SVB (SIVB) (TGH) (CATY) (EWBC) (RF) (SBNY) Get New Coverage

SVB Financial (SIVB), Textainer Group (TGH), Cathay Bancorp (CATY), East West Bancorp (EWBC), Regions Financial (RF) and Signature Bank (SBNY) getting new coverage from analysts.

FBR Capital initiated coverage on Textainer Group (TGH). They placed a "Market Perform" rating on the company.

FBR Capital initiated coverage on Atlas Air (AAWW). They placed a "Market Perform" rating on the company.

Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) initiated coverage on Cathay Bancorp (CATY). They placed an "Outperform" rating on the company.

Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) initiated coverage on East West Bancorp (EWBC). They placed a "Market Perform" rating on the company.

Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) initiated coverage on Regions Financial (RF). They placed a "Market Perform" rating on the company.

Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) initiated coverage on SVB Financial (SIVB). They placed a "Market Perform" rating on the company.

Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) initiated coverage on Signature Bank (SBNY). They placed a "Market Perform" rating on the company.

Price Targets (MRK) (NTGR) (SBNY) (SMTC) (SNDK) Weekly Recap

Price targets on shares of Merck & Co Inc (NYSE: MRK), NetGear Inc (NASDAQ: NTGR), Signature Bank (NASDAQ: SBNY), Semtech (NASDAQ: SMTC) and SanDisk Co. (NASDAQ: SNDK) updated by analysts during the last week.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) raised their price target on Merck & Co Inc (MRK) to $41.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

Bank of America raised their price target on NetGear Inc (NTGR) from $44.00 to $50.00.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) raised their price target on Signature Bank (SBNY). They have an “overweight” rating on the company.

Morgan Keegan raised their price target on Semtech (SMTC) from $27.00 to $31.50. They have an “outperform” rating on the company.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) raised their price target on SanDisk Co. (SNDK) from $65.00 to $70.00. They have an “overweight” rating on the company.

Ratings on (SBNY) (SLE) (STEC) Upgraded

Ratings on Signature Bank (NASDAQ: SBNY), Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE) and STEC Inc (NASDAQ: STEC) were upgraded by analysts.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) upgraded Signature Bank (SBNY) from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating. They have a price target of $65.00 on the company.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Sara Lee (SLE) from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating. They have a price target of $23.00 on the company, up from $21.00.

Benchmark Co. upgraded STEC Inc (STEC) from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating. They have a price target of $21.00 on the company.

Price Targets on (SMTC) (SNDK) (XUE) (NTGR) (MRK) (SBNY) Updated

Price targets on NetGear Inc (NASDAQ: NTGR), Semtech (NASDAQ: SMTC), SanDisk Co. (NASDAQ: SNDK), Xueda Education (NYSE: XUE), Merck & Co Inc (NYSE: MRK) and Signature Bank (NASDAQ: SBNY) were updated by analysts.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) raised their price target on NetGear Inc (NTGR) from $44.00 to $50.00.

Bank of America raised their price target on Merck & Co Inc (MRK) to $41.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) raised their price target on Signature Bank (SBNY). They have an “overweight” rating on the company.

Morgan Keegan raised their price target on Semtech (SMTC) from $27.00 to $31.50. They have an “outperform” rating on the stock.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) raised their price target on SanDisk Co. (SNDK) from $65.00 to $70.00. They have an “overweight” rating on the company.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) raised their price target on Xueda Education (XUE) from $12.00 to $13.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

Signature Bank (NASDAQ:SBNY) Growth Should Continue Through 2012

While unsure of the ability of Signature Bank (NASDAQ:SBNY) to maintain its pace of growth, Barclays says they believe EPS growth can come in at 29 percent in 2011 and 19 percent in 2012.

Barclays commented, "Though we were previously more cautious on SBNY's ability to continue its rapid growth, we now see EPS growth of 29% and 19% in 2011 and 2012 as reasonable possibilities. We are updating our 2011 EPS estimate to $3.17 and introducing a 2012 estimate of $3.75 with expectations for 11% and 8% asset growth in 2011 and 2012, respectively...However, we remain neutral on the stock, given its relatively full valuation at current levels and the high growth expectations already built into the share price."

Barclays reiterates an "Equalweight" rating on Signature Bank (SBNY), which closed Wednesday at $53.55, falling $0.22, or 0.41 percent. Barclays raised their price target on Signature from $50 to $55.

Signature Bank's (Nasdaq:SBNY) Earnings Outlook Improved

Signature Bank's (Nasdaq:SBNY) is strengthening, and has had their EPS estimates raised by FBR through 2012.

FBR said, "The increase in our price target reflects our improved earnings outlook, given yield curve steepening, and recent conversations with management at Signature Bank and its peers. We raise our 4Q10 operating EPS estimate to $0.65 (from $0.60), our 2011 operating EPS estimate to $2.90 (from $2.75), and our 2012 estimate to $3.40 (from $3.20) based largely on stronger net interest income prospects, but we have also fine-tuned our expense estimates to reflect seasonal benefits typical in the fourth quarter."

FBR Capital reiterates an "Outperform" rating on Signature Bank, which closed Wednesday at $50.96, up $1.31, or 2.64 percent. FBR raised their price target on them from $48 to $54.