Hershey (HSY) (EA) (JDSU) (LVS) (AKS) (BIG) Ratings, Price Targets

Hershey (NYSE: HSY), Electronic Arts Inc. (NYSE: EA), JDS Uniphase Co. (NASDAQ: JDSU), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), AK Steel Holding Co. (NYSE: AKS) and Big Lots, Inc. (NYSE: BIG) had ratings and price targets on them adjusted by analysts.

Hershey (HSY) had its “Hold” rating reiterated by Jefferies Group (NYSE:JEF).

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) had its price target lowered by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) to $13.00.

JDS Uniphase Co. (JDSU) had its price target raised by Jefferies Group to $18.00.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) had its price target lowered by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) to $61.00.

AK Steel Holding Co. (AKS) was downgraded by Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) from a “Neutral” rating to an “Underperform” rating.

Big Lots, Inc. (BIG) was upgraded by MKM Partners from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $48.00 on the company.

Apple (AAPL) (GD) (LVS) (COOL) (GE) (T) Get New Coverage

Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), Majesco Entertainment Co. (NASDAQ: COOL), General Electric (NYSE: GE) and AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) getting new coverage from analysts.

General Dynamics (GD) is now covered by Sterne Agee. They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) is now covered by Compass Point. They placed a “sell” rating and a $35.00 price target on the company.

Apple, Inc. (AAPL) is now covered by Auriga. They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

Majesco Entertainment Co. (COOL) is now covered by Rodman & Renshaw. They placed an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $7.00 on the company.

General Electric (GE) is now covered by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS). They placed an “Overweight” rating on the company.

AT&T Inc. (T) is now covered by Guggenheim. They placed a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Apple (AAPL) (YHOO) (LVS) (MMM) (S) (VZ) Ratings, Price Targets

Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), 3M Company (NYSE: MMM), Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) ratings and price targets.

Apple, Inc. (AAPL) had its “Buy” rating reiterated by BTIG.

Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO) had its “Hold” rating reiterated by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB).

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) is now covered by Compass Point. They placed a “Sell” rating and a price target of $35.00 on the company.

3M Company (MMM) is now covered by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS). They placed an “Equal Weight” rating and a price target of $90.00 on the company.

Sprint Nextel (S) is now covered by Guggenheim. They placed a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Verizon (VZ) had its price target raised by Mizuho from $41.00 to $44.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Honeywell (HON) (LVS) (MAPP) (MMM) (HITK) (INFI) Get New Coverage

Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE: HON), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), Map Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MAPP), 3M Company (NYSE: MMM), Hi-Tech (NASDAQ: HITK) and Infinity Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: INFI) getting new coverage from analysts.

Compass Point initiated coverage on Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS). They placed a “Sell” rating and a price target of $35.00 on the company.

Canaccord Genuity initiated coverage on Map Pharmaceuticals (MAPP). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $24.00 on the company.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) initiated coverage on 3M Company (MMM). They placed an “Equal Weight” rating and a price target of $90.00 on the company.

Canaccord Genuity initiated coverage on Hi-Tech (HITK). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $45.00 on the company.

Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Honeywell International Inc. (HON). They placed an “Overweight” rating and a price target of $62.00 on the company.

Rodman & Renshaw initiated coverage on Infinity Pharmaceuticals Inc. (INFI). They placed a “Market Perform” rating on the company.

Las Vegas Sands (LVS) Ratings, Price Targets

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) ratings and price targets.

Compass Point initiated coverage on Las Vegas Sands (LVS). They have a “Sell” rating and a price target of $35.00 on the company.

Barclays Capital (NYSE: BCS) recently reiterated its “Overweight” rating on Las Vegas Sands.

Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) also recently initiated coverage on Las Vegas Sands. They have a “Market Perform” rating on the firm.

Las Vegas Sands was trading at $43.18, falling $0.58, or 1.33 percent, as of 11:42 AM EST.

Wynn Resorts (WYNN) (MGM) (BYD) (LVS) Jump on DOJ Opinion

Shares of Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN), MGM International (NYSE:MGM) and Boyd Gaming (NYSE:BYD) jumped on Tuesday, while Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) also closed higher, as an opinion from the Department of Justice may result in states running more online gambling.

The opinion centers around the Wire Act of 1960, which the DOJ seems to have reversed direction on, which would open up the door for the sale of lottery tickets within states, as the Department of Justice said that wouldn't violate the Wire Act.

Along with the strongly branded casino operators, others that will likely benefit from the opinion would be game content or online gaming tech providers Konami (NYSE:KNM), IGT (NYSE:IGT), Bally Technologies (NYSE:BYI) and WMS Industries (NYSE:WMS).

