions on the health of the Apple legend.

Bove Likes BofA (BAC) (BK) (PNC) (COF) (STT) (STI) (NTRS) (SNV) (FBC) in Banking Sector

What's up with Rochdale Securities analyst Dick Bove?

Approximately a month after recommending investors sell the banking sector he had turned around and recommended a basket of banks to buy, including Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK), Flagstar Bancorp (NYSE:FBC), PNC Financial (NYSE:PNC), Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF), State Street(NYSE:STT), SunTrust(NYSE:STI), Northern Trust (NYSE:NTRS) and Synovus (NYSE:SNV).

Bove's thinking in his turnaround for some banks in the sector is a number of banks are selling below their franchise and liquidation values.

"At this moment liquidity and values are more compelling than the next disaster," Bove wrote in a note to clients. The banks listed above are those identified by Bove as such.

Bove's operating definition of cash liquidation value is cash holdings (cash plus net Federal Reserve funds and repurchase agreements) in excess of tangible common equity.

Still, Bove confirms the issues banks face are still in place, and in that regard nothing has changed. They've apparently fallen quicker than Bove had anticipated.

Either that, or someone got hold of Bove and told him not to be so negative on the sector.

Juniper Networks (NASDAQ: JNPR), NetGear Inc (NASDAQ: NTGR) and Polycom (NASDAQ: PLCM) Price Targets Cut

Juniper Networks (NASDAQ: JNPR), NetGear Inc (NASDAQ: NTGR) and Polycom (NASDAQ: PLCM) had price targets on them cut by analysts.

Juniper Networks (JNPR) had its price target lowered by Barclays Capital from $34.00 to $30.00. They have an “Overweight” rating on the company.

NetGear Inc. (NTGR) had its price target lowered by Barclays Capital from $39.00 to $35.00. They have an “Equal Weight” rating on the company.

Polycom (PLCM) had its price target lowered by Barclays Capital from $30.00 to $25.00. They have an “Equal Weight” rating on the company.

Trina Solar (TSL) (APKT) (RVBD) (ARUN) (FFIV) Price Targets Changed

Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL), Acme Packet, Inc. (NASDAQ: APKT), Riverbed Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: RVBD), Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN) and F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV) price targets adjusted by analysts.

Trina Solar (TSL) had its price target lowered by Collins Stewart from $19.00 to $15.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Acme Packet, Inc. (APKT) had its price target lowered by Barclays Capital from $74.00 to $65.00. They have an “Overweight” rating on the company.

Riverbed Technology, Inc. (RVBD) had its price target lowered by Barclays Capital from $38.00 to $30.00. They have an “Overweight” rating on the company.

Aruba Networks, Inc. (ARUN) had its price target lowered by Barclays Capital from $33.00 to $23.00. They have an “Overweight” rating on the company.

F5 Networks (FFIV) had its price target lowered by Barclays Capital from $118.00 to $100.00. They have an “Overweight” rating on the company.

NuVasive (NUVA) (LNN) (NRG) (PANL) (PWRD) Upgraded

NuVasive (NASDAQ: NUVA), Lindsay Corp. (NYSE: LNN), NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), Universal Display Co. (NASDAQ: PANL) and Perfect World Co. Ltd (NASDAQ: PWRD) upgraded by analysts.

NuVasive (NUVA) was upgraded by Madison Williams from a “Reduce” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Lindsay Corp. (LNN) was upgraded by Janney Montgomery Scott from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) was upgraded by UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $26.00 on the company.

Universal Display Co. (PANL) was upgraded by Brigantine from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $56.00 on the company.

Perfect World Co. Ltd (PWRD) was upgraded by ThinkEquity from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Juniper (JNPR) (SAFM) (SID) (HWAY) (RYL) Upgraded

Sanderson Farms (NASDAQ: SAFM), National Steel Corporation (NYSE: SID), Juniper Networks (NASDAQ: JNPR), Healthways, Inc. (NASDAQ: HWAY) and The Ryland Group, Inc. (NYSE: RYL) upgraded by analysts.