Boyd Gaming closed Tuesday at $7.63, climbing $0.68, or 9.78 percent. MGM Resorts closed at $10.42, up $0.46, or 4.62 percent. Wynn Resorts closed at $113.53, jumping $3.53, or 3.21 percent. Las Vegas Sands ended the session at $43.99, increasing $0.45, or 1.03 percent.

NetLogic (NETL) (LVS) (MLM) (NRG) (PCCC) (PM) Downgraded

NetLogic Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETL), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE: MLM), NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), Pc Connection Inc. (NASDAQ: PCCC) and Philip Morris (NYSE: PM) were downgraded by analysts.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) was downgraded by Janney Montgomery Scott from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MLM) was downgraded by Longbow Research from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

NetLogic Microsystems, Inc. (NETL) was downgraded by Zacks Investment Research from an “Outperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) was downgraded by UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They have a price target of $20.00 on the company.

Pc Connection Inc. (PCCC) was downgraded by Raymond James (NYSE:RJF) from an “Outperform” rating to an “Underperform” rating.

Philip Morris (PM) was downgraded by Nomura from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Jazz (JAZZ) (JEF) (KONG) (LDR) (LULU) (LVS) (MALL) Ratings, Price Targets

Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (JAZZ), Jefferies Group, Inc. (JEF), KongZhong Co. (KONG), Landauer, Inc. (LDR), Lululemon (LULU), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) and PC Mall, Inc. (MALL) ratings and price targets.

WBB Securities downgraded Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (JAZZ) from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating. They have a price target of $40.00 on the company, up from $15.00.

Zacks Investment Research downgraded Jefferies Group, Inc. (JEF) from a “Neutral” rating to an “Underperform” rating.

Zacks Investment Research upgraded KongZhong Co. (KONG) from a "Neutral” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Hilliard Lyons lowered its price target on Landauer, Inc. (LDR) from $65.00 to $63.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Sterne Agee initiated coverage on Lululemon (LULU). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $60.00 on the company.

Janney Montgomery Scott downgraded Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Raymond James (NYSE:RJF) upgraded PC Mall, Inc. (MALL) from an “Underperform” rating to an “Outperform” rating. They have a price target of $7.00 on the company.

Costco (COST) (EXPE) (JCP) (LLL) (LVS) (MMM) Ratings Reiterated

Costco (NASDAQ: COST), Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE), J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE: JCP), L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) and 3M Company (NYSE: MMM) had ratings on them reiterated by analysts.

Barclays Capital reiterated its "Equalweight" rating on Costco (COST).

Barclays Capital reiterated its "Equalweight" rating on Expedia, Inc. (EXPE).

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) reiterated its "Overweight" rating on J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (JCP).

Barclays Capital reiterated its "Overweight" rating on L-3 Communications (LLL).

Brean Murray Carret & Co. reiterated its "Buy" rating on Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS).

Barclays Capital (NYSE:BCS) reiterated its "Equalweight" rating on 3M Company (MMM).

Molex (MOLX) (LVS) (MCD) (MO) (MPWR) (MSCC) (MSCC) Ratings, Price Targets

Molex Inc. (MOLX), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS), McDonald’s (MCD), Altria Group (MO), Monolithic Power Systems Inc. (MPWR) and Microsemi Corporation (MSCC) ratings and price targets.

Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) reiterated its “Buy” rating on Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS). They have a price target of $62.00 on the company.

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) raised its price target on McDonald’s (MCD) to $108.00.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) reiterated its “Equal Weight” on Altria Group (MO). They have a price target of $25.00 on the company.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) downgraded Molex Inc. (MOLX) from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Evercore Partners upgraded Monolithic Power Systems Inc. (MPWR) to an “Overweight” rating. They have a price target of $17.00 on the company.

Goldman Sachs initiated coverage on Microsemi Corporation (MSCC). They placed a “Neutral” rating on the company.

FBR Capital reiterated its “Outperform” on Microsemi Corporation (MSCC).

Expedia (EXPE) (LL) (LVS) (LLL) (ERTS) (EXXI) Price Targets Changed

Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE), Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL), Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Energy XXI (NASDAQ: EXXI) had price targets on them adjusted by analysts.

Expedia, Inc. (EXPE) had its price target lowered by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) to $35.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Lumber Liquidators (LL) had its price target raised by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) to $18.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) had its price target lowered by

Brean Murray from $59.00 to $57.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

L-3 Communications (LLL) had its price target raised by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) to $68.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS) had its price target raised by Citigroup (NYSE:C) from $23.00 to $26.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Energy XXI (EXXI) had its price target raised by Rodman & Renshaw from $32.00 to $34.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Radisys (RSYS) (LVS) (WOLF) (SOHU) (PKY) (AGP) Upgraded

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ: WOLF), Sohu.Com Inc. (NASDAQ: SOHU), Parkway Properties (NYSE: PKY), Radisys Corporation (NASDAQ: RSYS) and Amerigroup Co. (NYSE: AGP) upgraded by analysts.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) was upgraded by Argus from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $58.00 on the company.

Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. (WOLF) was upgraded by Rodman & Renshaw from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating. They have a price target of $5.00 on the company.

Sohu.Com Inc. (SOHU) was upgraded by Nomura from a “Reduce” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Parkway Properties (PKY) was upgraded by JMP Securities from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating. They have a price target of $21.00 on the company.

Radisys Corporation (RSYS) was upgraded by Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $10.00 on the company.

Amerigroup Co. (AGP) was upgraded by Stifel Nicolaus from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $62.00 on the company.

Google (GOOG) (ITW) (JEC) (JNPR) (LVS) (OXY) (WFT) Price Targets Changed

Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW), Jacobs Engineering (NYSE: JEC), Juniper Networks (NASDAQ: JNPR), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), Occidental Petroleum Co. (NYSE: OXY) and Weatherford (NYSE: WFT) had price targets changed by analysts.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) had its price target raised by Capstone to $689.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) had its price target cut by Sterne Agee to $60.00.

Jacobs Engineering (JEC) had its price target slashed by Stifel Nicolaus from $60.00 to $55.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Juniper Networks (JNPR) had its price target lowered by Stifel Nicolaus from $39.00 to $37.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) had its price target boosted by Brean Murray from $53.00 to $59.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Occidental Petroleum Co. (OXY) had its price target cut by Howard Weil from $132.00 to $128.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Weatherford (WFT) had its price target raised by Howard Weil from $22.00 to $26.00. They have a “Market Perform” rating on the company.

Baker Hughes (BHI) (LVS) (PCL) (RRC) (APC) (MAS) EPS Estimates Changed

Baker Hughes (NYSE: BHI), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), Plum Creek Timber Co. (NYSE: PCL), Range Resources (NYSE: RRC), Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC) and Masco Co. (NYSE: MAS) EPS estimates adjusted by analysts.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) raised its EPS estimate on Baker Hughes (BHI). They have a “Buy” rating and a price target of $106.00 on the company.

Sterne Agee raised its EPS estimates on Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS). They have a “buy” rating and a price target of $60.00 on the company.

UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) cut its EPS estimate on Plum Creek Timber Co. (PCL). They have a “Sell” rating and a price target of $36.00 on the company.

UBS AG cut its EPS estimate on Range Resources (RRC). They have a “Neutral” rating and a price target of $65.00 on the company.

UBS AG raised its EPS estimate on Anadarko Petroleum (APC). They have a “Buy” rating and a price target of $100.00 on the company.

UBS AG cut its EPS estimate on Masco Co. (MAS). They have a “Sell” rating and a price target of $8.00 on the company.

Coverage on (HME) (JBHT) (LVS) (FICO) (GNC) Initiated

Coverage on shares Home Properties (NYSE: HME), J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: JBHT), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), FICO (NASDAQ: FICO) and GNC Corp. (NYSE: GNC) was initiated by analysts.

Wunderlich initiated coverage on Home Properties (HME). They placed a “buy” rating and a price target of $75.00 on the company.

Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT). They placed an “outperform” rating and a price target of $58.00 on the company.

Nomura initiated coverage on Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS). They placed a “buy” rating and a price target of $53.00 on the company.

Sidoti initiated coverage on FICO (FICO). They placed a “buy” rating on the company.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) initiated coverage on GNC Corp. (GNC). They placed an “overweight” rating on the company.

Price Targets on (EXLS) (FWLT) (IPGP) (LVS) (MCK) Updated by Analysts

Analysts updated the price targets on ExlService Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXLS), Foster Wheeler Ltd. (NASDAQ: FWLT), IPG Photonics Co. (NASDAQ: IPGP), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) and McKesson Co. (NYSE: MCK).

Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) raised their price target on ExlService Holdings, Inc. (EXLS) from $24.00 to $29.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

Barclays Capital cut their price target on Foster Wheeler Ltd. (FWLT) from $45.00 to $42.00. They have an “overweight” rating on the company.

Barclays Capital raised their price target on IPG Photonics Co. (IPGP) from $60.00 to $65.00. They have an “equal weight” rating on the company.

Barclays Capital cut their price target on Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) from $52.00 to $50.00. They have an “overweight” rating on the company.

Deutsche Bank raised their price target on McKesson Co. (MCK) from $101.00 to $108.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

Gaming's Las Vegas Sands (LVS) (WYNN) (MGM) Not Impressive

Even though there have been what is called "positive" moves to the upside, the gaming industry is anything but healthy, and the recent results from Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) confirms there are a lot of challenges remaining from the fragile global economy.

When you have to rely on luck like Wynn Resorts (Nasdaq:WYNN) did last quarter to post an even fair quarter, you know there is pressure in a sector.