Sanderson Farms (SAFM) was upgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) from an “Underweight” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

National Steel Corporation (SID) was upgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from an “Underweight” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Juniper Networks (JNPR) was upgraded by Morgan Keegan from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating. They have a price target of $27.00 on the company.

Healthways, Inc. (HWAY) was upgraded by JMP Securities from an “Underperform” rating to a “Market Perform” rating.

The Ryland Group, Inc. (RYL) was upgraded by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) from an “Underperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

TiVo (TIVO) (WERN) (NBL) (COH) (TIVO) (HEI) Upgraded

TiVo Inc (NASDAQ: TIVO), Werner Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: WERN), Noble Energy (NYSE: NBL), Coach (NYSE: COH), TiVo Inc (NASDAQ: TIVO) and HEICO (NYSE: HEI) upgraded by analysts.

Werner Enterprises, Inc. (WERN) was upgraded by Morgan Keegan from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) was upgraded by SunTrust (NYSE:STI) from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Noble Energy (NBL) was upgraded by Howard Weil from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating. They have a price target of $106.00 on the company.

Coach (COH) was upgraded by Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $60.00 on the company.

TiVo Inc. (TIVO) was upgraded by Caris & Company from an “Average” rating to an “Above Average” rating. They have a price target of $11.00 on the company.

HEICO (HEI) was upgraded by Wedbush from a “Neutral” rating to an “Outperform” rating. They have a price target of $55.00 on the company, up from $51.00.

Semtech (SMTC) (LOGM) (ORCL) (RHT) (SFSF) Price Targets Changed

Semtech (NASDAQ: SMTC), LogMeIn Inc (NASDAQ: LOGM), Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL), Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) and SuccessFactors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SFSF) had price targets adjusted by analysts.

Semtech (SMTC) had its price target lowered by Oppenheimer from $35.00 to $30.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

LogMeIn Inc. (LOGM) had its price target lowered by Stifel Nicolaus from $50.00 to $42.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Oracle (ORCL) had its price target lowered by Stifel Nicolaus from $38.00 to $34.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Red Hat (RHT) had its price target lowered by Stifel Nicolaus from $49.00 to $42.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

SuccessFactors, Inc. (SFSF) had its price target lowered by Stifel Nicolaus from $38.00 to $31.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

First Solar (FSLR) (COF) (BYI) (CIEN) (COBZ) Price Targets Changed

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR), Capital One (NYSE: COF), Bally Technologies Inc. (NYSE: BYI), Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) and CoBiz Financial Inc (NASDAQ: COBZ) had price targets adjusted by analysts.

First Solar, Inc. (FSLR) had its price target lowered by Wunderlich from $118.00 to $95.00. They have a “Hold” rating on the company.

Capital One (COF) had its price target lowered by Stifel Nicolaus from $64.00 to $60.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Bally Technologies Inc. (BYI) had its price target lowered by Brean Murray from $51.00 to $43.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Ciena Corp. (CIEN) had its price target lowered by RBC Capital from $29.00 to $24.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

CoBiz Financial Inc. (COBZ) had its price target lowered by RBC Capital from $8.00 to $6.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Tyson (TSN) (ADM) (SFD) (BG) (OILT) (ONXX) Get New Coverage

Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM), Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NYSE: SFD), Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG), Oiltanking Partners (NASDAQ: OILT) and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ONXX) getting new analyst coverage.

Barclays Capital initiated coverage on Tyson Foods, Inc. (TSN). They placed an “Overweight” rating and a price target of $23.00 on the company.

Barclays Capital initiated coverage on Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM). They placed an “Equal Weight” rating and a price target of $31.00 on the company.

Barclays Capital initiated coverage on Smithfield Foods, Inc. (SFD). They placed an “Equal Weight” rating and a price target of $23.00 on the company.

Barclays Capital initiated coverage on Bunge Limited (BG). They placed an “Overweight” rating and a price target of $81.00 on the company.

Barclays Capital initiated coverage on Oiltanking Partners (OILT). They placed an “Overweight” rating and a price target of $28.00 on the company.

Summer Street initiated coverage on Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ONXX). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $49.00 on the company.