The quarterly report from MGM Resorts (NYSE:MGM) also had a very small upside surprise, but it isn't anything to get excited about, as the company still lost $0.18 a share.

Las Vegas Sands reported a net revenue increase of only 4.5 percent quarter over last quarter to $2.11 billion and adjusted property EBITDA increased a tiny 0.9 percent to $745.7 million. The numbers weren't even that good though, as an increase in property EBITDA at Four Seasons Macau
made things look a lot better than they were.

Adjusted EPS fell way below analysts' estimates of $0.44, coming in at only $0.37 a share.

Melco Crown (Nasdaq:MPEL) reports its earnings in about two weeks.

Las Vegas Sands was trading at $42.57, falling $3.30, or 7.19 percent, as of 2:15 PM EDT. Wynn Resorts was trading at $142.63, down $3.45, or 2.36 percent. MGM is trading at $14.31, gaining $1.41, or 10.98 percent.

Price Targets On (HAIN) (IPXL) (KNXA) (LVS) (MA) Updated by Analysts

Analysts have updated their price targets on The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAIN), Impax Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: IPXL), Kenexa Co. (NASDAQ: KNXA), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) and MasterCard (NYSE: MA).

Citigroup (NYSE:C) raised their price target on The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (HAIN) from $34.00 to $42.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) raised their price target on Impax Laboratories, Inc. (IPXL) to $29.00. They have a “neutral” rating on the company. They also boosted their EPS estimates on Impax after stronger guidance.

Feltl & Co. raised their price target on Kenexa Co. (KNXA) from $33.00 to $35.00. They have a “strong buy” rating on the company.

Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) cut their price target on Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) from $56.00 to $55.00. They have an “outperform” rating on the company.

FBR Capital raised their price target on MasterCard (MA) from $290.00 to $330.00. They have an “outperform” rating on the company.

Wynn (WYNN) Pulls Up (LVS) (MGM) (MPEL) (BYD) on Big Earnings Beat

Wynn (NASDAQ:WYNN) gave a boost to competitors Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS), MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM), Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd (NASDAQ:MPEL) and Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD) after hours as it handily beat analysts' expectations.

Net income for Wynn soared to $226.3 million,or $1.38 a share, versus $27 million, or 22 cents a share in the same quarter last year.

Revenue surged to $1.26 billion, a 38.7 jump year-over-year.

Adjusting for one-time items, Wynn earned $1.38 a share, wildly beating the average analyst forecast of 74 cents per share.

Macau continues to be the main revenue and earnings generator in the gaming sector for those with exposure there.

Boyd Gaming Corporation was trading after hours at $8.95, up $0.17, or 1.94 percent. Melco was at $9.88, up $0.16, or 1.65 percent. MGM was trading after hours at $13.54, gaining $0.24, or 1.81 percent. Las Vegas Sands was trading after close at $45.95, rising $0.75, or 1.66 percent. Wynn Resorts closed Tuesday at $138.93, losing $1.57, or 1.12 percent. After hours it jumped to $143.00, soaring $4.07, or 2.93 percent.

JPMorgan (JPM) Raises (WYNN) (LVS) (MPEL) Estimates

JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) raised its estimates on Wynn Resorts (WYNN), Las Vegas Sands (LVS) and Melco Crown Entertainment (MPEL) today.

According to JPMorgan analyst Joseph Greff, Wynn and Las Vegas Sands should benefit from expected growth in Macau and the Las Vegas Strip. Gross gaming revenue in Macau has risen by 47.7 percent over last year in February.

For Melco Crown Entertainment, Greff noted that it is trading at a lower valuation than its peers.

Greff said, “We think that mass, slot, and VIP volumes for Marina Bay Sands’ (MBS) 1Q11 showed nice sequential improvements versus 4Q10 levels, something that should improve current investor sentiment for LVS, given that was an issue of concern for investors in the 4Q10 when VIP volumes were down sequentially. We believe that February was an all-time record for volumes and EBITDA.”

“We think Macau GGR growth will remain robust over the next two months given five weekends in April and the seasonally strong Golden Week holiday in May. Additionally, in the near term, we believe the potential easing of foreign labor restrictions in Macau over the next two months (in conjunction with Galaxy Cotai opening on May 15), could serve as a positive catalyst for all Macau operators, and more specifically LVS as it could speed up construction on Sites 5 & 6.”

He boosted his December 2011 price target on WYNN from $140 to $150, and on LVS from $58 to $56.

Wynn Resorts was trading at $135.94, gaining $1.64, or 1.22 percent, as of 12:55 PM EDT. Las Vegas Sands was trading at $45.22, up $0.36, or 0.80 percent. Melco was trading at $8.50, rising $0.26, or 3.16 percent.